ETERNAL LIFE BY HIS FREE GIFT

"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." -II Corinthians 1:22 [KJV]

None but a sinner believing in Christ can say, God hath sealed me. But every believer in Him may truly say so. This seemed very plain from a former meditation. Do all believers alike enjoy the comfort of this sealing? No: no more than any one believer, alike, at all times, enjoys the comfort of it. This is a certain truth, “by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1.) Though every believer is alike justified before God, and is at peace with Him, yet every one has not the like sense of peace, nor any one, at all times. 

So it is of this blessed privilege of sealing. But if it is not considered and believed, that it may be alike enjoyed in common by all believers, many will rest short of the comfort of it. And, indeed, this is the case. How few believers are crying, Lord! give me the comfort of this sealing. In believing, we are sealed. In believing, we enjoy the comfort of it. But here is also another precious blessing of the Lord to His people—The earnest of His Spirit. This is also the privilege of all believers. Consider, what is an earnest? It is a pledge given in covenants and bargains, as a part, to insure the whole. This is common in things of this life. 

So, in salvation, God gives His Spirit as the earnest and pledge of our certain enjoyment, of all the glory and blessedness of heaven. This is according to covenant love and promise to sinners who believe in Christ. But, how is the Spirit an earnest of this? Mind, it is in our hearts. He brings our hearts to believe in, and to be in love with Christ—yea, brings Christ into our hearts. He dwells there by faith. He bears witness of the Redeemer, and salvation by Him, to our hearts. He takes of the things of Christ such as adoption by Christ, union to Him, pardon of sin through His blood, justification in His righteousness, peace with God, and joy in God, through His mediation, and the hope of eternal life, through His intercession. 

He shews these unto us. Thus says the departing Saviour, “He shall glorify Me” (John 16:14.) And thus He fills us with joy and peace in believing. He bears witness to our spirits, that salvation is sure in Him to us. O, believer, see your inestimable privilege! Give the Lord the glory of it. Plead for the comfort of it. This will endear the love of the Father, Son, and Spirit to your hearts, cause you to look down with contempt on the world, to hate all sin, to love holiness, and to look up with longing delight and growing meetness for heaven and glory. And be assured, that, as truly as God gave His Son to die for your sins, and hath given His Spirit as an earnest in your hearts, eternal life also shall be yours by His free gift (Romans 6:23.)

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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