Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	love_v	sin_n	9,337	5	4.8347	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68733	A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the worke of the Spirit in sealing Wherein many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: as also of assurance and sealing what it is, the priviledges and degrees of it, with the signes to discerne, and meanes to preserve it. Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Grayes Inne. By that reverend divine, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1637 (1637)	STC 22495; ESTC S117375	62,609	291

the Spirit being incouragement to dutie or suffering in a good cause the soule by this witnesse of the Spirit findes increase of spirituall mettle it finces it selfe steel'd against opposition 〈…〉 this winde filleth 〈…〉 they are carried on a maine and are frighted with nothing that stands in their way See how the beleevers triumph upon the Spirits witnessing to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. God usually reserveth such comforts for the worst times Give wine to those that bee of heavy hearts Pro. 31. The sence of this love of Christ is better then wine This refreshing Paul had in the dungeon and hee sung at mid-night After this witnessing therefore looke for some piece of service to doe or tryall to undergoe Much must bee left to Gods fatherly wisedome in this who knowes whom to cheare up and when and in what degree and to what purpose and service and remember alwayes that these inlargements of spirit are as occasionall refreshings in the way not daily food to live upon we maintaine our life by faith not by sight or feeling Feasting is not for every day except that Feast of a good conscience which is continuall but I speake of grand dayes and high feasts these are disposed as God seeth cause 3 Where this sealing of the Spirit is there followeth also upon it a lifting up of the head in thinking of our latter end it makes one thinke of the times to come with joy as the holy Ghost here mentioneth the day of redemption as a motive to them to take heed that they did not grieve the Spirit intimating they should thinke of the day of redemption with a great deale of joy and comfort The Saints are described in Scripture to be those that looke for the appearing of Christ they are Christs and in him their reckonings and accounts are even And therefore with delight they can often think and meditate upon the blessed times that are to come There be divers degrees of sealing arising from divers degrees of revelation God first reveales his good will in his promises to all beleevers this is the privilege of the Church especially in these latter times then by his Spirit reveales those saving truths to those that are his by a divine light So that by argument drawne from the power they feele from truths in searching secrets in casting downe in raising up in staying the soule they can seale to them that they are divine The same Spirit that reveales the power of the Word to mee reveales in particular mine owne interest in all those truths upon hearing them Whereupon they are written in my heart as if they had beene made in particular to me the comfortable truths in the Word are transcribed into my heart answerable to the Word as that God in Christ is mine forgivenesse mine grace mine whereupon adoption in Christ is sealed which God still sealeth further to my soule by increase of comfort as hee seeth cause for incouragement The same Spirit that manifeste● in me the word I he●●e and reade to be the truth of God from the 〈…〉 efficacie of it the same Spirit teacheth to a●ply it and in applying of it sealeth me Therefore wee ought to desire to bee sealed by the Spirit in regard of an holy impression and then that the holy Spirit would shine upon his owne graces so as we may clearly see what is wrought in us above nature and because this is furthered by revealing his love in Christ in adoption to us wee must desire of G●D to vouchsafe the Spirit of Revelation to reveale the mysteries of his truth unto us and our portion in them in parti●ular and so our adoption and in the meane ti●e to wait and attend his good pleasure in the use of all good meanes Thus wee waiting God will so farre reveale himselfe in love to us as shall assure us of his love and stirre up love againe and the same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelation will be a Spirit of sanctification and so adoption Dignitie and fitting qualities suteable to dignity go both together In that grand inquirie about our condition there is a great miscarriage when men will begin with the first worke of the Father in election then passe to redemption by Christ I am Gods and Christ hath redeemed mee and never thinke of the action of the third person in sanctification which is the neerest action upon the foule as the third person himselfe is nearest unto us And so fetch their first rise where they should set up their last rest Whereas wee should begin our inquirie in the worke of the third person which is next unto us and then upon good grounds we may know our redemption and election The holy Spirit is both a Spirit of Revelation and of Sanctification together as hath beene said for together with opening the love of the Father and the Son hee fitteth us by grace for communication with them People out of selfe-love will have conceits of the Fathers and Sonnes love severed from the worke of the Spirit upon their hearts which will prove a dangerous illusion Although the whole worke of grace by the Spirit arise from the Fathers and Sonnes love witnessed by the Spirit yet the proofe of the Fathers love to us in particular ariseth from some knowledge of the worke of the Spirit the errour is not in thinking of the Fathers and Sonnes love but in a strengthening themselves by a pleasing powerlesse thought of it against the worke of grace by the Spirit which their corruption withstands So they will carve out of the worke of the Trinitie what they thinke agreeable to their lusts whereas otherwise if their heart were upright they would for this very end thinke of Gods love and Christs to quicken them to duty and to arme them against corruption To the day of Redemption There is a double redemption redemption of the soul by the first cōming of Christ to shed his bloud for us redemption of our bodies from corruption by his second comming Wee have not the perfect consummation and accomplishment of that which Christ wrought in his first comming till his second comming then there shall be a totall redemption of our soules and bodies and conditions There is a double redemption as there is a double cōming of Christ the first and the second the one to redeeme our soules from sinne and Sathan and to give us title to heaven the other to redeeme our bodies from corruption when Christ shall come to be glorious in his Saints As likewise there is a double resurrection the first and the second and a double regeneration of soule and body In sicknesse weaknes of body or when age hath overtaken us that we cannot live long here and the horrour of the grave the house of darkenesse is presented to us Oh let us thinke there will bee a redemption of our bodies as well as of our soules Christ will redeem our bodies

