who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ interceedeth with his Father on the behalf of all those that are given to him that they may be with him where he is that is in the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 17 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And what Christ asked of his Father shall assuredly be granted Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always 3. God for Christs sake hath promised eternal life to all that are Christs that is to all persons that do or shall believe on Christ to the end of the World Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son this whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life 1 Joh. 2.25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us eternal life And the promise of God is a sure ground to hope for eternal life Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began 4. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath power over all flesh given to him by the Father that he may give eternal life to all that are given to him by the Father Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him And therefore they that are Christs may be assured that they shall have eternal life seeing Christ hath power to give eternal life to whom he will and this power over all flesh was given him purposely that he might give eternal life to all that were given him by the Father 5. God hath given us this record concerning his Son that eternal life is in his Son and that eternal life is his free gift and that he will give it to all that have his Son and if we do not believe this record that God hath given of his Son we should make God a Liar 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath Life Eternal Life is in Christ and therefore if we believe the record that God hath given of his Son namely that God hath given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son we must then conclude it as a certain truth that he that hath the Son hath Life Now seeing such as have an interest in Christ have sure grounds to hope for eternal life it followeth hence that they have good grounds of strong consolation under all the troubles of this life and also against the fears and terrors of Death For hope of eternal life will help us to rejoyce greatly in the midst of all our troubles Rom. 5.2 3 VVe rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulations When we have good hope of the glory of God that is of enjoying the Kingdom of Heaven which is a most glorious Kingdom we may rejoyce and glory in the midst of our greatest tribulations 1 Pet. 1.3 4 6. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and vndefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heariness through manifold temptations Here is joy great joy in the midst of manifold temptations that did cause heaviness and whence did this joy proceed from a lively hope of an heavenly inheritance VVherein ye greatly rejoyce That is in which hope or in hope of which inheritance So Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and more enduring substance The spoyling of our goods for which we have laboured many years is wont to cause sorrow and lamentation Jer. 9.19 A voice of wailing is heard out of Zion how are we spoyled yet the hope of a reward in Heaven will help us to take the spoiling of our goods joyfully The hope of eternal life will take away the fears and terrors of Death when a man hath good hope of his Salvation it will be no trouble no terror to such a man to dye but he may dye in peace Luk. 2.29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation The hope of eternal life will so far take off the fear and terrors of death that it will make us desire and long for our dissolution that we may be with Christ in Heaven Phil. 1.23 Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 2 Cor. 5.1 2. VVe know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven V. They that are Christs shall have the Lords presence with them under the troubles which they meet with while they live and also when they come to die Our sins made a separation between God and our Souls Isa 59.2 But the sufferings of Christ have made up this breach 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also suffered once for sins the just for the unjust that we might be brought unto God One of the names given to Christ was Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us Math. 1.23 Whereas by the fall of Adam God was against us and was separated from us through Christ he is reconciled to us and is become with us a God that will afford us his presence That such as are Christs shall have the presence of God and Christ with them under all their troubles yea at all times both while they live and when they dye See Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And what he hath said he will surely perform it If he will never leave nor forsake us then at no time of life nor at the hour of death Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you always to the end of the world Here is a note of attention set before this promise that the Members of Christ may take notice of it for their comfort and encouragement Lo I am with you I that have all power in Heaven and in Earth given to me I am with you how long always to the end of the world not only with his Apostles and Disciples that lived in those days but with all his Ministers and Members to the end of the world and at all times And more especially in times
34. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their Transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips § No doubts about our Spiritual estate to be indulged or admitted but upon Scripture grounds 3. After you have closed with Christ and God hath cleared up to your Souls your interest in Christ by his Word and Spirit admit no doubts about your interest in Christ but upon Scripture grounds Satan labours what he can to keep us in a doubting condition all our dayes because doubts of this nature hinder our comfort weaken our faith and are impediments to our glorifying God And therefore after clearest evidences of our interest in Christ he will be thrusting doubts into our minds whether webe Christs yea or no that he may puzzleus herein as long as we live After our Lord Jesus Christ had it witnessed to him from Heaven that he was the Son of God Matth. 3.17 And lo a voice from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The Devil tempted him twice with doubts about his Sonship Matth. 4.3 6. If thou be the Son of God if thou be the Son of God Now if Satan adventured to suggest doubts to our Lord Jesus Christ after he had his Sonship witnessed in an extraordinary manner even by his Fathers voice speaking from Heaven to him it is no marvail if he be often suggesting doubts to us about our interest in Christ after clearest manifestations thereof Wherefore it will be our wisdom to examine all our doubts to see whether there be real grounds from the Holy Scriptures for such doubts and if there be not then to reject them as the suggestions of Satan and the sinful fruit of our own unbelieving mistrustful hearts As Christ said to Peter Matth. 14.31 O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt So should we say to our own hearts when doubts arise in our hearts wherefore do I doubt Have I cause from the word of God to question my interest in Christ because of this or that which is suggested to me If not reject those doubts as causeless and as proceeding from Satan § Interest in Christ is consistent with great imperfections sore afflictions dreadful temptations conflicts between the Flesh and Spirit want of influences succeslesness in Holy Duties and the hideings of Gods face 4. It is of great use to the holding fast the perswasion of our interest in Christ to have a right understanding of the State and Condition of a Christian in this present evil world A man may be united unto Christ and have a saving interest in him and yet be sensible of many and great imperfections and be exercised with sharp afflictions and dreadful temptations he may feel a law in his Members warring against the law of his mind and find great conflicts between the Flesh and the Spirit he may feel great dryness and want of Spiritual influences and be under the hideings of Gods face and meet with other exercises of his Faith and notwithstanding all these things he may be Christs and Christ may be his As I shall shew by instanceing in the several particulars 1. A man may be sensible of much imperfection in himself he may find very great defects in his best duties and yet be one that hath a saving interest in Christ God may be his Father and he may be one of Gods Children Isa 64.6 8. We are all as an unclean thing and our righteousnesses are as filthy rags But now O Lord thou art our Father There are Babes in Christ as well as young Men and Fathers and they that are but Babes in Christ are so full of imperfections that in some things they seem more like to carnal men than Spiritual 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carrnal even as unto babes in Christ yet these Babes in Christ that had much carnality in them were truly interested in Christ as we may see ver 23. ye are Christs 2. A man may be exercised with sharp and sore afflictions such as may melt and break his heart and yet have a saving interest in Christ Cant. 2.2 16. As a Lilie among Thorns so is my love among the Daughters My beloved is mine and I am his When the Spouse was a Lilie among Thorns that is compassed about with sharp afflictions which did prick and grieve her like Thorns she was Christs Love and Christ was hers and she was his When David was afflicted very much and his troubles such as melted his Soul and broke his heart he did not question his interest because of his afflictions but could and did own it that he was the Lords Psal 119.28 107. My Soul melteth for heaviness I am afflicted very much compared with ver 94. I am thine save me A man may be exercised with horrid and dreadful temptations and yet be one that hath an interest in Christ The Apostle Paul who was a chosen Vessel and had an undoubted interest in Christ was under the buffettings of Satan which were as grievous to his Soul as a Thorn is grievous to the Flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 There was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure Our Lord Jesus himself was tempted by Satan to great and grievous sins to get bread when he was hungry to cast down himself from a Pinacle of the Temple which was in effect to have destroyed himself and to fall down and worship the Devil And what worse sin than to worship the Devil Matth. 4.6 9. Now if Satan adventured to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ to such horrid sins as these are We need not wonder if he assault his Members with temptations to the worst of sins as Blasphemy Idolatry Atheism Self-Murder and the like 4. A man may have a saving interest in Christ and yet feel in himself the indwelling corruption which may incline him to that which is evil and hinder him in doing that good which he desireth to do He may feel the lustings of the Flesh opposing the workings of the Spirit of Grace He may feel the Law in his Members warring against the Law of his Mind and sometimes leading him Captive to the Law of Sin and yet be one that is made a partaker of the saving benefits of Christ We find the Apostle Paul uttering such complaints as these Sin dwelleth in me The good that I would that I do not but the evil which I would not that I do I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my mind
