universally and constantly emptying himself to the death of the Cross was the main effect of this Unction and the bottom of that infinite complacencie which his Father had in him saying This is my well-beloven Son in whom I am well pleased All the three Offices of Christ do conspire most sweetly together The Priesthood before the other two becaus els wee can have no right to them But then the Prophecie and the Kingdom do return their aide to the Priesthood First the Prophecie teache's what the Priesthood is and by what order and degrees the Lord settle's reconciliation and peace upon a poor sinner open's the doctrine of Faith and mysterie of Salvation Then it teache's how to put on the Lord Jesus daily to apply him continually for forgiveness as our daily sacrifice and how to live by faith and to bee guided in our particular cours and conversation according to knowledg Secondly the Kingdom convey's the power of the Priesthood into the Soul and effect's that which the prophecie teache's and then haveing so don it set's up a perpetual rule in the soul giveing it power to obey both in doing and suffering according to the truth revealed II. Vnction of Prophecie The unction of Prophesie is that insusion of divine light into the manhood of Christ by virtue of which hee did all at once habitually receiv all that knowledge and wisdom of God whereof hee was possibly capable far above all that nature art experience or education could attain unto yea far above all that which Angels could comprehend Onely those mysteries excepted which finite flesh could not conceiv as the day of Judgment c. our gain hereby is this that hee is made unto us by vertue hereof true wisdom 1 Cor. 1. 30. both in the purging our corrupt mindes from all blindeness and our judgments of all rashness error headlong conceit and our spirits from all misleading and misguiding of us in our conversations so that neither the delusion of Satan nor dice-play of men nor other error can carrie us from the truth as it is in Jesus III. Vnction of Christ's Ringdom The uuction of Christ's Kingdom is that influence of the Godhead into the Manhood by virtue whereof Christ our Mediator is the Vice-roy of God the Father deputed under him to govern the whole world but especially is Church Briefly the end of it is to support the Priesthood Prophefie in their vigor and efficacie that hee may bee a Prince and Captain of Salvation to the Elect to bring them to God This Kingdom of Christ assist's his Prophesie by susteining and strengthing the means of salvation that his Gospel Sacraments Sabbaths and all his ordinances together with the ministerie thereof not onely in beeing but also in their full effectualness of working in the hearts of his people with conviction and authoritie It is no small Power to preserv these pillars of his Throne from ruin For how many enemies are risen up since his asscention openly or secretly to persecute or undermine the truth how hath Satan bestirred himself by those lion-like Emperors in the first 300 yeers and since by those wolvish Popes and by Hereticks and other instruments of the Devill to raze the Scriâ—â—â—res to deface the chief truth of God the Divinitie the Humanitie the Union the Puritie of spiritual Worship the Integritie of Sacraments the justification of a Sinner by Faith alone the Works of the Spirit the Resurrection of the Bodie and the whole power of Godliness To this very hour he worketh against all these but in vain for this our King looketh down from his throne and laugheth them to scorn and destroyeth their policies no deluge or flood of his malice could ever prevail against these but still they continue as a brazen pillar and shall survive them all till his second coming And not onely so but still hee support's these in their authoritie to over-rule the consciences of men to pierce perswade convince convert or condemn whether they believ or despise them and to settle on the Elect all the liberties of Redemption Adoption Holiness and Glorie This Kingdom of Christ's assist's his Priesthood by sustaining and upholding his beleeving servants in that estate of grace both faith and sanctification in which hee hath set them For it is the Kingdom of Christ which giveth efficacie both to his satisfaction and intercession for the keeping of all such as are given him by the Father in his truth and name Hee enable's his sacrifice to forgive them and reconcile their persons his holiness to sanctifie them to change their natures to subdue their iniquities to set up his Kingdom in their hearts to make them spiritual Kings and Priests to God in the mortifying of their lusts and their liveing to God in the power of Faith and Godliness Moreover Christ as a King subject's all his people to himself by the lawes of his kingdom For hee rule 's not by tyrannie but by law and command These lawes hee settle's upon his Church both in respect of conversation and administration As a King likewise hee protect's his people shelter's them against all enemies ghostly and bodily for hee