And Sathan will not lose such an advantage but will tempt us to call the worke of grace in question which though it bee a true worke yet for want of light of the Spirit to discerne it wee cannot see it to our comfort Whereas if the Spirit would witnesse unto us the truth of our state and the sincerity of our graces we shall bee able to hold our owne and those temptations will vanish For those that the holy Spirit hath set a clearer and stronger stampe upon that doe not question their condition they of all others should not grieve the Spirit A Spirit of ingenuity will hinder them and stirre up a shame in them to requite so ill such a friend Nothing so ingenuous as grace what is commendable in nature is in greater perfection in grace How doth the conscience of unkindenesse to a friend that hath deserved well of us trouble our spirits that we know not with what face to looke upon him And will not unkindenesse to the Spirit make us ashamed to lift up our face to heaven Benefits are bonds and the greater favour the stronger obligation now what greater favour is there then for the Spirit to renew us according to the Image of God our glorious Saviour who carried the Image of Sathan before And by this to appropriate us unto GOD to be laid up in his treasure as carrying his stampe and by this to bee separated from the vile condition of the world although we carry in us the seeds of the same corruption that the worst doth differing nothing from them but in GODS free grace and the fruits of it For God to esteeme so of us that have no worthinesse of our owne but altogether persons not worthy to bee beloved as to make our unworthinesse a foile to set out the freenesse of his love in making us worthy whom he found not so For the Spirit by sealing of us to secure us in the midst of all spirituall dangers and to hide us as his secret ones that that evill one should not touch us to hurt us These as they are favours of an high nature the more eare they require to walke worthy of them We cannot but forget our selves before wee yeeld to any thing against that dignity the Spirit hath sealed us to Nature helped with ordinary education moveth every man to carry himselfe answerable to his condition a Magistrate as a Magistrate a Subject as a Subject a Childe as a Childe and we thinke it disgracefull to doe otherwise and shall that which is disgracefull to nature not be much more disgracefull to nature renewed and advanced by the Spirit And indeed as wee should not so wee cannot grieve the Spirit so farre forth as wee are renewed Our new nature will not suffer us to dissemble to be worldly to bee carnall as the world is wee cannot but study holinesse we cannot but be for GOD and his truth wee cannot but expresse what we are and whose we are It is impossible a man should care for heaven that doth not care for the beginnings of heaven hee cannot bee said to care for full redemption and glory that doth not care for the spirit of grace fulnesse of grace is the best thing in glory other things as peace and joy and the like they are but the shinings forth of this fulnesse of grace in glory Againe when the Spirit assureth us of Gods love in the greatest fruits of it as it doth when it assureth this redemption That love kindles love againe and love constraines us by a sweet necessitie to yeeld cheerefull and willing obedience in all things there is nothing more active and fuller of invention than love and there is nothing that love studies more than how to please there is nothing that it feares more than to discontent It is a neate affection and will indure nothing offensive either to it selfe or the spirit of such as we love and this love the Spirit teaches the heart and love teaches us not onely our duty but to doe it in a loving and acceptable manner It carries out the whole streame of the soule with it and rules all whilest it rules and will not suffer the soule to divert to by-things much lesse to contrary Againe these graces that are conversant about that condition which the Spirit assureth us of as faith and hope are purging and purifying graces working a suteablenesse in the soule to the things beleeved and hoped for and the excellency of the things beleeved and hoped for have such a working upon the soule that it will not suffer the soule to defile it selfe Our hopes on high will leade us to wayes on high therefore whilest these graces are exercised about these objects the soule cannot but be in a pleasing frame It hath beene an old cavill that certainty of salvation breeds security and loosenesse of life And what is there that an ill disposed soule cannot sucke poyson out of A man may as truely say the Sea burnes or the Fire cooles there is nothing quickens a soule more to cheerefull obedience than assurance of Gods love and that our labour should not be in vaine in the Lord this is the Scriptures Logicke and Retoricke to inforce and perswade a holy life from knowledge of our present estate in grace I beseech you by the mercies of God saith Saint Paul what mercies such as he had spoken of before Iustification Sanctification Assurance that all shall worke together for good that nothing shall bee able to separate us from the love of God in Christ all duties tend to assurance or spring from assurance Gods intendment is to bring us to heaven by a way of love and cheerefulnesse as all his wayes towards us in our salvation are in love And this is the scope of the covenant of grace and for this end he sends the Spirit of adoption into our hearts that we may have a childe-like liberty with God in all our addresses to him When he offers himselfe to us as a father it is fit we should offer our selves to him as children nature teaches a child the more he desires his fathers love the more hee feares to displease him And hee is judged to be gracelesse that will therefore venture to offend his father because he knowes he neither can or will disinherit him Certaine it is the more surely we know God h●th begotten us to so glorious an inherit●nce the more it will worke upon our bowels to take all to heart that may any way touch him this wrought upon David when the Prophet told him God hath done this this for thee and would have done more if that had beene too little it melted him presently into an humble confession Those that have felt the power of the Spirit of adoption on their hearts will both by a divine instinct as also by strength of reason be carried to all those courses wherein they shall approve themselves to their father Instinct of

