A LAMP ORDAINED FOR GOD'S ANOINTED.

BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF TWO SERMONS,

The first preached at the admiffion of the Rev. Mr JAMES FISHER, late Minister of the gospel at Kinclaven, to be Minifter of the diffenting Affociate Congregation in and about Glasgow, October 8. 1741; the other preached at Stirling, the third Sabbath of October, 1741.

PSAL. CXXXII. 17.-I have ordained a lamp for mine Anointed.

I

THE FIRST SERMON ON THIS TEXT.

SHALL not confume time in introducing myfelf into thefe words. It is thought by forne interpreters, that this pfalm was penned by Solomon, upon the occafion of the dedication of the temple unto God. The first part of the pfalm, viz. from the beginning of it to ver. 10. confifts of petitions. The fecond part, namely, from ver. 11. to the clofe, confifts of a bundle of great and precious promises relating to David and his family in the type, but mainly and ultimately to Chrift and his New Teftament church in the antitype.

God promifes, (1.) To fix his refidence in his church, ver. 13. 14. For the Lord hath chofen Zion: he hath defired it for his habitation. This is my reft for ever: here will I dwell, for I have defired it." God's gracious prefence in his church, and amongst his people, makes her the perfection of beauty, and the praife of the whole earth. (2.) He promises to blefs the provifion he makes for them, ver. 15. "I will abundantly blefs her provifion: I will fatisfy her poor with bread." He will fupply all their needs, according to his riches in glory, by Chrift Jefus. He will feed them with the hidden manna,

&c.

&c. (3.) He promises to give her faithful and fuccessful minifters, ver. 16. "I will clothe her priests with falvation." Minifters are then clothed with falvation, when, by the power of God refting upon them and their miniftrations, they are the happy inftruments of bringing many to Chrift, in whom they find falvation from fin and wrath; and when the arm of the Lord is revealed, then the fervants of Christ, and all true believers, do "fhout aloud for joy." (4.) He promises, that however low the intereft of Chrift may be brought, though, like himself, it may appear a root in a dry place, yet, like a tree well rooted in the ground, fore lopt and hacked by man and Satan, it will sprout again, as in the first part of the verse, "There will I make David's horn to bud." The meaning is, I will bring forth a glorious and renowned King out of the rotten ftump of the family of David in the fulness of time. Chrift himself is the principal bud of that tree, and all believers are the buds of that bud. (5.) He promises, that the lamp of gofpel light fhall ftill fhine in his true church, for manifefting the glory of Chrift: I have ordained a lamp for mine Anointed.

Where remark, (1.) The defignation given unto Chrift by God his Father; he is mine Anointed. Though he be despised and rejected of men, though an unbelieving world fee no form or comeliness in him, why he fhonid be defired, yet I own him, and challenge him as mine Anointed, the Prophet, Prieft, and King of my church. I have found David my fervant with my-holy cilave F anointed him. With whom my hand fhall be established: mine arm also fhall ftrengthen him," Pfal. xxxix.z6. 21... (2.) The great mean of God's appointment for manifefting the glory of Christ to a loft world; he has provided a lamp for his Anointed. The ufe of a lamp is to give light to people in the darkness of the night; fo the word of God, particularly the gofpel, is a light fhining in a dark place, until the day of glory dawn, when the Lord God and the Lamb will be the light of the ranfomed for endless evermore. (3.) The authority by which this lamp is lighted and carried through this dark world; it is ordained of God; and by his commandment it is that we preach and fpread the light of the gofpel, Mark xvi. 15. 20. OBSERVE. "That the difpenfation of the everlafting gofpel is a lamp which God has ordained for manifefting the glory of Chrift unto a loft world lying in darkness."

In difcourfing this doctrine, through divine affiftance, I fhall purfue the following method.

I. Speak a little of Chrift as God's Anointed.

II. Of the lamp ordained for him.

III. Of the ordination of this lamp.

IV. Offer fome reasons why God has ordained it.
V. Make application.

I. The first thing propofed is, to fpeak a little of God's Anointed. "God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows," Pfal. xlv. 7. Hence his name Meffiah in the Hebrew, and Chrift in the Greek, both of them fignify properly, The anointed One of God. This defignation im

ports,

1. That he is a Redeemer and Saviour of God's choosing; for none were anointed unto any office under the law, but fuch as God particularly defigned and elected and fuch an one is Chrift." Behold my fervant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my foul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him, he fhall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles," If. xlii. 1.

2. This defignation intimates, that he was called, "the called and fent of God: I the Lord have called thee," If. xlii. 6. He did not take this honour to himself, but was "called of God, as was Aaron." When faith embraces him, it hath this in its eye, it takes him up as the fent of God.

