hand," Rev. viii. 3, 4 (a) Finally, he prays in them by his Spirit, who enables them to pray: "We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God," Rom. viii. 26, 27. See Gal. iv. 6.

3. As a priest, Jesus the anointed priest also blesses; for it was the business of the priests to bless Israel in the name of God, Numb. vi. 23, 27. Chirst also did this, not only in words, when he gave them his last farewell, John xiv. 17-Luke xxii. 50, but also in deed and in fact. Therefore Peter said to the Jews, Acts iii. 26, "God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities" as all the blessings of the Father are also given to us only in Christ, Eph. i. 8.

And thus he is also the "only" high priest, or as the Latin catechism hath it," the highest :" for "we have a great high priest," Heb. iv. 14. How worthy soever the high priests of the Old Testament were, they were nevertheless not more than men, who had infirmities; whose sacrifices were not more than irrational and inanimate things, which could not of themselves please God, and did not effect a real, but only a typical atonement: but the Lord Christ is the Son of God, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens," who offered himself up to inake a true atonement; "who was not made a priest by the law, after the order of Aaron, but by the word of the oath, after the order of Melchizedek." See Heb. vii. Of this man we read only Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 20, and Psalm cx. 4. Of whom the apostle saith, "that he was king of Salem, a priest of the most high God: without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like the Son of God, abideth for ever," Heb. vii. 1, 4. It is a notion that confutes itself that Melchizedek was Shem, or Ham, or a person created immediately by God, perfect, holy and immortal; or an angel, who appeared to Abraham in a human form; or a certain excellent power of God, which was greater than Christ, or that he was the Holy Ghost; or the Son of God himself. Thus one and another have thought of Melchizedek; we approve most of the opinion of those, who conceive he was a famous and holy man, a king and priest, and thus an eminent type of the Lord Christ; for we see nothing more in him, Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 20. It dot noth indeed appear to agree with his manhood, that "he was without father, without mothers. but

this is said of him because his birth, generation, and death are not mentioned, and are not known to us; and this declaration will not appear so improbable, if we insert the word "only" in the eighth verse, and read, "Here men who die receive gifts: but there he receiveth them, of whom it is only witnessed, that he liveth." We might also say that he was without father, &c. in an ecclesiastical respect, as he was not of priestly descent, and as his priesthood was not transferred to another, and was thus wholly different from the Aaronical priesthood.

Christ being made a priest after the order of Melchizedek, was much more excellent than the priests according to the-law, since he is verily with respect to his Godhead, without mother, without descent, beginning and end of life, and with respect to his manhood, without father. He blessed Abraham, the father of Levi, and was thus greater than the Levitical priests. Levi gave tithes in Abraham to Melchizedek, therefore Melchizedek was greater than Levi, and consequently Christ was much greater. The Lord Jesus was made a priest by an oath, he hath an everlasting, and an untransferrible priesthood, and he is priest and king at the same time : all this was not found in the weak Aaronical priesthood.

C. And he is not only a prophet and priest, but also a king. As God he is by himself king over all; but as Christ and anointed, he is king of the elect: "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion," saith the Father, Psalm ii. 6. But "his kingdom is not of this world," as he himself testifieth, John xvii. 36. For he doth as king (a) subdue by the sword and sceptre of his word and Spirit, sinners, his enemies, to himself, so that "people fall under him, the rebellious dwell with him, and become a willing people in the beauties of holiness," Psalm cxlv. 3—6. lxviii. 18. cx. 1, 2, 3. (b) He gives them his word, laws and gospel: "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king," Isaiah xxxiii. 22. See James ii. 8. (c) He rules, governs and directs them by his kingly law; "He teaches them to do his will, and his good Spirit leads them in the land of uprightness," Psalm cxliii. 10. lxxxvi. ii. (d) He defends and preserves them by his power in the enjoyment of the purchased redemption, "so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them," Matt. xvi. 16. 1 Peter i. 5. (e) As a king he also glorifies and saves them: "The King shall say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," Matt. xxv. 34.

Yea, he is a great God, and a king above all Gods: "He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord

of lords;" Rev. xix. 16. He hath, as Mediator, an unlimited "power over all things in heaven and on earth," for the good of his real subjects, Matt. xxviii. 18, and that for ever, "Of his kingdom there is no end," Luke i. 33. "He will indeed deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and be subject himself," according to 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28, but he will do this only with respect to his outward administration as Mediator, for the Triune God will influence all the blessed immediately, and so "be all in all :" nevertheless the Lord Jesus will be acknowledged king of his perfected church throughout eternity. See Rev. xxii. 1,3.