have thereby As namely that Jesus of Nazareth was God manifest in the Flesh the Son of God as well as the Son of man that he is that Saviour that was foretold and promised should come into the World to save lost man that he dyed for our sins and rose again for our justification and ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God tomake intercession for us that God hath made him both Lord and Christ and exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour c. Now then we recieve his Testimony when we believe the truth of those things which are revealed in the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ Joh. 3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that he is true Thus we receive Christ when we believe the Doctrine of the Gospel and continue therein And this is necessary to our enjoying an Interest in Christ 2 Joh. 9. He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son 2. We recieve Jesus Christ by the consent of our Wills When our Wills consent to take this Jesus for our Lord and Saviour as he is offered to us in the Gospel and we are willing to be ruled by him and to be saved by him in his own way Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely The great work is to porswade and bring over the will to Christ to make a man willing to have Christ for his Lord and Saviour and to be willing to to be saved by him in Life and Death in his own way The averseness of the will to accept of Christ for our Lord and Saviour we may see from such Scriptures as these Ps 81.11 Israel would none of me Luk. 19.14 We will not have this man reign over us Joh. 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life It is the work of God yea the power of God that is required to make a man willing to have Christ for his Lord and Saviour Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Ps 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power When our wills consent to take Christ as he offers himself to us he becomes ours As the consenting to the enticeing of Sinners makes us one with them and makes us partakers of their evil deeds Ps 51.18 2 John ver 11. And therefore Solomon adviseth Pro. 1.10 My Son if sinners entice thee consent thou not So by our consenting to receive Christ when he offers himself to us and wooeth and intreateth us to accept him we become one with and are made partakers of his benefits As 't is in Marriage it is not wooing and waiting but consenting that makes up the Match So it is in the mystical Marriage it is not inviting and calling and waiting but consenting makes up the Match 3. We receive Christ for our Saviour when we rely upon him and trust in him for Salvation and all things requisite unto Salvation When we look upon him as the only Saviour and as an all-sufficient Saviour and do trust in him for our eternal Salvation Eph. 1.13 In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation Ps 86.2 O thou my God save thy Servant that trusteth in thee The Lord was displeased with the Israelites when they did not trust in his Salvation Psal 78.21 22. The Lord was wroth because they believed not in God nor trusted in his Salvation In these three things consisteth this duty of receiving Christ 1. In the assent of the mind to the truth of those things that are revealed concerning Christ in the Gospel 2. In the consent of the will to take this Jesus for our Lord and Saviour 3. In the relyance or trust of the heart on Christ for Salvation 4. Christ becometh ours by our entring into Covenant with God When upon the call of the Gospel we come to Christ and believe in Christ then we enter into Covenant with God then God makes an everlasting Covenant with us Isa 55.3 Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David And when the Lord takes us into his Covenant then Jesus Christ becometh ours and all his saving benefits become ours For one main branch of the covenant is to give us Christ and all his saving benefits Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison The great promise of the new covenant is I will be your God Ezek. 36.28 And when the Lord promiseth to be our God in that promise God the Father engageth himself to be our Father and God the Son engageth to be our Saviour and our Redeemer and God the Holy Ghost engageth to be our comforter How do we become Christs I. By the donation of the Father God the Father chose out of the children of men whom he saw good and gave them to Jesus Christ to be his peculiar people to be redeemed and saved by him Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people All that God chose to eternal life he gave to Christ to redeem them So that all that are Christs are the Fathers and all that are the Fathers by election are the Sons by redemption Joh. 17.10 All mine are thine and thine are mine II. VVe are Christs by Redemption He bought us with a price he purchased us with his own blood he bought us Body and Soul for himself with a great price 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirits which are Gods The price that Christ gave for this purchase was his own blood Act. 20.28 To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood III. We become Christs by the Spirits causing and enabling us to give our selves to Christ We become Christs by a voluntary resignation of our own selves unto him 2 Cor. 8.5 First gave their own selves unto the Lord. Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lord and another shall subscribe with his hand to the Lord. that is shall surely and firmly engage himself to be the Lords Servant Psal 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant IIII. VVe become Christs by vertue of the covenant He enters into covenant with us that he will graciously accept us to be his Ezek. 16.8 I entered into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine It is part of Gods Covenant that he will accept of us for his people Heb. 8.10 Ye shall be to me a people And as the Lord makes a covenant with us to accept us for his so
