B00698:20
A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the…
A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the work of the Spirit in sealing. Wherein many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: as also of assurance and sealing what it is, the privileges and degrees of it, with the signs to discern, and means to preserve it. : Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Gray's Inn. / By that Reverend Divine, Richard Sibbes D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.A fountain sealed: or, The duty of the sealed to the Spirit, and the worke of the Spirit in sealing. Wherein many things are handled about the Holy Spirit, and grieving of it: as also of assurance and sealing what it is, the priviledges and degrees of it, with the signes to discerne, and means to preserve it. : Being the substance of divers sermons preached at Grayes Inne. / By that Reverend Divine, Richard Sibbes D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honourable society.
London: printed by Thomas Harper for Lawrence Chapman, 1638
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.
1That attribute the Spirit delights in, is that of holiness, which our corrupt nature least delights in,2 and most opposeth: holiness is the glory and crown of all other excellency; without which they are neither good in themselves, nor comfortable to us. It implies a freedom from all impurity, and a perfect hatred of it; an absolute perfection of all that is excellent. What is it then to grieve such an holy Spirit; before whom the heavens themselves are impure, and not only the Devils tremble, but the Angels cover their faces? What shall we think then of them which do not only neglect, but despise, yea oppose this ⟨p. 6⟩holiness, and endure any thing else? what is hated in the world with •eene and perfect hatred, but holiness, without which yet, we shall never see God, nor enter into that pure place, into which, we all profess a desire to enter?3 There was planted in man by nature, a desire of holiness, and a desire of happiness: the desire of happiness is left still in us, but for holiness which is the perfection of the image of God in us, is both lost, and the desire of it extinguished: and that men might the better drive it out of the world under a form and show of it; they oppose the truth of it, and that with the greater success, because under that ⟨p. 7⟩great colour the Devil and his Vicar, carry all their devilish policies under a show of holiness. We see in Popery, every thing is holy with them, but that which should be holy, the truth of God, and the expression of it. The man of sin himself must have no worse title, then his Holiness: a show of devised holiness pleaseth mans nature well enough; as being glorious for appearance, and useful for ends. But the truth of it being cross to the whole corrupt nature of man, will never be entertained, until nature be new moulded by his holy Spirit in the use of holy means, sanctified by himself for that end: it is this ⟨p. 8⟩that makes a man a Saint, and civill virtues to be graces, which raiseth things that are (otherwise) common, to an higher degree of excellency: this is that to a Christian which reason is to a man: it gives him a being, and a beauty different from all other: it makes every action we do in obedience to GOD a service, and puts a religious respect upon all our actions, directing them to the highest end.