spiritual songs, singing with grace in their hearts to the Lord," Coll. iii. 16. eph. v. 18. It is said of the singers in the temple, "that they prophesied with harps, giving thanks and praising the Lord," í Chron. xxv. 1, 2, 3, or by a holy conversation, whereby they adorn the doctrine of our Saviour, and excite in others an opinion, that there is something divine in their profession, and that it is worthy to be embraced by every one. So Paul required that the Christians should conduct themselves "unblamably, and shine as lights, and so hold forth the word of life," Philip. ii. 15, 16. See also Matt. v. 16, Titus ii. 10.1 Peter iii. 1-4, or by their death either passing with a tranquil dependence on the divine revelation into eternity, or sealing the truth of God by martyrdom, by which the spectators must be convinced that the truth which they profess contains something more than human. Yea, dying Christians have often been more useful in their death to persecutors, outward professors, and weak believers, than they were in their lives. See what Paul saith, Philip. i, 12, 13, 14, 20...

B. Christians are also priests: it was foretold of them, Isaiah lxi. 6. "Ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God." And they are not so called without a reason; for

1. They have a priestly perfection. The priests were to be perfect in body, and without any fault, Lev. xxi. 16-21, but Christians also are "perfect in Christ," through their justification, Coll. ii. 10. So the great Bridegroom commended the bride, Song iv. 7, " Thou art all fair, my love: there is no spot in thee." It is true, Christians have still their sinful imperfections, their sanctification is yet defective but they have notwithstanding a perfection of parts in this respect. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new," 2 Cor.. v. 17. 1 Thess. v. 2.

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2. Christians have also, in a spiritual sense, a priestly clothing. Priests had among other garments; clothes of fine linen; so also Christians; for "it is given to them to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints: Rev xix. 8. The priests had also garments embroidered with gold;" thus also the king's daughter, through the image of God, her many. gifts of grace and comely virtues, "is all glorious within, her cloth ing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework," Psalm xlv. 13, 14. Isaiah lxi. 10. And as the golden plate, engraven with "holiness to the Lord shone forth from the priests forehead, so also a divine lustre shines from the con

duct of sanctified Christians: "He that is holy, he that is true, lie that hath the key of David, saith of the Christian, who overcometh, that he will make him a pillar in the temple of his God, and will write upon him the name of his God, and the name of the city of his God, even of the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from his God, and also his new name," Rev. iii. 7, 12. This will beam forth especially in the happy eternity, Rev. xxii. 4.

3. Christians perform also a priestly service: "Every priest stood daily ministering," Heb x. 11. And thus also Christians "have boldness to enter into the holiest," that they may draw near to the Lord, ch. x. 19, yea, "into that within the veil," ch. vi. 19. And so they are cohenim, which signifies priests, but also princes; thus it is used of the sons of David, 2 Sam. viii. 18, which is explained ⚫ 1 Chron. xviii. 17. "The sons of David were chief about the king." Yea, it belongs also to the priestly service of Christians, "that being a holy priesthood, they offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ," 1 Peter ii. 5. "Their reasonable service consists in presenting their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God," Rom. xii. 1. They offer to God "a broken and contrite heart," Psalm li. 17. Their liberality is "an acceptable sacrifice to God," Heb. xiii. 16. "The prayers of the saints ascend out of the hand of the" uncreated "angel," as a sacrifice "before God," Rev. viii. 3, 4. And if the Lord require it of Christians, they will offer themselves readily "a sacrifice of thanksgiving to him," by suffering the most grievous martyrdom, 2 Tim. iv. 6..

C. Christians are not only prophets and priests, but also kings; "Christ hath made them kings and priests unto God and his Father," Rev. i. 6. For as kings they have,

1. A kingly spirit, they are of an elevated mind, and have a free and good conscience, which is not enslaved to ignoble things: they can esteem all their own privileges loss and dung, that they may pursue nobler objects, and be found only in Christ, Philip. iii. 7-10, Moses was elevated so far above visible things, that "he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and he endured, as seeing him who is invisible," Heb. xi. 24-27. See this also 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.

2. As kings they wage war with, and overcome the world, sin, and the devil; "The Lord makes them as his goodly horse in the battle, and therefore they are as mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets, in the battle, and they confound them who ride on horses,” Zech. x. 3, 5. "Their faith overcometh the world," 1 John v. 4. "Sin shall not have dominion over them,"

Rom. vi. 14. And so "they overcome also the accuser of the brethren," Rev. xii. 11.

3. They have also kingly riches, although they may be the poorest in the world; for they have a true title to whatsoever exists. Read only what Paul saith of this, 1 Cor. iii. 21-23. The ungodly may scoff at this, as a vain boasting, but the godly shall reign in an open manner, "eternally with Christ over all creatures," in spite of those who are vexed at it; for "he will grant to them to sit down with him in his throne," Rev. iii 21. Compare herewith, Rev. ii. 26, 27. 4. Christians have also a kingly majesty and dignity. They are indeed the holy and the excellent in the earth," Psalm xvi. 3. Yea, "the saints of the high places," Dan. vii. 18. "Of the rest no man dares to join himself to them; but the people magnify them," Acts v. 13.

2. But what doth their anointing signify? Paul teacheth us that Christians are anointed, 2 Cor. i 21. He who hath anointed us is God." This anointing denotes,

1. The ordination and appointment of Christians, to these offices. So the Lord saith to his people, Exod. xix. 6, "Ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests." They are ordained and appointed to this by their eternal election, redemption through the blood of Christ, sanctification and calling, 1 Peter ii. 9. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Yea, they bear, as it were, a mark, by which they may be known as the Lord's anointed, and his sealed, Rev. vii. 3-8. Isaiah Ixi. 9.

