Chapter 7 — The Spirit as Earnest

Again the Holy Spirit as thus communicated to us, is said to be an Earnest. The word in the original is no where used in the New Testament but in this matter alone, (2 Corinthians 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). The Latin Translator renders this word by Pignus, a Pledge. But he is corrected therein by Hierom on Ephesians 1. Pignus, says he, Latinus Interpres pro arrabone possuit. Non id ipsum autem Arrabo quod pignus sonat. Arrabo enim futurae emptioni quaesi quoddam testimonium, & obligamentum datur. Pignus vero, hoc est [in non-Latin alphabet] pro mutua pecunia apponitur, ut quam illa reddita tuerit, reddenti debitum pignus a Creditore redditur. And this reason is generally admitted by Expositors. For a Pledge is that which is committed to and left in the hand of another to secure him, that money which is borrowed thereon, shall be repaid, and then the Pledge is to be received back again. Hence it is necessary that a Pledge be more in value than the money received, because it is taken in security for repayment. But an Earnest is a part only of what is to be given or paid, or some lesser thing that is given to secure somewhat that is more or greater in the same or another kind. And this difference must be admitted if we are obliged to the precise signification and common use of Pledges and Earnests among men, which we must enquire into. The word is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew [in non-Latin alphabet]; and the Latins make use of it also, Arrabon, and Arrha. It is sometimes used in other Authors; as Plutarch in Galba: [in non-Latin alphabet]; he prepossessed Oninius with great summs of money as an Earnest of what he would do afterwards. Hesychius explains it by [in non-Latin alphabet], a gift beforehand. As to what I apprehend to be the mind of the Holy Ghost in this expression, I shall declare it in the ensuing observations.

First; it is not any act or work of the Holy Spirit on us or in us, that is called his being an Earnest. It is He Himself who is this Earnest. This is expressed in every place where there is mention made of it. 2 Corinthians 1:22: [in non-Latin alphabet]; the Earnest of the Spirit; that Earnest which is the Spirit, or the Spirit as an Earnest; as Austin reads the words, Arrhabona Spiritum. 2 Corinthians 5:5: Who has also given to us the Earnest of the Spirit. The giving of this Earnest is constantly assigned to be the act of God the Father, who according to the promise of Christ would send the Comforter to the Church. And in the other place, Ephesians 1:14, it is expressly said that the Holy Spirit is the Earnest of our inheritance. Every where the Article is of the masculine gender, [in non-Latin alphabet]; and [in non-Latin alphabet], the Spirit is of the neuter. Some would have it to refer to Christ, v. 12. But as it is not unusual in Scripture that the subjunctive Article and relative should agree in gender with the following substantive, as [in non-Latin alphabet] here does with [in non-Latin alphabet]; so the Scripture speaking of the Holy Ghost, though [in non-Latin alphabet] be of the neuter gender, yet having respect to the thing, that is, the Person of the Spirit, it subjoins the pronoun of the masculine gender to it, as John 14:26. Therefore the Spirit himself is the Earnest, as given to us from the Father by the Son. And this act of God is expressed by giving or putting him into our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22). How he does this, has been before declared, both in general, and with respect in particular to his inhabitation. The meaning therefore of the words is, that God gives to us his Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and to abide with us as an Earnest of our future inheritance.

Secondly; it is indifferent whether we use the name of an Earnest, or a Pledge in this matter. And although I choose to retain that of an Earnest from the most usual acceptation of the word, yet I do it not upon the reason alledged for it, which is taken from the especial nature and use of an Earnest in the dealings of men. For it is the end only of an Earnest whereon the Holy Ghost is so called, which is the same with that of a Pledge, and we are not to force the similitude or allusion any farther. For precisely among men an Earnest is the confirmation of a bargain and contract made on equal terms between buyers and sellers, or exchangers. But there is no such contract between God and us. It is true there is a supposition of an antecedent covenant, but not as a bargain or contract between God and us. The Covenant of God as it respects the dispensation of the Spirit, is a mere free gratuitous promise; and the stipulation of obedience on our part is consequential thereunto. Again he that gives an Earnest in a contract or bargain, does not principally aim at his own obligation to pay such or such a summ of money, or somewhat equivalent thereunto, though he do that also; but his principal design is to secure to himself that which he has bargained for, that it may be delivered up to him at the time appointed. But there is nothing of this nature in the Earnest of the Spirit, wherein God intends our assurance only and not his own. And sundry other things there are wherein the comparison will not hold nor is to be urged, because they are not intended.

