Now, not to go on in more particulars, but to make some use of this. Surely this is true in some degi-ee of every Christian, that he is a prophet, ' to discern of things that differ,' Heb. v. 14 ; and he hath a supernatural, heavenly light answerable to the things, a spiritual light to judge of spiritual things. And he is a priest, to stand before God continually ; and he is a king, by conquest, by possession, by qualification. I say this undoubtedl}' is true of all spiritual persons, that are anointed. As it is said of Saul, that when he was anointed he had another spirit, 1 Sam. x. 11, so God never makes a Christian but he gives him the spirit of a Christian. God's calling is with qualification. It is not a mere titular anointing, but there is another spirit goes along with this anointing than there was before calling. Though men be trained up from their infimcy in the truth, yet when they are anointed by the Spirit of God there will another manner of spirit appear in them than ever was in them before, or than that which is in the M'orld.
I beseech you therefore, — for dignity prepares and stirs up to duty ; a man never so cames himself in his place and condition, as when he thinks of his condition, — oft think of the excellent estate we are advanced to in Christ. It will put us in mind of a qualification and disposition answerable ; that as the apostle oft presseth it, we may 'walk worthy our calling,' Eph. iv. 1, that we may walk worthy of this dignity.
When we are tempted therefore to sin, and to base coiu-ses, let us say as good Nehemiah when he was moved to flee, ' what, shall such a man as I flee ?' Neh. vi. 11. So should we say to any temptation to base courses of life, what ! shall such a man as I do this ? W^hy ! if I be a Christian, if I be not only a titular Christian, — which is only sufficient to damn me, and not to do me good, — but if I be a real Christian, I must be a priest, I must keep myself unspotted of the world, and undefiled, and not touch any unclean thing ; I must be in a state and condition to pray to God, ' Shall I regard iniquity, that God should not hear my prayer ? ' Ps. Ixvi. 18.
If I be a Christian, I am a king ; shall I debase myself? shall I cast my crown in the dirt ? God hath raised me, and made me an heir of heaven, shall I abase myself to sins, and to base lusts, so that I cannot rule my
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 22. 451
own meml)ers, and yet profess myself to be a king ? For a Christian that is a king, that hath a guard of angels about him, that is the most excellent creature in the world, for him to abase himself to the world ; he that is bred from heaven, for him to have no higher thoughts than the things below, to have an earthly mind, and earthly thoughts, it is a shrewd pre- sumption that he is but only a titular Christian, and hath not received this inward and spiritual anointing. It was a speech of the martvi's in the primitive church, when they were asked their names, they gave this answer, ('hristiaum siuii, I am a Christian [hhhb), and that satisfied all questions. So when we are basely tempted to courses unbefitting our dignity, answer them from our baptism, I am baptized into Christ, and so am become a Christian, and this is unbeseeming the profession of Christianity.
I beseech you let us remember our calling. We are called to be prophets, kings, and priests, and not only here, but in the w^orld to come we shall be so. We must not think to be kings in heaven, except we begin it here.
It is with a Christian, as it was with David. He was anointed many years before he was actually a king upon the throne, 1 Sam. xvi. 18. While Saul lived, he did not enjoy the kingdom. So we are anointed in this world, in part we are kings while we are here ; kings over ourselves, and over the world. A Christian sees all under him that is worldly, he treads the moon under his feet. But our anointing hath then especially its effect when we are in heaven, as David's anointing, it had its special effect when Saul was dead. We must now cany ourselves as those that shall be kings. Those that are not kings here, shall never be kings hereafter ; those that are not priests here, shall never walk with Christ in heaven in long white robes for ever. Eternal life is begun here, in all the parts of it.
And therefore I beseech you, if our memories be so shallow that we cannot remember other bonds, let us remember our baptism, let us read our duty in our baptism. What are we baptized into ? Into Christ, that is, to take the name of Christ upon us, to be Christians ; which name implies these three, to be a king, priest, and prophet. What do we then when we sin ? We reverse our baptism in some sort. Let it be an aggra- vation then when we are tempted to sin ; it is treason to God, I shall leave my Captain, under whose banner I have vowed to fight against ' the devil, the world, and the flesh ; ' and to forsake my colours is the greatest treachery. Yea, it is sacrilege. And so God accounts it, when thou pro- fanest thine eyes and thine ears in seeing and hearing of vanity, as you do when you frequent playhouses and the like. I say, it is sacrilegious. Kings and priests were dedicated persons, and to employ dedicated things about any other business, than to God, is sacrilege ; it is a committing of foil}' with thy soul. Men have slight conceits of religion, and scarce a tincture of it. If they did deeply consider what religion is, that it seizeth upon the soul, that it alters and changeth it, that whosoever will have benefit by the promises, he must have an inward qualification, and be anointed with the Spirit, they would have better conceits of it than they have ; and hence it is therefore that men make so little conscience of giving liberty to their ears and eyes to hear and see vanity, and defile themselves in evil courses, and cleave to the occasions of sin.