Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they…Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they…

He was authorized also by his Resurrection, as the Apostle saith, in Rom. 1.4. He mightily declared himself to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead: the Angels from Heaven brought witness of him, he was witnessed by all kind of persons on earth, yea by the devils themselves: so he is Sealed and authorized every way by all kind of witnesses to be a Mediator.

He was authorized also by his Resurrection, as the Apostle saith, in Rom. 1.4. He mightily declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead: the Angells from Heaven brought witnesse of him, he was witnessed by all kinde of persons on earth, yea by the divels themselves: so hee is Sealed and authorized every way by all kinde of witnesses to be a Mediator.

This is set out in other phrases in the Scripture. In Psal. 2. This my Son have I set upon my holy hill of Zion, and Rom. 3. toward the latter end, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, God hath set him forth as the Show-bread was set out under the Law. And then again in another place, Whom he hath sent, and in 1. Cor. 1.30. He is made of God unto us Wisdom, &c. He is made of God, that is, he is Sealed, appointed, authorized by God for that purpose.

This is set out in other phrases in the Scripture. In Psal. 2. This my Son have I set upon my holy hill of Sion, and Rom. 3. toward the latter end, Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation, God hath set him forth as the Shew-bread was set out under the Law. And then againe in another place, Whom hee hath sent, and in 1. Cor. 1.30. Hee is made of God unto us Wisedome, &c. Hee is made of God, that is, he is Sealed, appointed, authorized by God for that purpose.

So you see, why Christ is said to be Sealed, especially because he is authorized by God the Father, made, sent, set forth, whom the Father hath Sealed, that is, the party offended by our sins, he hath Sealed and authorized Christ to be a Mediator.

So you see, why Christ is said to be Sealed, especially because hee is authorized by God the Father, made, sent, set forth, whom the Father hath Sealed, that is, the party offended by our sinnes, he hath Sealed and authorized Christ to be a Mediator.

And then again consider, if we despise Christ, whom we despise, we despise the Father that hath Sealed him, it is a weighty matter, Read the second Psalm and you shall see there what it is to despise Christ, not to kiss the Son, that is, when God hath anointed and set forth a Saviour, and Sealed him and authorized him by all the testimonies that can be to be a Mediator, not to receive him for our King, for our Priest and Prophet, it is a rebellion, not against Christ only, but against the Father who hath Sealed him.

And then againe consider, if wee despise Christ, whom we despise, we despise the Father that hath Sealed him, it is a weighty matter, Reade the second Psalme and you shall see there what it is to despise Christ, not to kisse the Sonne, that is, when God hath annointed and set forth a Saviour, and Sealed him and authorized him by all the testimonies that can be to be a Mediator, not to receive him for our King, for our Priest and Prophet, it is a rebellion, not against Christ onely, but against the Father who hath Sealed him.

And likewise it serveth wonderfully to strengthen our faith when we go to God for forgiveness of sins: offer him his own broad Seal, offer to him Christ a Mediator authorized by himself: Lord I am thus and thus a sinner, but notwithstanding thou hast sent thy blessed Son and set him forth to be a Saviour for me, and him I offer to thee, thou canst not deny or refuse thy own Sealed Mediator and Redeemer, if he had been a Mediator of my own appointing and of my own sealing it were another matter, but I offer thy own Mediator, look on the death of him whom thou hast Sealed to be ⟨p. 205⟩my intercessor. It is a wondrous prevailing argument with God, he cannot deny that which he hath devised himself, him whom he chose before all worlds for this great office.

And likewise it serveth wonderfully to strengthen our faith when we goe to God for forgivenesse of sinnes: offer him his owne broad Seale, offer to him Christ a Mediator authorized by himselfe: Lord I am thus and thus a sinner, but notwithstanding thou hast sent thy blessed Sonne and set him forth to be a Saviour for mee, and him I offer to thee, thou canst not deny or refuse thy owne Sealed Mediator and Redeemer, if hee had beene a Mediator of my owne appointing and of my owne sealing it were another matter, but I offer thy owne Mediator, looke on the death of him whom thou hast Sealed to bee ⟨p. 205⟩my intercessour. It is a wondrous prevailing argument with God, hee cannot denie that which he hath devised himselfe, him whom hee chose before all worlds for this great office.

But how shall I know whether he be Sealed for my good or no? saith the soul that hears this, we hear much of an authorized Saviour, of an authorized Mediator to be All-sufficient, but what is that to me?

But how shall I know whether hee be Sealed for my good or no? saith the soule that heares this, we heare much of an authorized Saviour, of an authorized Mediator to be All-sufficient, but what is that to mee?

