[2.] Others are admitted to be partakers of this grace in a lower degree, called * his fellows.' They are also dignified and graced by God above the rest of the world, but not as Christ was. Two things I will observe here —
(1.) They must be his consorts and fellows. Sometimes they are called ' his brethren,' Heb. ii. 11 ; sometimes members of his mystical body, Eph. i. 22, 23, sometimes 'joint-heirs with Christ,' Rom. viii. 17 ; meaning thereby all believers, who are companions with him both in grace and glorv. Thus we must be before we partake of this
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anointing. Actus activorum sunt in passivo unito et disposito — They that receive influence from another must be fitted for what they receive, and united to him from whom they receive it. Therefore none hut Christ's members and fellows do partake of his unction. But who are they ? All such as are like-minded with himself, that love righteous- ness, and hate iniquity, that set themselves seriously to promote the glory of God, and to destroy the reign of sin in the world, both in themselves and others ; in short, those that are regenerated and planted into his mystical body by the Spirit.
(2.) The next thing which I observe is, that all these may have somewhat of this unction according to their measure and part which they sustain in the body : 1 John ii. 20, ' But we have an unction from the Holy One ; ' compare Ps. cxxxiii. 2, ' It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.' The ointment poured upon our head in such plenty that it diffuseth itself to all his members, God is the author thereof : 2 Cor. i. 21, ' Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.' It is a divine work but the pipe or means of conveying it to us is Christ, who is the great re- ceptacle from whence the whole family is supplied: John i. 16, 'Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.' And it mainly consisteth in the gift of the Spirit, sanctifying and preparing us for our present work and final reward, and comforting us with our present interest in the love of God and hopes of glory : 2 Cor. v. 5, ' Now he that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.'
Use. I shall exhort you to two things — (1.) To holiness ; (2.) To get more of the oil of gladness.
1. To holiness. If there were no more than that it is pleasing to Christ, and visibly exemplified in his own person, this should induce us. It was love to holiness and hatred of sin that brought him out of heaven, and put him on the work of our redemption. Nothing doth more urge us to do a thing than love, or to forbear it than hatred. These were Christ's motives to undertake the redemption of sinners. Now we should love what he loveth, and hate what he hateth : Eev. ii. 6, ' Thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate ; ' Prov. viii. 13, ' The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy ; and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate.' But there is more in the argument than so. This was the design of our Redeemer : 1 John iii. 8, * For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' Now it doth not become christians to contradict the designed end of their Redeemer. But this is not all ; it is to slight the price of our redemption, as if there were no such great mystery in it, that the Son of God should die ; for if we slight the benefits we slight the ransom, 1 Peter i. 18. Yea, there is this further in it, we neglect the grace that may be had upon such easy terms. Surely the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ did somewhat shorten the power of sin, or else he came in vain. He obtained the grace he purchased : John xii. 31, ' Now is the judgment of this world ; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.' These are the glorious fruits and effects of liis death, that it shall tend to the glory of God and the bringing down
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the kiDgxlom of sin and Satan in the world. They to whom this pur- chase is revealed, and yet reject the offer, are guilty of sluggish cow- ardice, and if they be not delivered from the power of the devil, and restored to a life of holiness, their condemnation is just. In our natural estate by the fall of Adam we were all corrupted and out of frame, but the second Adam came to restore things that were in confusion and out of frame to their right and primitive order. Man hath fallen from holiness and happiness ; sin and Satan have reigned and raged in this world ; the children of this world have blessed themselves in their bad condition, and delighted in their slavery and bondage. Now if Christ come to make an end of sin and bring in everlasting right- eousness, shall it be so still as it was before ? shall the disordered world go on in its ancient wont ? Surely there should be more visible fruits of his coming seen among us. If men should lie in wickedness still, and turn their backs upon God, after whose image they were created, and sin and Satan rule them at their pleasure, how are things put in frame that were out of course ? What hath the Son of God done by all his holy life and bloody sufferings ? Surely either the purchase is not so great and glorious, or we make but little use of it, and so are quite strangers in God's Israel,