The Holy Spirit Compared to a Seal

    THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPARED TO A SEAL

    "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were Sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," Eph 1:13.

    "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are Sealed unto the day of Redemption," Eph 4:30.

    A Seal is an instrument fitted to make an impression or mark, by which a man knows the thing done, whatsoever it be, to be his own and not another's act; as also to ratify and make authentic bonds, covenants, &c. And to open this metaphor of believers being sealed by the Holy Spirit, these things are meet to be noted.

    1. The letter written, or the vessel filled with treasure, every true Christian.

    2. The wax appointed to the Seal, and that is the heart, the relenting and pliable heart of a sinner, Heb 10:16.

    3. The Sealer, that is, as some conceive, the Father, or the Lord Jesus Christ; others more immediately the Holy Spirit, or third Person of the Trinity.

    4. The Seal, as some understand, is the Word of God, others the Spirit; we include both jointly considered.

    5. The Sealing or active impression, is the act of applying the Word in the ministry o the Gospel, by the help of the Spirit, to the soul.

    6. The print or passive impression, or image of the Seal left in wax, is called the image of God, or knowledge, faith, love, truth, holiness, &c., which are originally in God, and communicated to us by the Word and Spirit from him.[1]

    [1] Wilson.

    7. The end of Sealing, which is secrecy, property, and security, which things will appear more fully in opening the Metaphor.

    METAPHOR

    I. A Seal (especially if it be the king's Seal,) is highly prized, and very carefully kept.

    PARALLEL

    I. The Holy Spirit is the King's Seal, the glorious King of heaven and earth, and therefore is highly valued and prized by every true Christian.

    METAPHOR

    II. A Seal makes an impression in the wax like itself, or leaves a resemblance of it.

    PARALLEL

    II. The Holy Spirit makes an impression on the heart, there is in a believer a similitude, a likeness or resemblance of God; every saint hath the image of the Spirit upon him, he is holy, harmless, heavenly, &c.

    METAPHOR

    III. Before the Seal can make an impression, the wax must be melted, or made pliable, soft, and fit to take it.

    PARALLEL

    III. Before the Holy Spirit Seals any person to the day of redemption, the heart is broken, softened, and made pliable by the word, and powerful operations of grace, and so made fit to take that heavenly impression. And thus you have David speaking, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels."

    METAPHOR

    IV. The Seal alters the form of the clay it is set or stampted upon. A piece of clay is a rude lump, without form or figure, saith Mr. Caryl; but if you take a Seal and stamp upon it, that clay receives any figure, or coat of arms, that is engraven upon it, Job 38:14.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The Spirit makes a change upon the soul of a man or woman that receives the impression of it, it alters every faculty, and puts a new form or figure, as it were, upon it. Man naturally is a rude lump, a gross and confused piece, by reason of sin, till the Spirit stamp upon or infuse into him new habits.

    METAPHOR

    V. A Seal is to confirm and make sure bonds, contracts, or covenants that are made between man and man. If an honest man make a promise of such and such things to his friend, he thinks he hath ground to hope those good things, so promised him, are his own, but if he give it under his handwriting, he concludes he is more sure; but if the writing, covenant, or promise be sealed, it is as firm, and as sure as he can desire to have it.

    PARALLEL

    V. The Holy Spirit confirms and makes sure covenant and promises of God to believers, Ps 22:24. God hath not only made gracious promises to them, of pardon, peace, and eternal life, &c. But he hath left these promises written in the holy scriptures; and not only so, but such is his great love and kindness to them, he hath given them his Seal, they have his promise, his word, and his Spirit also, that they might not doubt of the truth and stability of his covenant, 2Co 1:22. "We are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him, Eph 1:13; Ac 5:32.

    METAPHOR

    VI. A Seal is used to distinguish or differ things one from another, whereby property is known and secured; a merchant knows his goods from other men's by the Seal or mark he sets upon them.

    PARALLEL

    VI. The Holy Spirit distinguishes or differs one man from another; God hath set his Seal or mark upon all his people. "The Foundation of God remaineth sure, having this Seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his," 2Ti 2:19. "If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," Ro 8:9.

