of places The conveniency of them is considerable but the holiness of them in these new Testament-times is a fancy Joh. 4.21 Iesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour eometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Ierusalem worship the Father Ceremonious Worship is antiquated and distinction of places taken away Christ prayed in a Mountain and taught in a Ship and by the Sea-side and saith Paul 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Look to this that your persons be right that you have holy hands and hearts and that your Prayers be right without wrath and doubting accompanied with Faith in God and Love to your Neighbour so you may pray every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any place so that you do not do it with the Pharisee and Hypocrite to be seen of men Prayers saith Estius are at this day no less grateful to God in any Church or any other convenient and fitting place than at the Temple of Ierusalem But then take this Expression my holy Hill mystically for the Church of God and we shall find the name doth most aptly agree to it it is indeed the Hill of Gods holiness because the Church is made up of holy ones Thus Paul speaks in his Epistles 1 Cor. 1.2 Unto the Church of God which is in Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saints Ephes. 1.1 To the Saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Iesus So Col. 1.2 To the Saints and faithful Brethren in Christ which are at Coloss. This holy Temple is not to be made of any rubbish all persons are not to be admitted to the communion and enjoyments there tho they come sometimes reeling out of an Ale-house and at other times reeking out of a Whore house No no Saints only are proper matter here The Invisible Church is made up altogether of real Saints such as are born of God renewed in the spirit of their minds have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost not only in his common gifts but also in his special and saving Graces who coming unto Christ as to a living stone chosen of God and precious are as lively stones built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.4 5. The Visible Church is and ought to be made up of such as are at least visibly holy men openly loose and flagitious known to be of prophane hearts and lives whose lewdness is in their skirts and who carry the Devils mark in their foreheads men that live a plain downright contradiction to the Religion they profess ought not to be admitted into that Congregation of the Lord. All the Visible Members are foederally holy they are entred into Covenant with God the Seal of that Covenant is upon them the Vows of God are upon them they have been set apart for God solemnly devoted to his Fear and Service and they ought to be such as make an open profession of God and Christ and Godliness and such as make it their endeavour so to live up to that their Profession that Religion may not be dishonoured and reproached by them nor others scandalized and offended And among these holy Ones it is that Gods dwells It is in the Golden Candelsticks that Christs walks It is unto the Saints that he communicates himself and manifests himself It is in heaven above that he dwells by the presence of his glory and in the Church below that he dwells by his gracious presence and therefore it may be and is most fitly called his Holy Hill. 3. Quest. The third Question we have to speak unto is this Who is that King whom God hath set upon his holy hill of Sion who is he that God the Father doth in the Text call his King. Ans. To this the Answer is ready It is no other than his own dearly beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ him hath God exalted to be a Prince as well as a Saviour he hath not only laid the burden upon his shoulders the iniquities of us all but he hath laid also the Government upon his shoulder and put the Scepter into his hand all power Regal Magistratical power both in heaven and in earth is delivered and committed to him As he is the eternal Son of the eternal Father the second Person in the sacred Trinity God equal with God he hath a natural Kingdom As he is Mediator as God-man he hath Regnum Oeconomicum a dispensatory Kingdom unto which he was appointed and anointed this was the Fathers Donative he made him Head of the Church and head over all things to the Church So that his Authority and Royal power extends it self unto all the world for at his name that is not to be understood of the Syllabical name of Jesus but his power and to that every knee shall bow even the stiffest all in heaven all in earth and all under earth Angels Men and Devils all are subject to him all to be order'd imploy'd rul'd over-rul'd restrained by him as he pleaseth Some he hath in his heart and others he hath under his feet and there he will keep them let them kick and winch never so much He is King of kings and Lord of lords come ye earthly Monarchs lay your Crowns at the feet of Jesus it is his due for he is infinitely above you when in your greatest height and it is your wisdom and interest those that honour him he will honour Whether you do or no it is all one to him as to his own interest yet he shall be glorious and as to his work and design that shall be carried on his own pace and according to his own mind and pleasure and maugre all opposition brought to perfection But to bow to him and take part with him is to be your own Friends and to do your selves a kindness Those that