hath fought for his kingdom valiantly and got it as well by conquest as inheritance haveing overcom Satan Death and Hell triumphing over them all Vse I. What an happie estate is it for all true beleevers to bee Kings Priests and Prophets to God tbrough this Unction of Christ the Beard of Aaron and the skirt of his cloathing were not more fragrant with the overflow of his oyl of consecration then the persons and souls of the Elect are precious and savorie and accepted of God in the Unction of Christ Whither then shall wee go when wee want wisdom righteousnes sanctification and redemption save to this fountain which is made to us of the Father to convey them unto us IV Branch Actual Obedience The Lord JESUS became piacular for us not onely by bearing our punishent but by translation upon himself the real imputation of our guilt Hee was made Sin Original and Actual all the sins of the Elect were charged upon him that hee by his perfect obedience might disannul them and bring in and settle upon us perfect righteousness And as the miserie of man stand's in both sin and guilt and stain as well as in curs so must our suretie perform righteousness as well as bear the curs Now this righteousness of Christ is both his natural and his actual opposite to this natural and actual unrighteousness af Adam His obedience doth consist in his whole conversation but more specially from his baptism to his death in which hee fulfilled all both general and personal righteousness His whole conversation toward God and man was holy But especially for the manner measure end and ground of all hee did most sincere and entire adding thereto perfection both of parts and degrees so that there was nothing amiss Hee was a righteous servant no guile found in him V Branch
of Christ as flesh reckoned to his Divinitie made an equal satisfaction to God's offended Majestie The influence and valor of the divine nature assisting the humane for the fulfilling of the merit for if the Suretie fail in any point his undertakeing is uneffectual The Mediator then beeing to mediate between God and Man must needs bee God 1. In respect of those evils hee was to expiate as sin and uncleanness 2. those enemies hee was to vanquish as Satan death and wrath 3. Those good things hee was too purchase eternal righteousness the image of God and glorie hereafter in the presence of God Vsn I. Let this teach us to adore the Mysterie of the Godhead of Christ that wee rest in no inferior object whatsoever the world can affoard us But remember hee is God blessed above all and hath merited by his glorious power a glorious deliverance for his Church from death to eternal life Vse II. This affoard's us a notable ground of understanding a real difference of the persons in Trinitie God the Father send 's God the Son into the world to save it by the power of God the holie Ghost conveying and sealeing his merit to the Soul of the Elect. Now except there bee admitted a real distinction of the persons in Trinitie how shall one and the same God for beeing bee the partie satisfying and satisfied Vse III. Of Exhortation to all that are loaden with their sin desireing eas to com to this second well-spring of salvation and to drink water of life freely from it that is believ it for themselvs Especially let this beat down self in us in the matter of our conversion What should wee bring to God for our Redemption can wee bring any light to the Sun or drop to the Ocean all fulness is his hee must do all for and in us before and in conversion Again let us lay hold on Jesus Christ who hath satisfied God and taken away wrath Let this give a beeing and bottom of truth to all the promises of God in our soul And let us draw neer with confidence to the God of promises and comfort our heavie heart in the view of the hainous circumstances of her sin makeing it out of measure sinful Bee not dismaid hee that is thy Suretie made not thy peace for small and som but all and the greatest so that thy thought must bee how to receiv this fulness not for the greatness of this sin III Branch The Personal Vnion Union of both Natures into one Person by the unconceiveable work of the Spirit it 's much that Soul and Bodie but much more that Flesh and the Word should bee really in one Person The person of the Word took the nature of flesh therein to subsist It is called Personal Union to distinguish it from other Unions in Christ and all other Unions whatsoever In Christ there is a well-spring of Unions but no personal Union in them The Union of Christs Godhead with the Father and the Spirit is Essential with his invisible Church Spiritual and Mystical with Water in Baptism and Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper Sacramental In other Unions the things united are One either by bare notional apprehensions as things understood by the fancie or els One by compounding as when of three or four drugs is made one med'cine or els by mixture and confusion as when Water and Wine are made one substance or els by Divine institution as when man and