Thus, then, the Holy Ghost communicates unto us his own like- ness ; which is also the image of the Father and the Son. " We are changed into this image by the Lord the Spirit," 2 Cor. iii. ] 8 ; and herein he brings us into fellowship with himself Our likeness to liim giv€s us boldness with him. His work we look for, his fruits we pray for ; and when any effect of grace, any discovery of the image of Christ implanted in us, gives us a persuasion of our being sepa- rated and set apart for God, we have a communion with him therein.
6. He is an earnest unto us. 2 Cor. i. 22, He hath " given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts;" chap. v. 5, "Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit;" as also, Eph. i. IS, 14, "Ye are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance." In the two former places we are said to have the earnest of the Spirit ; in the latter, the Spirit is said to be our ear- nest : "of the Spuit," then, in the first place, is, as we say, " genitivus materiae ;" denoting not the cause, but the thing itself, — not the author ' Perseverance of the Saints, cliap. viii., vol. xi.
244 OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
of the earnest, but the matter of it The Spirit is our earnest ; as in the last place is expressed. The consideration of what is meant by the " Spirit," here, and what is ineant by an " earnest," will give some insight into this privilege, Avhich we receive by the Comforter: —
(1.) What grace, what gift of the Spiiit, is intended by this earnest, some have made inquiry ; I suppose to no purpose. It is the Spirit himself, personally considered, that is said to be this earnest, 2 Cor. i. 22. It is God hath given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts: an expression directly answering that of Gal. iv. 6, " God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts;" — that is, the person of the Spirit ; for nothing else can be called the Spirit of his Son : and in Eph. i. 14, he hath given the Spirit (og for o); which is that earnest. The SjDirit of promise himself is this earnest. In giving us this Spirit he gives us this earnest.
(2.) An earnest it is, — appaCwv. Neither the Greek nor the Latin has any word to express directly what is here intended. The Latins have made words for it, from that expressed here in the Greek, " arrha" and " arrabo." The Greek word is but the Hebrew " herabon" [P^'IJi?] ; which, as some conceive, came amongst them by the T}Tian merchants, being a word of trade. It is by some rendered, in Latin, "piguus," a "pledge;" but this cannot be here intended. A pledge is that property which any one gives or leaves in the custod)'' of another, to assure him that he will give him, or pay him, some other thing; in the nature of that which we call a " pawn." Now, the thing that is here intended, is a part of that which is to come, and but a part of it, according to the trade use of the word, whence the meta- phor is taken ; it is excellently rendered in our language, an " earnest." An earnest is part of the price of any thing, or part of any grant, given beforehand to assure the person to whom it is given that at the appointed season he shall receive the whole that is promised him.
That a thing bo an earnest, it is requhed, —
[1.] That it be part of the whole, of the same kind and nature with it; as we do give so much money in earnest to pay so much more.
[2.] That it be a confi7"mation of a promise and appointment ; first the whole is ^"'romised, then the earnest is given for the good and true performance of that promise.
Thus the Spirit is this earnest. God gives us the promise of eter- nal life. To confirm this to us, he giveth us his Spirit ; which is, as the first part of the promise, to secure us of the whole. Hence he is said to be the earnest of tlic inheritance that is promised and purchased.
And it may be considered how it may be said to be an earnest on the part of God, who gives him ; and on the part of believers, who receive him : —
Ist. He is an earnest on the p)art of God, in that God gives him
OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 24)5
as a choice part of the inheritance itself, and of the same kind with the whole, as an earnest ought to be. The full inheritance promised, is the fulness of the Spirit in the enjoyment of God. When that Spirit which is given us in this world shall have perfectly taken away all sin and sorrow, and shall have made us able to enjoy the glory of God in his presence, that is the full inheritance promised. So that the Spirit given us for the fitting of us for enjoyment of God in some measure, whilst we are here, is the earnest of the whole,