will not be ruled by his Laws are and shall be over-ruled by his power If they will not chearfully submit to him they shall be fatally broken by him That voice will sound one day and it will be a dreadful sound in the ears of the profane and Antichristian world Bring hither those mine enemies that would not have me to reign over them and slay them before my face The special Rule and Government which Christ hath is over the Church it is in Sion there he is a King of Righteousness there a Prince of Peace He is that token of love which God hath sent to his people that glorious Sun which he hath set in the Churches Orb Isa. 9.6 To us a Son is born to us a child is given that is the Son of God as to his Deity the Son of David as to his Humanity He is given to us and born to us to the spiritual Israel to us who are the spiritual seed of Abraham and who tread
you Let no Talents lie dead upon your Hands and unoccupied but be all imployed and improved for him to whom you owe your selves and your All. Do what you can for the Name and Interest of Christ. This was the excellent Account which the holy Apostle Paul was able to give of himself Philip. 1.21 That to him to live was Christ. And it will be well very well for us if we through Grace are able to give up the like Account of our selves that while to too too many to live is Sin and the World to fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh to heap up Riches to advance in Honours to pursue the empty and perishing Delights which the Creatures afford we fly a more sublime and lofty pitch for to us to live is Christ. Our hearts are immovably fixed upon Christ and devoted to him Our Projects and Designs are laid for Christ Our Lives and Actions are directed unto Christ to his Honour and advancement of his Interest the increasing of the number of his Subjects and enlarging the Bounds of his Empire It is the positive and declared Will of God That men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Now let us all conform and be obedient to this Will as we will answer the contrary at our peril It is far better for us to live to Christ than to our selves or to any thing else in the World. This will yield us the greatest Peace and Comfort here together with the greatest Profit and Reward hereafter They that live to Christ will never see cause to repent of it whatever else they repent of they will never see cause to reflect upon it with a Blush for they live to good purpose to the best and most excellent purpose Those Persons shall find no reason to be ashamed of so living nor to be afraid of dying when they are called hence nor tremble at the thoughts of giving up their Account when called to appear before their Judge Let me therefore in the first place direct my Discourse to you who are private Christians and accordingly move in the lowest and narrowest Sphere of Activity If you have an Heart such as you should have you even you are in a capacity of doing something for Christ though not so much as others above you I pray give me leave to ask What have you done And now do you take up the Question and bring it home to your selves and propound it seriously to your own Souls O my Soul what have I done You have lived several Years in the World some fewer some more you have some of you been great Talkers and made an high Profession of Faith in Christ and Love to him and I do not in the least question but some of you have taken a great deal of pains and eaten your Bread in the sweat of your Brows you have wrought hard for your selves and your Families you have had multitudes of Thoughts and been taken up with carking Cares you have risen up early and sate up late and eaten the Bread of Carefulness you have watch'd and you have work'd and wearied your selves with working and when you have not met with the desired Success you have fretted and pined and could almost for grief and vexation tear off your Hair But now inquire What have you in the midst of all this done for Christ Certainly he deserves something of you He humbled himself for you he suffered and died for you he became a Curse for you He did bear your Iniquities and his Fathers Wrath He made peace and purchas'd Heaven for you And all this deserves something You owe him a great deal no less than your All and you are shamefully disingenuous and ungrateful if you do not study Returns Besides this consider as he died so he rose again a Conqueror and is a King upon his Vesture and his Thigh there is this glorious Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords And so he is able to reward you to make up all your Losses to satisfie you for all your Labours to answer all your Hopes and to exceed your highest Expectations Well then call your selves to an Account before God call you to it for he will do it one day What have you done for Christ If you have done much if you have been stedfast immovable and abounding in the Work of the Lord take the Comfort of it knowing that God is not unrighteous to forget it your Labour shall not be in vain you shall enter into Joy. But still go on and endeavour to do more and abound in it more and more for none of you have as yet done enough but have cause to mourn at your coming off so pitifully If there be any of you that to this day hath done nothing for Christ and truly I do fear yea I greatly fear there are too many such in this Congregation and in all you have had a great many Irons in the Fire and all of them diligently minded and tended