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of John the Baptift+, and the more irrefragable Teftimo- † Joh. i. 34. iii. ny of his own Miracles, I have a greater Witness than that of John; for the Works which my Father path given me to finifb, the fame Works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father bath fent me * 3. From his Administration of * Joh. v. 36. that Office, by revealing the Will of GOD, confirming his Doctrine with his Example, ratifying it with his Death, rendring it efficacious by his rifing again, propagating and fettling the fucceffion of it, by giving fome Apostles, fome Prophets +, &c.

† Ephef. iv. 8,

(f) Tho' our Lord was not called after the Order of Adron, but after the more antient Order of Melchizedec, yet all the Functions of the Aaronical Priests, which were purely typical of Him, He eminently fulfilled, 1. By the Oblation of Himself, and his entering into the Holy of Holies, not made with hands. 2. By his Interceffion; not fervile and precarious, but efficacious and glorious; as of Him who is exalted at GOD's Right Hand, and to whom all Power is given in Heaven and Earth. 3. By his Benediction. We read of no other part of the Sacerdotal Office perform'd by Melchizedec, but this: He pronounc'd a Bleffing both in respect of GOD and of Man, faying, Bleffed be Abram of the most High GOD, Poffeffor of Hea ven and Earth; and, Blessed be the most High GOD which bath delivered thine Enemies into thine hand *. It was a Gen. xiv. 195 known Act of the Aaronical Priesthood to bless the People. How doth our Lord exceed both Examples, whose Sermon in the Mount begins with the Beatitudes, who at his parting from his Difciples, lifted up his hands and blessed themt, and who will hereafter bless us with an Everlasting † Luke xxiv. so. Benediction!

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(g) That the Meffias was to be a King appears not only from the conftant Tradition of the Jews, but from the express Predictions of the Prophets. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy hill of Sion *, faith the Pfalmift. Unto Pfal. ii. 16. us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the Government Jhall be upon his Shoulders, faith Ifaiah, and his Name fhall be called,The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of bis Government and Peace there shall be no end, upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to eftablish it, with Judgment and with Justice, from henceforth

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† Ifai. ix. 6, 7.

† Joh. xviii. 37.

even for ever t. All which is apply'd to Jefus by the unerring Interpretation of the Angel Gabriel, who promised the blessed Virgin, that the LORD GOD fhould give unto her Son the Throne of his Father David, and he shall reign over the Houfe of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom * Lukei. 32, 33. there shall be no end* He Himself acknowledg'd his Royal Character, tho' by fulfilling the strange Prophesy of Zachary, Tell ye the Daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh *Mat. xxi. 4, 5. unto thee, meek, and fitting on an Afs*. And by making almost as strange a Confeffion to Pilate, Thou fayeft that I am a King; to this End was I born, and for this Caufse came I into the World, that I might bear witness unto the Truth +. His folemn Inauguration, and publick Execution of his Office, was deferr'd till his Afcenfion; when GOD having rais'd him from the Dead, fet him at his own right hand in the Heavenly Places, far above all Principality, and Power, Eph.i.20,21. and Might, and Dominion *. This Regal Office confifts, First, in ruling his People, by delivering to them a Law, and supplying them with Grace, to fulfill it; by protecting them from Danger, and fupporting them in Affliction, and by rewarding them eternally for their Obedience. Seondly, In destroying his Enemies, temporal and fpiritual. He told his Difciples, There be fome standing here which ball not taste of Death till they fee the Son of Man coming in his Mat. xvi. 28. Kingdom+: In this Kingdom He was feen to come when He brought utter Destruction on the Jews by the Roman Armies, fhortly after to be destroy'd themfelves. Nor will his Triumphs be lefs remarkable over his invifible Oppofers. Sin, Satan, and Death, shall be destroy'd in their Order. For he must reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet*. Thus is Jefus become the Prince of the Kings of the Earth +; thus is the Lamb acknowledged to be Lord of Lords, and King of Kings*.

* 1 Cor. xv. 25.
+ Rev. i. 5.
* Rev. xvii. 14.

† Acts x. 38.

(b) The Oil of Unction prescrib'd by the Mofaical Law, the Jews confefs to have been loft in the time of Jofiah; and they had a Tradition, that it fhould be found again when the Meffias came. But He indeed wanted not that typical Oil for his Confecration, being anointed with the Divinity it felf, with the Holy Ghost, and with Power †, as St. Peter fpeaks. It is needlefs to difpute, as fome have done, whether this Unction was perform'd at his Conception, or at his Baptism, fince both are well consistent. Da