my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my desire and all my Salvation although he make it not to grow See what was Davids comfort when he was speaking his last words it was his interest in the Everlasting Covenant He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant and the assurance he had of his Salvation by virtue of this Covenant This is all my Salvation 7. Interest in Christ is a ground of strong consolation under all sorts of troubles and against the terrours of Death because when Christ is ours all his saving benefits are ours As Ahab said to Benhadad 1 King 20.4 I am thine and all that I have So may I say If Christ be thine all that Christ hath is thine Hence such as are interested in Christ are said to be joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 When Christ is ours all things are ours things present and things to come life and death this world and the world to come adversitie and prosperitie all things are ours ordained and designed for our good 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods And if this will not comfort us to hear that life and death things present and things to come the Kingdom of Heaven and all things are ours what else will VVhen Christ is ours his Righteousness is ours Phil. 3.9 His blood and all that he hath purchased with his blood all his merits are ours and his intercession is ours God is our Father the Spirit is our comforter Heaven is our Inheritance yea all good things are ours Obs How is this true that they are Christs have all things when as many that are Christs are ful of wants they want Riches Friends c. and in great straits and have suffered the loss of all things for Christ and can these be consistent together that a man should have all things and yet want many things A. 1. They that are Christs have all things vertually in that contentment and satisfaction which they have in Christ and from Christ They are or may be as well contented as if they had all the world Thus it was with the Apostle in his wants and straits when he was as poor to outward appearance as a man that hath nothing he was as well contented as if he had possessed the whole world 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things A man that hath a contented mind is as well satisfied as if he had all the world Gen. 33.11 Take I pray thee my blessing that is brought unto thee because God hath dealt graciously with me and I have enough The Hebrew is li chol I have all things Hence note that they have enough that have contented and satisfied minds they have all things 2. They that are Christs have all things in the providential care of God though they be poor and in straits and have suffered the loss of all things the providence of God takes care of them to supply them with all things that are needful with all things that are good for them 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you The providence of God taketh such care for us in all things that we need not trouble our selves with anxious thoughts or cares about any thing but may cast all our care upon the Lord. The Providence of God doth and will take care of us to supply us with all needful things and all things that are good for us Phil 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ 3. They have all things in the Covenant and Promise of God For in the Covenant there are all things promised that they do or can desire 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant and this is all my Salvation and all my desire VVe can't desire more then Grace and Glory and all good things now these are all promised to us Ps 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly And what things are ours by promise are ours by a better and a more sure tenure then what is ours by actual possession without a promise because what we have in our possession may be lost may be taken from us but the promises no creature can take from us 4. They have all things eminently and transcendently in God and Christ in having God for their portion and Christ for their Saviour What Solomon saith of mony Eccl. 10.19 Mony answereth all things The same may be said as truly of God and Christ God answereth all things and Christ answereth all things When we enjoy God who is the fountain of all good in the enjoyment of him for our God we do inherit all things Rev. 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son They have all things in Christ their head what the head hath the head hath it for the good of the Members Now Christ our head hath all things for the good of his church Eph. 1.22 And gave him to be the head over all things in the Church 5. They have the good of all things though not the actual possession of all things Rom. 8.28 VVe know that all things work together for good to them that love God Yea their very wants are for their good for they put them upon living by Faith and stir up in them a Spirit of Prayer and keep them humble c. 6. They are heirs of all things though they are not come to the full enjoyment of their inheritance for they are joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 If children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ And Christ is heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things The heir while a child is Lord of all though he hath not the actual possession of his inheritance Gal. 4.1 So it is with us we are heirs of all things by virtue of our Union with Christ though we have not the actual possession of our inheritance 8. Interest in Christ is a ground of strong consolation under all troubles of life and terrors of death because all that are Christs are blessed in and by Christ and are so blessed as no troubles nor death it self can make them miserable but after their Union with Christ they are blessed and shall continue blessed for ever I shall open the blessedness of such as are Christs in these particulars 1. All that are Christs are in a most blessed and happy condition Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust
he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God 4. By Christ overcoming the world the world is become ours the troubles of the world which would of themselves hinder our Salvation shall be made through the Conquest of Christ to further our Salvation Phil. 1.19 I know that this shall turn to my Salvation The Apostle speaks of his Bonds and of the afflictions some evil minded men thought to add to his Bonds ver 13.16 And he knew that his afflictions should be so far from hindring that it should be a furtherance of his Salvation See also 2 Cor. 1.6 VVhether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation and Salvation which is effectual in enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer The Salvation of the Corinthians was effectual that is powerfully promoted effectually carried by enduring the same sufferings which the Apostle endured Hence the World through Christ is said to be ours as well as all other things 1 Cor. 1.21 22 23. Because even the troubles of the World are through Christ made to work for our advantage § The intercession of Christ a ground of comfort against the troubles of the World II. The intercession of Christ is a ground of comfort against the troubles of the World Joh 17.9 13. I pray for them whom thou hast given me And these things I speak in the VVorld that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves He acquainted them with his praying for them on purpose that their hearts might be filled with joy It is a comfort to such as are in affliction to hear that good men are always mindful of them in their Prayers to God 1 Thes 3.6 7. You have a good remembrance of us alwayes Therefore Brethren we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your Faith If it were good tidings to the Apostle to hear that the Thessalonians had good remembrance of him always and that which did comfort him in all his affliction and distress How much more may it comfort us in all our affliction and distress to hear that Jesus Christ hath good remembrance of us alwayes and ever liveth to make intercession for us For 1. Though Christ be in Heaven and we are upon the Earth he beareth us upon his heart continually This was typified by the high Priest under the Law Aaron bore the names and the judgment of the Children of Israel upon his heart continually when he went into the holy place Exod. 28.29 30. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children of Israel upon the Breast plate of judgment upon his heart when he goeth in unto the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually And shall bear the judgment of the Children of Israel before the Lord continually Aaron the high Priest was a Type of Christ who is our great high Priest Heb. 4.14 Aarons going in unto the holy place was a Type of Christs ascending into Heaven Heb. 9.24 What Aaron did Typically when he entred into the holy place that Christ doth really for us now he is in Heaven And what was it that Aaron did when he went into the holy place 1. He bore the names and he bore the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart The judgment of the Children of Israel may signifie all their causes their affairs their condition this teacheth us Christ our high Priest knoweth his by name and that both their persons and conditions are born upon his heart 2 Aaron bore the names and judgments of the Children of Israel upon his heart at all times when he went into the holy place twice it is mentioned that he bore them continually which teacheth us that neither our persons or conditions are at any time forgotten of Christ but they are upon his heart continually now that he is in Heaven Psal 73.23 I am continually with thee That is continually upon thy heart under thy care And as David was so are we continually with Christ 3. Aaron bore both the names and judgment of the Children of Israel for a memorial before the Lord continually So Christ our high Priest as he carrieth our persons and conditions upon his own heart so he continually presenteth our case and condition before his Father The Apostle said 2 Cor. 7.3 You are in our hearts to die and live with you The like may be said of Christ concerning all that are his They are so much in the heart of Christ that he dyed for them and now that he is raised from the dead they are so much on his heart that he will live with them for evermore The Church of Christ is more upon the heart of Christ than the Church of Corinth was upon Pauls heart Now if the Saints had such a Room in Pauls heart that it was in his heart to live and dye with them then how much are all the Saints upon the heart of Christ What the Lord saith of Solomons Temple 2 Chron. 7.16 Mine Eyes and mine Heart shall be there perpetually The same is true of all Christians that are the Temple of God 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the Living God The eyes of the Lord and the heart of the Lord shall be upon them perpetually Christs bearing us upon his heart is set forth by his carrying his Lambs in his Bosom Isa 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his Arm and carry them in his Bosom It is not said he shall put them but he shall carry them in his Bosom intimating that not only strong Christians but the weakest and most feeble and shiftless are always born upon his heart And in doing this he fulfills his Peoples Prayers for they desire to be set as a Seal upon the heart of Christ Cant. 8.8 Set me as a Seal upon thine heart as a Seal upon thine Arm. The Seal makes and leaves an impression upon the Wax and all the cuts and engravings on the Seal are imprinted on the Wax 't is as if the Spouse should have said carry me upon thy heart as men use to carry Seals which they are very chary of and that there be deep and abiding impressions of all my troubles graven upon thy heart set me as a Seal upon thine Arm that is manifest the love of thine heart by thy actings towards me and for me put forth thy power to help me in all my troubles The Apostle had great confidence that God would give preserving grace to the Philippians because they were much in his heart to pray for them every time he went to the Throne of Grace Phil. 1.4 6 7. Always in every Prayer of mine for you all making request with joy Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it untill the day of Jesus Christ even as it is meet for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart If the