while Christ hath been forgotten and neglected let me ask you Doth Conscience say nothing to you Have you not sometimes some secret Checks and inward Gripes If in such a Case as this Conscience be silent if it do not reprove you and set this Sin before you really your Case is sad But I shall do my Duty and in the Name of God I advise you to be ashamed and to begin your Duty now and double your diligence upon the account of your former slothfulness neglect and wofully mis-spent Time not knowing how soon your Breath may be stopp'd and all Opportunities for Service taken from you Now now begin and go on to speak for him plead the Cause of his Name Ordinances and Institutions and do not do it with a cold Indifference but as becomes Persons nearly concerned Commend him to your Families Relations Friends and Neighbours See what Hearts you can get for him Love him your selves with all entireness of Affection and do what you can to allure and draw others to love him too Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever Labour then my beloved Friends labour hard as those that have a dear and fervent Love to this lovely Iesus and as those who also have an eye to this glorious Recompence of Reward In the next place I shall with faithfulness and earnestness yet with all due respect offer my Advice and Request to my Reverend Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry who hold the Head by whatsoever Sentiments and Opinions they are divided and distinguished Of and among whom all that are sound in the Faith and accompany their Labour in the Word and Doctrine with an unblamable holy and exemplary Conversation I greatly love and highly esteem and honour You are Embassadors for Christ Oh do not forget that You ought to be his Paranymphs the real and hearty Friends of this ever-blessed
and all of you Children of the most High. They are Gods Vicegerents Gods Representatives they are Terrestrial Gods. But be not proud of that be not high minded but fear and to that end he whispers in their Ear or rather tells them upon the House-top but ye shall die like Men. You may ask what may be the meaning of that I Answer You may take it thus They shall die like Men i.e. they know no more when they shall die than other Men whether some years hence or to morrow or to day and they can tell no more than other Men how they shall die whether a natural or violent Death whether on a sudden or by some lingering and tedious Distemper And again they die like Men as to the Consequences of Death They must be stript of all their Ornaments and Royal Robes and their Bodies must return to Dust and both Soul and Body must come to Judgment Kings that are Supreme and all Inferiour Magistrates must stand before the Tribunal of Christ and there be judged their Rule shall be inspected their Government examined all their Words and Actions considered and all the Sentences that have been here past by them all the Punishments that have been inflicted by them by their Authority and Order shall be curiously and exactly weighed in the Ballance of Justice Oh! be wise and consider this and remember your latter end But though Christ died once He died but once He shall not die a second time Death hath no more Power over him This Friend may fall and that Comfort may wither and that Prince may die under whose Shadow the People rejoyced but so doth not Christ He abides for ever Psalm 102. Thou hast laid the Foundations of the Earth the Heavens are the work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Secondly Christ shall reign as well as live He shall live and that like himself in State and in Power and Glory His and our Father who hath set him up for King upon his holy Hill of Sion hath settled him there and fixed him there the Sacred Scriptures do abound with Expressions to this purpose that we might have a full assurance of Faith in the Matter which is so important As to instance in a few Ps. 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever So Ps. 110.1 2. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool The Lord shall send the Rod of thy Strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine Enemies He now rules in the midst of them and in spite of them and the Father will subdue them all Christ sits expecting till it be done And as the Father was not failed in his Expectation from Christ so Christ shall not be failed in his Expectation from the Father All his Enemies shall be brought to an under either in a way of gracious Conversion or in a way of most dreadful Confusion Either they shall willingly bow to him in the day of his Power or else they shall against their wills be broken by him in the day of his wrath either they shall submit to his golden Scepter or they shall be dashed in pieces like a Potters Vessel by his Iron Rod. In a word Either they shall by a chearful Resignation put themselves into his hand to be moulded guided and ordered by him or else they shall be under his Feet to be trampled upon with Scorn and Indignation and at last kicked to Hell as fewel for those unquenchable Flames And yet further He must Reign till he hath got the actual and full possession of all that unto which he hath an unquestionable Right by virtue of his Fathers donation i.e. till the Heathen and uttermost parts of the Earth be brought in to him Of the continuance of his Kingdom and the increase of his Government there shall be no end till that happy time come wherein all the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ i. e. they shall renounce all Idolatry and false Worships and embrace the Gospel and walk in the Light thereof and according to its Rules Yea it is said Rev. 11.15 He shall Reign for ever and ever till time shall be no more Thirdly Rejoyce in this That the Church of the living God shall be preserved and continued in the World. Though there have been dreadful concussions and are so at this present and are like to be till all be shaken down that God hath not set up yet there shall be no overturning of this House no ruining thereof The Ship may be and frequently is sorely tost with Tempests but it shall live since Christ is Pilot and sits at the Helm and steers the Course I say it shall live as the Ark did in the Deluge when the Waters were at the highest Notwithstanding all the Rage and Malice all the Power and Plots of Men and Devils Christ will have a Church upon Earth Though they may prune this Vine which Gods right Hand hath planted yet they shall never be able to pull it up by the roots It may bleed grievously even to Fainting but not to Death It is true this or that particular Church may fail The Church of the Iews did though once dearly yea only beloved and so have the seven Famous Churches in Asia And so may others Therefore that was excellent and no more than necessary Counsel which Paul more likely to be an Apostle to them than Peter gave them Rom. 11.20 21. Because of unbelief they i. e. the Iews were broken off and thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but fear Which Counsel he followeth with this weighty Reason For if God spared not the natural Branches take heed lest he spare not thee That was Pauls advice to the Church at Rome when he wrote this Epistle to them But whatever hath become of Her or may of this or that particular Church our Lord Iesus will certainly take effectual care that there shall be a true Church upon Earth And though at first it be but as a little Stone yet shall it smite the Image upon his feet and break them to pieces and become it self a great Mountain and fill the whole Earth Let every one look to it that they be true and living Members of that true Church and continue so without turning aside to any Synagogue of Satan or having any Fellowship with Devils The End.
Derision and Contempt and while they are raising the Posse Terrae the Powers of the Earth against Christ he knows there is no need of raising the Posse Coeli for him No need of raising his Hosts or of arming and sending twelve Legions of Angels to his assistance No no in order to their Confusion and fatal Disappointment it is full out enough for him to speak to them only it is in his anger and that will vex them by turning their Counsel backward and tumbling their Persons headlong into Destruction which shall certainly be in due time The Word of God carrieth along with it a mighty Power and Efficacy With a word he created the World and brought this excellent Fabrick of Heaven and Earth out of nothing It was but his Fiat and the Work was done and by the word of his Power he upholds all things so that they do not fall and return into their first Nothing And with a word he can blast all the Projects of his Son's Adversaries and wither every Arm that is stretched out against him If any inquire what it is that God speaks to them you have it in the words of the Text Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion In which you have these things worthy of your Observation First The will of God set in opposition to the Wills and Counsels of Men. Yet I they are doing so and so but I have done quite otherwise they are doing their Pleasure and I have done mine their work is to do and will never be done mine is done already I am before-hand with them Secondly You have the Act of God the Father by which Regal Power and authority is conferred upon Christ. I have set anointed constituted my King. Thirdly The Seat of his Kingdom the place where his Throne is set and where he is to exercise his Sovereign power The holy Hill of Sion The Doctrine that I shall from hence raise and present you with as the Subject of the following Discourse is this Doct. Let the discontent and rage the designs and practices of Men be what they will yet there is a King set up in Sion by God the Father and this King doth and shall Reign and that in the midst of his Enemies and in spite of them too they may as soon pluck the Sun out of the Firmament as Christ out of the Throne I shall dispatch the Doctrinal part in opening the several Words of the Text which will be done by answering these following Questions First What is meant by Sion Secondly Why is Sion called Gods holy Hill Thirdly Who is that King whom God hath set up there Fourthly What is the meaning of that phrase setting him Fifthly What is the import of that Particle yet Yet have I set him all which I shall pass through with convenient Brevity having a due respect both to his Auditory and the time and then proceed to the Application 1. Q. Our first Question is this What is meant by Sion A. To which I answer thus Sion is to be taken two ways literally and mystically Sion in the literal Acceptation was a considerable Mountain in Ierusalem which had been formerly in the Possession of the Iebusites and was by them kept until the time of David the second King of Israel but the first good one 2 Sam. 5.7 The King and his men went up to Ierusalem to the Iebusites the inhabitants of the Land which spake unto David saying Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou canst not come in hither thinking David cannot come in hither nevertheless David took the strong hold of Sion the same is called the City of David This Hill had two tops upon one of which was built the Tower or City of David and upon the other afterwards was built by Solomon his Son the Temple of the Lord and that top was Mount Moriah as you may see in the 2 Chron. 