    METAPHOR

    VII. A Seal is used to confirm and make laws authentic; till they have the king's Seal stamped upon them, they oblige not the subject to obedience.

    PARALLEL

    VII. The Holy Spirit is the broad Seal of heaven, by which all the laws and institutions of the Gospel were ratified and confirmed, with signs and wonders in the primitive times; by which means they come to be authentic, and everlasting laws, obliging all men to obedience; and all laws of spiritual worship, traditions, and institutions, enjoyed by any potentate, assembly, or council whatsoever, that were not thus Sealed or witnessed to, are utterly to be rejected, Mr 16:20; Heb 2:3-4.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. A Seal is used to secure, preserve or keep safe several things, which otherwise might be spoiled, run out, and become good for nothing. Things that we would not have any to touch, nor meddle with, we set a Seal upon.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. The Spirit secures, preserves, and keeps safe all true believers, from the danger they continually are exposed to, from sin, Satan, and the ensnarements and mischiefs of this evil world. Satan, nor wicked men, must not, cannot destroy the servants of God, because of the mark or Seal he hath set upon them. "Set a mark upon the men that mourn," &c. saying, hurt not the earth, &c., till we have sealed the servants of our God in the forehead," &c. "And it was commanded them, that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men, which have not the Seal of God upon their forehead," Eze 9:4; Re 7:3, and Re 9:4.

    METAPHOR

    IX. A Seal many times is counterfeited by ill men, they endeavour to imitate it as nigh as they can, to cheat, poor ignorant people thereby.

    IX. The Spirit is oftentimes counterfeited by Satan, who transforms himself into an angel of light, as do his ministers, as if they were the ministers of righteousness; hence they pretend to light, spirit, and holiness, and beguile the ignorant and unwary souls to their eternal ruin.

    METAPHOR

    X. A Seal is used to hide or keep back others from the knowledge of things; if a man have any thing to write unto his friend that he would not have others know, he seals up his letter, upon the account of secrecy, though it is likely afterwards, in convenient time, those things so concealed are discovered.

    PARALLEL

    X. The Holy Spirit hath hid or Sealed up some things from some men; "Bind up my testimony, Seal the law amongst my disciples," Isa 8:16. Many things are hid from saints themselves, in dark and mysterious prophesies in the holy scripture. "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered," &c. Yet in due time those things shall be revealed, and not only so, but the saints of God themselves, by the Spirit are such a sealed and hidden people, that but a very few can read and understand them, though legible to be read of all the chosen and elect seed, and heirs of promise, and in that great day they shall be known to all the world.

    METAPHOR

    I. A SEAL among men, after a bond or covenant is sealed therewith, may be defaced or broken, and thereby the said bond or covenant may lose its virtue, efficacy, and not be deemed good and authentic in law.

    DISPARITY

    I. THE Holy Spirit having once made a gracious and glorious impression in the soul of a man, neither devil, nor any other enemy can ever by all their strength and skill utterly deface, tear or break it, so as to make the covenant of grace to lose its virtue and become of none effect to the soul; hence believers are said, "To be sealed to the day of redemption," Eph 4:30.

    METAPHOR

    II. A Seal among men can make no impression without a hand, or one to seal therewith.

    DISPARITY

    II. The Spirit is not only the Seal, but the Sealer, he makes the impression, needing no other, and also is the Seal by which the impression is made.

    METAPHOR

    III. A Seal is an instrument made by the hand of some artificer of earthy matter or substance, and makes only a human or external impression.

    DISPARITY

    III. The Spirit is an uncreated being, or an immortal substance, and makes a divine and heavenly impression in the mind or soul of a man or a woman, which by the operation of God's grace is made pliable and meet to receive it.

    METAPHOR

    IV. A Seal may be lost, or grow old and defective, and so make no perfect and clear impression.

    DISPARITY

    IV. The Spirit can never be lost, grow old, be wore out, or become defective; so that the impression it now makes, is the same in every respect with that it made five thousand years ago.

    INFERENCES.

