Aye, but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soul, as sometimes there is such a confusion in the soul that we cannot see the image of God upon it in sanctification, we cannot see the stamp of God's Spirit there, there is such a chaos in the soul ? God can see somewhat of his own Spirit in that confusion, but the spirit itself cannot.
Then go to the blood of Christ ! There is always comfort. The fountain that is opened for ' Judah and Jerusalem ' to wash in is never dry. Go therefore to the blood of Christ, that is, if we find sin upon our consciences, if we find not peace in our consciences, nor sanctification in our hearts, go to the blood of Christ, which is shed for all those that confess their sins, and rely on him for pardon, though we find no grace. For howsoever as an evidence that we are in Christ, we must find the work of the Spirit ; yet before we go to Christ it is sufficient that we see nothing in ourselves, no qualification ; for the graces of the Spirit they are not the condition of coming to Christ, but the promise of those that receive Christ after. Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest neither joy of the Spirit, nor sanctification of the Spirit ; go to the blood of Christ, and that will purge thee, and wash thee from all thy sins.
This I only touch for a direction what to do when our souls want comfort, when perhaps we cannot see the seal of the Spirit in sanctification so clearly.
To go on now to the next.
' And f/iven n.s the earnest of the Sjyhit.' Here is the third word borrowed from human afiairs, to set out the work of the Spirit in our souls. ' Anoint- ing' we had before, and ' sealing'; now here is ' earnest.'
The variety of the words shews that there is a great remainder of unbe- lief in the soul of man, that the Spirit of God is fain to use so many words to express God's dealing to the soul to bring it to believe, to be assm-ed of salvation. And indeed so it is, howsoever we in the time of prosperity, when all things go well with us, we are prone wondrously to presume, yet in the hour of death, when conscience is awakened, we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question, and to believe the doubts and fears of our own hearts, more than the undoubted truth and promise of God. There- fore God takes all courses to stablish^us. He gives us rich and precious promises, he gives us the Holy Spirit to stablish us on the promises, he
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 22. 465
seals us with his Spirit, and gives us * the earnest of the Spirit,' and all to settle this wretched and unbelieving heart of ours.
So desirous is God that wo should bo well conceited of him, ho loves us better than we love ourselves. He so much prizeth our love, that he labours by all means to secure us of his love to us, because except we know his love to us, we cannot love him again, and we cannot joy in him, &c. But that only in the general.
Here is earnest, and ' the earnest of the Spirit,' that is, in plain terms, he gives us the Spirit with the graces and comforts of it, which doth in our hearts that which an earnest doth amongst men.
But what is the Spirit an earnest of?
It is an earnest of our inheritance in heaven, of our blessed estate there. We are sons now, but we are not heirs, invested into the blessed estate we have title to. God leaves us not ofl' in the mean time while we are in our pilgrimage. He keeps not all for heaven, but he gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our Husband, from our Lord and King, Christ. He gives us the earnest of the Spirit, that is, he gives the Holy Ghost into our hearts, which is the earnest of that blessed, everlasting, glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter. That is the meaning of the words.
In what regard is the Spmt called an * earnest ? '
1. First of all, an earnest is for security of bargains and contracts. So the Holy Ghost assures the soul of salvation, being present with his graces and comforts ; the Holy Ghost is given for security.
2. Secondly, an earnest is part of the ivhole harrfain. Though it be a very little part, yet it is a part ; and so the Spirit of God here, and the work of the Spirit, and the graces and joy of the Spirit, it is a part of that full joy and happiness that shall be revealed. The Spirit dwells not fully in any one. He dwelleth no farther than he sanctifieth and reviveth. But that is an earnest for the time to come, that the Spirit shall be all in all, wherein we shall have no reluctancy, nor nothing to exalt itself against the sure regiment* of the Spirit.
3. Thirdly, an earnest is little in comparison of the whole baryain. So the work of the Spirit, the comforts, the joy, the peace of the Spirit, it is little in comparison of that which shall be in heaven, in regard of the ful- ness of the Spirit which we shajll have there. An earnest, though it be little in quantity, yet it is gi'eat in security and assurance. A shilling may secure a bargain of a thousand pounds perhaps ; so the Spirit, it is little in quantity it may be, but it is gi*eat in assurance. And as we value an earnest, not for the bigness of the piece ; for, alas ! it may be it is but little ; but we value and esteem it for that which it is an earnest of. So theworkof the Spirit, the joy and peace of the Spirit, the comforts of the Spirit, though they be little, yet they are gi*eat in security, and are to be prized ac- cording to that excellent bargain and possession, of which they are an earnest.