3.1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Ierusalem in Mount Moriah where the Lord had appeared unto David his Father Sion in the mystical Acceptation is no other than the Church of God. We find that Christ himself who is the King of Saints and Head of the Body is frequently in Scripture called by the name of David Thus Ezek. 34.23 24. I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it So again Hos. 3.5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their king and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days Christ in these and other such like places is to be understood by David and he hath his Name given him because he was to be of the Seed of David the Royal Line and David was the Type of him being as was before hinted the first good and gracious King in Israel tender over that People of God and faithful to their interest ruling them with Wisdom and Love not tyrannically with a Rod of Iron Now as Christ the King is called by the Name of David So the Gospel Church which is his Kingdom the place of his gracious and spiritual Residence is called by the name of Sion so you find it in Hebr. 12.22 Ye are not come to the mount that burned with fire nor to blackness and darkness and tempest but ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem i.e. to the Church both Militant in which you are Conversant and Triumphant of which you are now Members that Church which is the Seat of Christ and Habitation of God. So likewise in Revel 14.1 I looked and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion and with him an hundred forty four thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads The Mount Sion here meant is the Church of God where Christ stands to look to it and take particular constant Care of it which he always did and will still go on to do These hundred forty and four thousand that were with him are the Elect of God and effectually called who have submitted to him are followers of him and take his part and are ready to take up his Cross whensoever called to it And this Mark or Seal doth signifie both the sanctifying work of the Spirit in their Hearts by which they are brought over to Christ and also his strengthening work whereby they are kept stedfast with him notwithstanding all the discouragements they find in themselves all the Temptations and Oppositions that are made against them by Hell and all the Afflictions and Persecutions they meet with from the World. And it is said to be in their Foreheads to note out unto us not only the blessed fruit which they bring forth in the sight of
and to remove and abrogate them when he will. He gave out the Ceremonial Law unto Moses and by Moses to his ancient people the Iews upon Mount Sinai and it was taken away by him Col. 2.14 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us The question is what was that hand-writing I answer the Moral Law But how not as it was a Law binding us to duty to God our selves and our neighbours not as it is a rule of life for so it is irreversible it stands still in force and lays upon us an eternal obligation but as it was a Covenant of Works and as it did so oblige us to perfect and compleat obedience as withal to oblige us to punishment and damn us to Hell for the least neglect and disobedience nay for the least failure and defect in our obedience I answer again this hand-writing was the Ceremonial Law wherein there was a publick confession and acknowledgment of sin and of the sinners obligation to punishment and deserving of death and everlasting misery and upon that account or so far it was against us now this Christ blotted out by his Doctrine and after that he nailed it to his Cross by his death and at it i.e. he finished it he utterly abolished it He took it quite away out of the way of our duty we are no more to observe it and out of the way of our happiness so that it cannot prejudice nor obstruct that as it cannot do us any good so it shall not do us any hurt as it cannot purge and cleanse us from sin so it shall not charge us with it and this he did as the Lord of Ordinances and instead of that he hath been graciously pleased to introduce and set up another worship less onerous and painful more easie and spiritual and therefore more glorious for which we have cause to admire his goodness and to bless his name and this is his right to do and his alone those that bring in worships and modes of worship besides his do usurp a power that belongs not to them Men have no power to institute because they have no power to sanctifie bless and prosper any of their Institutions that is in the alone power of Christ as he is Lord and Head of the Church Moses the man of God did put up his sweet and excellent petition which we ought heartily to repeat Psal. 90.17 Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us Oh that it may be so but when is it so when as I hinted briefly before the Church is constituted according to the mind of Christ when all its Offices and Officers are appointed by Christ when all Ordinances in it are