wife are made one flesh none of these are personal Unions But Personal Vnion is such an one as whereby both natures so retain their distinct properties unconfounded that yet they remain indissolubly united in the person without the least seqaration no not at death in the grave Vse I. This teache's us to conceiv aright of the person of Christ wee must com to God in and by the flesh of the Son the second person The equal tearm and object must bee the personal Union i e. the Manhood must as truly bee praied unto and adored as the Godhead Vse II. It teache's us a difference between the subsisting of Christs flesh and all other subsistings wee subsist in the union of bodie and soul which two make one and the same person but the manhood of Christ is no person or subsistence by union of soul and bodie but by assumeing the nature of man into the person of the Son of God so that the flesh hath no subsisting at all save in the upholding power of the Godhead as the plant Misselto hath no root of its own to subsist in but subsist's in another tree Vse III. To encourage the soul that is afraid to draw neer to God for reconciliation and mercie in Christ becaus of the estrangement of it self from God by loss of image Lo the Lord is willing to unite himself unto thee poor soul in his Son by vertue of his union with thy fearful frail nature For by this union he hath purchased a spiritual union between himself and the sinful soul How singular an encouragemement then should this be to a poor soul to fasten on the promise when hee see 's it assisted by this all-sufficient merit issuing from the union of both natures both suffering and meriting Quest What is the Vnction of Christ Answ It is a consequent upon this personal union whereby the Godhead made the Manhood full of himself and of all gifts and graces of the spirit meet to enable him to his work of mediation and by name separated him from men to bee excellent as to bee the Prophet Priest and King of his Church Hee was Priest to satisfie and pray for Prophet to teach and King to rule and deliver his people I. Vnction of Priesthood The Uuction of Priesthood is the chief part of the Unction of Christ becaus by vertue of that office hee performed the great work of satisfaction Two things are to bee considered in this Annointing of Christ our Priest 1. The peculiarness 2. The furniture of gifts For the first although there were many things in the ordinarie Priesthood of Aaron which resembled Christ for the general yet becaus there were many things verie different therefore the holie Ghost set's him forth by the type of Melchisedeck's Priesthood For as hee was without beginning and end in his storie so was Christ not as Aaron mortal mutable sinful Secondly the Furniture which this Unction filled the Lord JESUS our high-Priest withall and that without measure For as the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily so all the communicable gifts and excellencies thereof dwelt in him Eminent wisdom rightousness humilitie unblameablenes holiness separation from sinners and all other graces but as I take it one fruit of his Unction was his peculiar fitness to satisfie That holie free consent of his to the will of his Father to do and suffer and fulfil all righteousness I say this absolute and unstained Obedience to go thorow all difficulties meekly long-sufferingly cheerfully
God hath set thee without weariness Rules of conversation in common life The answer of that good woman to the Prophet is excelleut 2 King 4. 14. I live among my people meaning humbly courteously loving and beloved usefully and peaceably First in our neighborhood wee are to practice innocencie and harmlesness to maintain civil offices of lending and borrowing necessaries Secondly in Towns-matters not aiming at over-ruling others treading our inferiors under-feet saveing our own purses and over-burdening others but carrying equal mindes and doing as wee would bee don to not pragmatical and busie-bodies in matters not concerning us but attending our own and keeping our bounds Thirdly in Arbitratorships not stickling for parties but for a peaceable agreement upon equal condition between them Rules for Solitariness Touching solitariness Heathens may teach us who were never less alone or idle then when private and solitarie Make solitariness a threshold for meditation Rules for Companie No man is sooner bewraied by any thing then by Companie and by the Tongue Wherefore seeing it is a great part of the wheel of our life let us first beware of a loos heart readie for all commers none amiss a sign of exceeding emptiness Then discern of our companie wisely Count it secondly a singular favor to bee rid of bad or doubtful companie Thirdly bee armed in bad Companie reproov not scorners cast not pearls before swine bee dumb before such wicked ones Among the formal sort who may sooner bee swaied them seasoned bee sure to cut off evil speech and carriage Draw on the Companie by amiable behavior and courtesie and then applie our selvs to do them good To which end first bee seasoned with good matter Secondly bring it out seasonablie Thirdly have a set aim and bent at som special object Fourthly seek truly the good of such as thou conversest with and God's glorie Lastly let not thy minde bee sickle and easily put off from good speech Rules for Libertie There are many sorts of liberties as travellings from our own homes companionship with such as pleas us recreations and pastimes feastings and the like all which are lawful in their kinde yet must bee watched too least too much precious time cost and heart bee spent upon them Rules for Familie Touching the Familie wee are to set it in order not when wee die onely but much more in our life Let Governors bee the life of order themselvs Prov. 27. 