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have by promise, oath, and sacrament, but an inward by the Spirit per- suading of our interest in them, and working that which doth authorise us to hiy claim unto them, after the use of a seal, both in confirmation and representation, and resemblance of him that sealed.
The persons sealed are, first, Christ, and then those that are given to Christ.
I. Christ is sealed,*
1. By the Father. Christ was ordained by him to be a saviour in our nature, predestinate to be the head of the church. Wherefore he often saith he came to do his Father's will : ' Him hath the Father sealed,' John vi. 27, anointing him, calling him, setting him forth, sanctifying him by the Spirit, and every way fitting him with all grace to be a saviour.
2. He was sealed hj the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in flesh, abased and exalted for us ; so as his flesh is the flesh of the Son of God, and his blood the ' blood of God,' Acts xx. 28.
8. Sealed hj/ a test inionij from heaven of all three jiersons : by the Father,
* This is my well-beloved Son ;' by the Holy Spirit descending like a dove ; by himself to his human nature dwelling in all fulness in it. Christ is sealed by miracles done upon him and by him ; by his baptizing and installing into his office, and by giving himself up to shed his blood for sin, by which blood the covenant is established and sealed.
4. In being justified in the Spirit, being raised from the dead, and
* declared thereby to be the Son of God mightily with power,' Rom. i. 4 ; and then advanced to the right hand of God, that through him our faith and trust might be in God, 2 Peter iii. 14 ; and appearing there for ever for us, sheweth not only his ability and willingness to save us, but that it is done already. We may see all whatever we can look for to our- selves performed in our head to our comfort.
II. As Christ was sealed and fitted for us, so ive are sealed and fitted for Christ.\ There is a privy seal in predestination. This is known only to God himself: ' The Lord knoweth who are his,' 2 Tim. ii. 19. And this knowledge of God of us is carried secret, as a river under ground, until his calling of and separating us from the rest of men, when first by his Spirit he convinceth us of what we are in ourselves, and of our cursed con- dition, and thereby layeth us low by sorrow and humiliation for sin as the gi-eatest evil. And then a pardon is more to us than a crown ; then we will wait for mercy and continue so, and beg for mercy, and that upon Christ's own condition, by denying and renouncing anything of our own ; then Christ is Christ unto us. Indeed, after this, it pleaseth Christ by his Spirit to open ' a door of hope,' and give some hints of mercy ; and to let in some beams of love, and withal to raise np the soul by a spirit of faith, to close with particular mercy opened and oflered by the Spirit, whereby the soul sealeth to the truth of the promise : John iii. 33, ' He that believeth hath set to his seal that God is true.' It is strange that God should stoop so low as to receive, as it were, confirmation by our belief, but thus God condescends in the phrase of Scripture, as we are said to help God : ' Curse ye Meroz, because they came not to help the Lord,' &c., Judges v. 23. God stoops to be helped by us, and to have his truth, and power, and goodness ratified and confirmed by us. When we beheve the pi'omise of God in Christ — though it be by the help of the Spirit — we seal God's truth. And then God honoureth that sealing of ours by the sealing of his Spirit : ' After you believed you were sealed,'
* In margin here, ' The sealing of Christ.' — G. t In margin here, ' Christians are scaled,' — G. VOL. V. E e
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saith tliG apostle, Epli. i. IB ; that is, the gracious love of Christ was further coufirmccl to thorn. God honours no grace so much as faith. Why ? Because it honours God most of all others. It gives God the honour of his mercy, and goodness, and wisdom, and power, and of his truth, especially he that believe sin God by believing, seals that God is true ; and God honours that soul again by sealing it to the day of redemption. God hath promised, ' Those that honour me, I will honour,' John xii. 2G ; therefore, ' He that believeth hath the witness in himself,' 1 John v. 10. That grace promised belongeth to him, for he carries in his heart the counterpane* of the promises, he that confcsseth and believeth shall have mercy. I believe, saith the soul, therefore the promise belongs to me. My faith, answering God's love in the promise, witnesseth so much to me. The Spirit not only rcvealeth Christ and the promises in general, but in attending upon the ordinances, by an heavenly light, the Spirit discovers to us our interest in particular, and saith to the soul, God is thy salvation, and enableth the soul to say, I am God's. ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine,' Cant. ii. 1(5. ' Christ loved me, and gave himself for me,' Gal. ii. 20. Whence came this voice of Saint Paul ? It was the still voice of the Spirit of God, that, together with the general truth in the gospel, discovered in particular Christ's love to him. It is not a general faith that will bring to heaven, but there is a special work of the Spirit, in the use of means, discovering and sealing the good will of God to us, that he intends good unto us ; and thereupon our hearts are persuaded to believe in God, and to love God as our God, and Christ as our Christ.