ways and methods in the world; for in miraculous voices and inspirations it is poffible there may, fubeffe falfum, be found fome cheats or impoftures of the devil; but the Spirit's witness in the heart, suitable to his revelation in the fcripture, cannot deceive us.

Secondly, The conclufion or truth fealed is ravishing and transporting. All Chriftians vehemently pant for it, few have the enjoyment of it for any long continuance; but whilft they do enjoy it, they en joy heaven upon earth, a joy beyond all the joys of this world. To have this conclufion furely fealed, Chrift is mine, my fin is pardoned, 1 fhall be faved from wrath through him; O what is this! what is this!

Thirdly, Confider the subject or perfon fealed, a poor finful wretch, that has, ten thousand times over, grieved the good Spirit of God, by whom, notwithstanding, thou art fealed to the day of redemption: Thou haft by every fin deserved to be fealed up to damnation: Thou haft reafon to account and efteem thyfelf much inferior in graces and duties to many thousands of the faints that are panting after this privilege, and cannot obtain it: O the riches of the goodness of God! Fourthly, and laftly, Confider the defigns and aims of the Spirit in his fealing thy foul, which are,

1. To fecure heaven to thee for ever.

2. As intermediate thereunto, to bring very much of heaven into thy foul, in the way to it; indeed to give thee two heavens, whilft many others must fuffer two hells.

5. Query. Laftly, we will enquire, What are the effects of the Spi rit's fealing upon our fouls, by which we may diftinguish and clearly difcern it from all delufions of Satan, and all impoftures whatsoever.

Anfw. The genuine and proper effects and fruits of fealing are, 1. Inflamed love. 2. Renewed care. 3. Deep abasements. 4. Increase of strength. 5. A defire to be with the Lord. 6. Improved mortification to the world.

Wherefoever these are found confequent to our communion with God, and his manifestations of himself to us therein, they put it be yond all doubt that it was the feal of his own bleffed Spirit, and no delufion.

1. The fealings of the Spirit cannot but inflame the love of the foul in a very intenfe degree towards God; one flame doth no more naturally beget another, than the love of God doth kindle the love of a gracious foul to him: We have known and believed the love that God hath to us,' 1 John iv. 16, 19. When Christ had forgiven much to that poor woman that had finned mych, and manifefted pardoning mercy to her foul; O how much was her love to Chrift inflamed thereby! Luke vii. 47.

2. Renewed care and diligence follows the fealings of the Spirit: Now is the foul at the foot of Chrift, as Mary was at the fepulchre, with fear and great joy. He that travels the road with a rich treafure about him, is afraid of a thief in every buth. This is exem

plified in the fpoufe, who had endured many a fad day and night in Chrift's abfence, and fought him forrowing: But when the had regained his felt and fenfible prefence, it is faid, Cant. iii. 4. "I "found him whom my foul loveth; I held him and would not let ❝ him go."

She doth not (as Mr Durham fpeaks) lay by diligence, as if all were done; but is of-new taken up with as great care to retain and improve this mercy, as before fhe was folicitous to obtain it. Whe ther a believer want or have, whether he be feeking or enjoying, there is still matter of exercife for him in his condition.

3. Deep abafements and great humblings ufed to follow the eminent appearances of God to the fouls of men. "Lord, (faid "that difciple) how is it that thou wilt manifeft thyfelf to us, and "not unto the world?" John xiv. 22. When God fealed the covenant to Abraham, to be a God to him, at this Abraham fell up on his face, Gen. xvii. 1, 2, 3. Never doth a foul lie lower in the duft, and abhor itfelf, than when the Lord makes the most figna! manifeftations of his grace and love to it.

4. Increafed ftrength follows the fealings of the Spirit. New powers enter into the foul, and a fenfible improvement of its abilities for duty: "Or ever I was aware (faith the fpoufe) my foul inade "me as the chariots of Amminadib," Cant. vi. 12.

Now the wheels of the foul being oiled with the joy and comfort of the Spirit, run nimbly in the ways of obedience. The joy of the Lord is your ftrength.