administred according to the Law of Christ when the lives and conversations of Professors are ordered according to the Rule of Christ. It is not the beauty and grandeur of the world which doth become the Courts of Earthly Princes it is not the beauty of human inventions how fine and pretty soever it may seem but the beauty of the Lord but of this we have spoken before Q. 4. Our fourth Question is this What God doth mean when he saith He hath set his King upon his holy hill of Sion Or what may be the import of that word setting Answ. I answer the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to anoint and so you have it render'd in the Margent of your Bibles I have anointed my King perfudi I have poured out my holy Oyl upon him it doth import a plentiful effusion an abundant pouring out of the Oyl upon him The very same word is used in Isa. 29.10 where it is translated poured out The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered they are drown'd in sleep they are in a dead sleep He hath poured out such a profound and deep sleep that they are cover'd with it this word is metaphorically used to cover yea so to cover a thing all over as to hide it from the eye and prevent any bodies seeing it and as our learned Criticks observe it is most commonly applied in the Scripture to the pouring out of the drink-offering upon the sacrifice which drencht it and ran over it Jerem. 32.39 They have offered burnt offerings unto Baal and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods to provoke me to anger And it is also applied to and made use of for the covering of Sin in a way of pardoning Mercy and Grace Psal. 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered so cover'd as that it is quite hid as a Body that is buried in the Grave out of sight or as a weight that is cast into the bottom of the Sea from whence it shall never be fetched up again it shall be remembred and mentioned no more to a Person 's Condemnation and eternal Reproach Thus God makes good his gracious Promise of pardoning abundantly When once he justifieth the Sinner upon his Repentance and Faith he wholly covers his Sin tho not from the Eye of his Omniscience yet from the Eye of his revenging Justice This anointing in the Text doth import God the Father's ordaining constituting and appointing of Christ for King upon his holy Hill of Sion or as it is in your Translation the Fathers setting of him up placing him in the Throne Kings and Priests were by the Divine Order to be anointed as those know that know the Scripture And so were Prophets 1 Kings 19.16 Iehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room All these Offices meet together in Christ which they never did in any other David was a King and a Prophet but not a Priest. Samuel was a Prophet and Priest but not a King. Christ is all the Prophet Priest and King of his Church he hath a fulness of Offices and so hath been anointed as you find in Isa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek that he doth as a Prophet he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted that he doth as a Priest and to proclaim Liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound this he doth as a King. And as he hath the greatest fulness of Office so he hath the greatest fulness of the Unction But let us speak a little more particularly This plentiful anointing of our Lord Jesus Christ from whence he hath his Names the Messiah and the Christ doth hold out to us these two things 1. His being admirably yea thoroughly accomplished for the exercise of Royal Authority and Power 2. His Investiture and being by the Father cloathed with it Of both which I shall say something tho far short
of the weight and worth of the Subject 1. This anointing of Christ doth signify to us his being perfectly fitted and accomplished for the exercise of Regal Authority and Power for the Office and Work of a King. There is an excellent Spirit upon him many have been in high Places and of low spirits some have had a spirit of Cowardize and others a spirit of Cruelty a sanguinary spirit as well as a Purple-robe Antiochus nick-named Epiphanes was therefore by the Holy Ghost called a vile Person because he was a Prince of a vile base spirit but there is upon Christ a most excellent and glorious Spirit it is no other than the Spirit of the Lord God. He did at his Baptism descend upon him in the likeness of a Dove not of an Hawk or Harpy a Bird of Prey but a Dove Innocent Meek and Loving and this Spirit doth rest upon him hath an eternal abode in him yea and with this Spirit Christ is filled with all the gifts of this Spirit and with all his Graces You read therefore of the unsearchable riches of Christ such as have no bottom He hath enough for himself and for all those that are united to him and designed by the Father for him enough for thee O poor disconsolate Soul who thinkest thou hast none at all You read likewise of an all-fulness which it hath pleased the Father should dwell in him So that O Saint whensoever thou labourest under the most pressing and pinching Wants thou mayest know whither to go for a full supply That is an excellent passage to this purpose which you have in Psal. 47.5 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy fellows If you ask who those be that are here called his Fellows Some say they are Kings and Priests or rather if you please understand it of the Saints true Believers all of them one and other all those who have