324 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
tliem, tlie apostle tells them of this sealing of the Spirit, whereby the promises are irrevocably confirmed unto them to whom they are made, as is the case among the sons of men. Suitably, Eph. i. 13, he saith they are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise;'' that is, who is promised unto us, and who confirms to us all the promises of God, Heb. ix. 14. That the other end of sealing also, safety and preservation, is designed therein, secondarily, appears from the ap- pointed season whereunto this sealing shall be effectual. It is " to the day of redemption," Eph. iv. 30; until the saints are brought to the enjoyment of the full, whole, and complete purchase made for them by Chi'ist when he " obtained for them eternal redemption." And this is a real testimony which the Holy Spirit gives to his own abiding with the saints for ever. The work he accomplisheth in them and upon them is on set purpose designed to assure them hereof, and to confirm them in the faith of it.
Unto an argument from this sealing of the Spirit, thus proposed, "Those who are sealed shall certainly be saved," Mr Goodwin ex- cepts sundry things, chap. xi. sect. 42, p. 255-257; which, because they are applied to blur that interpretation of tht^words of the Holy Ghost which I have insisted on, I shall briefly remove out of the way, that they may be no farther offensive to the meanest sealed one.
He answers, then, first, by distinguishing the major proposition thus: "They who are sealed shall certainly be saved with such a sealing which is unchangeable by any intervenience whatsoever, as of sin and apostasy, so that they cannot lose their faith ; but if the sealing be only such the continuance whereof depends on the faith of the sealed, and consequently may be reversed or withdrawn, it no way proves that all they who are partakers of it must of necessity retain their faith. Therefore," saith he, secondly, "we answer farther, that the sealing with the Spirit spoken of is the latter kind of seal- ing, not the former, — that is, which depends upon the faith of those that are sealed, — as in the beginning or first impression of it, so in the duration or continuance of it; and consequently there is none other certainty of its continuance but only the continuance of the said faith, which being uncertain, the sealing depending on it must needs be uncertain also. That the sealing mentioned depends upon the faith of tlie sealed is evident, because it is said, ' In whom also, after ye believed, ye were sealed with the Spirit of promise.'"
Alls. I dare say there is no honest man that would take it well at the hand of Mr Goodwin, or any else, that should attempt, by distinctions, or any other way, to alleviate or take off the credit of his truth and honesty in the performance of all those things where- unto, and for the confirmation whereof, he hath set his seal. What acceptation a like attempt in reference to the Spirit of God is like to find with him, lie may do well to consider. In the meantime, he
YII.] THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST. 325
prevails not with us to discredit this work of his grace in the least; for, —
1. This supposal of such interveniencies of sin and wickedness in the saints as are inconsistent with the life of faith and the favour of God, as also of apostasy, are but a poor, mean insinuation for the begging of the thing in question, which will never be granted on any such terms. An interveniency of apostasy, — that is, defection from the faith, — is not handsomely supposed whilst men continue in the faith.
2. That which is given for the confirmation of their faith, and on set purpose to add continuance to it, as this is, cannot depend on the condition of the continuance of their faith. The Holy Ghost seals them to the day of redemption, confirming and establishing thereby an infallible continuance of their faith ; but, it seems, upon condition of their continuance in the faith. Cui fini? Of what hitherto is said, this is the sum : " If they who are sealed apostatize into sin and wickedness, they shall not be saved, notwithstanding that they have been sealed." And this must pass for an answer to our argument, proving that they cannot so apostatize because they are sealed on purpose to preserve and secure them from that condition. Men need not go far to seek for answers to any argument, if such as these (pure beggings of the thing in question and argued) will suffice.
3. Neither doth " the beginning or first impression of the sealing" depend upon their faith any otherwise but as believers are the sub- ject of it, which is not to have any kind of dependence upon it, either as to its nature or use. Neither doth that place of the apostle, Eph. i. 13, "After that ye believed ye were sealed," prove any such thing, unless this general axiom be first established, tbat all things which in order of nature are before and after have the connection of cause and effect, or at least of condition and event, between them. It proves, indeed, that their believing is in order of nature antecedent to their sealing, respecting the use of it here mentioned ; but this proves not at all that faith is the condition of sealing, the bestowing of faith and the grant of this seal to establish it being both acts depending merely, solely, and distinctly, on the free grace of God in Christ. Though faith in order of nature go before hope, yet is no hope bestowed on men on the condition of believing. The truth is, both faith and sealing, and all other spiritual mercies, as to the good- will of God bestowing them, are at once granted us in Jesus Christ; but as to our reception of them, and the actual instating of our souls in the enjoyment of them, or rather as to the exerting of themselves in us, they have that order which either the nature of the things themselves requires, or the sovereign will of God hath allotted to them. Neither doth sealing bespeak any grace in us, but a peculiar improvement of the grace bestowed on us. So that, —