it selfe which is the highest and that which bringeth most joy page 166 Of such joyes and raptures of the Spirit and how they are knowne from illusions page 169. as 1 By what goes before them as 1 The word imbraced by faith page 171 2 Deep humiliation page 172 3 Selfe-denyall page 174 4 Comfort victory page 175 5 Spirituall strength put forth in duty page 176 2 By what accompanieth them as 1 Pryzing ordinances page 177 2 Liberty boldnesse with God page 179 3 And for the most part Sathans malice page 180 3 By what followeth them 1 More humility page 180 2 Increase of spirituall strength page 181 3 A joyfull expectation of Christ page 183 4 Other degrees of sealing from the divers degrees of revelation page 185 Vnto the day of Redēption § 3 Of the day of Redemption 191 From the consideration of what formerly hath beene spoken some generall conclusions are collected page 202 I Concl. Wee may attaine to the knowledge that wee are in the state of grace page 203 All that have faith have not assurance page 209 II Concl. Vpon knowledge of our state of grace for the present we may be assured of our future full redemption page 215 Why we pray for forgivenesse of sinnes notwithstanding page 218 This assurance we have page 221 that first God may be glorified 222 secondly our soules comforted page 223 III Concl. This assured knowledge is wrought by the Spirit page 224 IIII Concl. The sealing of the Spirit unto salvation should bee a prevailing argument not to grieve the Spirit page 228 1 To those that are not as yet sealed page 230 2 To those that are sealed either in a lower page 233. or higher worke of sealing page 236 and that from 1 Ingenuity page 237 2 Benefit received from the Spirit page 239 3 A kinde of necessity page 240 4 The nature of love page 241 5 And other graces as faith and hope that worke by assimilation page 242 The doctrine of assurance is no doctrine of liberty page 243 But of deepe and sweet ingagement page 244 Therefore we should preserve the worke page 247 FINIS Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are ●ealed unto the day of redem●tion WHether the words bee a Command ensuing from authority or counsell from wisedome or a caveat from Gods care of our soules it is not materiall considering both Counsell and Caveats of the great God have both force of a Command with some mixture of the sweetnesse of love the Apostle as his manner is from the largenesse of his Spirit riseth from a particular disswasive from corrupt communication in the verse before to this generall advise of not grieving Gods Spirit by sinne especially against conscience inlightened and this disswasive from evill is inforced from a dangerous effect of grieving the spirit of God and the danger of grieving ariseth from this that it is the Spirit of God and God himselfe whom we grieve and a holy Spirit holy in himselfe and holy as the cause of all holinesse in us and hee that after he hath wrought holinesse in us sealeth and confirmeth us in that act of grace untill the day of our glorious redemption so that the grounds of not grieving are from the greatnesse and goodnesse of the person whom we grieve and from the greatnesse and constancie of the benefits we have by him To speake something of the person the holy Spirit is called a Spirit not onely by nature as being a spirituall essence but in regard of his person and office he is both breathed from the Father and the Sonne as proceeding from them both and by office breatheth into all that God hath given Christ to redeeme and him to sanctifie he is so the spirit of God in proceeding from God as that he is God which who so denieth deny their own Baptisme being as well Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as into the Father and the Sonne and no lesse a person then God is needfull to assure our soules of Gods love and to change our nature being in an opposite frame who can reveale to us the minde of God but the Spirit of God and herein we may see the joynt forwardnesse both of the Father and Son and holy Ghost when both Father and Sonne joyne in willingnesse to send so great a person to apply unto us and to assure us of that great good the Father hath decreed and the Son performed for us That attribute the Spirit delights in is that of holinesse which our corrupt nature least delights in and most opposeth holinesse is the glory and crown of all other excellencie without which they are neither good in themselves no● comfortable to us It implies a freedome from all impuritie and a perfect hatred of it an absolute perfection of all that is excellent What is it then to grieve such an holy Spirit before whom the heavens themselves are impure and not onely the Divels tremble but the Angels cover their faces what shall wee thinke then of them which doe not onely neglect but despise yea oppose this holinesse and indure any thing else what is hated in the world with keene and perfect hatred but holynesse without which yet we shall never see God nor enter into that pure place into which we all professe a desire to enter There was planted in man by nature a desire of holinesse and a desire of happinesse the desire of happinesse is left still in us but for holinesse which is the perfection of the image of God in us is both lost and the desire of it extinguished and that men might the better drive it out of the world under a forme and shew of it they oppose the truth of it and that with the greater successe because under that great colour the Divell and his Vicar carry all their divellish policies under a shew of holinesse We see in Popery every thing is holy with them but that which should be holy the truth of God and the expression of it The man of sinne himselfe must have no worse title then his Holinesse a shew of devised holinesse pleaseth mans anture well enough as being glorious for appearance and usefull for ends But the truth of it being crosse to the whole corrupt nature of man will never be entertained untill nature be new moulded by his holy Spirit in the use of holy meanes sanctified by himselfe for that end it is this that makes a man a Saint and civill vertues to be graces which rayseth things that are otherwise common to an higher degree of excellency this is that to a Christian which reason is to a man it gives him a being and a beauty different from all other it makes every action we doe in obedience to God a service and puts a religious respect upon all our actions directing them to the highest end Now that which the Apostle disswades from is from

