than his righteousness is: but we shall have an inward apprehension of it, to our everlasting benefit. Why should not this be sufficient? Especially as God himself will never behold us, but in the Person of Christ, and in the representation he will make of us, no not in heaven, to the ages of eternity. Doubtless it was enough to satisfy the mind of those saints to whom the apostle is here writing: and to whom he says, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. A most costly fragrant oil was commanded by the Lord, to be prepared and made, to anoint Aaron the high priest. It was to be poured on his head, and it ran down to the collar of his coat. Christ is called Anointed, or Messiah herefrom. He was anointed not with material oil, as Aaron was who prefigured him, but with the Holy Ghost who was typed forth by the oil with which he was anointed. The Psalmist speaking on the subject, and applying the same to our most precious Lord Jesus Christ, says, "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad." Psa. xlv. 8. As the high priest was anointed, so were his garments, the Tabernacle, Ark, Shew-Bread Table, the Altar, &c. So all the elect are anointed in Christ, by Christ, and from Christ. The holy Unction descends from him, down on all, on each, and every one of his members. "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." So the apostle said in his gospel, and he says the same here. Ye have an unction from the Holy One. It was already bestowed upon them; and that by the Holy One. They had received it from Him, who was their Holy One. leads me to my next particular, which is this.

This

2. To speak of the unction, which these saints had received from the Holy One. They had received the Unction, and it still abode with, and rested upon them.

The word Unction is the same with Anointing. The Holy Ghost is called here Unction, or Anointing. He it is, who agreeable to his office in the everlasting covenant, anointed Christ to his office. And he also anoints all the elect, and bestows on them his graces, comforts, and gifts; fitting and qualifying them for whatsoever work he calls them unto. Peter the apostle of Jesus Christ, speaking to Cornelius and his friends, says, "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all :) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts x. 36-38.

Our Lord received his Name Anointed, or, the Anointed One, or Christ, from the Holy Ghost who was his Anointer, and who anointed Him. And we receive our title christians, which signifies anointed ones, from Him also. The word Unction must also signify Teaching, or there would not have been a proper suitability for the use of it here. This I conceive must most clearly appear by reading the whole of it. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. This was the fruit of divine teaching. This was agreeable to our Lord's promise. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall

glorify me for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." John xvi. 13, 14. This promise had been fully realized unto John and the rest of the apostles. The Holy Ghost had been sent down from heaven. The whole church had been partakers of the benefit: so that the apostle might well say, Ye have an unction from the Holy One.

According to the economy of the covenant established by the Three in Jehovah, agreeable to the good pleasure of their will, it is the office of the Holy Spirit, to quicken the souls of all the redeemed with spiritual life. He is their holy Teacher; who inspires their minds, and leads and guides them into all necessary and saving truth. He makes them wise unto salvation, by faith in Christ Jesus. These persons who are here addressed had been thus instructed and taught. The Holy Unction from Christ had been bestowed on them. They were possessed of it: whereby they knew the Truth which concerned the Person, love, work, salvation, and perfection of Christ, so as not to depart from the same. They had the true Unction. The true Anointer was in them. He was with them. He had taught them. He still continued with them. They were under his continual guidance, and teaching, that he might lead them into all Truth: into the whole Truth: and into nothing but the Truth. He being himself infallible, he was all-sufficient for this. The Lord Jesus Christ shed this Unction richly on his Church on the day of Pentecost, and it was still continued. It extended its most blessed and beneficial effects to all the saints; so that the apostle here speaks of it as an universal benefit. Ye have received an Unction, and an Anointer from the Holy One. The Holy Ghost was not again to be sent. He was sent once for all. He was not again to be given unto them; He was given, to live and abide in them, and with them for ever. He liveth and dwelleth in the saints, in that new and spiritual birth, or faculty which He produced in them in regeneration, and all their spiritual life of graces is from Him alone. He is the object of their faith, love, hope, as truly as the Father and the Son are. We are said to be "an habitation of God through the Spirit." Eph. ii. 22. The Holy One, as the High Priest in heaven, had poured out of his Spirit on his Church on earth; who is styled here Unction: to express his work within them, and upon them. He was the Anointer; who having anointed Christ the head of the whole election of grace, is the Anointer of them also: and as he anointed Christ afresh when he had finished his work, and was entered into glory, so the Holy One, Christ Jesus shed Him richly and abundantly on his Church, in the days of the apostles: so that the saints then had larger measures of gifts and graces bestowed on them than ever have been bestowed since. This Holy Unction is still bestowed, and will be to the very end of time: for thus it is written, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever." Isai. lix. 19-21. The words are pronounced by Jehovah the Father. He is addressing the glorious Mediator. The promise is to Him, and to his seed. The word and Spirit are here joined together. The promise is, these shall never depart from Christ, and his Church, but

