glorycloud's Diaryland
Diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ephesains 1:13 Paul Baynes
"Thus, having considered the benefit in general, we
will sift it more particularly ; for he doth not barely
say, in whom, when ye also had believed, ye received
the Spirit, but ' ye were scaled with the Holy Spirit
fore-promised.' Two things are to be marked: 1. The
sealing, which doth figuratively signify a singular con-
firmation given to faithful ones touching their redemp-
tion. The seal, the Holy Spirit, that is, both the per-
son of the Spirit dwelling in us, and the graces of the
Spirit inherent in us, which is here said a ' Spirit of
promise,' because God had fore-promised to put his
Spirit into our hearts, that his word and Spirit should
never leave the faithful seed ; that he would pour^out
the Spirit on all flesh, which solemn promises make
me think that this phrase is in this sense rather to be
construed, as Gal. iii. 4, we are said by faith to re-
ceive the promise of the Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Ver. 13.] BATNE ON EPHESIANS. 81 promise, or that had been promised, as here it is
uttered. Docl. 4. First, observe that the faithful are, as it
were, by seal confirmed, touching their salvation and
full redemption ; for this is to be supplied from the
4th chap., ver. 80: 'Who confirmed us, who hath
. anointed us, yea, who hath scaled us,' 2 Cor. i. As
God did seal his Christ, as the person in whom he
would be glorious by working our redemption, so he
doth seal us who are believers, for persons who shall
have redemption by him. Even as persons contract-
ing do mutually seal and deliver each of them their
deeds in several, so between God and the believer :
the believer doth by faith set to his seal, as it were,
that God is true in that which he promiseth, John iii.
83 ; and God he doth seal unto the believer that he
shall be infallibly brought to the salvation he hath be-
lieved, for to seal up believers to redemption, or to
seal redemption to believers, are here equivalent.
Look what a seal set on anything doth, it agreeth well
to believers ; for, first, a seal maketh sometimes things
sealed secret. Thus the graces of the Spirit make be-
lievers unknown to the world, who have not received
the same spirit with them, yea, such as none can
ordinarily know their happiness beside themselves :
' My love is like a fountain sealed ;' ' for this cause
the world knoweth you not, because it knoweth not the
Father,' 1 John iii. 2. Secondly, a seal doth dis-
tinguish. Thus the believers are a peculiar to God,
are set apart, as the first fruits of the creature are
taken out of the world. Thirdly, a seal doth make
things authenticate. Thus measm-es, clothes, deeds,
anything by the seal coming, is confirmed and war-
ranted in the kind of it. Thus believers they have
that given them which doth fully assure their salvation
always, yea, which doth not only make it sure in it-
self, but sometime put it out of all doubt with them,
that they can say, they know whom they have be-
lieved, and that he is able to keep their salvation they
have trusted him with to that day. Look, as kings
when they take any to great offices, or to have and
hold lands, matter of inheritance here or there, they
give their seal that they may the more secure it unto
them ; so doth God to us, when now he taketh us be-
lieving to that heavenly inheritance. But it may be
objected by many believing hearts, we find no assur-
ance, but much doubting ever and anon, though we
hope we have and do truly believe. It is one thing to have this or that surely by deed
and seal confirmed, another to know that we have a
thing so sealed. As men in earthly things may have
sure evidence for this or that, and yet not always
know the certainty of their hold, and so doubt cause-
lessly, thus it is in believers ; they have their redemp-
tion ever surely sealed, but not knowing the certainty
hereof in themselves, they are yetwhile subject to
doubtings. Use 1. The use is, that seeing God hath thus sealed to us onr salvation, we should, ergn, labour to be fully
persuaded touching this his grace toward us. Though
trae believers are not always sure of their salvation in
their sense and judgment, yet they should ever strive
to this ; for as men would be trusted confidently in
that they promise and seal, so God much more would
have us be secure, touching that which he hath pro-
mised, written, sworn, oirtwardly and inwardly sealed. Use 2. Let us all strive to get ourselves sealed to
redemption, seeing God doth seal those whom he will
deliver in that great day ; if we be not in this number,
we shall not escape damnation. Even as in the 9th
of Ezckiel, and Revelations vii., those were kept from
the judgment spiritual in the one place, corporal in
another, whom God had sealed and marked thereto ;
so is it here, etc. Doct. 5. The last point followeth, viz., that the
Holy Spirit, and the graces of the Spirit, are the seal
assuring our redemption, the seal sealing us to redemp-
tion. For assurance of outward things we have only
the seal sealed on wax or otherwise ; we need not the
signet sealing : but we are confirmed touching salva-
tion both by the Spirit of God, who is, as it were, the
seal sealing, and by the graces of the Spirit, which is,
as it were, the seal sealed and printed upon us ; yea,
these two, both of them are together as a seal, while
it standeth upon the matter which it now scaleth.