5. Sealings of the Spirit inflame the defires of the foul after hea ven, and make it long to go home. Nothing makes death fo undefirable to the faints, as the doubts and fears that hang upon their fpirits about their condition. Were their evidences for heaven clear, and their doubts refolved, they would, as the apostle speaks,

defire to be diffolved, and to be with Chrift," Phil. i. 23. If once the great question of our intereft in Chrift be thoroughly decided, and all be clear betwixt us and our God, we shall find life a matter of patience, and death the object of defire.

Sixthly, and laftly, Improved mortification to the world, flows naturally from the fealings and affurances of the love of God to our fouls. It is with our fouls, after fuch a view of heaven, and a fealing intereft therein, as it is with him that hath been gazing upon that glorious creature the fun, when he comes to caft his eyes again upon the earth, all things feem dark and cloudy to him; he fees no beauty in any of thofe things, becaufe of that excellent luftre which he lately beheld. "We know (faith the apoftle) that if "our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a * building of God, an houfe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" There is affurance or fealing. "For in this we groan earneftly, defiring to be clothed upon with our house which is "from heaven :" There is the natural effect of it, 2 Cor. v. 1. 2.

Ules. The point fpeaks to three forts of perfons, viz. 1. To those that have not yet been fealed. 2. To thofe that once had, but now want this comfort. 3. To thofe that enjoy the comforts of it.

Firft, To thofe that yet want this mercy, who have not been formerly fealed by any affurance of their title to Chrift, but all their days have been clogged with fears, and doubt of their condition. To fuch my counfel is,

I. That you be not quiet under these uncertainties, but pant after the affurance of peace and pardon. Say unto Chrift, as the fpouse did, Cant. viii. 6. "Set me as a feal upon thine heart, as a feal upon thine arm:" Pant after it, as David did, Pfalm xxxv. 3. "Say unto my foul, I am thy falvation."

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How can you look upon fuch precious promifes, and not dare to tafte them? How can you hear others fpeak of their fatisfaction, peace, and affurance, and be quiet until you have alfo attained it? What is it that hinders this mercy, that it cannot come home to your fouls! Is it your neglect of duty? O ftir up yourselves to take hold of God! Is it want of a thorough fearch and examination of your state? Olet 0 not thine eyes find reft, till that be fully done. Is it some special guilt upon thy foul, that grieves the Spirit of God? Be restless till it be removed. I know this mercy is not at your command, do what you can do; but yet I also know, when God beftows it, he usually doth it in these ways of our duty.

Secondly, To those that once had, but now want this bleffing, who fay as Job xxix. 2, 3. "Ő that it were with me as in days paft !" The darkness is the greater to you, because you have walked in the light of the Lord. The fum of Chrift's counsel in this cafe is given in three words, Rev. ii. 5. Remember, repent, reform.

First, Remember, i. e. Ponder, confider, compare time with time, and state with ftate, how well it once was, how fad it is now.

Secondly, Repent; mourn over these your finful relapses; fure you may challenge the first place among all the mourners in the world. Your lofs is great. O better to have loft the light of your eyes, than this light of God's countenance. Your fin hath feparated betwixt you and your God. O mourn over it.

Thirdly, Reform; Do your firft works again. O Chriftian, confider thy heart is funk deeper into the world than it was wont to be; thy duties are fewer, and thy zeal and affection to God much abated. Return, return, O backfliding foul, and labour to recover thy first love to Chrift whatever pains it coft thee.

Laftly, To thofe that do enjoy thefe choice and invaluable mercies, the fealings of the Spirit.

First, Take heed that you grieve not the good Spirit of God," by whom ye are fealed to the day of redemption," Eph. iv. 30. He hath comforted you; do not you grieve him: The Spirit is a tender delicate thing, you may quickly deprive yourselves of his joy and peace. VOL. VI.

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Secondly, Be humble under this advancement and dignity. If your hearts once begin to fwell look out for humbling difpenfations quickly, 2 Cor. xii. 7. This treafure is always kept in the veffel of a contrite and humble heart.

