B00698:46
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.
The office of the Spirit is to set out Christ, and the favour, and mercy of God in Christ:1 when we slight Christ in the Gospel, the ordinance, & organ of working good in us, the holy Ghost is slighted, and grieved. Bad is our condition by nature, and what a deal of misery do we add to this bad condition? Are we not ⟨p. 52⟩all the children of wrath? And have we not since we were borne added sin unto sin? Do we not grow in sin as we do in years? Is not God just? and hell terrible? Now God out of infinite mercy having provided a way to free us from the danger of sin; and not only so, but to advance us to life everlasting; and that we should not be ignorant of that he hath done for us, he hath set up an ordinance wherein the holy Ghost discovers his love. When we sleight this, and account it but an ordinary favour, nay, rather a burden, and think the opening of divine mysteries, things that may be spared; that there is too much preaching, and what ⟨p. 53⟩needs all this ado? This grieves the Spirit, whose office is to lay open the unsearchable riches of Christ, the infinite and glorious mercy, and goodness of God in Christ, wherein God hath set himself, in all his attributes, to triumph, and be glorified. We grieve all the sacred Trinity: God the Father is grieved, to see his mercy slighted: God the Son, to see his blood accounted common; and God the holy Ghost, whose office it is to discover these things.2 This is the common sin of the times, and kingdom, which threateneth judgement more than any thing else. When the Gospel, the blessed truth of salvation is published, The ⟨p. 54⟩axe is laid to the root of the tree, the instrument of destruction: if men slight the mercies of God, entertain not Christ, walk not worthy of the Gospel, they shall feel the stroke of his sharp anger. The blood-red horse followeth the white horse, Revel. 6.4. The white horse is, the publishing of the Gospel: when God sets himself to glorify himself, in mercy, in the greatest benefits, and we account them nothing, or but common favours, God removes the Candlestick; the red horse of blood, and destruction, follows. And indeed what man will endure his greatest favours and kindnesses to be slighted?