them, the apostle tells them of this sealing of the Spirit, whereby the promises are irrevocably confirmed unto them to whom they are made, as is the case among the sons of men. Suitably, Eph. i. 13, he saith they are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise;" that is, who is promised unto us, and who confirms to us all the promises of God, Heb. ix. 14. That the other end of sealing also, safety and preservation, is designed therein, secondarily, appears from the appointed season whereunto this sealing shall be effectual. It is "to the day of redemption," Eph. iv. 30; until the saints are brought to the enjoyment of the full, whole, and complete purchase made for them by Christ when he "obtained for them eternal redemption." And this is a real testimony which the Holy Spirit gives to his own abiding with the saints for ever. The work he accomplisheth in them and upon them is on set purpose designed to assure them hereof, and to confirm them in the faith of it.

Unto an argument from this sealing of the Spirit, thus proposed, "Those who are sealed shall certainly be saved," Mr Goodwin excepts sundry things, chap. xi. sect. 42, p. 255-257; which, because they are applied to blur that interpretation of the words of the Holy Ghost which I have insisted on, I shall briefly remove out of the way, that they may be no farther offensive to the meanest sealed one.

He answers, then, first, by distinguishing the major proposition thus: "They who are sealed shall certainly be saved with such a sealing which is unchangeable by any intervenience whatsoever, as of sin and apostasy, so that they cannot lose their faith; but if the sealing be only such the continuance whereof depends on the faith of the sealed, and consequently may be reversed or withdrawn, it no way proves that all they who are partakers of it must of necessity retain their faith. Therefore," saith he, secondly, "we answer farther, that the sealing with the Spirit spoken of is the latter kind of sealing, not the former,—that is, which depends upon the faith of those that are sealed,—as in the beginning or first impression of it, so in the duration or continuance of it; and consequently there is none other certainty of its continuance but only the continuance of the said faith, which being uncertain, the sealing depending on it must needs be uncertain also. That the sealing mentioned depends upon the faith of the sealed is evident, because it is said, 'In whom also, after ye believed, ye were sealed with the Spirit of promise."

Ans. I dare say there is no honest man that would take it well at the hand of Mr Goodwin, or any else, that should attempt, by distinctions, or any other way, to alleviate or take off the credit of his truth and honesty in the performance of all those things whereunto, and for the confirmation whereof, he hath set his seal. What acceptation a like attempt in reference to the Spirit of God is like to find with him, he may do well to consider. In the meantime, he

prevails not with us to discredit this work of his grace in the least; for,

1. This supposal of such interveniencies of sin and wickedness in the saints as are inconsistent with the life of faith and the favour of God, as also of apostasy, are but a poor, mean insinuation for the begging of the thing in question, which will never be granted on any such terms. An interveniency of apostasy,—that is, defection from the faith, is not handsomely supposed whilst men continue in the faith.

2. That which is given for the confirmation of their faith, and on set purpose to add continuance to it, as this is, cannot depend on the condition of the continuance of their faith. The Holy Ghost seals them to the day of redemption, confirming and establishing thereby an infallible continuance of their faith; but, it seems, upon condition of their continuance in the faith. Cui fini? Of what hitherto is said, this is the sum: "If they who are sealed apostatize into sin and wickedness, they shall not be saved, notwithstanding that they have been sealed." And this must pass for an answer to our argument, proving that they cannot so apostatize because they are sealed on purpose to preserve and secure them from that condition. Men need not go far to seek for answers to any argument, if such as these (pure beggings of the thing in question and argued) will suffice.

3. Neither doth "the beginning or first impression of the sealing" depend upon their faith any otherwise but as believers are the subject of it, which is not to have any kind of dependence upon it, either as to its nature or use. Neither doth that place of the apostle, Eph. i. 13, "After that ye believed ye were sealed," prove any such thing, unless this general axiom be first established, that all things which in order of nature are before and after have the connection of cause and effect, or at least of condition and event, between them. It proves, indeed, that their believing is in order of nature antecedent to their sealing, respecting the use of it here mentioned; but this proves not at all that faith is the condition of sealing, the bestowing of faith and the grant of this seal to establish it being both acts depending merely, solely, and distinctly, on the free grace of God in Christ. Though faith in order of nature go before hope, yet is no hope bestowed on men on the condition of believing. The truth is, both faith and sealing, and all other spiritual mercies, as to the goodwill of God bestowing them, are at once granted us in Jesus Christ; but as to our reception of them, and the actual instating of our souls in the enjoyment of them, or rather as to the exerting of themselves in us, they have that order which either the nature of the things themselves requires, or the sovereign will of God hath allotted to them. Neither doth sealing bespeak any grace in us, but a peculiar improvement of the grace bestowed on us. So that,

4. We refuse the answer suggested by Mr Goodwin, "That sealing depends" (that is, in his sense) "upon believing, as to the first grant of it, but not as to the continuance thereof," and reject his supposal of "one that hath truly believed making shipwreck of his faith," as too importune a cry, or begging of that which it is evident cannot be proved. I shall add only, that Mr Goodwin granting here the continuance of faith to be a thing "uncertain," which is a word to express a very weak probability of a thing, is much fallen off from his former confident expression of the "only remote possibility" of believers falling away. That their falling away should be scarcely possible, and yet their continuance in the faith very uncertain, is somewhat uncouth. But this is the foundation of that great consolation which Mr Goodwin's doctrine is so pregnant and teeming withal, that it even groans to be delivered. "Their continuance in believing is uncertain; therefore they must needs rejoice and be filled with consolation." But he answers farther:

"I answer farther, by way of exception, that the sealing we speak of is neither granted by God unto believers themselves upon any such terms as that upon no occasion or occasions whatsoever, as of the greatest and most horrid sins committed and long continued in by them, or the like, it should ever be interrupted or effaced; for this is contrary to many plain texts of Scripture, and particularly unto all those where either apostates from God, or evil-doers and workers of iniquity, are threatened with the loss of God's favour and of the inheritance of life, such as Heb. x., etc."