Look, as the kings of England grave on their broad
seal their own image, and so print, as it were, their
own picture in this or that which they seal ; so our
God, by his Holy Spirit, essentially like himself, he
doth print upon our souls his own image, upon us, I
say, whom he sealeth to redemption. Now that both God's Spirit and this image of God
in us do, as it were, seal us up to salvation, is plain.
For, first, of the person of the Spirit it is spoken,
Rom. viii., that it 'beareth witness to our spirits, that
we are God's children, and heirs with Christ.' Tho
Spirit of God doth, by his own testimony, in special
manner confirm us and assure us this way. Now for
the other. ' We know by this,' saith Saint John,
' that we are translated from death to life, because we
love the brethren.' Now, seeing it is the Holy Spirit
dwelling in us, and God's holy image in our souls,
which seal up our salvation, how should we labour for
the Spirit and for holiness, without which none shall
ever see God ? Had we great matters to be conveyed
to us, though all were concluded, and the instruments
ready drawn, yet we could not rest till we had got all
sure sealed ; so it is with us, we should not rest, but
seek this Holy Spirit, that we might see oiu: heavenly
inheritance safe and sure, even sealed within us. Secondly, We see by this that the seal is God's Holy
Spirit, that God doth not intend by sealing to make
our salvation certain in itself, but to us also. For he
who sealeth us with such a seal which we may know,
he would have us assured in ourselves, touching that
to which we are sealed. But the Spirit may be known S2 BATNE ON EPHESIANS. [Chap. I. of ns ; for that which is a sign manifesting other
things to us, must needs itself be manifest. Now,
Saint John saith, ' By this we know God dwelleth in
ns, and we in him ; because he hath given us of his
Spirit.' Unreasonable sheep cannot know the marks
wherewith they are marked, but reasonable sheep may
know the seal wherewith they are sealed. Thirdly, We may gather how fearful the state of
Buch is who will scolf at the Spirit, at purity, holiness.
Surely as God hath his seal, so the iei hath his ;
when he filleth men with darkness in the midst of
teaching, hardens their hearts till they know not how
to be ashamed and penitent, filleth them with hatred
and scorn of such as are more conscionable than them-
selves, it is a presumption God hath given them up to
the power of Satan, that he might seal them to eternal
danmation. Ver. 14. WJio is the earnest of our inheritance, until
that redemption purchased, to the praise of his iihry.
He cometh to describe the Spirit more particularly
from that which he is unto us. First, for the words.
It is to be marked that he speaketh not of the Spirit
as a thing in the neuter gender, but useth the article
masculine, to point out the person of the Spirit ; and
our English relative who duth more distinctly answer
to the Greek than u-hich. This word earnest is in the
original tongues more large than our English, and may
signify pledges, pawns, hostages, as well as earnest,
� which is in contract of buying and selling only eser-
cised, and is a giving some small part of a sum to as-
sure that the whole shall be tendered accordingly in
due season. Inheritance is put for that consummate
inheritance of glory kept for us in heaven, 1 Peter i. Until the redemption, noi for the redemption ; it is
the same proposition which we read chap. iv. 30. The
redemption is here to be understood, not of that which
� we are said to have, ver. 7, but of the redemption of
the body, or of the full liberty of the sons of God,
� «hich is kept till that great day. The sum is, ye are sealed with the Spirit, who is in
you with his gilts, and is unto you as an eai-nest in
hand, assuring you that you shall have that perfect
inheritance bestowed on you ; yea, it dwelleth with you,
as an earnest confirming you in this behalf, till that
redemption of glory befall you which is purchased, to
the praise of God's glorious mercy." Paul Baynes "Exposition on the Epistle to the Ephesians" commenting on Ephesians 1:13
2:36 p.m. - 2011-12-06
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
previous - next
|
|
|
|
|
|