ful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment fhall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteoufnefs fhall be peace; and the effect of righteousnefs, quietness and affurance for ever. And my people fball dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in fure dwellings, and in quiet refting-places. Ifa. xxxii. 15-18. The Jewish nation, called a fruitful field, was to be counted a foreft; and the Gentile world, which formerly was called a wilderness, was to be turned into a fruitful field, under the out-pouring of the Spirit. Then judgment and righteousness were to remain in this field: peace, quietnefs, and affurance for ever, are to be the effects of judgment and righte oufnefs. Their habitation is to be a peaceable one: and fo it is, for they dwell in the cleft of the rock, that is their habitation-Let the inhabitants of the rock fing; let them fhout from the tops of the mountains. Ifa. xlii. 11. They are to have fure dwellings and fo they have, for they abide in the Son and in the Father-Lord, thou hast been our dwellingplace in all generations. Pfal. xc. 1. And be that dwelleth in the fecret place of the Most High, fhall abide under the fhadow of the Almighty. Pfal. xci. 1. They are to have peaceable refting places: they reft in the love of God, in his abfolute choice of their persons, in his covenant, in the finished falvation of Christ, and in the Holy Spirit's work on their own fouls; and I know of no refting-places fo precious and fo quiet as thefe. N Paul Paul calls circumcifion a feal. And be received the fign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, being yet uncircumcifed. Rom. iv. II. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness before ever he was circumcised, that neither he nor his feed might ever glory in the flesh. His circumcifion is called no more than a fign of real circumcifion; for a true circumcised person is one whofe heart God circumcises, that he may love him with all the heart, and with all his foul, that he may live. Deut. xxx. 6. Such, and only fuch, are truly circumcifed-For we are the circumcifion which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Phil. iii. 3. The real feal of true and fpiritual circumcifion is love; and circumcifion in the flesh was a fign of this, and no more. This feal in Abraham's heart, and the fign of it in his flesh, was to affure Abraham that God would adopt (by national adoption) his natural feed, and give unto them the land of promise; which he did; and led them into it by the hand of Mofes and Jofhua. And love was a feal to all Abraham's spiritual feed that he would adopt them by his grace, blefs them with faith, righteousness, and life; and that he would give them the heavenly country, and bring them into it by that renowned feed Chrift Jefus, in whom all nations fhould be bleffed. Almost every thing belonging to the believer is fealed; the foundation on which he builds is fealed. Hymeneus Hymeneus and Philetus, concerning the truth, have erred, faying that the refurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of fome. Nevertheless, the foundation of God ftandeth fure; having this feal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19. I do not understand this paffage as fome good men do; that by feal here is meant the fecret purpose of God, or his prescience. By this foundation the apoftle undoubtedly means the Lord Jefus Chrift; as it is written, According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wife master-builder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jefus Chrift. Cor. iii. 10, 11. Now this founda1 tion ftandeth fure; as the prophet Isaiah speaks, Thus faith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried ftone, a precious cornerftone, a fure foundation: be that believeth fhall not make bafte. Ifa. xxviii. 16. From this text Paul takes it, and fays, with the prophet, Nevertheless, the foundation of God ftandeth fure; having this feal, the Lord knoweth them that are bis. Now this foundation, which is Chrift Jefus, has got the feal of God upon it. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for bim hath God the Father fealed. John vi. 27. Christ was fealed with the Holy Spirit; he was distinguished, pointed out, authorised, anointed, commiffioned, and fent to be the promifed and long looked-for Meffiah. He was filled with the Holy Ghoft from the womb, and fealed by the public descent of the Holy Spirit upon him at his baptifm, just before he entered on his public ministry. The miracles that he wrought, and the fouls that he converted, were all fcriptural evidences of his being fealed and sent of God. Hence the apoftle concludes, that, though fome, who profefs the name of Christ, depart from the faith themselves, and overthrow the faith of others; yet the true Meffiah, who is the omniscient God, and who, as man, is fealed with the Holy Ghoft, muft know who his own elect are; he must know whofe fins he bore, for whom he died, and who are his own purchafed poffeffion: and furely he will never lose what his Father has given him, nor fuffer any of thofe to be who are made his charge. plucked out of his hand. The good shepherd may suffer Satan to steal away the wolves, but not the fheep; for the Lord (but none elfe) knoweth them that are his. Hence it appears that the believer's foundation is fealed, and fo is the believer himself; and his fealing is faid to be in Chrift-In whom, after that ye believed, ye were fealed. Eph. i. 13. And thus God feals both the Saviour and the faved. Now he which fablisheth us with you in Chrift, and bath anointed us, is God: who bath alfo fealed us. 2 Cor. i. 21. Thofe, therefore, that are joined to the Lord are one fpirit, for the feal of God is upon them both. The The choice treafures of the covenant alfo, or the fpiritual bleffings of the New Teftament, are all concealed and hid, under the fame feal, from the eyes of all living; nor can any man ever get at them until the Spirit that feals the believer unfeals the gospel, and leads the believing mind into it.The natural man difcerneth not the things of the Spirit of God; nor can be know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned. 1 Cor. ii. 14. And the vifion of all is become unto you as a book that is fealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, faying, Read this, I pray thee; and he faith, I cannot, for it is fealed. Therefore, Jays God, I will proceed to do a marvellous work, and a wonder among this people: for the wisdom of their wife men fhall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men fhall be bid. Ifa. xxix. 11, 14. And this came to pass in the days of Christ-Father, I thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast bid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them to babes: even fo, Father, for fo it feemeth good in thy fight. Matt. xi. 25. How many times, before I was twelve months old from my second birth, have I feen men in a pulpit labouring in the dark to get into the treasure of an eminent text which lay hid under the feal, but all in vain. The sweet sense of pardon, of peace, of joy unfpeakable and full of glory; the melting flames under a sense of eternal love; the fweet foul-diffolving fenfations enjoyed under the divine flowings of godly forrow and evangelical repentance, which are drawn forth under |