[ 86] Of CiOMMUNION with Thus then the Holy Ghoft communicates unto us his own iikenefs, which is alfo the image of the Father and. the Son. We are changed into this image by the Lord the Spirit, 2 Cor. iii. i8. And herein he brings us into fellowshipwith himfel£ Our likenefs to him, gives us boldnefs with him : hi§ work we look for, his fruits we pray for ; and when any effeft of grace, any difcovery of the image of Chrift implanted in us, gives us a- perfuafionof our being feparated and fet apart for God, we have a commu- nion with him therein. 6. He is an earneft' unto us, 2 Cor. i. 22. He bath given the earns of the Spirit in our hearts, chap.' v. 5. Who alto bath given unto us the ear- weft Of the Spirit : as alfo, Eph. i. 53, 54. Te are felled with that Hob; Spirit of promife, which is the came'? of our inheritance. In the two for- mer places we are faid to have the earneft of the Spirit, in the latter the Spirit is faid to be our cornett; of the Spirit, then in the firft place, is, as we fay, genitivús rnaterhe, denoting not the caufe, but the thing itfelf; not the author of the cornett, but the matter of it. The Spirit is ourcorneft, as in the labplace is expreffed. The confìderation of what is meant by the Spirit here, and what is 'meant by an camel will give tome infight into this privilege, which we receive by the Comforter. (u.) What grace, what gift of the Spirit is intended by this earneft, fome have made enquiry, I fuppofe, to no purpofe. It is the Spirit himfel£ per- fonally confidered, that is faid to be this cornett, 2 Cor. i. 22. It is God bath given the earnefl of the Spirit in our hearts r an exprefliondirely anfwering that of Gal. iv. 6. God bath font forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts : that is, the perfon of the Spirit ; for nothing elfe can be called the Spirit of his Son: and in Eph. i. r¢. He bath given the Spirit (öç for ö-) which is that earneft. The Spirit himfelf of promife is this earneft. In givingus this Spirit, he gives us this earneft. (2.) An camel it is á4f bis', neither the Greek, nor the Latin have any word to exprefs direftly what is here intended. The Latins have made words for it, from that expreffed here in the Greeks; arrba and arrhabo. Tlae Grek word is but the Hebrew, herabon ; which as fome conceive came atuongít them by the Tyrian merchants, being a word of Trade : it is by fome rendered in Latin, pignus, a pledge:.but this cannot be here intended. A pledge is that property which any one gives, or leaves in the cuftodyof another to affure him that be will give hint, or pay himdome other thing ; in the nature of that which we call a pawn. Now the thing that is here intended, is a part of that which is to come, and but a part of it according to the trade ufe of the word, whence the metaphor is ta- ken, it is excellently rendered inour language, an earneft. An earneft is part of the price ofany thing, or part of any grant, given, before-hand to affure the perfon, to whom it is given, that at the appointed feafon he shall receive the whole that is promifed him. That a thing bo an camel, it is required. i.) That it.be part of the whole of the fame kind and nature with it. As we do give fo much money in cornett to pay fo much more. 2.) That it be a confirmation of a promife and appointment; Srft, the whole is promifed, then the camel is given for the good and true perfor- mance ofthat promife. Thus the Spirit is this earneft, God gives us the, promife of eternal life. To confirm this to us, he giveth us his Spirit, which is as the firft part of the promife, to fecure us of the whole. Hence he is faid to be the cor- nett of the inheritance that is promifed and purchafed.. And
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