2. For the entertainment of honourable guests invited to a feast: Mat. xxvi. 7, 'A woman having an alabaster box of very precious oint^ ment, poured it on his head as he sat at meat ; ' Ps. xxiii. 5, ' Thou preparest a table for me in the sight of mine enemies ; thou anointest mine head with oil, my cup runneth over.' So Ps. civ. 15, ' Oil that maketh his face to shine,' and ' the oil of gladness ' spoken of in scripture related to the oil used in feasts : Ps. xlv. 8, ' Anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.' Jesus Clirist, as head, was advanced and dignified above angels and men : yet his fellows or com- panions have a liberal effusion or communication of grace from the Spirit at the gospel-feast ; there is an abundance of grace poured on them, to the refreshing of their souls.
Well, then, what is this anointing but the testimony of the Spirit given to the truth of the gospel ? Now the testimony of the Spirit is twofold — objective or subjective, internal or external.
[1.] The objective or external testimony was the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon Christ and his apostles in a wonderful and mira- culous manner, together wdth the many signs and w^onders which accompanied the preaching of the gospel, whereby assurance was given them of the truths which they w^ere to believe, especially that Christ is the Messiah: Acts v. 31, 32, 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him ;' and Heb. ii. 3, 4, ' How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salva- tion, W'hicli at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was con- firmed unto us by them that heard him ; God also bearing them wit- ness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost ? ' If there w-ere no more in it than so, yet from heavenly truths thus asserted and assured to them they should not lightly depart upon every suggestion and insinuation from a crafty seducer, till they could bring something with as good or better evidence than those things which they had received. Christians should con- tinue as they were.
[2.] Internal and subjective. And here I shall take notice of a threefold. work of the Holy Ghost — (1.) Illumination; (2.) Conversion; (3.) Consolation.
SERMON UPON 1 JOHN II. 20. 97
(1.) Illumination ; as they were enlightened by the Holy Ghost in the knowledge of the gospel, and the necessary things contained therein. Besides an object sufficiently revealed and externally confirmed, there is need of a prepared faculty, or visive power. Therefore an internal efficiency is necessary : Eph. i. 17, 18, ' That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him : the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling.' That is the work of the Spirit, to open the eyes of the mind : 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts, to give the light of the know- ledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ; ' there is lumen internum, inward light. Therefore when Peter had acknowledged Jesus to be the Christ, Mat. xvi. 17, ' Flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' Human credulity is wrought by tradition, but saving faith and knowledge by spiritual illumination. When man leadeth us into truth, man may easily lead us off again. Education may furnish us with opinions in religion, and we may sacrifice some of our weaker lusts for the opinions we have imbibed by education, for men will not easily forego their prejudices ; but it is the Spirit of God that settleth and confirmeth us against all contradiction ; such a difference there is between taking up religion out of inspiration and out of opinion. It is the Spirit only that giveth us a clear perception and discerning of the truth, and firm adherence to it ; because it removeth the incapacity or disproportion between the things revealed and the constitution and temper of our hearts : 1 Cor. ii. 14, * The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'
(2.) The mind is not only illuminated, but the heart sanctified and converted to God, and fitted for God, and so suited to spiritual and heavenly things : * That ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;' Titus iii. 5, 'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' Surely the renovation of the soul and the restitution of God's image giveth us greater advantages, both for the perception of truth and the retention of it.