Why? for whom is he Sealed? is he Sealed for Angels or for men? and amongst men, is he Sealed for holy men or sinners? I come not to seek or to save whole men, or men that never were lost, no, he came to seek and to save men, but they are lost men, sick men: and it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all means to be embraced, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, saith blessed Paul, therefore he is Sealed to save thee if thou art a sinner, to save thee if thou wilt receive him, and thou art bound to receive him under pain of the punishment of rebellion. Is it not rebellion not to receive a Magistrate whom the Prince hath authorized under his broad Seal? it is another manner of matter not to receive Christ, it is a greater sin, then to sin against the Law, for if a man sin against the Law there is the Gospel to help him, but if a man sin against the Gospel there is not another Gospel to help him, now to refuse Christ offered in the Gospel is a sin against the Gospel, where ⟨p. 206⟩then can there be hope of salvation? salvation it self cannot save him that will not be saved, that refuses the remedy Sealed by God the Father the party offended, who can heal him that casts down the Potion that is brought to heal him, that refuseth the Physician that comes to cure him? I say he is Sealed to save thee if thou wilt be saved, if thou wilt receive him, receive him not only to be thy Saviour, but to be thy King to rule thee, and thy Prophet to teach and instruct thee, as we shall see afterwards.

Why? for whom is he Sealed? is he Sealed for Angels or for men? and amongst men, is he Sealed for holy men or sinners? I come not to seeke or to save whole men, or men that never were lost, no, he came to seeke and to save men, but they are lost men, sick men: and it is a faithfull saying, and worthy of all meanes to be imbraced, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, saith blessed Paul, therefore he is Sealed to save thee if thou art a sinner, to save thee if thou wilt receive him, and thou art bound to receive him under paine of the punishment of rebellion. Is it not rebellion not to receive a Magistrate whom the Prince hath authorized under his broad Seale? it is another manner of matter not to receive Christ, it is a greater sinne, then to sinne against the Law, for if a man sinne against the Law there is the Gospell to helpe him, but if a man sinne against the Gospell there is not another Gospell to helpe him, now to refuse Christ offered in the Gospell is a sinne against the Gospell, where ⟨p. 206⟩

But to clear this a little better, we must know that there are three distinct sealings.

But to cleare this a little better, we must know that there are three distinct sealings.

There is God sealing of Christ, which I have unfolded to you.

And there is our sealing of God, that is, our sealing of Gods truth.

And then again, there is Gods sealing of us by his Spirit: And these follow one the other.

And then againe, there is Gods sealing of us by his Spirit: And these follow one the other.

Why hath God sealed Christ; but that we hereupon should be stirred up to believe, and to receive Christ, and so by consequence to seal that God is true in sending such a blessed Mediator, as St. John saith,¹ He that believes in the Son hath set to his seal that God is true. God hath sealed him that we by receiving him should seal Gods truth.

Why hath God sealed Christ; but that wee hereupon should be stirred up to believe, and to receive Christ, and so by consequence to seale that God is true in sending such a blessed Mediator, as St. Iohn saith,¹ He that believes in the Sonne hath set to his seale that God is true. God hath sealed him that we by receiving him should seale Gods truth.

1. 1John 3.33.Iohn 3.33.

Beloved, God comes to us for our testimonials, for our hands and seals, Oh how wondrously doth God condescend to weak man▪ ⟨p. 207⟩He hath sealed Christ for the office of a Mediator, and he offers him unto us, and he comes to us likewise that we would set to our seals too, that Christ is the Son of God, he counts it not sufficient that he hath sealed him himself, but he will have us seal too, and we seal him when we receive him, he that receives him hath set to his seal that God is true, he that doth not receive him, he makes God a liar, saith Saint John.

Beloved, God comes to us for our testimonialls, for our hands and seals, Oh how wondrously doth God condescend to weake man▪ ⟨p. 207⟩He hath sealed Christ for the office of a Mediator, and he offers him unto us, and he comes to us likewise that we would set to our seales too, that Christ is the Sonne of God, he counts it not sufficient that he hath sealed him himselfe, but he will have us seale too, and we seale him when we receive him, he that receives him hath set to his seale that God is true, he that doth not receive him, he makes God a lyar, saith Saint Iohn.

And what comes of this when we receive Christ and set to our seal that God in the promise of salvation by Christ is true? Then we having honoured him, he honours us by sealing us by his Spirit, as the Apostle saith: Ephes. 1. In whom after the believed ye were sealed, So when we believe and set to our seal that God is true, God seals us by his Spirit, after ye believed you were sealed.

And what comes of this when wee receive Christ and set to our seale that God in the promise of salvation by Christ is true? Then we having honoured him, he honours us by sealing us by his Spirit, as the Apostle saith: Ephes. 1. In whom after ye beleeved yee were sealed, So when we beleeve and set to our seale that God is true, God seales us by his Spirit, after yee beleeved you were sealed.

But what is this seal of the Spirit whereby God seals us after we believe?

But what is this seale of the Spirit whereby God seals us after we beleeve?