John Owen: An Inexpressible Privilege

This is from the last essay in the appendix of John Owen's book, "The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power." It summarizes well the teaching of the elders the last few weeks on the Holy Spirit. There is one note of clarification I need to make: "the privilege" to which John Owen refers is "receiving the Spirit."

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 favour of God, what greater dignity can we enjoy, what greater assurance can we have of future glory, that that God has given us his Holy Spirit? (p. 378)