2. Their anointing denotes their qualification to these offices. They are by nature "reprobate to every good work;" but they are qualified by the Holy Spirit; therefore the apostle saith; "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things," 1 John ii. 20, 27.

3. We are to consider in the last place the foundation of this name and anointing. The catechism saith, "Because I am by faith a member of Christ, and thus a partaker of his anointing." God hath given his Son to be the head of the church, so that believers are "members of his body," Eph. i. 22, v. 30. Hence arises the closest union between Christ and Christians, which is effected by his Spirit and their faith, 1 Cor. xii. 13, Eph. iii. 17, and so they become partakers of his anointing; for "he hath received gifts to distribute them among men," Psalm lxviii. 18, and "they receive of his fulness grace for grace," John i. 16. For the head being anointed, the anointing descendeth also to the members, as this is beautifully represented to us in the anointing of Aaron, Psalm cxxxiii. 2, and sp "his name is as ointment poured forth," Song i. 3.

APPLICATION.

Behold, Christians, is not this our doctrine agreeable to the word of God? can it be censured as erroneous? doth it not fully answer all the needs of a sinner? doth it not render Christianity glorious? and may we not rest in it with perfect satisfaction? Surely yes. But how do those who are not of our church act here? The Papists esteem the pope on earth the only and infallible prophet, high-priest, and king, with his triple crown; we must depend on him for the sense of the word of God: he hath invented priests, altars and sacrifices, and will offer Christ in the mass for the quick and the dead: he weens that he is the king of kings, and that he hath a right to depose and confirm kings, and to change times and seasons: yea, he fancies that his vassals, and those who propagate his doctrine, are the only heritage of God, even those who call themselves after Dominic, Francis, &c. and that Christians are but laymen, dogs and swine. And so he manifests himself to be the man of sin, and the son of perdition," according to the description of Paul, 2 Thess. i. 3, 12. The Socinians conduct no better; for as they deny his Godhead and satisfaction, they evacuate his offices. Christ is indeed a prophet and king, but only because he taught a new doctrine and enacted new laws, his Spirit doth nothing at all; if he be a priest, it is only in name and by analogy: the common priests were not types of him, but only the high priest, and he is a high priest so far as he is a king: he offered no satisfactory sacrifice on earth, but only his intercession in heaven: believers are indeed called Christians after Christ, but it is only because they receive the new doctrine of Christ, and not on account of the reasons which the gospel exhibits to us. And so the scripture saith many things of Christ and Christians, but they are without meaning and force, if the doctrine of the Papists and Socinians be true. But let God be true, and every man a liar. We will not attempt now to show the falsehood of these erroneous opinions, for we have been already too diffuse on this Lord's day. The bare proposing and comparing of these opinions with our doctrine, which is according to the word of God, fully manifests that they are only wood, straw and stubble, which will not endure the day of trial.

We will rather attend to those who profess this truth, and will contemplate a while the excellence of true Christians. What a precious Ilead have they! the Son of God is their prophet, priest and king. Who is comparable to him? collect together whatever was glorious in all the prophets, priests and kings, and it will all vanish

before him. He is much fairer than the children of men, he is anointed above his fellows. And what should induce Christians to 'triumph more, is that he possesseth all this glory not merely for himself, but for them also! for is he a prophet, it is that he may reveal to them the true ways of God, and open the eyes of the blind: is he a priest, it is to reconcile them to God by a perfect sacrifice For all their iniquities; is he a king, it is that he may subject their souls to his pleasant yoke, and unite them to the fear of God's name. And thus he is allsufficient to supply all their needs; and verily no Christian needs to fear that it will displease God, that he seeks and places his whole salvation in Christ, as a prophet, priest and king, as though he had usurped these offices, or Christians had thrust him into them. No, he is by a most just title, prophet, priest and king: the Lord God himself hath anointed him to these offices with the Holy Ghost, and with power. Will ye have more, Christians, that ye may rejoice in him? behold, he hath made you conformable to himself, so that ye also are prophets, priests and kings; ye are partakers of his anointing; as ye are members of him by faith, and he is your head, his grace and Spirit hath flowed down from him on you. And therefore " your beauty is perfect through his comeliness, which he hath put upon you,” Ezek. xvi. 14. ·

But, friends, imagine not that all who bear this name are Christians indeed. Many have the name that they live, while they are dead. It doth not constitute a person a Christian, that he is one outwardly; therefore we ask you, and each of you in particular, why ye are called Christians? Is it because ye were born of Christian parents, have been educated among Christians, and partake of the outward privileges of Christendom, the word and sacraments? Ye would then mistake in a dreadful manner, and deceive yourselves with vain imaginations; for if all, who are such, were really Christians, would so many then conduct like Jews, Turks and heathens? and is it not true, that many of you conduct themselves, as if they had never heard of Christianity? For,

1. Are ye indeed so well pleased with it, that ye conduct yourselves worthily of the Lord Christ, and of your name? is it not your aim to have only the name that ye are wise, mighty, rich and reli gious? If Paul should see such Christians, would he not say now, as he did, Philip. ii. 21. "They all seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ's ?".

2. Do ye not rest in your name, that ye are called Christians? ye conduct as the Jews, of whom the apostle saith, Rom. ii. 17. "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thỷ