The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-03

is name that excels them all in honor.
Do men tell of the. Caesars, Alexanders,
Napoleons, whose names once echoed and
re-echoed through the world and electri-
fed the nations? When these shall be
dropped from the lips of men and their
last echo shall be spent, the harps Of
heaven will still be striking to this new
name, as heavens arches will still be ring
ing with that new song: "Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in
his own blood-to him be glory and do
minion forever and ever" Men may
scott this name now, but they will see in
what glory it will be embalmed by and
by.
But when the king of kings sets his
royal seal-which is the Holy Spirit-to
a believers heart, there is left there an
other thing that is even better than the
kings illustrious name. 1t is the kings
image. We are not left to conjecture
what the. kings image is. 1t consists in
knowledge, righteousness, and true holt
ness. And this is precisely the image of
Jesus which the. believer bears He
bears it in his understanding, which is
Illuminated with spiritual knowledge,
1. e, he is able to discern and know the
things of God that are revealed in the
Bible He bears it on his heart, which
is inspired and moved with holy afec-
tons, T. E., he admires and loves God and
the things Of God. He bears it in his
whole nature, whose disposition. temper,
and habits are holy. He bears Christ s
image. He is partaker of the Divine
nature. He is a new creature in Christ
Jesus.
1t is a wonderful achievement, this
production of the divine image in a fallen,
sinful man. Hoa0 it is produced we may
not know. The wind bloweth where it
listeth. We cannot tell whence it cometh
or whittier it goeth. But we hear the
sound thereof. We see the effect thereof
So is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The Spirit works in secret: we do not
see him: we do not hear him. He works
in the dark: he is obliged to work in the
dark, because the place where he works
the hearts all dark. And to help
our thought to seize this sweet mystery,
! the Bible sets it forth under the simili-
tude of sealing. Just as we take bit
of uncomely, shapeless wax, and trans
form it into beautiful picture by the
pressure of beautiful SEAL so Jesus takes
these uncomely, unholy natures of ours
and by putting on them his royal seal
which is the Holy Spirit-transforms
them into likeness of his own glorious
self; communicates to them his own
divine nature, and garnishes them with
the beauty of his own holiness.
And day by day this mysterious seal
ing goes on, unseen by mortal eye, but
steadily, surely. And it will go on till
the last one of the purchased posses
sion" is sealed. And this old earth,
hoary with years, and stepped in sin, and
adjudged to destruction, will stand till
the last one is sealed: for thus the de-
cree runs: "Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor trees, till we have sealed the
servants of God in their foreheads." The
eye Of man may be able to detect no diff
ference between the sealed and the I'M
sealed, as they walk the streets together,
or engage in the same pursuits, or eat at
the same table, or gather at the same fire.
side, or sit side by side in the same pew
but the Lord knoweth them that are his.
A mark is upon them, deep, indelible.
Christs own hand put it on them when
he sealed them with the Holy Spirit oil
promise. And it is this that constitutes
the true distinction and difference be-
tween men. 1t is not whether they are
learned or ignorant, rich or poor, honored
or despised, but whether they are sealed
or unSealed. That makes a difference
between men as wide as east and west
as heaven and hell.