The general end of an Earnest or a Pledge, is all that is alluded to: and this is to give security of somewhat that is future or to come. And this may be done in a way of free bounty, as well as upon the strictest contract. As if a man have a poor friend or relation, he may of his own accord give to him a summ of money, and bid him take it as a Pledge or Earnest of what he will yet do for him. So does God in a way of sovereign grace and bounty give his Holy Spirit to believers; and withal lets them know, that it is with a design to give them yet much more in his appointed season. And here is he said to be an Earnest. Other things that are observed from the nature and use of an Earnest in civil contracts and bargains between men, belong not hereunto; though many things are occasionally spoken and discoursed from them of good use to edification.

Thirdly, in two of the places wherein mention is made of this matter, the Spirit is said to be an earnest, but wherein, or to what end, is not expressed (2 Corinthians 1:22; Chapter 5:5). The third place affirms him to be an earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). What that is, and how he is so, may be briefly declared.

1. We have already manifested that all our participation of the Holy Spirit in any kind, is upon the account of Jesus Christ, and we do receive him immediately as the Spirit of Christ. For to as many as receive Christ, the Father gives power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). And because we are sons, he sends forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts (Galatians 4:6). And as we receive the Spirit from him, and as his Spirit, so he is given to us to make us conformable to him, and to give us a participation of his gifts, graces and privileges.

2. Christ himself in his own person is the Heir of all things. So he was appointed of God (Hebrews 1:2), and therefore the whole inheritance is absolutely his. What this inheritance is, what is the glory and power that is contained therein, I have at large declared in the exposition of that place.

3. Man by his sin had universally forfeited his whole right to all the ends of his creation, both on the earth below, and in heaven above. Death and Hell were become all that the whole race of mankind had either right or title to. But yet all the glorious things that God had provided were not to be cast away, an heir was to be provided for them. Abraham when he was old and rich had no child, complained that his steward, a servant was to be his heir (Genesis 15:3, 4), but God lets him know that he would provide another heir for him of his own seed. When man had lost his right to the whole inheritance of heaven and earth, God did not so take the forfeiture, as to seize it all into the hands of justice and destroy it: but he invested the whole inheritance in his Son, making him the Heir of all. This he was meet for, as being God's eternal Son by nature, and hereof the donation was free, gratuitous and absolute. And this grant was confirmed to him by his unction with the fulness of the Spirit.

4. This inheritance as to our interest therein lay under a forfeiture; and as to us it must be redeemed and purchased, or we can never be made partakers of it. Therefore the Lord Christ, who had a right in his own person to the whole inheritance by the free grant and donation of the Father, yet was to redeem it from under the forfeiture, and purchase the possession of it for us: from there is it called the purchased possession. How this purchase was made, what made it necessary, by what means it was effected, are declared in the doctrine of our redemption by Christ, the price which he paid, and the purchase that he made thereby. And hereon the whole inheritance is vested in the Lord Christ, not only as to his own person, and his right to the whole, but he became the great trustee for the whole Church, and had their interest in this inheritance committed to him also. No man therefore can have a right to this inheritance, or to any part of it, not to the least share of God's creation here below, as a part of the rescued or purchased inheritance, but by virtue of an interest in Christ, and union with him.

Fourthly, the way whereby we come to have an interest in Christ, and thereby a right to the inheritance, is by the participation of the Spirit of Christ, as the Apostle fully declares (Romans 8:14, 15, 16, 17). For it is by the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of the Son, that we are made children. Now says the Apostle, if we are children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Children are heirs to their father. And those who are children of God are heirs of that inheritance which God has provided for his children. Heirs of God. And all the good things of grace and glory which believers are made partakers of in this world, or that which is to come, are called their inheritance, because they are the effects of free, gratuitous adoption. They are not things that themselves have purchased, bargained for, earned or merited, but an inheritance depending on and following solely upon their free, gratuitous adoption. But how can they become heirs of God, seeing God has absolutely appointed the Son alone to be Heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2)? He was the Heir to whom the whole inheritance belonged. Why, says the Apostle, by the participation of the Spirit of Christ, we are made joint heirs with Christ. The whole inheritance as to his own personal right was entirely his by the free donation of the Father, all power in heaven and earth being given to him. But if he will take others into a joint right with him, he must purchase it for them, which he did accordingly.