23. Let God rule your children and servants and wives and set up his throne in their conscience and then a twined thread will draw more then a cable Let thy eie bee chiefly fixed on the righteous and encourage them that they may bee guides to the rest Touching Inferiors bee wholy for the good of the Familie not your own ends Children down-right in subjection and not insolent awfull diligent Servants first seek to serv the Lord hrist that neither yee may obey men against Christ nor yet neglect the obedience to men for Christ's sake Bee earnest in business yet redeeming time to serv the Lord in secret to bee sure not unsetling the seasons of familie-worship Plead not for more libertie in gadding then is meet Rule for the Tongue It 's the chief Agent and Chapman of conversation and by it conversation utter's it self Get a wel-staied heart and ballanced with grace and this will first keep in our tongues from excess and then good matter good heart and good occasions will set them on work for good for God for our brethren Vse I. Terror 1. To all prophane persons who cross with God and turn day into night a conversation of the new creature into a conversation of wickedness 2. To all hypocrites and time-servers who make Religion a cover for their hollowness and bearing the world in hand that they believ love God fear him are verie renewed ones and new creatures yet cast dung in the face of God and religion liveing still unreformed in their conversation If yee bee such new creatures if yee have slain the Agag of old Adam what mean the bleating of the sheep and lowing of the oxen how is it that your tongues your marriages families liberties companies have shaken off God's yoke where is your inward and outward conversation with God haveing a form of godliness but hateing to bee reformed Vse II. Instruction to all God's new creatures to bethink them of their work and to stir up the grace of God in their renewing Cast off thine old mixtures do not pull back thy shoulder desire no more eas then others of God's people have felt It 's God's way the way that Abraham Isaac and Jacob David Peter Paul himself walked the way wch Jesus Christ hath chalked out if it bee tedious it is to thy old man to whom thou art a debtor Thou art redeem'd from him and his old conversation thy thoughts affections members tongue feet senses are not thine own but his that thou mightst now serv in the newness of the spirit not in the oldness of the letter Vse III. Let it provoke each good heart to seek to excell in this fruit of a new creature Vse IV. Admonition Look to those Graces which serv to prop up and strengthen the wheel of conversation here one grace is requisite there another in a cross self-denial and meekness in a blessing cheerfulness and fruitfulness in each part of life faith somtimes the armor somtimes wisdom and discerning But let no naked man com into this field nor any bare-foot to this walk for they will never hold out Secondly look to thy conscience and keep it sound and tender if thou wouldst hold a good conversation or order it well ARTIC III. The Plat-form of holie conversation is the Moral law SEe 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the law is love what mean's hee surely not the end of the lawe's begetting power for Christ doth that but of the directing power of it Thus Saint James call's it a royall Law Jam. 2. 8. as being the scepter whereby Christ our king rule 's us And hee tearm's it a glass of Libertie meaning to all believers in that it shewe's forth the will of God fully in the point of Moral obedience as a glass represent's the face For the Law in God's purpose served for two ends One for transgressions to convince the wicked to scare them out of their self-conceit the other to guide such as are com to Christ how to live under his government And to such the Law ceased to bee a killing letter and began to bee a direction for life Now Christ hath taken away that heavie yoke of the Law and made it easie and light to us 1. As a Priest 2. As a King 3. As a Prophet I. As our Priest five waies 1. By dischargeing us from that old fence of the Law the yoke of superfluous Cerimonies of the old cerimonial and judicial Law Col. 2. 14. 2. Hee hath freed us from the rigor of moral Laws especially the whole burthen of the