by Richard Sibbes
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption.—EPH. 4:30.
WHETHER the words be a command ensuing from authority, or counsel from wisdom, or a caveat from God's care of our souls, it is not material, considering both counsel and caveats of the great God have both force of a command, with some mixture of the sweetness of love. The apostle, as his manner is, from the largeness of his spirit, riseth from a particular dissuasive from corrupt communication in the verse before, to this general advice of not grieving God's Spirit by sin, especially against conscience enlightened. And this dissuasive from evil is enforced from a dangerous effect of grieving the Spirit of God; and the danger of grieving ariseth from this, that it is the Spirit of God, and God himself, whom we grieve, and a holy Spirit: holy in himself, and holy as the cause of all holiness in us; and he that, after he hath wrought holiness in us, sealeth and confirmeth us in that act of grace, until the day of our glorious redemption. So that the grounds of not grieving are from the greatness and goodness of the person whom we grieve, and from the greatness and constancy of the benefits we have by him. To speak something of the person: the Holy Spirit is called a Spirit, not only by nature, as being a spiritual essence, but in regard of his person and office; he is both breathed from the Father and the Son, as proceeding from them both; and by office, breatheth into all that God hath given Christ to redeem and him to sanctify. He is so the Spirit of God in proceeding from God, as that he is God, which whoso denieth deny their own baptism; being as well baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as into the Father and the Son. And no less a person than God is needful to assure our souls of God's love, and to change our nature, being in an opposite frame. Who can reveal to us the mind of God but the Spirit of God? And herein we may see the joint forwardness both of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost: when both Father and Son join in willingness to send so great a person to apply unto us, and to assure us of that great good the Father hath decreed, and the Son performed for us.
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Table of Contents
Epistle Dedicatory
The Holy Ghost, why called a Spirit
Why Holy
1. Of grieving the Spirit
2. Of the sealing of the Spirit
3. Of the day of redemption