We must now inquire what the anointing signifieth. It was an ancient custom to anoint prophets, priests and kings with sweetsmelling oil: but the Lord Christ" was anointed above his fellows with the Holy Ghost, and with power," Acts x. 38. Which anointing denotes,

I. His ordination, by which he was appointed to these three great offices. Samuel said to Saul, after he had anointed, and in token of his submission to him, kissed him, "Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance "1 Sam. x. 1. Thus also God the Lord appointed his Son, as it were by anointing, in the eternal counsel of peace, or covenant of redemption, to be a prophet, priest and king; for " he was anointed from everlasting," Prov. vii. 23. And thus, "his Father appointed him a kingdom," Luke xxii. 29. See also Acts x. 38, 42. And so "the Father sanctified him, and sent him into the world," John x. 36. The Father also solemnly inaugurated and made him known for this purpose in his baptism, when the heavens were opened to him, the Spirit descended on him, and the Father witnessed before the whole world with an audible voice, that "Jesus was his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased, and that they ought to hear him," Matt. iii. 16, 17, as also on the holy mountain, Matt. xvii. 1-3, and among the people, John xii. 28. Yea, "God the Lord witnessed both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost," Heb ii. 4, and thus "God the Father sealed him,” John vi. 27. But this was more particularly manifested in his exaltation, and in the outpouring of his Spirit; therefore Peter said to the Jews, Acts ii. 36. "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

2. To anoint denotes also to qualify for a certain office. When Saul was anointed, "God gave him another heart, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him," Sam. x. 9, 10. The Father also quali

fied the Mediator "by preparing a body for him," Heb. x. 5, "by giving him the Spirit without measure," John iii. 34. See this also Isaiah xlii. 1. xli. 1, 2, 3, by upholding him in his laborious service; for "the Lord, who called him in righteousness, held his hand, and kept him, Isaiah xlii. 6. See Psalm Ixxxix. 21-24, by giving him a fulness of grace for all the necessities of his people: "For it was the Father's good pleasure, that in him "all fulness should dwell," Coll. i 19. Psalm lxviii. 18, Acts ii. 33. And therefore" the Father hath also given him power over all flesh. that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him," John xviii. 2.

This anointing was also necessary, (a) because these great offices might not be assumed by him, except he were called to them: "For no man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron; so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee," Heb. v. 4, 5. This anointing was necessary also, (b) to fulfil the types. The anointed prophets, priests and kings were types of Christ; and it was therefore necessary, that he also should be anointed, but "above his fellows," Psalm xlv. 7. (c) If Jesus were not anointed, he could not then be an object of faith; for faith must find in him all things necessary to salvation- The sinner is blind, guilty, and hath no strength; therefore Jesus behooved to be the anointed prophet, priest and king, in order to "be made of God to his people, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 20. And though he were a prophet, priest and king, and were not called and anointed by God to these offices, who would dare draw near to God by him; since without the anointing, he would have no right to befriend sinners.

II. We come now to our second general head, according to the thirty-second question, in which a true believer is asked, "Why art thou called a Christian?" The Christians were at first called believers, children of God, disciples: but their numbers increasing greatly, they were at length called Christians; which happened first at Antioch, the capital city of Syria, and indeed the greatest and most famous of all Asia, Acts xi. 26. From which place this name could then be made known far and near, and be generally adopted. Whether this happened in consequence of an order of the apostles, or by accident, or whether it proceeded from custom, which calls disciples after the names of their masters, this is not so well known, as that the believers in general adopted this name, and that the Holy Ghost was pleased to approve of it, 1 Peter iv. 16. "If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify

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God on this behalf." So much the more, as they are thus called after their Master Christ, and therefore also anointed.

We will inquire therefore with respect to this name also, 1. To what believers are anointed. 2. What their anointing signifieth, and 3. What foundation there is for this name.

1. We observe that believers also are anointed to be prophets, priests and kings.

A. Believers are prophets: "In the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams; and on my servants, and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy," Acts ii. 17, 18. from Joel ii. 28, 29. But they are not prophets by an extraordinary office and revelation, but by their state of grace, and by an ordinary revelation, which they receive of God, and reveal again to others, as prophets.

1. Christians receive of God, as prophets, the revelation of his blessed mysteries. This was promised, Isaiah liv. 13. "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord." See John vi. 55. Jer. xxxi. 34. Believers are like Moses, since they "with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. iii. 18. Compare herewith, Exod. xxxiv. 29–35. And this is called prophesying, 1 Cor. xiii. 9. "We know in part, and we prophesy in part." As certain of God's ancient people, and some of the primitive Christians were constituted prophets by receiving the revelation of divine mysteries through the Spirit, so true Christians receive also divine revelations, not only through "the word of prophecy, to which they take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place," 2 Peter i. 19, but also "through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of God," Eph. i. 17, 18, 19. For they are taught inwardly by the great Prophet Christ, as we have shown before. Yea, they are sometimes led so far into the mysteries of God, and are so well assured of the manifestation of the Spirit, that it differs but little from a prophetical rapture; for "he brings them into his chambers, and reveals himself to them," Seng 1. 4. John xiv. 21.

2. Like prophets, they reveal again, that which was revealed to them either by teaching others the secrets of God with their mouths, and thus, "showing" and confessing "his name;" or praising the Lord in an audible manner, by speaking and singing to, and concerning him; for as "the word of Christ dwelleth richly in them, they teach and admonish one another with psalms, and hymns, and