received an Unction from the holy one who have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying Influences and Operations These come to be Christs fellows through his most gracious Condescention for he by assuming their Nature into unity with his Person stooped so low as to become one of them Emanuel God with us He graciously descended to the state of their Mortality and Meanness that they through him might be advanced to a state of Immortality and Glory If it be asked what is that oyl of gladness with which he is anointed The answer is ready It is no other than the Divine Spirit the great and effectual Comforter who doth chear refresh revive and make glad the Heart of those in whom he dwells And of this all the Saints of God are made the blessed Partakers 1 Joh. 2.20 Ye have an Unction from the holy-one not only the gifts of the Spirit Wisdom and Grace but the Spirit himself which is if I may use the Expression diffused through the whole mystical Body so that every real living Member hath a share Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he doth not belong to Christ he is none of his genuine Disciple But now tho there be a joynt Participation the same Spirit is in Christ and Believers the same Soul in the Head and Members Yet there is a difference as to the Measure and Degree thereof All the holy Oyl was poured out upon the head of Aaron but only some part of it reached down to the Skirts of his Garments All the Saints have the Spirit something of his Light and Life of his Grace and Influence but Christ hath unspeakably more He is seated above them and therefore anointed above them He hath a greater fulness of Office than any of them and therefore a greater fulness of the Spirit He receiveth the Spirit not only for himself but for all and every one of them God the Father in pouring of it out upon him had an Eye and respect to all the Cases Imployments Necessities and Wants of all his chosen and beloved Ones and furnished Christ accordingly We find in one place that when he ascended on high he received Gifts for Men in another we read that he gave Gifts to Men. He received for this end that he might give His Work is to communicate and to influence his People He is to be an Head not only for Eminence but likewise for Influence and as this is his Work so blessed be his Name it is his Delight Never did tender Mother take more pleasure in giving her Breast to her Child than Christ doth take in his Communications to his People Upon these accounts as it was fit and necessary that he should be so he is most richly stored He hath not the Spirit in measure so you find Joh. 3.34 He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him i. e. He whom God hath sent out of Heaven to Earth he whom God hath sent out of his own Bosom he speaketh the Word of God that and nothing else he speaks it in another manner than ever any did for he had not the Spirit given him by measure all men else that have received this Spirit have it in measure only so much every one and no more Tho we may know to our comfort that measure is meted out with a most wise judicious and gracious Hand in a just and full Proportion to that place which every one holds in the Body and to that Work and Service which every one hath to do in the World but the Spirit was given to Christ without measure God the Father did not stand upon measuring it out to him no no he poured it out abundantly he gave as much to him as his humane Nature was capable of receiving so that he hath not only enough for himself for the acting of his own part and the bearing his own burden but enough too for all his People in all Places and Ages of the World. He hath Wisdom enough to teach them all that is needful for them to know and to direct and lead them into all those ways in which they ought to walk He hath Grace enough to sanctify them and to fit them for a Communion with his Father and himself while they are upon Earth and to make them compleatly holy and so meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. He hath Power enough to support them under all their Burdens so that they shall break neither their Backs nor their Hearts but they shall bear them patiently and carry themselves under them becomingly Power enough to enable them for all their Duties so that they shall perform them to Acceptance and Praise Power enough to secure them in all their Temptations and to carry them through them and to make them more than Conquerors over them and so to carry them from sore Conflicts to glorious Triumphs
to the Church i.e. to the benefit advantage and comfort of the Church All this Power is given to him that he might rule his Church and defend Her and preserve Her untill She be perfected and a Bride made ready for Her Husband It was a great comfort to that Proto-martyr Stephen in the midst of his Enemies and in the presence of the Council that when he looked up stedfastly unto Heaven he had not only a sight of the Glory of God but likewise of Jesus Christ in his Exaltation standing on the right Hand of God and surely it may be a comfort to us and all that love him that he is not now a Priest upon the Cross but a Priest upon his Throne that he is not now under the Feet of his Enemies but at the right Hand of his Father Let us therefore think and speak of it to the Glory of God the Father Use 2. We now come to the second Use which will be of Exhortation Is Christ anointed constituted and set up by God the Father King upon his holy