Alls. Because they are in Christ, in whom the ointment and all sweet- ness is in fulness. From him the Head, fii'st, and from thence it is derived unto the members ; all who* must partake of this ointment. As it is said of the head of Aaron, that that ointment which was poured on his head ran down to his skirts, and all his rich attire about, Ps. cxxxiii. 2. So that sweetness in Christ is poured on the skirts, all along upon his members ; even the meanest Christian receiveth * grace for grace,' John i. 16, sweetness from Christ. The virgins, that is, such as defile not themselves with idolatry, and such other lewd courses, they follow after Christ in the smell of his sweet ointments. Cant. i. 3. It is spoken of Christ, who carrieth such a sweet smell with him, as ' all his garments smell of mjTrh, aloes, and cassia,' &c., Ps. xlv. 8. So sweet is the smell of Christ, when he is un- folded in his benefits and offices, that the pure and holy virgin souls of the saints follow after it. ' His name is as an ointment poured out,' Cant. i. 3 ; that is, himself is his name, and his name is himself, as the Hebrew pro- verb is: Christ made known in the unfolding of the word, that is, his name. When the box is opened, all in Christ is like ointment. In the preaching of the word, all is sweet, and nothing but sweet in Jesus. Now a Christian, being a member of Christ, and a virgin soul following Christ, must needs draw sweetness from him, casting out that scent unto others, drawn from him, because they partake of Christ's anointing. What is the name of a Christian, but a man anointed with Christ's ointment, one anointed to be a king and a priest in some sort? Rev. i. 6. Thereforethey carry the favour of him wheresoever they go. Aaron the high priest had sweet garments, Exod. xxxix. 26, which made a savour where he went, having bells and sweet pomegranates at the bottom of his garment. He had not only bells to dis- cover him, but sweet pomegranates also. So it is with every Christian. Not only the minister, but every Christian, is a priest under the New Testa- ment, and carrieth a savour with him ; graces that spread and cast a sweet scent in all places wheresoever, which they exercise upon all good occasions. As St Paul expresseth it, ' They savour the things of the Spirit,' Rom. viii. 5. Those who are in Christ, they have the Spirit of Christ, or they are none of his. And having the Spirit of Christ, they savour of the things of the Spirit ; that is, their thoughts, speeches, actions, and conversation are savoury. Those ' that are in the flesh,' saith the apostle, ' cannot please God,' Rom. viii. 8, they are unsavoury. A carnal man hath no savom* in his speeches. They are either worldly or ci^sdl, without spiritual savour ; because he hath nothing of the Spirit of Christ to savour of. ' His heart,' saith Solomon, ' is little worth,' Prov. x. 20. The like we may say of his thoughts, actions, and afiections ; they are unsavoury and little worth. He hath a dead heart to goodness ; and thence whatsoever good- ness Cometh from him is forced, and against the hair, as we say. But a Christian having the Spirit of Christ, and therewith communion with Christ, all his discourses and actions are for the most part savoury ; those he acteth * That is, ' all of whom.' — Ed.
364 * THE EETUKNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON IX.
as a Christian. Therefore from his communion with Christ, it is said here, ' His smell shall be as Lebanon.'
' The scent thereof shall be as the vine of Lebanon.' Delightful both to God and holy, blessed spmts, likewise to the church and to the angels which are about us, and pleasing to our own spirits ; for there issue th a wondrous contentment even to the conscience of a person, which is fruitful and abundant in goodness. That soul receiveth an answer- able proportion of comfort. As it is with heat, that accompanieth fire alway, so there is a kind of heat of comfort which naturally accompanieth the heat of any good action. There remaineth a s^'eet relish to the con- science of the performer, reflecting, with humility upon himself, with thank- fulness to God, from whose dew, as we have heard before, cometh what- soever is good. Reflecting on this with an eye to the principal cause, it breeds a great deal of comfort to the soul. As it was said of Josiah, the memory of Josiah was like the ointment of the apothecary ; whereas, on the contrary, it is said, ' The remembrance of the wicked shall rot,' Prov. x. 7. _ God threateneth the Jews that they should be a hissing to .all nations, and that they should be abominable to all kind of people, Deut. xxviii. 37 (for what is so odious now as the name of a Jew ?), yet certainly this whole pro- mise shall be verified even of them, this whole chapter having an eye unto the calling of the Jews. The time will come that the scent of these odious people, who are now the object of hatred unto all people, ' shall be as the vine of Lebanon.'