Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-21
The Seal Of the Spirit.

A few days ago / was looking over rare
and costly collection of engravings. Among
them there were two that, to my unpracticed
eye, were identical. But one was a counter
felt of the other The genuine was the
work of one of those old engravers of the
middle ages, who make themselves the peers
in art of the greatest masters on canvas or
in marble. The other was so close and ac-
curate an imitation, that only he who had
made such pictures lifelong study could
detect the difference between them. But
down in one corner of the original engrav-
ing was private mark, so small as almost
to require a microscope to find it, which the
great artist had set on every engraving that
he executed. lie had himself put it there
to prove his own work.
Even so does God put his seal upon his
work in the human heart. The mark of the
true believer is the Holy Ghost. No other
mark can supply the place of Gods seal.
The baptismal sign of the Cross may be on
the brow. The record of confirmation may
be in the parish register. There may be
great activity in outward religious work.
But the only seal which authenticates the
Christian as genuine disciple is the seal of
the Holy Ghost
How shall get it ? What is there to be
done that the seal may be so impressed upon
my soul as to be known and read of all men
If | want to be holy, l must trust myself
to Christ to make me so, as trusted him
at first to save me. God will not put his
seal on my poor work. Cutting off this evil
habit, separating from that improper asso-
citation, attempting new purposes and resolu-
tions-all these are good in themselves, but
they do not stamp my life with Gods seal.
1t is getting the Holy Spirit in me which
sets the seal of the Holy Spirit on me.
Let me illustrate what mean. In the
grounds of the Capitol at Washington there
stands bronze statue of one OF the gener-
ais who fell in the civil war. do not know
who the al tist is. But suppose that Michael
Angelo were permitted to come back to
the earth and to him this nineteenth-cen-
tury sculptor appeals. He wants him to put
his seal and mark on the statue he has made.
You and know how the old master of the
human form would meet and answer such a
request. Michael Angeles seal must be set
only on Michael Angeles work. The statue
must be given up to him. He must melt it
over. He must re-cast it. He must mold
its pattern after his own design. Then and
then only, may it bear his name and be i'm
pressed with his seal.
o ye, who long to have your religion
stamped with the seal of the Holy Ghost,
know of but one way in which such blessed
witness to the reality of your Christian char
acter can be given. 1t is to go to the Spirit
of God as you are, penitent sinner, a saved
believer, conscious of all that is unworthy
of the love which has bought you, and put
yourself wholly into his divine hand. Let
him melt your soul. Let him use you as he
will, recasting and remodeling after his
own pattern. Then will he set a seal upon
you as plain as that which Moses bore,
when, as he came down from the Mount, his
face shone like the sun. with the reflection
of his communion with God
If we are sealed with the Spirit of God, il
suggests the idea of an impression pro
duced by contact of Gods Spirit with our
spirit. When take up the great seal upon
some public document, | find every line
with which the signet was engraved ha:
been reproduced upon the wax by actua
contact with it. There is no other way in
which a seal can leave its strong impression
But, observe, that it is this very process
which God has chosen to represent the WORK
of the Holy Ghost upon the Christian heart
The meaning is clear. If | want to b'
| like Christ, there must be a personal con
tact between my spirit and the spirit o
Christ. | never shall get this without I
clear conception of the Holy Ghost as per
son. must get rid of the vague notiol
that the Holy Spirit is sort of influence o
power, like heat or electricity. He is pei
son who loves me, helps me, takes me int
the arms of his love, and shelters me unde
the wings of his protection.