SERMON UPON LUKE XXn. 31, 32. 405
enough, nor furnished with life and light. Satan's malice aimeth at the best, but he prevaileth with the presumptuously confident and fool-hardy. They know not their own weaknesses. If we slight these things, and thrust ourselves into temptations, we fall as a ready prey into the mouth of the roaring lion. You know how many a good purpose hath come to nothing ; and will not you wtitch ? This is the cause why we are so often surprised ; we live and walk as if we were not among our enemies, as if the devil did not haunt us, and we gave him no occasion to solicit God against us.
2. Being forewarned, let us be forearmed or prepared against Satan's devices ; otherwise, when we think, as Samson, to go forth and shake ourselves as at other times, we shall find that our strength is gone, and we have permitted ourselves too much to the power of the enemy. Our preparation mainly lieth in two things —
[1.] That we be dead to the flesh and the world. Be sober and watchful. Sobriety is a moderation in all earthly things. The devil usually gets the world on his side. Therefore, till we be dead to applause, commodity, honour, and profit, and resolve to be holy and obedient to God though it cost us dear, we shall do nothing in Christianity. Satan will tempt the flesh, and that will soon say. Spare thyself : Mat. xvi. 22, ' This shall not be unto thee.' Therefore as long as there is a bias of worldly inclination upon us, and we are set on the pleasures, profits, or honours of the world, or be taken too much with its ease, peace, and prosperity, we are not prepared ; and what work will Satan make when he comes to toss us !
[2.] Keep faith upright. Christ prays that Peter's faith may not fail, and 1 Peter v. 9, ' Whom resist, steadfast in the faith.' Faith has many things to pitch on, the whole gospel, but chiefly the promises and threatenings of the gospel ; they will inform you what will be the end of godliness and sin, and a man that hath his eyes opened, and seeth the end of godliness and sin, hath a mighty advantage. As to the promises of Christ, surely Christ is no deceiver. Will you credit the devil, whom you have found to be false, and suspect the promises of Christ ? Luke xii. 32, ' Fear not, little flock ; for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.' Christ promiseth more than the devil. As to the threatenings, let not the threatenings of men afi"right you ; if they threaten a prison, God threateneth hell ; if they threaten to molest the body, God can cast body and soul into helL God can pre- serve you from what men threaten, and he threatens what is worse than man threatens ; and therefore, to have our eyes in our head, and see the end of godliness and sin, is a mighty help in this case, that our faith may not fail.
SERMON UPON HEBREWS I. 9.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity ; therrefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee loith the oil of gladness above thy fellows. — Heb. i. 9.
In the context the apostle is proving that Christ hath obtained a more excellent name than the angels. They are servants, he a son ; they are creatures, he is God ; they are to worship, he is to be worshipped, in which divine honours they Can have no communion ; they are spec- tators of the mystery of redemption, he is the head of the redeemed world, as being solemnly appointed thereunto by God. This is the argument of the text, which is a quotation out of the 4oth Psalm, * Thou hast loved righteousness,' &c.
In these words we have — (1.) A description of Chi'ist ; (2.) The exaltation of Christ ; (3.) The respect of the one to the other, ' there- fore.' The one is the foundation of the other.
1. In the description of Christ his holiness is taken notice of ; and — [1.] Both branches are mentioned, ' loved righteousness,' ' hated
iniquity.'
[2.] The habitual inclination of his heart is asserted in all that he did or now doth do ; all proceeded from his love to righteousness, and his hatred to sin.
[3.] This commendation or description doth not only concern his l)ersonal practice, but his design. His heart was set upon it, not only to practise holiness himself, but to promote it in the world ; for the holiness of God incarnate is essentially necessary both to his person and employment. By it he was fitly qualified. Nothing puts us on to do a thing thoroughly more than love ; this was Christ's principle ; and therefore he would express the most efiectual means.
2. His exaltation : ' God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows ; ' that is, exalted thee above men and all angels. Anointing is often applied to Christ : Ps. ii. 2, ' Against the Lord and his anointed ; ' Acts iv. 27, ' Thine holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed ; ' Isa. Ixi. 1, ' The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek.' Therefore he is called in the Hebrew Messiah, and in the Greek Xpiaro^. This anointing usually signifieth three things —