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of the Holy Spirit, upon the, defigned to establish and confirm hearts of finners, are compared the believer; and feems to have a to water, and to fire; because very direct tendency to this purcach of these elements is adapted pofe. Nor can I conceive of any to cleanfe and purify material argument, which can be adduced things. (Compare Ifai. iv. 4. to prove that a believer can receive Tit. iii. 5, 6.) the carneft of future and eternal glory, without being at the fame time, and by the fame experience, fealed to the day of complete redemption.

The apostle fays, "Ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit of promife, which is the earneft of our inheritance—.” The pronoun which, in this paffage, is the relative to the word Spirit, or to the effect of the Spirit's operation, termed its fealing. I conceive it relates to the latter. For, the Spirit is known to us, but by its operations, or communications to our minds. Now, if the pronoun relate to the fealing of the Spirit, then, the earnest of our inheritance is evidently the fame as the fealing of the Spirit.

We read of the first fruits of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 23. And the fame Apostle fays, "He who "He who hath wrought us for immortal life and happiness is God, who hath alfo given unto us the carneft of the Spirit." 2 Cor. v. 5. I conceive, he means, they had received fome communications of the Spirit, as love, joy and peace. Which may be termed the first fruits of the Spirit; because they precede the full vifion and enjoyment of God; and are of the fame nature as (though not in equal measure to) the love, joy and peace of the glorified faints. Now, thefe effects and graces of the Spirit being the earneft of the believer's inheritance, they may, with much propriety, be confidered as the fealing evidence of his union to Christ, and of his future admiffion into glory. For, the earnest of the Spirit, is a pledge, or token, given to confirm and affure the perfon, to whom the inheritance is promifed. And the inward fealing of the fpirit is

That holy love, joy and peace are the graces by which the believer is fealed, will obviously appear, if we confider that to those who love God, and rejoice in his name, are made the promises of eternal life and bleffednefs. For, if we can difcern in ourselves the temper and character, which, according to the teftimony of the fcriptures, qualify us for heaven, we have good affurance that we have the faith of God's elect. Agreeably to this, the primitive Chriftians had a hope in God, an hope which would not disappoint nor make them afhamed; because the love of God was shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which was given unto them. And agreeably to this, the Apostle prays for the believing Romans.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing; that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghoft."

The love and joy of believers imply fome fpiritual difcernment or knowledge of the Being whom they love, and in whom they rejoice. And their inward peace implies a fuitable apprehenfion of the divine character, to whofe government they feel reconciled, and thro whofe gracious and immutable promifes they are affured of the pardon of fin, and of a final admittance into the full enjoyment of God,

Therefore, fince the happiness of heaven, confifts in the knowledge and love of God, and in rejoicing in the perfection of his name and government, we may confider the holy love, joy and peace which believers experience in this world, as the delightful, establishing and fealing earnest of their future and eternal inheritance.

in Chrift, we must truly repent, and receive the glorious Redeemer, as our Prophet, Priest and King, relying upon him alone for falvation.

When we are thus divested of all our felf-dependence, and have our truft alone in God, we are his believing people; whom he gracioufly owns, feals and fets apart for himself; that we may walk in newnefs of life, live to his glory, and fhew forth his praife, who hath called us out of darknefs, and a state of total depravi

From the nature and defign of the inward fealing, or the earnest of the Spirit, we may infer the neceffity and importance of faith in Chrift. None but true believ-ty, ers experience the love of God fhed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghoft. And, therefore, unbelievers, as fuch, cannot be affured of eternal falvation. Their hopes of future glory are delufive

and vain.

We may reafonably and fcripturally conclude, that fome real Chriftians experience a greater measure of the inward fealing of the fpirit, than others. God qualifies his people according to their different employments, which he affigns, and their trials, through which he calls them to pafs. But, if any who bear the Chriftian name, have no experience of this delightful and affuring fealing, it concerns them to examine themfelves, and enquire whether they have that evangelical faith which is effential to falvation, and without which no one can be fealed to the day of complete redemption. The Apostle faith of the believing Ephefians, " After that ye believed ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit of promife." To feal before believing, would be like fetting a feal to a mere blank. We must first be convinced of our fin and guilt, and of our unworthinefs to receive forgiveness of God; our hearts must be broken for fin. Having apprehenfion of his mercy

into the light and liberty of the gofpel. For, "God dwelleth with him who is of a contrite and humble fpirit to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