said to helpe God curse ye Meroz because they came not to helpe the Lord c. God stoopes to be helped by us and to have his truth and power and goodnesse ratified and confirmed by us when we beleeve the promise of God in Christ though it be by the helpe of the Spirit we seale Gods truth And then God honoureth that sealing of ours by the sealing of his Spirit After you beleeved you were sealed saith the Apostle that is the gracious love of Christ was further confirmed to them GOD honours no grace so much as faith Why because it honours God most of all others it gives GOD the honour of his mercie and goodnesse and wisedome and power and of his truth especially he that beleeves in God by beleeving seales that God is true and God honours that soule againe by sealing it to the day of redemption God hath promised Those that honour me I will honour Therefore Hee that beleeveth hath the witnesse in himselfe that grace promised belongeth to him for he carries in his heart the counterpaine of the promises he that confesseth and beleeveth shall have mercie I beleeve saith the soule therefore the promise belongs to me my faith answering Gods love in the promise witneseth so much to me The Spirit not onely revealeth Christ and the promises in generall but in attending upon the ordinances by an heavenly light the spirit discovers to us our interest in particular and saith to the soule God is thy salvation and inableth the soule to say I am Gods I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Whence came this voyce of Saint Paul It was the still voyce of the Spirit of God that together with the generall truth in the Gospell discovered in particular Christs love to him It is not a generall faith that will bring to heaven but there is a speciall worke of the Spirit in the use of meanes discovering and sealing the good will of God to us that he intends good unto us and thereupon our hearts are perswaded to beleeve in ●od and to love God as our God and Christ as our Christ This is excellently set downe in the sweet communion of marriage the Spirit is the paranymph●s the procurer of the marriage betweene Christ and the foule Now it is not sufficient to know that God and Christ beare good will to all beleevers though that be the ground and generall foundation of all and a great preparative to the speciall sealing of the Spirit but then the Spirit comes and saith Christ hath a speciall good will to me and stirres up in mee a liking to him againe to take him upon his owne conditions with conflict of corruptions with the scornes of the world c. Whereupon the mutuall marriage is made up betweene Christ and us this worke is the sealing of the Spirit Many are the privileges of a Christian from this his sealing as the use of a seale in mans affaires is manifold 1 Seales serve for confirmation and allowance to that purpose measurss are sealed God is said to seale instruction Iob 33. 16. Confirmation is either by giving strength or by the authority of such as are able to make good what they promise and also willing which they shew by putting to their seale which hath as much strength to confirme him to whom the promise is made as he hath will and power to make it good that hath ingaged himselfe Amongst men there is the writing and the seale to the writing when the seale is added to the writing there is a perfect ratification So there are abundance of gracious promises in the Scriptures now when the Spirit comes and seales them to the soule then they are sure to us the Spirit puts the seale to the promises 2 The use of it likewise is for distinction from others that carry not that mark So the sealing of the Spirit distinguisheth a Christian from all other men There is a distinction betweene men in Gods eternall purpose but that concerns not us to meddle with further then to know it in generall God knoweth who are his and who are not his but in time the holy Spirit distinguisheth and rankes men as they were distinguished before all worlds and as they shall be at the day of judgement the beginning of that distinction that shall bee afterward is in this life A seale maketh the impression of an Image the Princes Image useth to be in his seale so is Gods Image in his which destroyeth the old Image and print that was in us before Holy and good men by this worke of the Spirit are distinguished 1 From civill men by the worke of holinesse which meere civill men have not at all but despise And secondly from seeming good men by the depth of that worke the Spirit of God workes a new nature in them whereby they are distinguished Now nature in every creature is carried to one thing more then to another There is a distinct propension in a good man to God to grace and goodnesse his aymes and bent are distinct and thereupon he hath a greater inlargement of heart sutable to his great aymes hee looks above the world and worldly men they are narrow low base spirited men the best of them Againe things by nature worke from within Herein painted hypocrites are distinguished from a true substantial Christian he workes from a principle within another man is moved as the Automata things of motion Clockes and the like engines of wit that move from a weight without that poyseth them if they doe any good it is from somewhat without that swayeth their aymes and ends and not from an inward principle nature workes from an inward principle light things goe upward and heavie things downeward naturally artificiall things are forced Thus good men are distinguished from those that are seemingly holy there is a new nature wrought in them Againe nature is constant what is done naturally is done constantly heavie bodies goe alwayes downward and light bodies upward every creature works according to his nature an holy man is exercised in holinesse constantly because he doth it from an inward principle from a worke and stampe within Different things may seeme the same as wilde hearbs may have the colour and forme of those that are planted in the garden but there is difference in the vertue of them the seeming graces and actions of an hypocrite they have no vertue in them as there are some drugges without vertue dead things But there is a distinguishing vertue in the faith of a Christian wherby he overcomes the world and his lusts whereby he doth all duties prayes and heares and is fruitfull in his conversation in all his graces there is a cōforting strengthening vertue True gold hath the vertue to comfort and strengthen the heatt that Alchymy gold hath not True grace hath a working comforting vertue Another mans formall artificiall actions have