3. This defignation likewife implies his inveftiture into his offices as the great Prophet, Prieft, and King of his church. He was invested into his offices with great folemnity; the folemnity of a decree, "I will declare the decree," Pfal. ii. 7. &c. the folemnity of an oath, "The Lord hath fworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever," Pfal. cx. 4. ; yea, with the folemnity of an open and audible proclamation from the excellent glory above, when the heavens were opened, and the Spirit defcended upon him in the likeness of a dove.

4. This defignation alfo connotes his being throughly fitted and furnished for his work, by an unmeafurable effufion of the Holy Ghost. "Grace was poured into his lips." There is a twofold grace given unto Christ as Mediator, namely, (1.) The grace of personal union, when the human nature, confift ing of a true body and a reasonable foul, is taken into the pefon of the eternal Son of God, which is the great mystery of godliness. (2.) There was a created habitual fulnefs of grace beftowed on him for the difcharging of his mediatorial work, and for the use of his myftical body: he "received gifts for men, that out of his fulnefs, we might receive grace for grace." Thus you fee what is imported in Chrift's anointing.

For the further illuftration of this anointing, I fhall only add,

1. Chrift

1. Christ and all his members, all believers, are anointed with the fame oil of the Holy Ghoft, although in a very dif ferent measure. He is anointed with that oil above his fellows; he received not the Spirit by measure: "It pleased the Father, that in him fhould all fulness dwell." Our anointing is but a drop in comparison of the ocean; yet it is with the felf-fame Spirit; for "he that is joined to the Lord, is one, Spirit." As it is the fame human foul that is in the head and in the members of the natural body; fo it is the very fame Spirit that is in the head and in the members of the body myftical. He is "the head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God," Col. ii. 19.

2. The anointing of Chrift was gradual, according to the different ftages or advances in his work. He "increafed in wisdom and ftature, and in favour with God and man," Luke ii. 52. This anointing began in the firft moment of the union between the divine and the human natures. He had a greater, measure of the Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Ghost bestowed on him at his baptifm; a ftill larger measure at his death, when" through the eternal Spirit, he offered up himself without fpot to God," Heb. ix. 14.; a greater measure yet was poured upon him at his refurrection, when he was "declared, to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holinefs, by his refurrection from the dead:" and when he afcended up on high, he poured out the Spirit like the rushing of a mighty wind, Acts ii. 1.-4.

3. The anointing of Chrift extends to all his offices, Prophet, Priest, and King. As a Prophet he fays of himself, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek," If. Ixi. 1. &c. He is an anointed Prieft: the human nature which was fanctified, were as it were perfumed with the oil of gladnefs, which made it favoury to God through the eternal Spirit. "He offered up himself a facrifice to God for a sweet smelling favour," Eph. v. 2. This anointing extends unto him likewife a sa King: "But unto the Son, he faith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a fceptre of righteousness is the fceptre. of thy kingdom:-therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows," Heb. i. 8. 9. And again, "I have anointed (as it may be tranflated) my King upon my holy hill of Zion," Pfal. ii. 6. I fhall finifh this head, when I have told you,

4. That Chrift himself, and the whole of his gifts, graces, and qualifications, is ordained for our ufe, who are finners of Adam's race. He is "made of God unto us wifdom, and righteousness,

righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption." He is God's gift unto you: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given:-and his name fhall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him might not perifh, but have everlafting life. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love ;" and therefore let every loft finner come unto him, receive and employ this anointed Saviour; take Chrift's counfel unto Laodicea, for the fame advice and counfel comes to every one of you: "I counfel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayft be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayst be clothed, and that the fhame of thy nakednefs do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-falve, that thou mayft fee," Rev. iii. 18.

II. The fecond head propofed was, to difcourfe a little of the lamp that God has ordained for his Anointed.

By the lamp then I understand the word of God, and particularly the word of the truth of the gospel. You know the ufe of a lamp is to give light to men in the dark, and to let them fee their way. All mankind, ever fince the fall, are in darkness, yea darkness itself. They have loft their way, and are walking upon the ridge of hell and utter deftruction. Now, the gofpel, or word of faith which we preach, is a light or a lamp as it were, which God hath fet up to difcover to the children of men how they have loft their way, and let them fee that new and living way of his own devifing, by which they may come back again to God and glory. "We have a more fure word of prophecy : unto which we do well that we take heed, as unto a light that thineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-ftar arife in our hearts," 2 Pet. i. 19. The dark place that the apoftle is fpeaking of, is this dark world, and the heart of man is the darkeft place in the world. God who is the Father of lights, he has given his word, the fcriptures of truth, as a lantern or lamp, to direct us how we are to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. To this light, or lamp, we do well to take heed, as David did, the man according to God's own heart: "Thy word (fays he) is a light to my feet, and a lamp unto my paths." Now, the lamp of the word of God cafts a twofold light among the children of men, namely, a Jaw light and a gofpel light. A law light, to difcover fin and mifery; for by the law is the knowledge of