Some are of opinion, that none experience the fealing affurance of the Spirit in this life. Others think it is very uncommon that any, even of those who are real Chriftians, are affured of eternal falvation. But they seem to err, not knowing the fcriptures, nor the power of God. For, Chrift manifefts himself to his regenerate people, as he does not to the unbelieving world. He fays, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: And my father will love him; and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." The paffage feems to imply, that they will come unto the believer's foul by the approving, comforting and affuring influences of the Spirit. The expreffion is indefinite : It is not limited to any particular perfon, or time. "If a man love me," &c. True religion is the fame now, as in the first ages of Chriftianity.

The fealing of the Spirit is "the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased poffeffion." The purchafed pof

feffion is the church, which Chrift hath purchased by his fufferings. And the fealing, or carnet of the Spirit seems to be a favor given to each member, and to all believers, in fucceffion, age after age, until they be completely redeemed and prefented faultlefs before the prefence of his glory. It is a favor which Chrift promifed his people (John xiv. 21.) Therefore, they are faid to be fealed with that Holy Spirit of promife.

fouls; were they to experience that true liberty and fweet enjoyment, which are peculiar to the faints, they would change their fentiment, and without a double heart, plainly speak, as do the fcriptures: "Whofoever believeth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God. And whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith ;" which was given in our regeneration; they would cease to speak against the moft effential truths of the gofpel. For, when the heart of the rafh understands and receives the truth as it is in Jefus, then that which they had not known they confider, and admire.

How delufive and vain is their idea who live impenitent and unrenewed while in this world, and expect to experience regeneration at the general refurrection! For, the fcriptures fay, that "thofe who do evil, and believe not in Chrift, fhall die in their fins, and at the refurrection, arffe to damnation." They never live to the glory of God; their works are all evil; their perfons are under the curfe of his law. Therefore,

Some are of opinion that none, in this life, experience that effectual operation of the Spirit and change of heart, in which the new birth, or regeneration confifts. To be raifed from the dead at the general refurrection, when "this inortal shall put on immortality," (which is commonly called glorification,) they confider as the new birth, which is fo much spoken of in the New Teftament, and which Christ taught to Nicodemus. The term new birth, they think, implies too great a change for any to experience in this life. But, the cafe feems to be, it implies more than they have experienced. They are, therefore, unwilling to affent to the truth of the doctrine: And, confequéntly, they appear to be equally ignorant of the na-if they die in unbelief, they muft, ture and mystery of faith. For, faith is produced in the heart in its regeneration. They faintly allow that we must be reformed, to be duly qualified for heaven. But, their idea of reformation feems to extend no further than their fancying themselves into an apprehenfion, that Chrift died for them, and for all mankind, and in partially breaking off from finful, or inconvenient practices, which ftand in the way of their purfuit of felf gratification. But, were wifdom to enter into their hearts and knowledge to be pleafant to their

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at the refurrection, awake to their furprife, retaining that nature and difpofition by which the wicked are like the troubled fea, when it cannot rest. When thus it shall be, how applicable to them will be the appellation which God, by the mouth of Jeremiah, gave to Pafhur. "The Lord hath not called thy name Pafhur, but Magormiffabib :" i. e. a terror to thyfelf: or, as it is rendered in the margin of fome bibles, fear round about.

From the nature and defign of the inward fealing or the earnest

And while his throne unshaken ftande,
Shall all his chofen live."

Christians having tasted that the Lord is good, and experienced the fweetnefs of the inward fealing of the Spirit, they may, at times, feel constrained to fpeak of the glory of God's kingdom, and talk of his power, in the hear

