Who hath also sealed us
"Two" things more are here attributed to God; "first", the
sealing of his people. The use of seals is various, as to denote
property in things, to distinguish one thing from another, to
show esteem and affection for persons or things, and for security
and protection, and to hide and conceal; all which might be
applied to sealing, as expressive of the grace of God to his
people, in claiming a property in them, distinguishing them from
the rest of the world, setting his affections on them, securing
and protecting their persons, and hiding them under the shadow of
his wings: but sometimes a seal is used to certify, make sure, or
assure the truth of a thing; see ( John 3:33 ) ( 1
Corinthians 9:3 ) ( Jeremiah
33:10 ) in which sense the word "sealing" is used here, and
intends that assurance which God gives his people of their
interest in his love, and the covenant of grace; of their
election of God, and redemption by Christ; of their interest in
Christ, and union with him; of their justification by him, and
adoption through him; of the truth of grace in their hearts,
their perseverance in it, and sure and certain enjoyment of
eternal glory. The persons thus sealed are not carnal and
unconverted persons, only believers in Christ, and these, after
they commence such; the seal by which they are sealed, is not any
of the ordinances, as circumcision under the Old Testament, or
baptism, or the Lord's supper under the New; for these are no
seals, nor are they ever so called; but the Spirit of God
himself, as the Holy Spirit of promise; for the same who, in the
next clause, is called the earnest, is the seal; see ( Ephesians
1:13 ) . "Secondly", the giving of the earnest of the Spirit:
and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts:
by "the Spirit" is meant, not the gifts and graces of the Spirit
merely, but the Spirit of God and Christ himself; who was
concerned in the creation of the world, in inditing the
Scriptures, in forming and filling the human nature of Christ,
and in his resurrection from the dead; he himself is given as an
"earnest": the word (arrabwn) , here used, and in ( 2
Corinthians 5:5 ) ( Ephesians
1:14 ) is the Hebrew word (Nwbre) , and comes from (bre) , which signifies "to become a surety, to give a
pledge"; and is used for a pledge in covenants and bargains, both
in Scripture, see ( Genesis
38:17 Genesis
38:18 Genesis
38:20 ) , and in Jewish writings F4; which is given as an
earnest, and in part of what it is a pledge of, and is never
returned: the Spirit of God is an earnest or pledge of the
heavenly inheritance, which is not only prepared for us, and
promised to us, and Christ is in the possession of in our nature,
in our room and stead, and as our representative; but the Spirit
of God also is sent down "into our hearts" as a pledge of it;
where he dwells as in his temple, supplies us with all grace,
witnesses to us our sonship, and assures us of the heavenly
glory: and as such he is "given"; and an unmerited free grace
gift he is; for him to be given in this manner, and for such a
purpose, is a wonderful display of the love of the Father, and of
the Son, and is a surprising instance of his grace and
condescension of the Spirit, and for which we should be
abundantly thankful.