Thirdly, Keep clofe to duty; yea, tack one duty to another by intermediate ejaculations. If care of duty be once remitted, you are not Afar from a fad change of your condition.

Fourthly, Improve all ordinances, cfpecially this great fealing ordinance, for your farther confirmation and establishment. Act your faith to the utmost of its ability, upon Chrift crucified; and comfort will flow in The more the direct acts of faith are exercifed, the more powerful and fweet its reflex acts are like to be.

THE FIFTH

MEDITATION,

Upon JOHN i 29.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world.

HE scope of this chapter, is to prove the divinity and eternal Godhead of Jefus Chrift. One of thofe arguments by which this great article of faith is confirmed and proved is the teftimony of John. This teftimony of John is the more remarkable, because it was before prophefied of him, that when the Meffiah fhould come, this meffenger thould go before his face, to prepare the way for him, Mal. iii. I.

Now, among all the teftimonies that ever John gave of Christ, none ever was, or could be more full and clear than this in the text: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world!"

In which words are remarkable, 1. The preface to his teftimony. 2. The teftimony itself.

First, The preface or introduction to John's teftimony; Behold! there is a double ufe in fcripture of this word: fometimes it is used by way of indication, and fometimes by way of excitation. In the first, it points out the perfon; in the last, it raises our affections to him. In this place it hath both these uses.

Behold the Lamb of God! q. d. This is the great expectation and hope of all ages. This perfon whom you behold, is the defire of all

nations. Lo, this is God manifeft in the flesh. This is the great facrafice, the Lamb of God: Never did human eyes behold such an object before.'

Secondly, The teftimony itfelf: Which must be confidered two ways; as it refpects, 1. The truth and reality; 2. The virtue and dignity of Christ its object.

Firf, John's teftimony respects the truth and reality of the object: This is a auros, the Lamb of God; the very antitype to which all legal: facrifices had refpect, and from which they derived all their value and virtue; grace and truth came by Jefus Chrift, as he had said before, ver. 17. The pafchal lamb and the lamb for daily facrifice, were but the types and fhadows of this Lamb of God.

Secondly, His teftimony refpects the virtue and dignity of Chrift and his blood. He taketh away the fin of the world. The Greek asper (as De Dieu, a learned critic obferves) answers both the Hebrew words, et xw Ifa. liii. 4. which fignify not only to bear, but to bear away; Potando expiat, expiando aufert, efficitque ut remittatur. By bearing fin, he expiates it; by expiating, takes it away, or procures the remiffion of it. The expreffion feems to allude to the fcape-goat, mentioned, Lev. xvi. 22. Thus Chrift really and wholly takes away the fin of the world; i. e. the fin of all believers, in the world, for whom he was facrificed, as Drufius well expounds it, concurring with the ftream of found expofitors.

So that this is a very full teftimony which John gives to Chrift, and it is given with great affection and admiration of him: Behold! yea, admire in beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fin of the world! Behold him with affections suitable to fuch an object; Ecce perfona a Deo ordinata, in victimam ad expiandum peccata. Grotius. Behold the perfon appointed by God, for a facrifice to expiate fin! Now, though this fcripture be very fruitful in practical obfervations, yet it is not my purpose, at this time, to note or profecute any of them except this one, which rifes from the prefatory particle, or that note of admiration, with which John's teftimony of Chrift is ushered in: Behold the Lamb of God! And the note thence will be this:

Doct. That Jefus Chrift, the Lamb of God, is to be beheld with admiration and affection fuitable to fuch an object.

Chrift is beheld by men three ways:

Firft, Carnally, with an eye of flesh: fo men faw him in the days of his flesh, and despised him, Ifa. liii. 2. Carnal eyes faw no beauty in him, that he should be defired.

Secondly, Fiducially, by the eye of faith: believing, is seeing Christ, John vi. 40. Faith is to the faints instead of eyes: By it they make Chrift prefent, though the heavens have received him out of our carnal fight.

Thirdly, Beatifically, by the glorified eye: fo the fpirits of just men made perfect do, by their mental eye, fee him in glory; and all the