Fifthly, hence it is manifest, how the Holy Spirit becomes the earnest of our inheritance. For by him, that is, by the communication of him to us, we are made joint-heirs with Christ, which gives us our right and title, whereby our natures are as it were inserted into the assured conveyance of the great and full inheritance of grace and glory. In the giving of his Spirit to us, God making of us coheirs with Christ, we have the greatest and most assured earnest and pledge of our future inheritance. And he is to be thus an earnest until, or to the redemption of the purchased possession. For after that a man has a good and firm title to an inheritance settled in him, it may be a longer time before he can be admitted into an actual possession of it, and many difficulties he may have in the mean time to conflict withal. And it is so in this case. The earnest of the Spirit given to us, whereby we become coheirs with Christ, whose Spirit we are made partakers of, secures the title of the inheritance in and to our whole persons. But before we can come to the full possession of it, not only have we many spiritual trials and temptations to conflict withal in our souls, but our bodies also are liable to death and corruption. Therefore whatever first-fruits we may enjoy, yet can we not enter into the actual possession of the whole inheritance, until not only our souls are delivered from all sins and temptations, but our bodies also are rescued out of the dust of the grave. This is the full redemption of the purchased possession, from where it is signally called the redemption of the body (Romans 8:23).

Thus as the Lord Christ himself was made heir of all things by that communication of the Spirit to him, whereby he was anointed to his office; so the participation of the same Spirit from him and by him, makes us coheirs with him, and so he is an earnest given us of God of the future inheritance. It belongs not to my present purpose to declare the nature of that inheritance, whereof the Holy Spirit is the earnest. In brief, it is the highest participation with Christ in that glory and honor that our natures are capable of.

And in like manner we are said to receive [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] (Romans 8:23). That is, the Spirit himself as the first fruits of our spiritual and eternal redemption. God had appointed that the first fruits, which are called [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] should be a [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], an offering to himself. Hereunto [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] answers, and is taken generally for that which is first in any kind (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 15:20; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4). And the first fruits of the Spirit must be either what he first works in us, or all his fruits in us with respect to the full harvest that is to come; or the Spirit himself, as the beginning and pledge of future glory. And the latter of these is intended in this place. For the Apostle discourses about the liberty of the whole creation from that state of bondage whereunto all things were subjected by sin. With respect hereunto he says, that believers themselves having not as yet obtained a full deliverance, as he had expressed it (chapter 7, verse 24), do groan after its perfect accomplishment. But yet, says he, we have the beginning of it, the first fruits of it, in the communication of the Spirit to us: for where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). For although we are not capable of the full and perfect estate of the liberty provided for the children of God, while we are in this world, conflicting with the remainders of sin, pressed and exercised with temptations, our bodies also being subject to death and corruption, yet where the Spirit of God is, where we have that first fruit of the fullness of our redemption, there is liberty in the real beginning of it, and assured consolation, because it shall be consummated in the appointed season.

These are some of the spiritual benefits and privileges which believers enjoy by a participation of the Holy Ghost, as the promised Comforter of the Church: these things he is to them, and as to all other things belonging to their consolation, he works them in them, which we must in the next place enquire into. Only something we may take notice of from what we have already insisted on. As, (1) that all evangelical privileges whereof believers are made partakers in this world, do center in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the great promise that Christ has made to his disciples, the great legacy which he has bequeathed to them. The grant made to him by the Father when he had done all his will, and fulfilled all righteousness, and exalted the glory of his holiness, wisdom and grace, was this of the Holy Spirit to be communicated by him to the Church. This he received of the Father as the complement of his reward, wherein he saw of the travail of his soul and was satisfied. This Spirit he now gives to believers, and no tongue can express the benefits which they receive thereby. Therein are they anointed and sealed, therein do they receive the earnest and first fruits of immortality and glory. In a word, therein are they taken into a participation with Christ himself in all his honor and glory. Hereby is their condition rendered honorable, safe, comfortable, and the whole inheritance is unchangeably secured to them. In this one privilege therefore of receiving the Spirit, are all others enwrapped. For, (2) no one way, or thing, or similitude can express or represent the greatness of this privilege. It is anointing, it is sealing, it is an earnest and first fruit, every thing whereby the love of God, and the blessed security of our condition may be expressed or intimated to us. For what greater pledge can we have of the love and favor of God? What greater dignity can we be made partakers of? What greater assurance of a future, blessed condition, than that God has given us of his Holy Spirit? And, (3) hence also is it manifest how abundantly willing he is, that the heirs of promise should receive strong consolation in all their distresses, when they fly for refuge to the hope that is set before them.