Hill of Sion Then I would persuade you and Oh that I might prevail with you for two things which most certainly will be your Wisdom Interest and Honour in the sight of God Angels and all good Men The one is that you would bow to this blessed King the other is that you would appear and act for Him. Exh. 1. First Be willing to bow your Necks to the Yoke of Christ and to submit your selves to his Government Receive him and own him as your King Which you may do without any breach of Loyalty or violation of that Duty which you owe to your King upon Earth For Christ and Caesar may very well stand together nay they stand best together Our Iesus is no Iacob no Supplanter no Enemy to the Crowned Heads they may all have him for their Friend if they will And he can furnish them with all that which is necessary for the directing of their Scepters and the supporting of their Thrones Prov. 8.14 Counsel is mine and sound Wisdom I am Understanding I have Strength And he is ready to Communicate to them v. 15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Iustice. By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Iudges of the Earth And Oh! how amiable a thing is it for Kings to stand up for Christ and Christ to stand at the right Hand of Kings It was an excellent Speech of our present Sovereign to some Ministers waiting upon him with their humble and grateful Address Labour by your Preaching to make good Christians for then I am sure they will be good Subjects It was a Saying becoming so great a Prince and worthy to be written in Letters of Gold. If you would be what I would have you should be the best Subjects in the World and your own Carriages should speak so loud for you as to silence the Mouths of your Adversaries and drown the Voice of their base Calumnies and Reproaches And that you may be so my present work is to beseech you to be good Christians This is that Advice which in this Psalm is given to Kings and Judges and sure I am it will not be misplaced upon Subjects of all sorts Be wise Be instructed Serve the Lord with fear Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way Kiss him with a Kiss of Love of highest and dearest love give him your Hearts and inthrone him there Kiss him too with a Kiss of Homage and dutiful Subjection And though other Lords have had dominion over you this and that base Lust now by him only do you make mention of his Name Isa. 26.13 Of his Name as of one whose Right it is to rule over you and to give Law to you If ever you desire to be saved by him be willing to be govern'd and commanded by him There are two very great Encouragements for you so to do which I shall lay before you and make use of as Motives for the pressing of this Exhortation upon you I desire you seriously to consider them and let them sink into your Hearts First This Jesus whom God hath made King of Sion is a King of Righteousness He will rule in Righteousness The Scepter of his Kingdom is a right Scepter His Law is holy and his Commandment holy just and good And though he hath his Yoke and Burthen yet that Yoke is easie and that Burthen light And though as you read Psal. 97.2 many times Clouds and Darkness are round about him yet Righteousness and Iudgment are always the Habitation of his Throne His darkest Providences have an Exactness and Beauty in them And when his way is in the Sea it is in the Sanctuary And what we cannot understand we have reason to justifie and admire And we may be sure of this that he will do all his faithful Subjects right Though they do often and often meet with a great deal of wrong in the World from a company of wicked malicious and unreasonable Men the Sheep of his Fold are worried and have both their Fleece and their Flesh rent and miserably torn by ravenous and insatiable Wolves and He for a while sits and looks on as one unconcerned yet in due time He will awake to Judgment and thoroughly plead all their Causes and right all their Wrongs and then let the proudest of their Enemies look to themselves And let me add that which is more than this a great deal more Christ is so a King of Righteousness as that he hath Righteousness enough for all his Subjects not only so as to do them right but also to make them righteous They indeed have a great deal of Sin in them but He hath a great deal of Righteousness in him They have in them Sin enough to damn them but He hath in him Righteousness enough to justifie them They have in them Spots Deformities enough to render them odious and loathsome to God He hath in him Comeliness enough to make their Beauty perfect So that though Sin hath reigned unto Death yet now Grace doth by Iesus Christ our Lord reign through Righteousness unto everlasting Life Rom. 5.21 So that Grace hath got the Victory and Triumphs over Sin. When he was upon Earth He did as a Priest offer up himself a Sacrifice to Justice and by that one Offering satisfied for their Offences and perfected for ever them that are Sanctified and now as a King He doth acquit and discharge and save them It is said Ier. 23.6 God there speaking of the righteous Branch that he would raise unto David a King that should reign and prosper This is his Name whereby he shall be called Jehovah Tsidkenu Iehova our Righteousness And how is it possible that any Person should want sufficient complete Righteousness who hath Iehovah himself to be his Righteousness In him all Fullness doth dwell It hath pleased the Father that it should do so This is good News for poor