no vertue in them neither is it intended they being only put on to serve a turne Two men may doe the same things and yet there bee a grand difference the one doing them from the seale of the Spirit from a deeper dye and stamp of the Spirit the other if from the Spirit yet it is but from a common work at the best Some dyes cannot beare the weather but alter colour presently but there are others that having something that give a deeper tincture will hold The graces of a true Christian hold out in all kinde of weathers in winter and summer prosperity and adversity when superficiall counterfeit holinesse will give out thus we see the seale of the Spirit serves for distinction The use of a seale is likewise for appropriation Merchants use to seale their wares they would not have others have any right unto A Christian is Gods in a more peculiar manner than others there is not onely a witnesse of the Spirit that God is his but the Spirit workes in him an assent to take God againe there is a mutuall appropriation I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine when the soule can say thou art my God it is not frustrate because God saith before I am thy salvation where the Spirit seales God appropriates GOD chooseth the righteous man to himselfe And wee may know this appropriation by appropriating God againe Whom have I in heaven but thee and what have I in earth in comparison of thee There is no action that God works upon the soule but there is a reflect action by the Spirit to God againe If God chuse and love us we chuse and love him againe God appropriates us first we are his and wee are Christs we are Gods because hee hath given Christ for us we are Christs because hee hath given himselfe for us we are as the Apostle saith a people of acquisition A people purchased purchased at a deare rate by the bloud of CHRIST those that are Christs the Spirit appropriates them this appropriation is by sealing Againe we use to set our seale onely upon that wee have some estimation of set mee as a seale saith the Church in the Canticles upon thy right hand have mee in thy eye and minde as a speciall thing thou valuest The witnesse and worke of the Spirit shews Gods estimation of us the Scripture is abundant in setting forth the great price that God sets on his children they are his Children his Spouse his Friends his Portion his Treasure his Coyne he sets his marke his likenesse on them they are things hallowed and consecrated they are first-fruits Israel is a holy thing their titles shew the esteeme that God hath of them he values them more than all the world besides which are as chaffe and drosse The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour As there is a difference of excellency betweene pretious stones and other common stores betweene fruitfull and barren trees so there is amongst men and in this regard God sets a high●● esteeme upon some and thence it is that they have those honourable and glorious titles in Scripture of Sonnes Heires Kings and co-heyres with Christ when others are termed drosse and dung and thornes and have all the base termes that may be Now this estimation by sealing is knowne to us by the grace God workes in us common gifts and priviledges and favours of the world are no seale of Gods estimation If God should give a man kingdomes and great Monarchies it seales not Gods love to him at all but when God makes a man a spirituall King to rule over his base lusts this is a seal● of Gods valuing him above other men Therefore we should learne how to value others and our selves not by common things that cast-awayes may have but by the stampe of God set on us by the Spirit which is an argument that God intends to lay us up as coyne for another treasury for heaven It is the common grand errour of the times to be led with false evidences Many thinke God loves them because hee spares them and followes them with long patience and makes them thrive in the world Alas are these fruits of Gods speciall love What grace hath hee wrought in thy heart by his Spirit he gives his Spirit to them that pray insinuating that next the gift of his Sonne the greatest gift is the Spirit to fashion and fit us to bee members of his Sonne this is an argument of Gods love and esteeme Seales likewise are used for secresie as in Letters c. so this seale of the Spirit is a secret worke GOD knoweth who are his they are onely knowne to him and to their owne hearts The white stone is onely known to him that hath it and the hidden Mannah none so infallibly can know the state in grace as those that have the gracious worke themselves Holy men in some degree are knowne one to another to make the communion of Saints the sweeter there is a great deale of spirituall likenesse in Christians face answereth to face that one hath strong confidence of the salvation of another but the undoubted certainty of a mans estate is knowne onely to God and his owne soule nay sometimes it is hidden from a mans selfe there are so many infirmities and abasements and troubles in the world that this life is called a hidden life in Scripture our life is hidde with Christ in God it is unknowne to the Saints themselves sometimes and the world alway they neither know him that begets nor them that are begotten Hence likewise the use of a seale is to shew that things should be kept inviolable hereupon the Church is as a sealed fountain sealing shewes a care of preservation from common annoyance hereupon likewise it is that sealing is the securing of persons or things sealed from hurt No man will violate a Letter because it is sealed the Tombe where Christ was buried was sealed and the Prison doores upon Daniel that none might meddle with them so the Spirit of God by this worke of sealing secures Gods children as the bloud sprinckled upon the posts of the doores of the Israelites secured them from the destroying Angell In Ezek. 9. there was a marke set upon those that were to be preserved that secured them and in Revel 7. the sealed ones must not be hurt So where this seale of the Spirit is it is an argument that God meanes to preserve such a one from eternall destruction and from prevailing dangers in this world They are Gods sealed ones no man can hurt them without wrong to God himselfe Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme And likewise from devouring sinnes and dangerous apostasie a man that is truely sealed by the Spirit of GOD hee never becomes a member of Antichrist a stigmatized Papist for Antichrist hath his seale too hee is kept from soule-murthering errors he hath this

