SERM.

VI.

M. by the Ceremony of anointing: And they were Kings, and Priests, and Prophets. As to Kings, this is plain from what Samuel faid to Saul.-The Lord fent me to anoint thee to be King, over his People, over Ifrael, 1 Sam. xv. 1. And fo again when Saul was rejected, and David was chofen by God in his Room, the Lord speaks to the fame Samuel, Arife, anoint him, for this is he, Ch. xvi. r2. The fame Thing might be fhewn from several other Inftances in Scripture; from whence we might infer, that fince the Meffias was to be anointed, the Meffias was to be a King.

But not only Kings, but the High Prieft alfo was usually anointed among the Jews: For it is faid that Mofes poured of the anointing Oil upon Aaron's Head, and anointed him, to fanctify him, Levit. xviii. 2. And the Unction of the High-Prieft was fo constant a Ceremony, when any new High-Priest fucceeded, that it was usual to call him, by way of Distinction from the reft, the anointed Prieft*. From hence therefore we may safely infer again, that the Meffias was to be both King and Priest.

But Thirdly, Prophets as well as Priests and Kings were confecrated by anointing:

*Pearfon, page 93.

For

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For fo we find that Elijah is commanded to SERM anoint Elifba the Son of Shaphat to be Prophet in his Room, 1 Kings xix. 16. From whence laftly we conclude, that all the three Offices, of Prophet, Prieft and King, were at our Saviour's Unction invested in him.

This was the Reason, and good Reason it was, why our Saviour fhould be ftiled in a special and eminent Manner, the CHRIST, fince there was no Perfon whatsoever in whom these three Offices had all met before. A few Instances may be given of one and the same Perfon, exercifing two of these several Fun-. ctions For Melchifedec we find was a King and a Prieft, though no Prophet; Samuel a: Prieft and a Prophet, though no King; and David a Prophet and a King, though no. Prieft. But though each of these may properly be faid to have exercised two Offices; yet neither of them perhaps was originally anointed to more than one. However it is certain that even the Exercife of all three. never concurred but in Jefus alone; and consequently there was no perfect Chrift but he.. But he was all and every of these in the ful-left Sense: A Prophet to be heard when Mofes and his Law should be no more. Deut. xviii. 18. A Prieft for ever after the Order

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of

SERM. of Melchifedec. Pfal. cx. 4. compared with VI. Heb. vi. 20. A King to be raised out of David's Seed, who should reign and profper, and execute Judgment and Justice on the Earth. Jer. xxiii. 5. By his prophetical Office to guide our Feet into the Way of Peace: Luke i. 79. By his Priesthood to purge us, and expiate our Sins; And by his Regal Power' to rescue us from our Enemies, to prescribe us Laws, and to make us at laft Partakers of

his Kingdom. Mofes's Prophet, David's Prieft, and Jeremiah's King: But in each and in all Respects THE CHRIST.

A Doctrine which we find the Apostles always infifting on, as the principal and fundamental Doctrine of Chriftianity. A Do&rine of fuch Importance, that we find it was the first Thing that St. Paul began his Preaching with, after his Converfion. He confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damafcus, proving that Jefus is the very Chrift. Acts ix. 22. The fame he preffed alfo upon them in their Synagogue at Theffalonica for three Sabbath Days, reafoning with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alledging, that Chrift must needs bave fuffered and rijen again from the Dead, and that this Jefus whom he preached unto them was Chrift. Acts xvii. 2, 3. The fame Apostle

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being preffed in Spirit at Corinth, teftified alfo SER M. to the Jews there that Jefus was Chrift. A&ts xviii. 5. Of the fame Thing Apollos alfo mightily convinced the Jews, fhewing by the Scriptures that Jefus is the Chrift, ver. 28.

To prove this was the Drift of St. John's writing his Gospel: Thefe Things (faith he) were written that ye may believe that Jefus is the Chrift, John xx. 31. And this Belief he represents in his Epiftles to be the very Test and Touchstone of Chriftianity: Whosoever believeth (faith he) that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God, 1 John v. 1. And who is a Liar (faith the fame Apostle) but he that denieth that Jefus is the Chrift? He is Antichrift, denying the Father and the Son, Ch. ii. 22. That you may not therefore come under this Condemnation, I have proved and explained the Point fully to you: I have shewn you that Jesus was truly anointed, anointed with the Holy Spirit of God, and that the End of this Unction was to confecrate and initiate him to the Exercise of three several and different Offices, of Prophet, Priest and King. And this brings me to the principal Defign I had at first in View, viz. to dif courfe of each of these Offices of our Lord distinctly; to fhew that according to ancient

Pro

VI.

SER M. Prophecies, he was to execute each of them; that he really and truly did execute each of them and in what Manner he did fo. But as each of these is a Subject of such Importance, as to need and deserve a whole Dircourse to itself, and fome of them more, I shall make them, God willing, the Subject of our Meditations on fome following Lord's Days; and conclude at prefent with fome fuitable Inferences from what has now been advanced.

And firft let us hence infer and obfervè what it is to be a Chriftian. It is a Title that all of us own, and claim, and prescribe to; there is not one of us perhaps, but who would think it an Affront or Injury offered him, should any one queftion whether he were a Chriftian or not. And yet I am afraid, many of us cannot tell why it is we are called fo, or what Obligations our calling ourfelves fo, lays upon us. Permit me therefore from the Reasons I have given why Jefus was called the CHRIST, to fhew the Reason why you are from him called CHRISTIANS. And that is because you profefs to believe in him to believe in him as the Christ or Anointed of God; and by Virtue of that Unction to be invefted with those Offices I have here mentioned