7. The Spirit anoints believers. Wo are " anointed" by the Spirit, 2 Cor. i. 21. We have " an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things," 1 John ii. 20, 27. I cannot intend to run this ex- pression up into its rise and original ; also, I have done it elsewhere. The use of unctions in the Judaical church, the meaning and iutend- raent of the types attended therewith, the ofhces that men were con- secrated unto thereby, are at the bottom of this expression; nearer
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the unction of Jesus Clirist (from whence he is called Messiah, and the Christ, the whole jDerformance of his office of mediatorship being- called also his anointing, Dan. ix. 24, as to his furnishment for it), con- curs hereunto. Christ is said to be " anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows," Heb. i. 9 ; which is the same with that of John iiL 34, " God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." We, who have the Spirit by measure, are anointed with the " oil of gladness;" Christ hath the fulness of the Spirit, Avhence our measure is commu- nicated : so he is anomted above us, " that in all things he may have the pre-eminence." How Christ was anointed with the Spirit to his threefold office of king, priest, and prophet ; how, by virtue of an unc- tion, with the same Spirit dwelling in him and us, we become to be interested in these offices of his, and are made also kings, priests, and prophets to God, is known, and would be matter of a long discourse to handle ; and my design is only to communicate the things treated of.
I shall only, therefore, fix on one place, where the communications of the Spirit in this unction of Christ are enumerated, — of which, in our measure, from him and with him, by this unction, Ave are made partakers, — and that is, Isa. xi. 2, 3, " The Spirit of the Loed shall rest upon him, the Sphit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Sphit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord," etc. Many of the endowments of Christ, from the Spirit wherewith he was abundantly anointed, are here recounted. Princi- pally those of wisdom, counsel, and understanding, are insisted on ; on the account whereof all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are said to be in him, Col. ii. 3. And though this be but some part of the furniture of Jesus Christ for the discharge of his office, yet it is such, as, where our anointing to the same purpose is mentioned, it is said peculiarly on effecting of such qualifications as these : so 1 John ii. 20, 27, the work of the anointing is to teach us; the Spirit therein is a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel, knowledge, and quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. So was the great pro- mise of the Comforter, that he should "teach us," John xiv. 26, — that he should "guide us into all truth," chap. xvi. 13. This of teaching us the mind and will of God, in the manner wherein we are taught it by the Spirit, our comforter, is an eminent part of our unction by him ; which only I shall instance in. Give me leave to say, there is a threefold teaching by the Spirit : —
(L) A teaching by the Spirit of conviction and illumination. So the Spirit teacheth the world (that is, many in it) by the preaching of the word ; as he is promised to do, John xvi. 8.
(2.) A teaching by the Spirit of sanctification; opening blind eyes, giving a new understanding, shining into our hearts, to give us a loiowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; enabung
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US to receive spiritual things in a spiritual light, 1 Cor. ii. 13; giving a saving knowledge of the mystery of the gospel : and this in several degrees is common to believers.
(3.) A teaching by the Spirit of consolation; — making sweet, useful, and joyful to the soul, the discoveries that are made of the mind and will of God in the light of the Spirit of sanctifi cation. Here the oil of the Spirit is called the " oil of gladness,'' — that which brings joy and gladness with it ; and the name of Christ thereby discovered is a sweet " ointment poured forth," that causeth souls to run after him with joy and delight, Cant. i. 3. We see it by daily experience, that very many have little taste and sweetness and relish in their souls of those truths which yet they savingly know and believe ; but when Ave are taught by this unction, oh, how sweet is every thing we know of God ! As we may see in the place of John where mention is made of the teaching of this unction, it respects peculiarly the Spirit teach- ing of us the love of God in Christ, the shining of his countenance ; wdiich, as David speaks, puts gladness into our hearts, Ps. iv. 6, 7.
We have this, then, by the Spirit : — he teacheth us of the love of God in Christ ; he makes every gospel truth as wine well refined to our souls, and the sfood things of it to be a feast of fat thins^s ; — crives us joy and gladness of heart with all that we know of God ; which is the great preservative of the soul to keep it close to truth. The apostle speaks of our teaching by this unction, as the means whereby we are preserved from seduction. Indeed, to know any truth in the power, sweetness, joy, and gladness of it, is that great security of the soul's constancy in the preservation and retaining of it. They will readily change truth for error, who find no more sweetness in the one than in the other. I must crave the reader's pardon for my brief passing over these great things of the gospel ; my present design is rather to enumerate than to unfold them. This one work of the Holy Ghost, miglit it be pursued, would require a fuller discourse than I can allot unto the whole matter in hand. All the privileges we enjoy, all the dignity and honour we are invested withal, our whole dedi- cation unto God, our nobility and royalty, our interest in all church advantages and approaches to God in worship, our separation from the world, the name whereby we are called, the liberty we enjoy, — all flow from this head, all are branches of this effect of the Holy Ghost. I have mentioned only our teaching by this unction, — a teaching that brings joy and gladness with it, by giving the heai't a sense of the truth wherein we are instructed. When we find any of the good truths of the gospel come home to our souls with life, vigour, and power, giving us gladness of heart, transforming us into the image and likeness of it, — the Holy Ghost is then at his work, is pouring out of Ills oil.