    I. FROM hence we may perceive by whom the change and difference is made, which is in any person. Man is born in sin, and rather resembles Satan, and bears his image, than the character and likeness of God, until the Holy Spirit stamp a new and heavenly character upon him, or infuse a spiritual habit into him. "Who makes thee to differ from another, or what hast thou, which thou hast not received?" &c.

    II. It may serve to stir every one up, to examine their hearts, whether they have received the impression of this spiritual Seal; as is the Seal, such is the impression it makes, "They that are after the Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit," Ro 8:5. But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2Co 3:18.

    III. For further trial take these few notes following.

    1. Were your hearts ever humbled in the sense of sin, broken in pieces, melted, made soft, and pliable to receive the seal? The heart of man naturally is hard and obdurate, and will not take the spiritual impression.

    2. Did the Spirit ever set home, and seal any promise in particular, or promises in general upon your hearts, so that you can say with the prophet David, "Lord remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope?" Ps 119:49. The Ephesians are said "To be sealed with the Spirit of promise," Eph 1:13.

    3. Are you formed into the likeness and image of the Spirit? There is in that soul that is sealed by the Spirit, a certain impression of divine light; former darkness flies away, and the eyes of the understanding are enlightened, the soul sees an excellency in God, and Jesus Christ, a transcendent beauty in divine objects, and values the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified, above all the things in this world. Php 3:9-12.

    4. Are you holy, heavenly, spiritual? Are there principles of true piety and godliness wrought in you? Do you love God because he is holy, and love his word because of the purity of it? Do you breathe and pant after a further conformity and likeness to him?

    5. Is thy heart washed from its filthiness? If thou art not cleansed from thy former wickedness, and swinish nature, thou mayest assure thyself thou hast not the Spirit of God in thee, thou are far from being sealed therewith. It is by the virtue of those promises that are imprinted upon the soul by the Holy Ghost, that a man comes to "Cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God," 2Co 7:1.

    6. Doth not thy heart condemn thee, for allowing thyself in any known sin, or for living in the continual neglect of any one known duty? "The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits, that we are the children of God." Where it is a sealing Spirit, it is a witnessing Spirit. It compares the heart and life of man with the rule of the word: and if the bent and stream of the soul be heavenward, and his sincere design is after God, and to live to him in this world, as well as to live with him in the world to come; to be holy here, as well as to be happy hereafter; then the Spirit witnesses for him: but if otherwise, it witnesses against him, and his own spirit condemns him.

    IV. Moreover, this may inform sincere Christians to their unspeakable joy, how firm and sure the covenant of grace is to them. "They are sealed with the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption;" they are marked for heaven, and cannot lose their title to the eternal inheritance, because they cannot lose the Seal of it: as they have received the earnest of it, so they have the witness and seal of it, that it might be every way firm and sure to them.

    V. Let all who possess the Gospel, and pretend to the Spirit, strive to get this Seal. It is not enough to read of the covenant of God, and to have some external knowledge of it, and dispute about it: but labour to get it Sealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

    VI. If the Spirit be the earnest and Seal of this blessed inheritance, do not grieve it; this is the counsel the apostle gave to the Ephesians. Do not quench the motions of it, nor turn a deaf ear to the tender and gracious reproofs it daily gives you. Do not give way to sin or Satan; neglect not your duties; pray often, and hear the word, and be found in your places where the word and Spirit hath directed you: live in love, and "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil-speaking be put away from you, with all malice: and be kind one to another, and tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you:" And hereby you will not grieve the Holy Spirit, whereby you are Sealed unto the day of redemption.

    Lastly, Take heed Satan does not deceive thee with a counterfeit Seal. Many are confident they have the Spirit, light, and power, when it is all mere delusion. The Spirit always leads and directs according to the written word: "He shall bring my word,'' saith Christ, "to your remembrance." Some men boast of the Spirit, and conclude they have the Spirit, and none but they, and yet at the same time cry down and vilify his blessed ordinances and institutions, which he hath left in his word, carefully to be observed and kept, till he come the second time without sin unto salvation.