David a type of our LORD.

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SERMON VI.

THE OFFICES OF CHRIST.

Ps. lxxxix. 21.

I have found David My servant, with My holy oil have I anointed him.

DAVID was the servant of GOD: he was by the prophet Samuel anointed with oil. But a greater than David is here meant, namely, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, of Whom David was a very eminent type. In Ezekiel GOD said, long after David was deada, "I will set up one shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David," which brings to mind at once those words of our LORD, "There shall be one fold, and one shepherd," and, "I am the good shepherd "." Even in his name David is a figure of our LORD; for it signifies "wellbeloved."

a xxxiv. 23.

Comp. xxxvii. 24; Hos. iii. 5.

b S. John x. 16. 11.

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Holy oil a type of the HOLY GHOST.

In this verse too the holy oil of GoD signifies more than earthly oil; just as David is not merely the earthly David. Oil in the language of Scripture means or typifies the HOLY GHOST. S. John says to all real members of the Church, "Ye have an unction from the Holy One" and, "the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man should teach you: but the same anointing teacheth you of all things." Compare this with our LORD's promise that the Comforter should abide in His Church for ever, and should teach us all things, and should guide us into all truth d. So S. Paul to the Corinthians, "He Which hath anointed us is GOD, Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the SPIRIT in our hearts." This heavenly anointing we have by being members of our LORD, Who is the Anointed of GOD; as the oil poured upon Aaron's head went down to the skirts of his clothing. S. Peter at Cornelius's house said expressly, that "GOD anointed JESUS of Nazareth with the HOLY GHOST and with power f." In this verse then all the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity are signified. "I have

c 1 S. John ii. 20, 27.
e 2 Cor. i. 21, 22.

d S. John xiv. 16, 26; xvi. 13. f Acts x. 38.

Anointing consecrated to three offices. 81

found, I have anointed:" that is the FATHER: "David, My servant;" that is the SON, JESUS the Son of David: "My holy oil;" that is the HOLY GHOST; the Anointer, the Anointed, and the Anointing.

Among the Jews, by the providence of God, a solemn anointing with oil was used to consecrate men to three most sacred offices, namely, to be Prophets, Priests, and Kings. "The LORD said unto Elijah, Go,—anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room"." And in Exodus, "Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me in the priest's office" for which, the more clearly to signify the gift of the HOLY GHOST, the ordinary dispensing of which GOD has committed to none but His Church, a holy anointing oil was ordained, which it was a deadly sin to imitate. This was done that men might be more prepared to understand that JESUS of Nazareth, the Anointed, (the CHRIST in Greek, the MESSIAH in Hebrew,) is, beyond and above all others, h Exod. xxx. 30. i Ibid. 31-38.

1 Kings xix. 15, 16.

G

82 The Human Nature only of CHRIST was anointed.

the Prophet, and the Priest, and the King, of mankind. In the last Sermon we considered His Person, what He is: that He is, truly and perfectly, both GOD and Man: and that He was made Man without ever ceasing to be GOD, in order to be in a "new and living way i" the Fountain and Head of a new race of men, who should receive a renewed and restored nature from Him, as they had received a fallen and spoilt nature from Adam. Now we have to consider His offices, what He has done and is still doing as the Chief of the new race of men, the offices to which He was consecrated by the anointing of the HOLY GHOST, so that He is called in a higher way than any one else can be, the Anointed, or the Messiah, or the CHRIST.

First, it should be carefully remembered that it was only His Human Nature which was anointed; for as regards His Divine Nature He was from all eternity One with the HOLY GHOST, Who proceedeth from Him and from the F THER. Nothing could be adde

but the very purpose

was that He migh

the gift of the

Two anointings of CHRIST.

83

so that from Him, as from a fountain, that unspeakable gift might be bestowed on all men who seek it in the way appointed.

That most holy anointing of CHRIST took place twice, being done the first time invisibly, the second visibly. The first was at His conception in the womb of the Virgin : "the Angel answered and said unto her, The HOLY GHOST shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also That Holy Thing Which shall be born of thee shall be called the SON of GoDk." So the Angels said to the shepherds, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a SAVIOUR which is CHRIST the LORD':" already He was CHRIST the Anointed. Afterwards came His visible anointing by the HOLY GHOST: as we read, "John bare record, saying, I saw the SPIRIT descending from Heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Himm."

I. Though JESUS had been CHRIST the LORD from the very time of His conception thirty years before, it was not until He was thus outwardly called and marked out and anointed that He began to preach and teach among the people. It was not until then that He began to

k S. Luke i. 35.

1 Ibid. ii. 11.

m S. John i. 32.