time he informs them, that the Holy Spirit had sealed them, as the Lord's property, unto the day of re- demption, when he would claim them as his own. The advocates of human systems love not such appa- rent contrarieties : they would rather say, if they be sealed unto the day of redemption, how can they be in any danger of so grieving the Lord, as to be finally excluded from the heavenly Canaan ? or, if they be in danger of such a calamity, how can it be that they should ever have been sealed unto the day of re- demption ? But we may safely leave these matters to God, who will clear up all such difficulties in the last day. That we may grieve the Holy Spirit, and that believers are sealed by him unto the day of redemption, is equally certain : nor is there any great difficulty in reconciling the two, to a mind that is truly humble and contrite ; because the liberty of man is not at all affected by the decrees of God : man never loses his proneness to fall, notwithstand- ing God's counsel shall ultimately stand : and there- fore he needs at all times the caution in our text, whilst the encouragement afforded in it is at all times proper to animate his exertions.
But, — not to enter into nice disquisitions about difficulties, which, after all that can be said upon them, can never be entirely removed, — we shall proceed, with a view to practical improvement, to notice,
I. The inestimable benefit conferred upon believers —
Many are the offices which the Holy Spirit exe- cutes in the great work of redemption. He is the one Agent, by whom redemption is applied in all its parts. By him is life imparted to those who were dead in trespasses and sins : " he convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment ;" and "glorifies Christ" in the sight of all who are so in- structed. But there is one office in particular of which we are now called to speak, namely, his seal- ing of believers unto the day of redemption. This is more especially dwelt upon by the Apostle, in the