eternal life to all that thou hast given him,' (that is, to all who by God's grace have persisted in faithful obedience to him.) • The glory which thou hast given me, I have given unto them.' Thus is he the ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειωτής, the beginner, carrier on, and accomplisher of our salvation; and therefore most appositely was named Jesus; the name which anciently that most valiant and successful captain did bear, who did of all most livelily represent and presignify him, and had therefore questionless by God's secret providence this name assigned him.

I need not now much to mind you what respect, what love, what gratitude the very mention of this name, the consideration of these benefits toward us implied thereby, should beget in us. He that should freely, with great inconvenience to himself, come out of his own way, to show us ours, bringing us out of a road tending unto certain destruction into a most pleasant and safe way, surely leading unto the end of our desires, we should think ourselves much obliged unto: he that should draw us out of a wretched slavery, destitute of all ease, comfort, or hope, by frankly yielding up himself a ransom for us, we could not know how sufficiently to value his kindness toward us: he that, when we were sentenced to death, (a death of torment endless and remediless,) should not only expose his life for our delivery, but undergo willingly a painful and disgraceful execution in our stead; what should we think of his friendship? what expression could reach it? he, lastly, that from a state of extreme penury, baseness, and disconsolacy, should raise us to the highest pitch of wealth, dignity, and happiness, how could we worthily thank him, how love or honor him enough? This and much more, much more than we can conceive or express, hath Jesus done for us; well therefore ought our hearts to melt with affection in thinking of him, our knees to bend with reverence at the mention of his name. It concerns us also to take care that his so excellent endeavors for our salvation be not frustrated; that he be, as well in effect as design and virtue, our Saviour. What a folly were it, what a crime to neglect (to render useless and ineffectual) so great salvation !

Christ.

It is a title or name importing office and dignity, the same with Messias; this in Greek, that in Hebrew signifying The Anointed. Of ancient times, in the eastern countries, (abounding as with good oil, so with many delicate odoriferous spices,) it seems, by Hazael's inunction, to have been the manner (it was so, however, among the Jews) to separate (or consecrate) persons (and things too, I might add) designed to great and extraordinary employments, by anointing them with ointments composed of those ingredients; symbolising, (or devoting,) it seems, thereby both a plentiful effusion on them of gifts, qualifying them for their employment, and a comfortable and pleasant diffusion of good and grateful effects expected from them, from the use of things and the performances of persons so sanctified. Thy name,' saith the Spouse in the Canticles, is an ointment poured forth :' that is, very delightful and acceptable; and so were those offices hoped to be, to which men by such unction were consecrated. We find especially three sorts of persons to whom this consecration did belong by divine appointment; kings, and priests, and prophets; who are therefore (all of them) styled God's anointed; kings and priests more frequently, but sometimes also prophets; Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm;' where prophets and anointed do seem to denote the same thing, and to expound one the other; for Abraham (whom with the other patriarchs those words do concern) is called a prophet, and because so, seems here styled God's anointed. Of priests, (though at first all the sons of Aaron were thus consecrated, according to that law, Exod. xxx. 30.) 'Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office;' yet they tell us that afterward, in all course of times, only the highpriest was so consecrated, whence the anointed, or the priest that is anointed, did signify the high-priest, (in distinction to other inferior priests.) Of kings; all that succeeded in the kingdom of Israel, in a legal and orderly course, and those whom God did himself by extraordinary designation confer that dignity on, were so separated, (as Hazael and Jehu.) Pro phets; we do not find that they were commonly, or according

