1 Theff. 4.4.

concern us all to keep our Bodies pure and undefiled, to poffefs them in Sanctification and Honour. A Man that is given to Luft or Drunkenness, is no more capable of receiving or lodging the Holy Spirit, than a Stye is fit to be made a Temple.

4. But fourthly and laftly, As there are fome particular Sins, fo there are fome particular Circumftances of Sins, that do likewife grieve him in a more efpecial manner than others. Now of thefe Circumftances, this I cannot but take Notice of, as a chief one; viz. our continuing to purfue a finful Courfe of Life after we have often engaged ourselves by folemn Vows and Refolutions to forfake it. There is nothing more hated by God or Man, than the Sin of Unfaithfulness and Ingratitude. The best Friend in the World, if Time after Time we abufe his Kindneffes, if upon every Turn when we have need of him we folemnly engage to him to do this or the other Thing that he would have us, and yet when that Turn is ferved, we forget all our Promifes and Engagements, and fall again to that Practice that we know will above all things in the World disoblige him: I fay, in fnch a Cafe as this, the best Friend in the World will, without Scruple, shake off all Thoughts of Friendship with us, and have nothing to do more with Perfons who are fo ungrateful and perfidious. It is a matter of great Comfort to us, that

the

the Patience and Kindness of God doth fo infinitely exceed that of the best Friends npou Earth. But yet our Bafenefs, and Treachery, and Inconftancy, in a customary Breach of Vows and Promises, I say these Things will (if any thing in the World can) provoke God Almighty to abandon us, and leave us to ourselves. The Holy Spirit of God will ftrive with us for a long Time; but God hath told us, that his Gen. 6. 3. Spirit fhall not always frive with us. may, by our frequent Back-flidings, after our folemn Engagements to the contrary, fo weary him (if I may fpeak in Scripture Ifa. 7.13. Language) that he may think fit to give us Mal. 2.17. up. However, it is certain, that every Man that is thus falfe and treacherous, takes the most ready Course in the World to bring this Judgment upon himself.

We

And fo much it may fuffice to have fpoken upon the Precept itfelf, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.

I come now to the other Part of my Text, viz. The Argument wherewith St. Paul enforces this Precept; and that is the Confideration that it is the Spirit that fealeth us unto the Day of Redemption. In fpeaking to which Words, I must first enquire what is meant by the Day of Redemption.

Secondly, What is meant by being fealed unto the Day of Redemption. And

Jer. 15. 6.

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Thirdly, How, or in what Senfe the Holy Spirit doth thus feal Chriftians. From all which it will appear what a mighty Argument the Confideration of this ought to be to us, not to grieve the Spirit.

I. And firft let us enquire what is meant by the Day of Redemption. The Writers of the New Teftament fpeak of a four-fold Redemption which Chrift hath wrought for us; viz. A Redemption from the Law: A Redemption from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin: A Redemption from the Dominion and Power of Sin: And a Redemption from the Grave.

1. I shall speak a Word or two upon each of these Particulars. The Scriptures fpeak of a Redemption from the Law. Gal. 3. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the Curfe of the Law, being made a Curfe for us, that the Bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles thro' Jefus Chrift, that we might receive the Promife of the Spirit thro' Faith. Gal.4-45. And again, When the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons. The Jews were properly and immediately concerned in this Redemption from the Law; for none were under the Law (viz. obliged to Obedience to it, or obnoxious to the Curfes of it,) but they to whom it was given.

And

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And this Redemption confifted in this, that Chrift, by his Death, did wholly put an End to the Mofaical Covenant, fo that the Jews were no longer under the Obligation to the Law, nor fubject to the Inconveniencies it brought upon them. And juftly might this be called a Redemption; for it was a Reftoration of that People from a State of Bondage into a State of Liberty. Gal. 24.5, So long as they were under that Covenant, 31. (viz. the Difpenfation of the Law) they were in a fervile Condition, rather Ser-V-1,2,3,5. vants than Sons; nor was it poffible for them, by means of the Law, to attain to Rom. 3. Fuftification, or a State of God's Favour and Acceptance. But Chrift, by putting an End to this Covenant, fet on foot a better; viz. the Evangelical, that was firft made with Adam, and then with Abraham, 430 Years before the Law; which, Gal. 3. 20. as it gave better Conditions, (requiring only Faith and Repentance instead of many cumbersome Ceremonies) fo it was efta- Heb. 8. 6. blifbed upon better Promifes; making over to us not only the Pardon of our Sins, and the Affiftances of the Spirit, but eternal Rewards in another World. So that to be redeemed from the Law, was indeed an inestimable Privilege.

But it may be asked, How doth this Redemption concern us Gentiles, fince we were never under the Law? I answer, it doth concern us infinitely; and the Benefit

19.

we have received hereby, is as great as that was to them. It is true, we cannot properly be faid to be redeemed from the Curfe of the Law, because we were never Rom. 3. obnoxious to it; (for what the Law faith, it faith to them that are under the Law) but then we were in as bad a Condition, or worfe; for we were left in our pure Naturals, in that low degenerate State, in which we came into the World; tho' we were not subject to the Maledictions contained in the Law, yet we were subject to that Death, which was the general Punishment threatened to the Difobedient under the Law, and was the Curfe and Sentence denounced against Adam and his Pofterity. And we had no more Light or Means to approve ourselves to God, or to attain to a State of Juftification or Salvation, than the Jews themselves had under the Law: Nay, indeed, not near fo much. But now Chrift's redeeming the Jews from the Curfe of the Law, and entring them into a new CoveGal. 3. 20, nant, or rather renewing the old Covenant. 1 Cor. 1. of the Gospel made with Abraham, became Fuftification and Salvation to us Gentiles alfo. For fo had God ordered the matter in his Difpenfation of Times and Seafons, that when the Mofaical Covenant fhould be abEph.2.14 rogated (which was a Wall of Separation and Partition between the Jews and Gentiles) and the Evangelical Covenant take Place in the ftead thereof, then fhould the Gentiles alfo

&c.

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