Likewise gi'ace is full of sweetness to a man's self. It sweeteneth our nature and our actions to ourselves. * A ' good conscience' being privy to itself of the work of grace, * is a continual feast,' Prov. xv. 15. The con- science of a Christian, once renewed by grace, enlargeth the soul, and fills it with sweet peace and joy in belie\ang.
3. Thirdly, the graces of the Spirit are called anointing, becaufte anointing strengthens. Therefore, usually warriors and combatants, among the heathen, that were to encounter, were first anointed. So there is a spirit of strength in all those that are true Christians, which they have received from God, whereby they are able to do that that worldlings cannot do. They are able
* That is. ' derivation.' — G.
2 COniNTHI.\NS CHAP. I, VER. 22. 445
to deny themselves, to overcome themselves in matters of revenge, &c., thoy are able to want and to abound, to bear crosses, to resist temjDtations, and, as the apostle saith, ' able to do all things,' Philip, iv. 13. Nothing can stand in the way of a gracious man, no, not the gates of hell. He that is in him, grace is stronger ' than he that is in the world,' 1 John iv. 4. The least measure of grace, though it be but as a ' grain of mustard seed,' is stronger than the gi-eatest measure of opposition, though strengthened with all the power of hell.
4. In the fourth place, ointment makes llie joints of the hodij nimble. So this spiritual anointing it oils the joints of the soul, as I may say, and makes them nimble and ready to serve Grod * in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter,' Rom. vii. 6. God's people are called ' a willing people,' Ps. ex. 3, and a cheerful people, ready to every good work. And there is good reason for it ; for they have an inward spiritual anointing, that makes them active and nimble in everything they do. That Spirit that sanctifieth them, that spirit telleth them what Christ hath done for them, that ' there is no damnation to them,' Rom. viii. 1, that God is reconciled to them, that they are freed from the gi-eatest dangers, that all is theirs, and so their joy and nimbleness is from good reason, and there is a spirit of love in them unto God and Christ, which makes them nimble. When a man is without grace, he goes lumpishly and heavily about the service of God. He is drawn and forced to prayer, and to hearing, and to con- ference and meditation : he is dead and dull, and h'ozen to good works. But when a man hath received this sweet anointing of the Spirit, his heart is enlarged to all duties whatsoever, he is prepared to every good work.
5. Again, oil makes cheerful. So doth grace. It makes cheerful in ad- versity, cheerful in death, cheerful in those things that dismay the spirits of other men ; so much grace, so much joy. For even as light and heat fol- low the fire, so the spirit of joy doth follow this spiritual anointing. Con- science of the interest he hath in the favour of God in Christ, and the evi- dences of grace stamped upon his heart, and an assurance of a better estate in the world to come, wonderfully enlarge the soul with spiritual joy. That which makes a man lumpish, and heavy, and earthly, is not the Spirit of God. The Spii'it of God is a Spirit of joy, and it puts a gracious cheerful- ness in the heart of a Christian. If there be mourning, it is that it may be more cheerful ; for ' light is sown to the righteous,' Ps. xcvii 11, sometimes in mourning. ' God loves a cheerful giver,' 2 Cor. ix. 7, and a cheerful thanksgiver ; all must be sweetened with cheerfulness. Now this comes from the Spirit of God ; and he that is anointed ^dth the Spirit, in some measure partakes of spiritual joy and cheerfulness.
G. Again, ointment, you know, is of a healing nature, as balm and other sweet ointments have a healing power and virtue. The Scripture makes mention of the 'balm of Gilead,' Jer. xlvi. 11 ; so grace hath a healing power. Repentance ! That is of a purging, spiritual joy, of a healing nature. There must, you know, be first a cleansing, and then a heahng and strengthening ; so some graces are purgative and cleansing, some again are strengthening and healing. Repentance is a good purgation. It carries away the malignant and evil matter. But the cordial that strengthens the soul is joy. ' The joy of the Lord is your strength,' Neh. viii. 10. And so the grace of faith and love tend to cherish and corroborate the soul, so that, I say, these graces, this balm of the Spirit, hath a special sovereign power to heal us, to heal us both from the guilt of sin, and from the
4 iG COMMENTARY ON
dominion, and rule, and lllthy .stain of sin. It hath hoth a purging and a cardial virtue.
Tlius you see, that upon good grounds the graces of God's Spirit that he connnunicates to the elect, and only to tlieni that are in Christ, they are called ' anointing ;' and they will have the ellect of an ointment iu us, if v^-e receive this anointing.