security upon him by the work and witnesse of Gods Spirit Whatsoever the use is or can be of a seale in mans affaires that God will have us make use of in his heavenly intercourse betwixt him and us Whereby you are sealed Now there are divers degrees of the Spirits sealing 1 Faith Hee that beleeves hath the witnesse in himselfe 1 Ioh. 5. 10. he carries in his heart the counterpane of all the promises This grace is first planted in the heart and answereth to Gods love and purpose towards us of giving eternall life the seale and first discovery of election is manifested to us in our beleeving Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved This beleeving is also a seale to us in that it is of those gifts that accompany salvation of which God never repents him by calling back againe it is a seed that abideth for ever 2 The worke of sanctifying grace upon the heart is a seale whom the spirit sanctifieth hee saveth The Lord knoweth who are his but how shall we know it By this seale Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie not onely in heart and affection but in conversation and that shall bee a seale of his Sonneship to him none are children of God by adoption but those that are children also by regeneration none are heires of heaven but they are new-borne to it Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath begotten us a new to an inheritance immortall c. This seale of sanctification leaves upon the soule the likenesse of Iesus Christ even grace for grace But because in time of desertion and temptation we are in a mist and cannot reade our owne faith and our owne graces it pleaseth Christ after some triall and exercise to shine upon his owne graces in the heart whereby we may know we beleeve and know we love untill which time the heart sees nothing that is good and seemes to be nothing but all objections and doubtings Wee may be sometimes in such a state as Paul and his company was in the ship Act. 27. 20. when they saw neither Sunne nor starres many dayes together almost past all hope So a Christian may for many dayes together see neither Sunne nor starre neither light in GODS countenance nor light in his owne heart no grace issuing from God no grace carrying the soule to God though even at that time GOD darts some beame through those clouds upon the soule the soule againe by a Spirit of faith sees some light through those thickest clouds enough to keepe the soule from utter despaire though not to settle it in peace In this darke condition if they doe as Saint Paul and his companie did cast Anchor even in the dark night of temptation and pray still for day God will appeare and all shall cleere up we shall see light without and light within the day-starre will arise in their hearts Though by reflecting upon our soules we are able to discerne a spirit of faith GOD may hide himselfe from the soule in regard of comfort Nay a Christian may know himselfe to bee in the state of grace and yet bee in an afflicted condition As in Iobs case hee knew his Redeemer lived and he resolved to trust in him even though he killed him hee knew he was no hypocrite he knew his graces were true and for all the imputations of his friends they could not dispute him out of his sincerity you shall not take my uprightnesse from me Yet for the present hee saw no light from heaven till it pleased GOD to reveale himselfe in speciall favour to him There is alwayes peace and joy in beleeving yet not in that degree which gives the soule content untill by honouring God in beleeving and waiting still his good time hee honoureth us with further sence of his favour and powreth forth his Spirit to us manifesting his speciall love towards us and this is a further degree of sealing of us confirming us more strongly then before The reason why we can neither have grace to beleeve nor know wee beleeve nor when we know we beleeve enjoy comfort without a fresh new act of the Spirit is because the whole carriage of a soule to heaven is above nature where the Spirit makes a stand we stand and can goe no further we cannot conclude from right grounds without some helpe of the Spirit some doubts some feares will hinder the application to our selves even as those that live in some damnable sinne cannot but grant that those that live in such a sinne shall never inherit heaven and their conscience tels them they live in such a sinne yet selfe-love blindes them so that they will not conclude against themselves that they shall be damned so true beleevers cannot conclude for themselves without divine light and helpe It pleaseth God thus to keepe every degree and act of sealing in his owne hand to keepe us in a perpetuall dependance upon him and to awe us that wee should not grieve the Spirit of grace and cause him to suspend either act of grace or comfort Ioy and strong comfort come from a superadded seale of the Spirit The works of the Spirit are of a double kinde either in us by imprinting sanctifying grace or upon us by shining upon our soules in sweet feelings of joy what the Spirit worketh in us is more constant as a new nature which is alwayes like it selfe and worketh uniformely but comfort and joy are of the nature of such priviledges as God vouchsafe that one time and not another to some and not to others This degree of sealing in regard of joy hath its degrees likewise sometimes it is so cleare and strong that the soule questioneth not its state in grace ever after but passeth on in a triumphant manner to that glory it lookes for Sometimes after this sealing there may be interrupting of comfortable communion so farre as to question our condition yet this calling into question comes not from the Spirit which where it once witnesseth for us never witnesseth against us but it is a fruit of the flesh not fully subdued it is a sinne it selfe and usually a fruit of some former sinne For howsoever wee should not doubt after a former witnesse of the Spirit yet there will bee so much weakening the sence of our assurance at there is yeelding to any lust The knowledge of our estate in grace and comfort thereupon though it may bee weakened by neglect of our watchfulnesse yet still it hath the force of an argument to assure us when the Spirit pleaseth to direct us to make use of it because Gods love varies not as our feeling doth and a fit doth not alter a state The childe in the wombe stirres not alwayes yet it lives and that may be gathered from the former stirrings This degree of sealing by way of witnesse and comfort is appropriated to the holy Spirit every person

