So Christ now contracts us on the earth, and having love to us, and taking our nature on him, that he might woo us in our own flesh, and in our own nature, taking upon him the ' earnest' of our flesh, he gives us the ' earnest' of his Spirit ; and to assure us that he loves us, and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards, he sends us love tokens, graces, and com- fort and joy. Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca, he sent by his servants bracelets and jewels, and such things, to securef her of his love, Gen. xxiv. 53.
So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the match, he sends us here graces and comforts of the Spirit, and all to secure us : all is for us, I say, which I observe the rather, because I would raise your hearts to hate unbelief and distrust exceedingly, because God labours to undermine it by all means possible.
Wherefore doth he use so many terms here, of ' sealing,' * anointing,' and ' earnest,' with words and sacraments, and all whatsoever may confirm you ? The Holy Ghost applies it to us. All this is that we may not doubt of the favour of God : and therefore when we find any goodness in us, let us account that to give false witness against ourselves is a horrible sin ; it is to make God a liar. God stands upon his credit ; and therefore take heed what we say (specially if we have found the work of grace in former time, any ' earnest'), that we have no grace. God doth this for our assu- rance. All his dealing of word and sacraments, of earnest and oath, and all that may be to assure us ; and therefore we should not cross the good- ness of God, so as to cherish such a disposition as is most contrary to him, that he labours to undermine by all means.
And, therefore, here is the poison of popish religion, that it maintains doubting, and leaves men doubting. Indeed they do well to maintain it in their doctrine, for indeed they false-found a man upon satisfaction, they false-found him upon purgatory and merits, and the foundation they have of a Christian soul is uncertain ; and therefore they may well teach doubt- ing: it suits with the course that they take. But I say it is very corrupt, for God useth all means that we should not doubt ; and therefore it is idly objected, God for his part will, but for our part we have reason to doubt. Why ! he in all things stoops to us, he labours to secure us ; and there- fore in the covenant of grace he doth his part and ours too.
* That is, ao'pa^wy = earnest, pledge. Tlie Scotch * arles,' or earnest-money seems to preserve this, and is a curious example of an unexpected etymology. — G. t That is = assure, make her certain of. — Gr.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 22. 477
But I hasten to that which follows, because I would end with the time. To touch that a little distinctly by itself, that the Spirit doth all, the ' earnest of the Spirit :' for indeed, though Spirit bo not added to stabhsh- ing, yet the Spirit stablisheth by Christ, and the Spirit anoints, and the Spirit ' seals to the day of redemption,' and ' the earnest of the Spirit.'
So it is the Holy Ghost doth all. Here you have the three Persons in the Trinity. We have three grand enemies, ' the world, the flesh, and Satan.' Now here are the three Persons in the Trinity stronger than all our enemies. ' He which stablisheth us, is God the Father, by his Spirit :' upon whom ? upon Christ, ' in Christ,' and gives ' us the earnest of his Spirit.' You have, I say, the three Persons of the Trinity here. But why doth the Spirit give us the earnest ? why doth the Spirit give us grace and comfort, seal us, and doth all, and stablish us ?
1. I answer, first of all, because now since the fall 7re have no principles of sHpernatiiral good, and therefore it must be a principle above our nature to work both grace and comforts in our barren hearts.
2. Again, as there is no principle to that which is supernaturally good, so there is opposition to that irhich is siipernatiiraUi/ r/ood; and therefore there must be somewhat to overpower the corruptions of our nature.
(1.) But why the Spirit, rather than the Father and the Son ? He comes from both ; and proceeding from both he is fit to witness the love of both. For the Holy Ghost is in the breast of the Father and the Son, and pro- ceeds from both, and he knows the secret love of the Father to us, and the love of Christ Jesus Mediator to us.
Now the Spirit knowing the secrets of God, as a man's spirit, saith the apostle, knows his own secrets, he knows his love, and he knows whom he loves ! So the Spirit of God knowing the affection of the Father, and the affection of Jesus Christ to us, is fit to be an ' earnest,' fit to be a ' seal.'