Ephesians 4:30 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed.— The original is emphatical, Grieve not that Holy Spirit of God;—whereby ye are sealed; that is to say, "As all the things, against which I have been cautioning you, are directly contrary to the holy nature, will, and operations, gifts and graces of the good Spirit of God; and as he, speaking after the manner of men, is grieved at them, as a friend uses to be at the disagreeable and ungrateful behaviour of one with whom he dwells, and has treated with kindness and favour,—have a care lest, by indulging any of them, you offend and rebel against him, as Israel did of old (Isaiah 63:10.), and provoke him to withdraw his gracious presence, who is not only infinitely pure and holy in himself, but loves holiness, and is the author and worker of its first beginnings, and of all its increases in you; by which, in some remarkablemanifestations and impressions of light and grace, consequent to your first believing, (see ch. Ephesians 1:13), you are evidently sealed as with his own image, and are thereby distinguished for his own, with assuring tokens of salvation; and have the pledge and earnest of it in yourselves, for your present comfort, until, if faithful unto death, you be possessed of the heavenly inheritance." The term of sealing seems to be a metaphor, taken from merchants putting some seal, or mark, upon their commodities, by which they may be known to be theirs. One of the ancients somewhere says, Delicata res est Spiritus Dei;—"There is, if we may so express it, a certain delicacy in the Spirit of God, which should engage those who desire his influences, solicitously to guard against every approach to what might be offensive to him."