in the blessed Trinitie hath their severall worke the Father chuseth us and passeth a decree upon the whole ground-work of our salvation The Sonne executeth it to the full The Spirit applyeth it and witnesseth our interest in it by leading our soules to lay hold upon him and by raising up our soules in the assurance of it and by breeding and cherishing sweet communion with Father and Son who both of them seale us likewise by the Spirit This joy comfort is so appropriated to the Spirit as it carrieth the very name of the Spirit and is one of the three Witnesses on earth that witnesseth not onely Christ to bee a Saviour but our Saviour The three witnesses on earth are the Spirit water and bloud for the better conceiving of which place wee must know that the great worke of Christ of redemption and justification was typified in the old Testament by bloud and the great worke of our sanctification typified by their washing To answer which types when Christs side was pierced there came forth both bloud and water shewing that Christ came not onely by bloud to justifie us but by water to sanctifie us Hereupon bloud and watar have the power to bee witnesses The bloud of Christ being sprinkled on the heart by the Spirit doth pacifie the conscience in assuring it that God is pacified by bloud as being offered by the eternall Spirit this quieting power sheweth that it was the bloud of God and shed for me in particular The witnesse of water is from the power the Spirit hath to cleanse our nature which no creature can doe but the Spirit of GOD change of nature is peculiar to the Author of nature If wee feele therefore our natures altered and of uncleane become holy in some measure wee may know we are the children of God as being begotten by the Spirit of Christ conforming us to his owne holinesse our spirit as sanctified can witnesse to us that we are Christs But oft it fals out that our owne spirits though sanctified cannot stand against a subtill temptation strongly inforced God super-addes his owne Spirit guilt often prevailes over the testimony of bloud that of water by reason of stirring corruptions runneth troubled Therefore the third the immediate testimony of the Spirit is necessary to witnesse the Fathers love to us to us in particular saying I am thy salvation thy sinnes are pardoned And this testimony the Word ecchoeth unto and the heart is stirred up and comforted with joy unexpresseable So that both our spirits and consciences and the Spirit of Christ joyning in one strongly witnesse our condition in grace that wee are the sonnes of God In this threefold testimony the order is this bloud begets water satisfaction by bloud procures the Spirit from God as a witnesse of Gods love and by feeling the power of bloud and water we come to have the Spirit witnessing and sealing our adoption unto us to establish us in the state of grace against stormes of temptation to the contrary The Spirit perswadeth to looke unto bloud convinceth the heart of the efficacie of it and then quieteth the soule which giveth it selfe up to Christ wholly and to whole Christ and thence feeles his heart established against carnall reason so as he can and doth oppose Christs bloud to all the guilt that doth arise And this witnesse of the Spirit comforting the soule is the most familiar and affects most If we feele it not as oft we do not then rise upward from want of this joy of spirit to water and see what worke we finde of the spirit in clensing our soules and if wee finde these waters not to runne so clearely as to discerne our condition in them then goe to the witnesse of bloud and let us bathe our soules in it and then we shall finde peace in free grace procured by bloud for oft times a Christian is driven to that passe that nothing can comfort him within or without him in heaven or earth but the free and infinite mercy of GOD in the bloud of Christ whereon the soule relyeth when it feeles no comfort nor joy of the Spirit nor sees no worke of sanctification then it must rest on the satisfaction wrought by the bloud of Christ when the soule can go to God and say If we confesse our sinnes thou art just to forgive them and the bloud of Christ shall cleanse us from all sinne Therefore though I feele not inward peace nor the worke of the Spirit yet I will cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ Hereupon we shall in Gods time come to have the witnesse of water and the Spirit more evidently made cleare unto us The Spirit it is that witnesses with bloud and witnesses with water and by water whatsoever of Christs is applyed unto us by the Spirit but besides witnessing with these witnesses the Spirit hath a distinct witnesse by way of inlarging the soule which joy in the apprehension of Gods fatherly love and Christs setting the soule at libertie The Spirit doth not alwayes witnesse unto us our condition by force of argument from sanctification but sometimes immediately by way of presence as the sight of a friend comforts without helpe of discourse the very joy from sight prevents the use of discourse This testimony of the Spirit containeth in it the force of all word promise oath seale c. this is greater then the promise as a seale is more then our hand as an oath is more then a mans bare word The same that is said of Gods oath in comparison with his bare promise may bee said of this sealing in comparison of other testimonies That as God was willing more abundantly to cleare to the heires of promise their salvation hee added on oath Hebr. 6. 18. So for the same end he added this his Spirit as a seale to the promise and to the other testimonies Our owne graces indeed if we were watchfull enough would satisfie us The fountaine is open as to Hagar but shee seeth it not c. howsoever the Spirit if that commeth it subdueth all doubts As God in his oath and swearing joyneth none to himselfe but sweareth by himselfe so in this witn●sse he taketh in no other testimony to confirme it but witnesseth by himselfe And hence ariseth joy unspeakeable and glorious and peace which passeth all understanding for it is an extract of heaven when we see our being in the state of grace not in the effect onely but as in the breast and bosome of God But how shall wee know this witnesse from an enthusiasticall fancie and illusion This witnesse of the Spirit is knowne from the strong conviction it bringeth with it which wayeth and over-powers the soule to give credit unto it But there be you will say strong illusions True bring them therefore to some rules of discerning Bring all your joy and peace and confidence to the Word they goe both together as a paire of Indentures one answers