to any rule, anointed; but one plain instance we have of Elisha substituted to Elijah in this manner, it seems, as being a prophet more than ordinary, endued with higher gifts, and designed to greater performances than common prophets were. Now whereas the people of the Jews were by prophetical admonitions brought into an opinion and hope that in times to come God would send an extraordinary prophet; 'I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him;' a prophet who should establish a new covenant with the house of Israel, and is therefore called the messenger of the covenant,' (Mal. i. 3.) who should propagate the knowlege and worship of God, should enlighten and convert the Gentiles, who should instruct the ignorant, strengthen the faint, comfort the afflicted, according to many passages concerning him in the prophets; as for instance that in Isaiah lxi. 1. cited by St. Luke, (Luke iv. 18.) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,' &c. and that in the same prophet, chap. xlii. 1. alleged by St. Matthew, (Matt. xii. 18.) Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit on him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles he shall not cry,' &c.: which being inspired, is the qualification of a prophet: and such promulgation of God's will, such ministration of comfort and counsel from God, are the proper offices of a prophet, (that is, of an especial minister and agent sent by God to transact his affairs with men, and show them his pleasure.) This Person also the Jews did from the same instructions expect to be a Prince, who should govern them in righteousness and in prosperity; endued with power to deliver them from all oppression and slavery, to subdue their enemies, and reduce all nations under subjection to their laws; according to those predictions; Isaiah xxxii. 1. Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness,' &c. Psalm cx. 2. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; rule thou in the midst of thine enemies' Jer. xxiii. 5. and xxxiii. 15. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and pros

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per, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth; in his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely ;' and Jer. xxx. 8. 'It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him; but they shall serve the Lord their God, and David,their king, whom I will raise up unto them:' Isa. xi. 1. 10. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots; and the Spirit of the Lord shall be on him,' &c.-' he shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious' and many more places clearly speak to the same purpose. That this great Person also should be a Priest, they did or might have learned from the same prophets; for of him Zechariah thus foretold; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold the man whose name is The Branch,' (a name in so many places appropriated to the Messias ;) and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.' Of him also David spake; The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' From divers passages also concerning his performances of propitiation and benediction, they might have collected the same. It is no wonder then that the ancient Jews (although the text of Scripture does not, except once in the 9th of Daniel, apply this name of Christ or Messias to this person, so promised and prophecied of) did attribute especially this title to him, it seeming most proper of any, and most comprehensive, implying all the privileges, endowments, and performances belonging to them. It is observed that the Chaldee paraphrase (composed by the priests, as an interpretation of the less exactly understood ancient Hebrew Scripture, for the benefit and instruction of the people) doth expressly mention the Messias in above seventy places; and according to their expositions we see that the people did confidently expect a person (under this name and notion) should come : I know,' said the woman of Samaria, (so far had this belief extended,) ‹ that the

Messias comes; and when he shall come, he will tell us all things;' (observe that they did promise to themselves a full declaration of all truth by the Messias.) And when St. John the Baptist did live and teach in a manner extraordinary, it is said, 'That the people did expect, and all men mused in their hearts concerning him, whether he were the Christ or not:' and when our Saviour's admirable works and discourses had convinced divers, they said, When Christ cometh, shall he do greater miracles than this man hath done?' So that it is evident the belief and expectation of a Messias to come was general among them. And that indeed Jesus was such, in correspondency to all those prophecies, and the characters in them described and presignified; that he was signally chosen and consecrated by God, in a manner supereminent, to all these offices, prophetical, regal, and sacerdotal, the New Testament doth abundantly show us; 'Him,' saith St. Peter, in general, ' God anointed with the Holy Spirit and power:' not with external affusion of material oil, (that did only signify, as Cyrus also was not, who yet is called God's Messias,) but with real infusion of divine grace and power, enabling him to execute all those great and extraordinary functions: with this gladsome oil he was thoroughly perfumed and replenished without measure with this he was sanctified from the womb; when the 'power of the Highest did overshadow him,' at or in his conception, with this, at his baptism, he was solemnly and visibly inaugurated; when the heavens were opened unto him, and the Spirit of God' descended on him as a dove, and came on him with this, in all the course of his life and ministry, he was continually accompanied; the virtue of it being in most sensible effects of wise and gracious discourse, holy and blameless conversation, miraculous and glorious performances for the good and benefit of mankind, to the delight and consolation of all well-disposed minds, discovered and diffused. He was by this made (in right and in effect) a prophet, a king, a priest. 1. A prophet: for they were not mistaken, who (on our Saviour's admirable raising the widow's child) were 'amazed, and glorified God, saying, That a great prophet was raised up among them,' and that God had visited his people :' nor the disciples, who called him a prophet, mighty in deed and