SERM. to the Covenant made between God and his Church, has two Infcriptions: On one Side is engraved, the Lord knoweth them that are his; and on the other Side, let every one that nameth the Name of Chrift, or let every one that is called by the Name of Chrift depart from Iniquity, 2 Tim. ii. 19. Which is as much as to fay, that as the Lord on his Part will acknowledge thofe that are truly and fincerely Chriftians; fo let none on the other Part debafe that great and honourable Title, or deceive themselves by bearing it as an empty Name, but let them fill up the Character, and make good their Profeffion, by living and acting fuitably to it. There was an ancient Custom amongst the Romans, to write every Soldier's Name upon his Shield, to fignify that his Honour was engaged to keep it, and that he could not lofe one, without forfeiting the other: And we are told that when one, who had the Name of Alexander fo engraved, was engaged in a Combat, and behaved but cowardly; his Adverfary whom he was fighting with, retorted upon him this fmart Rebuke, Vel mutes Nomen Alexandri, vel fortiter pugnes : Either change thy Name or fhew thy Valour, that the renowned Name of Alexander be 2 not VI. not dishonoured by thy Cowardice. The fame SER M. Item may be given to all that are called Chriftians: Either quit that facred Title, or live answerably to it, that fo honourable a Title be not disparaged by an unfuitable Conversation. For if it be defervedly accounted Bafenefs and Degeneracy to ftain our Blood, and reflect Shame back upon those Heroes, who were yet but Men; think what a Difhonour we reflect upon Chrift, when we bear his Name and yet depart not from Iniquity. When we walk by the Rules and Precepts of Chriftianity, we honour our Mafter and credit our Religion: We fet it forth to the best Advantage, and recommend it to the Love and Practice of Mankind, making it look with fuch an amiable Countenance, as to invite others to embrace it: But a wicked and ungodly Life brings Difgrace to ourselves and a Scandal to our Profeffion. This drives others from it and, instead of making Profelytes, makes Enemies to it. It caufes the Name of God to be blafphemed, and his Ways to be evil fpoken of. Such Men fix the fame Reproach upon Chrift, which Simeon and Levi did on Jacob, by making his Name to fink among the Inhabitants of the Land where they dwell, Gen. xxxiv. 30. The most SER M. bitter Invectives that ever were formed against VI. the Christian Religion, never wounded it half fo deep, as the wicked Lives of those that profefs it. In a Word and to conclude, nothing tends more not only to the securing the Benefits of Christianity to one's felf, but alfo to the Ornament and Propagation of it abroad, than a Holy Life; and nothing ferves more to hinder both a Man's own Advantage and Expectation from it, and also its Progress with others, than an unfuitable Converfation. Let every one therefore, on whom the Name of Chrift is named, depart from Iniquity. SER SERMON VII. The Character of the Prophet that was to be like unto Mofes. ACTS iii. 22, 23. 18, 19. Mofes truly faid unto the Fathers, A Prophet Deut. Shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of xvii. 15, your Brethren, like unto me: Him fhall ye bear, in all Things whatsoever he shall fay unto you. And it fhall come to pass, that every Soul, which will not hear that Prophet, fhall be destroyed from among the People. HA AVING dedicated this Seafon to ex- SERM plain the Nature and Offices of the VII. Mefias, or to fhew who and what he was to be; I have already explained the Meaning of the Word or Name Meffias, which, I told you, fignifies the fame Thing in the Syriac Language, as Chrift does in the Greek, that is, the Anointed One. After which I proceeded Vir. SERM. to fhew, in what Senfe our Saviour was anointed, and what was the Dehgn and Effect of his Unction. As to the Unction of our Lord, you know what St. Peter told Cornelius and his Company how God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with Power, Acts x. 38. That was the Unction of the Blessed Jefus, and that Unction was shed most plentifully upon him, even vifibly and openly in the Sight of the World, when, after his Baptifm in the River of Jordan, the Heavens opened, the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of God, defcended and hovered over him like a Dove, and then lighting and refting upon him, a Voice from Heaven proclaimed aloud, This beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this was an Unction more real and true than the Unction of any that had been before him, To him only can be applied (as the Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews affures us) that congratulatory Character given him by the Pfalmift, that God, even God himself, had anointed him with the Oil of Gladness above his Fellows, Pfal. xlv. 7. compared with Hebr. i. 9. His Unction was not deficient for want of that legal ceremonial Oil which had been poured on others; but is my thofe |