uncertaine condition wherein a man knowes not but he may be a reprobate Wherefore came our Saviour into the world and tooke our nature upon him why became he a curse for us why hath he carried our nature into heaven and there appeares for us till he hath brought us home to himselfe but that he would have us out of all doubt of his love after o●ce by faith we have received him whence proc●●ded those Commandements to beleeve those checks of unbeleevers the commendation of them that did beleeve those upbraidings of doubting as springing from unbeliefe to what use are the Sacraments but to seale unto us the benefits of Christ if upon all this we should still doubt of GODS love especially when besides the seali●g of the promises to us we are sealed our selves by the Spirit of promise Object This is true if wee know we doe beleeve Answer It is the office of the Spirit as to worke faith and other graces so to reveale them to us every grace of GOD is a light of it selfe comming from the Father of lights and it is the property of light not onely to discover ot●er things but it sel●e too and it is the office of the Spirit to give further light to this light by shining upon his owne grace in us an excellent place for this is the 1 Cor. 2. 12. Wee have received the Spirit that is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every thing bee confirmed one witnesse is the Spirit of man which knowes the things that are in man the other witnesse is the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirits that we are the children of God Here is light added to light witnesse added to witnesse the greater witnesse of the Spirit to the lesse of our Spirits the Apostle joynes them both together My conscience bears me witnesse through the holy Ghost Obje Mans heart is deceitfull Answ But the spirit of God in mans heart is not deceitfull it is too holy to deceive and too wise to be deceived in this point of assurance wee plow with the Spirits Heifer or else we could not finde out this Riddle where there is an object to be seene and an eye to see and light to discover the object to the eye sight must needs follow In a true beleever after he is inlightened as there is grace to be seene and an eye of faith to see so there is a light of the Spirit discovering that grace to that inward sight in the bottome of a cleare River a cleare eye sight may see any thing where nothing is nothing can be seene it is an evidence that the Patrons of doubtings have little grace in them and much boldnesse in making themselves a measure for others Those that are b●se borne know their mothers better than their fathers the Church of Rome is all for the mother but the babes of Christ know their father the remainder of corruption will indeed be still breeding doubts but it is the office of the Spirit of faith to quell them as they arise We are too ready in time of temptation to doubt we need not helpe the tempter by holding it a duty to doubt this is to light a candle before the divell as we use to speake Question May not there be doubtings where there is true faith may not a true beleever be without assurance Answ There be three rankes of Christians first some that are yet under the spirit of bondage that like little children doe all for feare Secondly those that are under the spirit of adoption and doe many things well but yet are not altogether free from feare these are like those children that are moved with reverence to obey their Parents and yet finde their commands somewhat irkesome unto them The third are such as by the love of God shed into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption are carried with large Spirits to obey their father and herein like unto those children that not onely obey but take a delight in it upon a judgement that both obedience and the thing wherein they obey is good this we ought to labour for but we finde many Christians in the second ranke many truely beleeve in Christ by some light let into their hearts by the Spirit of adoption who are not yet fully assured of the love of Christ There is the act of faith and the fruit of faith the act of faith is to cast our selves upon Gods mercy in Christ the fruit of faith is in beleeving to be assured of this we must know that faith is one thing assurance another they may have faith and yet want a double assurance first assurance of their faith being not able to judge at all times of their owne act likewise secondly assurance of their state in grace as in time of desertion and temptation a soule at such a time casts it selfe upon Christ as knowing comfort is there to be had though hee be not sure of it for himselfe and this the soule doth out of obedience though not out of feeling as the poore man in the Gospell Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe the soule often times out of the deepe cryes and in the darke trusts in GOD and this is the bold adventure of faith the first object whereof is Christ held out in a promise and not assurance which springeth from the first act when it pleaseth God to shine upon the soule and is a reward of glorifying Gods mercy in Christ by casting the soule upon his truth and goodnesse Assurance is GODS seale faith is our seale when we set to our seale by beleeving he sets to his seale assuring us of our condition we yeeld first the consent and the assent of faith and then God puts his seale to the contract there must be a good title before a confirmation a planting before a rooting and establishing the bargaine before the earnest Some would have faith to be an over-powring light of the soule wherby undoubtedly they beleeve themselves to be Christ and Christ to be theirs which stumbleth many a weake yet true Christian for this is rather the fruit of a strong faith then the act of a weake which struggleth with doubting untill it hath gotten the upper hand True it is there must be so much light let in to the soule as the soule may relye upon Christ and this light must be discovered by the Spirit and such a light as shewes a speciall love of Christ to the soule And againe it is true that we are not to take up our rest in the light untill the heart be further subdued as many are too hasty to conclude of a good condition upon uncertaine signes before they have attained unto fuller assurance but yet we must not deny faith where this strong assurance is wanting so farre as to conclude against our selves if there be desires putting on to endeavour with conflict against