Let us oft, I beseech you, be stirred up to think of our high prerogatives, with high admiration. What love ! Avhat love ! hath (xod shewed, ' that we should be called the sons of God,' 1 John iii. 1, that we should be made
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kings and priests to God the Father. And if ever you hope to have comfort by religion, you must find this anointing in yourselves, raising you above other men to holy duties, to be kings, and priests, and prophets.
' W'lu) h((tli anohitt'd us, anil KCdled »,s,' dx. You see then, a Christian is stablished this way in Christ, because he is anointed by the Spirit of God ; he is dedicated and coiisecrated to God. Hence, before I go on to that which followeth, in that the apostlo coupleth anointing, and sealing, and earnest to the promises, observe this briefly,
None have interest in the promises of mercij, 7W)ie can find comfort by them, but such as find some chanrfe in themselves.
The promises of God, as I have often said, arc the riches of a Christian, and his inheritance. Take all from him, you must needs leave him this. You cannot take this from him. And as an usurer thinks he is a rich man, though he have not twopence in his house, but all that he hath is in bills and bonds; so a Christian, though happily he have not much in actual pos- session, yet he is rich in that he hath God's bonds in the promises. But now a man cannot say that he is interested in the promises, that he can lay claim to them, if he be an unfruitful man, an unhallowed man, that hath not the sweet ointment of the Spiiit, changing of him, as it is said of Saul, into another man ; for God wheresoever he reconciles himself, and gives any promise of favour and mercy, there he works a qualification. Of necessity it must be so, because he is reconciled to amity. Now in friendship there must be a correspondent similitude of disposition and sympathy. Now as long as we are in our natural estate, and remain unhallowed and defiled, we are in such terms as God and we cannot meet in amity ; and therefore where- soever the promises of the favour of God and reconciliation are of force, there must be a change. God, when he intends to shew favour to any, he alters and changetli them, that they may be such as he may have content, and complacency and delight in.
We see then there is a necessity of examining ourselves in this point. If thou be anointed, examine thyself, what inward power of grace thou hast, what sweet work of the Spirit ; whether thou find in thee a principle above corruption, that makes thee rule above that which the world is inthralled unto. Undoubtedly as om- title to heaven it is out of ourselves, by the promises we have of salvation and reconciliation in Christ ; so the evidences must be found in ourselves ; there must be anointing, and seal- ing, and the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore I beseech you, think seriously of what I have delivered of that point before. But we shall have occasion in the particulars after to speak more of this. I go on therefore to the second word,
' Who hath sealed us.' The same God that anoints us seals us. Anoint- ing and sealing go both together ; both are to secure us om- estate in Christ, both wrought by the Spirit of God.
Now Christ is the first sealed, John vi. 27, ' Him hath God the Father sealed.' Christ is sealed to be our redeemer, that is, God hath set apart Christ from others, hath distinguished him, and sealed him, and set a stamp upon him to be the Messiah; sealed him to the great work of redemption, fu-stby the graces of the Spirit ; for he is full of them, having received ' the Spirit above measure,' John iii. 34 ; and not only so, but he sealed him by many miracles, by the resun-ection from the dead, by which he was declared to be the Son of God; by the calling of the Gentiles, and by many other things.
Christ being sealed, he sealed all that he did for our redemption with
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 22. 453
his blood ; and for the strengthening of our faith, he hath added outward seals, the two sacraments, to seal our faith in this blood, and in him who is' sealed of the Father.
But here in this place is meant another manner of sealing ; for here is not meant the sealing of Christ, but the sealing of us, that have com- munion with Christ. The same Spirit that sealed the Redeemer, seals the redeemed.
What is our sealing ?
Sealing we know hath this use.
1. First of all, it dotli imprint a likeness of hiia that doth seal iipon the wax that is sealed ; as when the king's picture or image is stamped or sealed upon the wax, everything in the wax answers to that in the seal, face to face, eye to eye, hand to hand, foot to foot, body to body. So we are said to be sealed, when we carry in our souls the image of Jesus Christ ; for the Spirit sets the stamp of Jesus Christ upon every Christian, so that there is the likeness of Christ in all things ; understanding answers understanding, in proportion. As a child, you know, answers the father ; it hath limb for limb, foot for foot, finger for finger, but it is not in quantity, but in propor- tion and likeness ; so it is in the soul that is sealed by the Spirit, there is a likeness to Christ, something of every grace of Christ. There is under- standing of the same heavenly supernatural truths ; there is a judging of things as Christ judgeth ; and the afi'ections go as Christ's do ; he loves that which Christ loves, and he hates that which he hates ; he joys in that which Christ delights in. Every affection of the soul is carried that way that the afi'ections of our blessed Saviour are carried in proportion. Every- thing in the soul is answerable to Jesus Christ ; and there is no grace in Christ, but there is the like in every Christian in some small measure. The obedience of Christ to his Father even to the death, it is in every Christian. The humility whereby Christ abased himself, it is in every Christian. Christ works in the soul that receiveth him, a likeness to himself.