Church discipline

The Spirit never sets his seal upon any—but upon those who Christ has first printed his image upon. God gives to none the white stone of forgiveness, Rev 2:17—but to those from whom he has taken the heart of stone; Ezek 36:25-27. Christ never tells a man that his name is written in the book of life, until he has breathed into him spiritual life, Luke 10:20. Christ never says, 'Son, be of good cheer, your sin is pardoned,' until he has first said, 'Be healed, be cleansed!' Luke 5:18-20. Christ never gives a man a new name—until he has made them new creatures, Isa 56:5; 2 Cor 5:17. Christ makes the slaves of Satan into his sons—before we cry 'Abba, Father!' Rom 8:15. Christ makes enemies into his friends—before he will make us of his court or counsel, Eph 2:13-20.

Christ will never hang a pearl in a swine's snout; nor put new wine into old bottles; nor his royal robes upon a leprous back; nor his golden chain around a dead man's neck; nor his glistening crown upon traitor's head! The Spirit never sets his seal upon any—but upon those who Christ has first set as a seal upon his heart, Eph 1:13; Song 8:6. The Spirit only bears witness to such as hate sin as Christ hates it, and who love righteousness as Christ loves it, who hate sin more than hell, and who love truth more than life, Psalm 45:7. A soul sealed by the Spirit will pull out right eyes, and cut off right hands, for Christ; such souls will part with a Benjamin, and offer up an Isaac, for Christ. This is a serious warning against those deceived and deluded souls, who remain yet in their blood, and who wallow in their sins—and yet boast and brag of the seal and of the witness and testimony of the Spirit.