A12166:442
A12166:442
Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they were learnedly opened, in XXI. sermons. The III. first being the fore-going sermons to that treatise called The bruised-reed, preached on the precedent words. By the late reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibs, D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb: and sometimes preacher at Gray's Inn. Published according to the Doctor his own appointment subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect copies.Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they were learnedly opened, in XXI. sermons. The III. first being the fore-going sermons to that treatise called The bruised-reed, preached on the precedent words. By the late reverend and iudicious divine, Richard Sibs, D.D. Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb: and sometimes preacher at Grayes Inne. Published according to the Doctor his owne appointment subscribed with his hand; to prevent imperfect coppies.
London: printed by George for N. Bourne, 1639
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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
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.
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?
I answer, God seals us when he sets the stamp of his Spirit upon us, when the work and witness of his Spirit is wrought in us: For as in a seal, the wax hath all in it, •he whole likeness of the Image that is in the seal: So the soul that is sealed by the Spirit hath the likeness of the Spirit of Christ stamped on it, God imprints in their spirits the likeness of his Son, that is to say, he makes •hem loving souls, humble souls, obedient as Christ was in all things, patient, meek, &c. you may ⟨p. 208⟩see in the spirit of a believing man an expression of the Spirit of Christ, so that if you would see Christ in his excellencies, look on the spirit of a true Christian, there you shall see a resemblance of Christ Jesus, not perfectly but in some comfortable measure, you shall see the very Image of Christ, you shall see how full of love he is, how patient in crosses, how humble, how meek, how obedient to God in all things both in a passive and active obedience. This is the stamp of the Spirit, when a man believes God honours him by setting his Image on him.
I answer, God seales us when hee sets the stampe of his Spirit upon us, when the worke and witnesse of his Spirit is wrought in us: For as in a seale, the wax hath all in it, •he whole likenesse of the Jmage that is in the seale: So the soule that is sealed by the Spirit hath the likenesse of the Spirit of Christ stamped on it, God imprints in their spirits the likenesse of his Sonne, that is to say, he makes •hem loving soules, humble soules, obedient as Christ was in all things, patient, meeke, &c. you may ⟨p. 208⟩see in the spirit of a beleeving man an expression of the Spirit of Christ, so that if you would see Christ in his excellencies, looke on the spirit of a true Christian, there you shall see a resemblance of Christ Jesus, not perfectly but in some comfortable measure, you shall see the very Image of Christ, you shall see how full of love he is, how patient in crosses, how humble, how meeke, how obedient to God in all things both in a passive and active obedience. This is the stampe of the Spirit, when a man beleeves God honours him by setting his Image on him.
And yet this is not all, besides this we are sealed with the witness and comfort of the Spirit as well as with the work of the Spirit, the Spirit of God sweetly witnessing that we are the sons of God: and this sweet witness of the Spirit especially comes after we have honoured God by believing in temptation, when we are able to hold out and say as Job said, Though he kill me yet will I trust in him, so when we can after conflicts of doubting and despair, say, though he kill me yet will I trust in him, I will set to my seal that he is true, well will you so? God to honour such a soul seals him to the day of redemption, that is, he gives to the soul of such a one a sweet evidence and testimony that he is the Son of God.
And yet this is not all, besides this wee are sealed with the witnesse and comfort of the Spirit as well as with the worke of the Spirit, the Spirit of God sweetly witnessing that we are the sons of God: and this sweet witnesse of the Spirit especially comes after wee have honoured God by beleeving in temptation, when we are able to hold out and say as Iob said, Though he kill me yet wil I trust in him, so when we can after conflicts of doubting and dispaire, say, though he kill me yet will I trust in him, I will set to my seale that he is true, well will you so? God to honour such a soule seales him to the day of redemption, that is, he gives to the soule of such a one a sweet evidence and testimony that hee is the Son of God.
And this seal of the Spirit is double, not only done by the witness and work of the Spirit inwardly (which I have showed) but likewise ⟨p. 209⟩the Spirit doth seal them outwardly, enabling them to make an outward confession of Christ and his Truth, and therefore in Reve. 14. Christians are said to be Sealed in the forehead, that is, as they are marked and singled out in ill times to be such as God hath set his special favour upon, so they are Sealed with a spirit of boldness willingly and with forwardness to confess the truth of Christ in ill times.
And this seale of the Spirit is double, not only done by the witnesse and worke of the Spirit inwardly (which I have shewed) but likewise ⟨p. 209⟩the Spirit doth seale them outwardly, inabling them to make an outward confession of Christ and his Truth, and therefore in Reve. 14. Christians are said to be Sealed in the forehead, that is, as they are marked and singled out in ill times to be such as God hath set his speciall favour upon, so they are Sealed with a spirit of boldnesse willingly and with forwardnesse to confesse the truth of Christ in ill times.
Now (to apply it to our purpose) wouldest thou know whether thou be such a one for the present as for whom Christ is Sealed a Mediator? Examine first of all whether thou hast put to thy Seal that God is true by receiving and believing Christ and the promise of Salvation through him, if thou hast done so then thou wilt find another Seal from God, even the work of the Spirit in sanctifying of thee and conforming of thee to the Image and likeness of Christ, and thou wilt find the witness and comfortable testimony of the Spirit in telling thee that thou art the Son of God: and withal thou wilt have a spirit of boldness and readiness and forwardness to confess Christ, thou wilt not care for all that the world saith, but wilt if (need be) stand to the profession of Religion to the death.
Now (to apply it to our purpose) wouldest thou know whether thou be such a one for the present as for whom Christ is Sealed a Mediator? Examine first of all whether thou hast put to thy Seale that God is true by receiving and beleeving Christ and the promise of Salvation through him, if thou hast done so then thou wilt finde another Seale from God, even the worke of the Spirit in sanctifying of thee and conforming of thee to the Image and likenesse of Christ, and thou wilt finde the witnesse and comfortable testimony of the Spirit in telling thee that thou art the Sonne of God: and withall thou wilt have a spirit of boldnesse and readinesse and forwardnesse to confesse Christ, thou wilt not care for al that the world saith, but wilt if (neede be) stand to the profession of Religion to the death.