heinous, enormous wickednesses, and a fair, sweet, harmless behaviour towards men.
Fifthly, There is relative self, which takes in our nearest and dearest relations in the flesh ; as wife, children, father, mother, brothers, sisters, &c., Ps. xlv. 7-1 1. Now when a man comes thus universally to deny himself for Christ's sake, and the gospel's sake, and religion's sake, then the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals him up unto the day of redemp- tion. This is a truth confirmed by the experiences of many mart}TS now in heaven, and by the testimony of many Christians still alive.
[7.] Seventhly, Sacrament times are sealing times. In that ' feast of fat things,' God by his Spirit seals up his love to his people, and his covenant to his people, and pardon of sin to his people, and heaven and happiness to his people. There are many precious souls that have found Christ in this ordinance, and when they could not find him in other ordinances, though they have sought him sorrowingly. In this ordinance many a distressed soul hath been strengthened, comforted and sealed.
I might give you many instances. Take one for all. There was a gracious woman, who, after God had filled her soul with comfort, and sealed up his everlasting love to her, fell under former fears and trouble of spirit, and being at the Lord's supper, a little before the bread was administered to her, Satan seemed to appear to her, and told her that she should not presume to eat ; but at that very nick of time, the Lord was pleased to bring into her mind that passage in the Canticles, * Eat, O my friend,' Cant. v. 1. But notwithstanding this, Satan still con- tinued terrifying of her, and when she had eaten, he told her that she should not drink ; but then the Lord brought that second clause of the verse to her remembrance, * Drink, yea drink abundantly' (or, ' be drunk,' as the Hebrew hath it) 'my beloved' (or, 'my loves,' as the Hebrew hath it ; — all faithful souls are Christ's loves), and so she drank also, and presently was filled with such unspeakable joys, that she hardly knewhowshe got home ; whi^hsoul-ravishing joys continued forafortnight after, and filled her mouth with songs of praise, so that she could neither sleep nor eat, more than she forced herself to do out of conscience of duty. At the fortnight's end, when God was pleased to abate her mea- sure of joy,^he came to a settled peace of conscience, and assurance of the love of God ; so that for twenty years after she had not so much as a cloud upon her spirit, or the least questioning of her interest in Christ. But,
[8.] Eighthly, When God calls his people to some great and noble work, when he puts them upon some high services, some dijfflcult duties, some holy and eminent employments, then his Spirit comes and seta his seal upon them : Jer. i. 5, ' Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee : and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee to be a prophet unto the nations.' The Lord send- ing the prophet- Jeremiah to denounce most dreadful judgments against a rebellious people, an impudent brazen-faced nation, he assures him of his eternal election, and of his choice presence, and singular assistance in that work that he set him about, verses 8th, 17th, 18th 19th. Thus the Lord dealt with Peter, James, and John, Mat. xvii. 1st to the 6th, and thus he dealt with Paul, Acts ix. 1st to 23d.
[9.] Ninthly, When they are taken up into more than ordinary
Mat. VI. 6.] the privy key of heaven. 233
communion with God, then is the Spirit's sealing time. When was it that the spouse cried out, ' My beloved is mine, and I am his !' but when Christ brought her to his banqueting house, and his banner over her was love ? Cant. ii. 16 ; 3-6, compared, &c.
[10.] Tenthly and lastly. When ChHstians give themselves up to private prayer, when Christians are more than ordinaHly exercised i/n secret prayer, in closet duties, then the Spirit comes and seals up the covenant and the love of the Father to them. When Daniel had been wrestling and weeping, and weeping and wrestling all day long with God in his closet, then the angel tells him, 'that he was a man greatly beloved of God,' or a man of great desires, as the original hath it, Daniel ix. 20-23. There was a gracious woman who, after much frequenting of sermons, and walking in the ways of the Lord, fell into great desertions ; but being in secret prayer, God came in with abundance of light and comfort, sealing up to her soul that part of his covenant, viz., ' I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh ; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them : and they shall be my people, and I will be their God,'Ezek. xi. 19, 20. And thus I have given you a brief account of the Spirit's special sealing times. Now mark, this seal God sets upon all his wares, upon all his adopted children ; for sooner or later there are none of his but are sealed with this seal. God sets his seal of re- generation, he stamps his image of holiness upon all his people, to dif- ference and distinguish them from all profane, [im]moral,*and hypocritical persons in the world, John iii. 3 ; 2 Thes. ii. 13; Heb. xii. 14. Doubt- less the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost, imprinting the draughts and lineaments of God's image of righteousness and holiness upon man, as a seal or signet doth leave an impression and stamp of its likeness upon the thing sealed, is the seal of the Spirit spoken of in Scripture : 2 Tim. ii. 19, 'The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' But to prevent mistakes, you must remember, that though the Spirit of the Lord, first or last, will set his seal upon every real saint, yet the impression of that seal is not alike visible in all; for some bear this impression as babes, others as men grown up to some maturity. All God's adopted children bear this impression truly, but none of them bear it perfectly in this life. Some- times this seal of regeneration, this seal of holiness is so plain and obvious that a man may run and read it in himself and others ; and at other times it is so obscure and dark, that he can hardly discern it, either in himself or others. This seal is so lively stamped on some of God's people, that it discovers itself very visibly, eminently, gloriously ; but on others it is not alike visible. And thus I have made it evident by these seven particulars, that all the children of God have the Spirit of God.