vid, the undoubted Type of the Meffias, was firft anointed at Bethlehem, then receiving the Spirit of GOD, and a Right to the Throne: Yet when he came to exercise this Right after the Death of Saul, he was again anointed at Hebron. So might our Lord be firft fanctify'd and defign'd for his Office, by the Unction at his Conception, and then inaugurated for the actual performance of it, by the Unction at his Baptifm. Left any fhould deny this Effufion, or Descent of the Holy Ghost to be a fufficient Unction, it will fully appear to be fo by its exact completion of all things requir'd in the Typical, or Legal, Unction. These concern'd either the Action, or the Matter. By the Action, the Jews tell us, was fignified the Divine Élection of the Person, and the fitting him to receive the Divine Influence. For the first, our Saviour's Unction was attended with the most infallible Tokens of the Divine Designation, by the Meffage of an Angel at his Conception, and a Voice from Heaven at his Baptifm. And for the fecond, this Unction was the Divine Influence, nay, the Divinity it felf. In respect of the Matter we are told, 1. That Oil was made choice of before other Liquors, because it fignified the greatest Glory and Excellency; Whence in Fotham's Parable, the Qlive was the firft of Trees mention'd as fit to reign over the reft. And what so great and excellent as to be proclaim'd the Son of GOD, and to obtain a Name greater than all Names? 2. That it was preferr'd on account of its long continuing uncorrupted, and of its preferving other things from Corruption. Now Jefus, anointed with the Spiritual Oil, bath an unchangeable Prieftbood; being made not after the Law of a Carnal Commandment, but after the Power of an endless Life *. 3. That *Heb. vii. 16. this facred Oil was to be diftinguifh'd from others, by a compofition of the most fragrant Spices. And Jefus was by his Unction enabled to offer up Himself a Sacrifice to GOD, of a fweet-fmelling Savour; being full of Grace and Truth, and endued with all the mixture of Divine Gifts. 4. That in confecrating Kings and Priefts, the Oil was to be us'd, not only in the way of Unction, but of Affufion; the former to denote their Separation, the latter the defcent of the Spirit upon them. And what plainer than Affufion at our Lord's Unction? His Conception was perform'd by the over-fhadowing of the Holy Ghoft; his Inauguration by the fame Holy Spirit's defcending and light

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ing upon Him. 5. That the Oil was to be pour'd on the Head of the Perfon confecrated, as the Seat of the Animal Faculties, the Fountain of Dignity, and Original of all the Members. And this was most eminently fulfill'd in Jefus, who, by his Unction, or as he was the Chrift, became the Head of the Church, nay, the Head of all Principality and Power: From whom all the Body, by joints and bands, having Nourishment miniftred, and knit together, Col. ii. 10,19. increaseth with the increase of GOD †.

Ifai. xi, 6,

Ifai. ii. 3.4.

(i) The Neceffity of believing this part of the Article is most apparent:

1. Because He alone can be our Jefus who is also the Chrift: He alone can reveal, can work out, can confer Salvation, who hath united the Characters of Prophet, Priest, and King. That Jefus is the Chrift was that Fundamental Doctrine which the Apostles not only teftified, but argued, prov'd and demonftrated, out of the Law and the Prophets: This Doctrine whofoever believeth, is born of GOD: Whofoever denieth, is the Antichrift, denying the Father and the Son,

2. Because this is the Life and Principal of Chriftian Practice, by which alone our Christian Faith can be defended and maintain'd. In vain we demonftrate to the Jews, that our Saviour, who did and fuffer'd fo much, is the true Meffias, if by our Lives we recall our Arguments, and strengthen their wilful Oppofition: If we give them caufe to fufpect us of Idolatrous Worship; if we afford Protection to falfe Doctrine, Herefy, or Schifm; if we promote War and Violence, if we cherish Envy and Uncharitableness; and thus defeat those Prophetical Characters of the Days of the Meffias, that the Wolf should dwell with the Lamb, the Leopard lie down with the Kid *; that Men fhould beat their Swords into Ploughshares, and their Spears into Pruning-books t; that all Idolatry fhould totally cease, all falfe Teachers be cut off, all unclean Spiritsfor ever expell'd and restrain'd.

3. Because the several Offices of Jefus, as the Chrift, are the great Causes and Incitements of our refpective Obligations and Duties. We muft look on Him as our Pro

phet,

phet, that we may be engag'd to hear and embrace his
Doctrine. Tho' Mofes and Elias be together with Him in
the Mount, yet the Voice from Heaven fpeaketh of none
but Jefus, Hear ye Him*. He is that Wisdom, the Delight * Matt. xvii. 5.
of GOD, crying in the Proverbs, Blessed is the Man that
heareth me, watching daily at my Gates, waiting at the Pofts

of my Doors + There is one thing needful, and Mary chofe + Prov. viii. 34.
that good part, who fat at Jefus Feet, and heard his Words* : *Luk. x. 4, 35.
Which devout Poiture teacheth us, as a Willingness to
hear, fo, a Readiness to obey. We must confider Him as
our High-Prieft, that we may draw near with a true Heart,
in full affurance of Faith, and have boldness to enter into the
Holieft by his Blood*; and that, being bought with a Price, *Heb. x. 22, 19
we may no longer feem our own, but may glorify GOD,

in our Body, and in our Spirit, which are GO D's+. Wet 1 Cor. vi, 20.
must apprehend and acknowledge Him as our King, if we
would rightly do Him Homage, if we would perform a
true and entire Allegiance to Him. All Power is given un-
to me in Heaven and in Earth: Go ye therefore and baptize
all Nations; teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever
I have commanded you*. In the Description of the last
Day t, the Son of Man fitteth on the Throne of his Glory, and + Matt. xxv.
the King pronounceth the Sentence.

*Matt. xxviii.18,

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4. Because we cannot otherwise be inftructed what it is to be a Chriftian, and how far we ftand oblig'd by owning that Name. Our Title bears the most proper Signification of our Profeffion, and relation to the Author and Mafter whom we serve. There are two Parts of the Seal of the Foundation of GOD: The Lord knoweth thofe that are bis; and let every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, depart from Iniquity *. The Primitive Profeffors did not more delight in the Honour of this Name, than in the Obligation: As under Torture and Martyrdom they acknowledg'd themselves Chriftians, fo it was the common Form of their Anfwers, I am a Chriftian; and with us no Evil is done. We have an Unction from the Holy One, and the anointing which we have received from Him abideth in us †. † 1 Joh. ii. 207.

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2 Tim. iii. 19.

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