with a view to excite their atten

of the Spirit, we may alfo infer the happiness of true believers. As in a legal written covenant or obligation, the fealing inflrument leaves its image upon the wafer, or other quality impreffed; fo God inftamps his image upon their hearts whom he feals. "The new man, after God, is created in righteoufnefs and true holinefs." And true believers, with opening of the careless and profane, face, beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord, are chan- tion to the importance and pleaged into the fame image, from fure of true religion. But their glory to glory, even as by the experience being hidden from and Spirit of the Lord. And in this unknown to the unfanctified heart, image confifts the happinefs of they will be much expofed to be the children of God. What cenfured and rejected, as imaginhe loves and approves, they, inary perfons, and vain pretenders. measure, love and approve. The They will, therefore, generally be glory of the Lord fhall endure more free and delighted in the forever: The Lord fhall rejoice company and converfation of thofe in his works. And they, being whom they confider as the chilconformed to him, will dren of God. For, thofe, to approve of and rejoice in the perfection of whom he hath given a new heart his name, and the eternal dura- and a pure language, can ferve tion of his glory, and love him for him, with one confent. The all his works and difpenfations. heart of the convinced finner In this world they have tribu- knoweth its own bitterness; and lation, and may pafs through many a ftranger to experimental relifcenes of preffing affliction; and gion doth not intermeddle with though, fometimes, through the the joy of true believers. The power of indwelling fm, the evi- unbelieving world knoweth them dences of their falvation may be not; because it knows not Chrift, interrupted or obfcured; yet, at other times, they have peace in Chrift, and are of good cheer, confidering he hath overcome the world. In the prelibations and earnets of the Spirit, they have inable joy. But, what is a drop of water, in comparifon with a never-failing fountain? In the prefence of God is fulness of joy, at his right hand are pleafures

forevermore.

"He freely feeds them now,
With tokens of his love;
But richer paftures he prepares,
And fweeter ftreams above.
Unnumber'd years of hlifs
He to his fheep will give;

The imperfections of Chriftians. are fo many and great, that they fometimes doubt of the fincerity of each other's profeffion. But, heaven is a place of clearer difcerament, and of complete felicity. Ere they arrive to heaven, the feal is in their hearts; but there it will be vifible in their glorified bodies. The fociety into which they will be admitted and the radiant glory, with which they will be furrounded, will evince to the view of all beholders, that they are the redeemed of the Lord. "His fervants fhall ferve him. They fhall fee his face; and his

is the LORD; we have waited for him; we will be glad, and rejoice in his falvation."

name fhall be in their foreheads. | him; and he will fave us: This And there fhall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the fun; for the Lord God giveth them light.

Doth God give to his people true faith in his Son, and feal them to the day of redemption? His defign in fo doing is "unto the praise of his glory." May they truft in him at all times. In the day of profperity may they be joyful, but humble. In times

C. A.

A Differtation on the Harmony of Chriftianity, or the agreement of its various parts with each other, and with the whole.

of adverfity may they confider, A

INTRODUCTION.

MONG the various fubjects of difcuffion which occupy the ability of literary men, few are equally important with that of the truth and divinity of the holy fcriptures.

Oppofition to thefe facred books, has employed the pens of many adverfaries; and to deftroy their authority is a leading object of the fyftem of modern philofophy. Indeed, the whole fyftem of religion and morality, natural and revealed, is the object of attack by the unbelievers of this day. This however is so far from fubverting the caufe of truth, that the ultimate effect will be di rectly the reverse.

and not faint: For, he is faithful who hath promifed. He will caufe all things to work together for their good; and, in his time, favorthem with fuch manifeftations of his glory as fhall fubferve his wife purposes. God is fovereign and wife in the beftowment of his favors. Left his people be vain-glorious and too highly exalted in the sweetness of communicated grace and fo idolize their experiences, he fometimes croffes their requests (2 Cor. xii. 7-9.) If they truft in Chrift, glory in the Lord, and walk, clofely with him, the fuitable favors which he will give them, in his time, will be moft fatisfactory to them. If they delight themfelves in the Lord, he will give them the defire of their hearts. The fcriptures are their rule of life. May they "take heed to them, as to a light which fhineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-ftar arife in their hearts:" i. e. until The fubject, however, is not they arrive to perfection of knowl-exhaufted; the arguments in faedge and felicity. May they vor of Chriftianity are numerous, live in the Spirit, and walk in the as they are weighty. Among Spirit; (which is the fum of all thefe, and which is highly wortrue religion;) that when Chrift thy of the attention of Chriffhall appear to judge the world, tians, is the argument drawn from they may meet him, with expref- the harmony of its various parts, fions of praife and exultation, like with each other, and with the thofe of the prophet: "Lo, this whole fyftem. is our God; we have waited for

This oppofition has already occafioned many able defences of religion and morality, and feveral arguments in defence of the truth have been adduced, highly important; which have not been heretofore improved, or not in a manner equally clear and demonftrative.

A flatement of this argument

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