Ans. 1. It is the intent and purpose of God that the sealing of believers shall abide with them for ever; whence comes it to pass that his purposes do not stand, and that he doth not fulfil his pleasure? "It is not that he changeth, but that men are changed;-that is, the beginning of the change is not in him; occasion of it is administered unto him by men.' When his sealing is removed from believers, doth God still purpose that it shall continue with them, or no? If he doth, then he purposeth that shall be which is not, which it is his will shall not be; and he continues in his vain purpose to eternity. Or, if he ceases to purpose, how is it that he is not changed? Such things bespeak a change in the sons of men, which we thought had been incompatible with the perfection of the divine nature, even that he should will and purpose one thing at one time, and another, yea the clean contrary, at another. "Yea, but the reason of it is, because the men concerning whom his purposes are do change." This salves not the immutability of God. Though he doth not change from any new consideration in himself and from himself, yet he doth from obstructions in his way and to his thoughts in the creatures;yea, instead of salving his unchangeableness, this is destructive to his omnipotency.

2. This whole answer is a supposal that God may alter his purpose of confirming men in grace, if they be not confirmed in grace; or, that though God's purpose be to seal them to the day of redemption, yet they may not continue nor be preserved thereunto; and then God's purpose of their continuance ceaseth also. This is,

3. More evident in his second answer, by way of exception, which is made up of these two parts:-first, A begging of the main, and, upon the matter, only thing in question, by supposing that believers may fall into the most horrible sins, and continue in them to the end; so proving, with great evidence and perspicuity, that believers may fall away, because they may fall away! and, second, A suggestion of his own judgment to the contrary, and his supposal that it is confirmed by some texts of Scripture; which, God assisting, shall be delivered from this imputation hereafter. And these two do make up so clear an answer to the argument in hand that a man knows not well what to reply! Let us take it for granted that believers may fall away, and how shall we prevent Mr Goodwin from proving it! But he adds farther:

Believers are said to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of God against, or until, or for (sis) the day of redemption; because that holiness which is wrought in them by the Spirit of God qualifies them, puts them into a present and actual capacity of partaking in that joy and glory which the great day of the full redemption of the saints (that is, of those who lived and died, and shall be found such) shall bring with it; and it is called the earnest of their inheritance."

Ans. How sis comes to be "against" or "for," or to denote the matter spoken of, and what all this is to the purpose in hand, he shows not. The aim of him the words are spoken of, and the uninterrupted continuance of the work mentioned to the end expressed, seem rather to be intended in the whole coherence of the words. Neither is the use of sealing to prepare any thing for such a time, but to secure and preserve it thereunto. He that hath a conveyance sealed unto him is not only capacitated for the present to receive the estate conveyed, but is principally assured of a right and title for a continued enjoyment of it, not to be reversed. It is not the nature of this work of the Holy Ghost, wherein it is coincident with other acts of his grace, but the particular use of it, as it is a sealing, and God's intendment by it, to confirm us to the day of redemption, that comes under our consideration. If it were a season to inquire wherein it consists, I suppose we should scarce close with Mr Goodwin's description of it, namely, "that it is a qualifying of men, and putting them in an actual capacity to partake of joy," etc. He is the first I know of that gave this description of it, and probably the last that will do so. Of the " earnest of the Spirit" in its proper place.

What he adds in the last place, namely, "If the apostle's intent

had been to inform the Ephesians that the gift of the Holy Spirit, which they had received from God, was the earnest of their inheritance, upon such terms that no unworthiness or wickedness whatsoever on their parts could ever hinder the actual collation of this inheritance upon them, he had plainly prevaricated with that most serious admonition wherein he addresses himself to them afterward, 'For this ye know, that no whoremonger,' etc., ' hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ."" This, I say, is of the same alloy with what went before; for,

1. Here is the same begging of the question as before, and that upon a twofold account:-(1.) In supposing that believers may fall into such sins and unworthiness as are inconsistent with the state of acceptation with God; which is the very thing he hath to prove. (2.) In supposing that if believers are sealed up infallibly to redemption, the exhortations to the avoidance of sins in themselves, and to all that continue in them, destructive to salvation, are in vain; which is a figment in a case somewhat alike (as to the reason of it), rejected by men that knew nothing of the nature of God's promises nor his commands, nor the accommodation of them both to the fulfilling in believers "all the good pleasure of his goodness."

2. The assurance the apostle gives of freedom from the wrath of God is inseparably associated with that assurance that he gives that we, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, shall not be left in or given up to such ways as wherein that wrath is not to be avoided.

From this latter testimony this argument also doth flow: Those who are sealed of God to the day of redemption shall certainly be preserved thereunto, their preservation being the end and aim of God in his sealing of them. Mr Goodwin's answer to this proposition is, "That they shall be so preserved in case they fall not into abominable sins and practices, and so apostatize from the faith;" that is, in case they be preserved, they shall be preserved. But wherein their preservation should consist, if not in their effectual deliverance from such ways and courses, is not declared. That all believers are so sealed, and to that end, as above, is the plain testimony of the Scripture; and therefore our conclusion is undeniably evinced.

Thus have we, through the Lord's assistance, freed the triple testimony of Father, Son, and Spirit, given to the truth under consideration, from all objections and exceptions put in thereunto; so that we hope the mouth of iniquity may be stopped, and that the cause of the truth in hand is secured for ever. It is a fearful thing to contend with God. "Let God be true, but every man a liar."