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shall both remain with Him, and his Church for ever. And is not all this for the substance of it, just what Christ says himself in these words, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." It is from the Divine Father, through the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost is sent into the hearts of saints, to reveal Christ unto them-to take of the things of Christ, and to shew the same unto them-to shed abroad the love of the Father in their hearts. The apostle therefore speaks in strict connection with all this, when he says, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. It was bestowed on them. It was enjoyed by them. The Holy Ghost maintained his dwelling in their minds. They enjoyed the blessings and benefits of the same. They had received Him. He still abode with them. He rested upon them. This was their blessedness. He was their Teacher, and they were most truly blessed to have, and enjoy him as such. Hence they were kept from errors and heresies. And this was but the fulfilment of Christ's own most true and faithful promise: who had said in the chapter quoted before, viz. John xiv. 15-17 what has been already cited, and also this now to be, from the 25th and 26th verses. "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Nothing could more effectually keep the saints from errors and heresies, than bringing to their remembrance the words of Christ: and none could do this effectually but the Spirit of Christ. It seems to me,

as our apostle had a most blessed knowledge and enjoyment of Christ's love, and that too in a way of personal communion with Him, so none of all the apostles appear to have the word of Christ more richly dwelling in them, than he had. I conceive it might almost be affirmed, his whole Epistle is but an exposition of his most precious and invaluable gospel. It most assuredly is founded on it. And seems to be an exemplification of the life of Christ, in his people. I should like to view it in this light, as containing a full and correct portrait of real genuine christianity. The which can never be produced, but by the indwelling, teaching, light, inspiration, and grace of the Holy Ghost. And these saints having Him dwelling in them, it was not to be wondered at if they were christians in reality. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. Therefore it is ye are preserved from errors and heresies, from the many antichrists and false teachers which are now, at this time, so rife and present among you. And this brings me to my last particular, which is

3. The blessing and benefit of this divine Unction, which they had received from the Holy One. It was this-And ye know all things. How and in what sense we are to conceive this, I am now to declare. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. The Holy One is Christ. The Unction is the Holy Ghost. The blessing and benefit of this Unction bestowed by the Holy One on us, is this, and ye know all things.

I would have this title here given Christ, to be remembered by us: to the intent it might everlastingly endear Him to our souls; and exalt Him most highly in our hearts. So I would also have the title here given the Holy Ghost remembered by us, that from it we might the more and more glorify Him. He it is, who consecrates our souls and bodies, as his temples to dwell in. He it is, who anoints our minds and affections, and enables us to worship the Father in the Son. He it is, who teaches us the true knowledge of the Father and Christ. It is by Him we have communion with them: yea, it is by Him alone. He is our Teacher. He is our Unction, or anointing oil. And he hath taught, and led his church into all Truth: so says our apostle in the text before us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

I must first observe before I go on further, this was to an apostolic Church, and to such as should be entitled primitive christians. Therefore it ought to be remembered by us, there are some things in it, which were applicable to them, which are not to us. The church as framed by the apostles was pure and perfect: it being exactly according to the will of Christ which he made known unto them. The Holy Ghost had led the apostles into all truth. Their light and knowledge of it were perfect. There was no defect, nor deficiency in what they knew. They were infallible in the doctrine they delivered. What they had received they made known. It is all contained in the Epistles sent by some of them to the churches of the saints: so that with these views the apostle might well say to these to whom he wrote, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. They did so in this sense. Every truth, doctrine, the ordinances and all Christ had appointed and commanded, had been fully, freely, correctly, and most blessedly stated by the apostles unto them. Yet even this they could know but in part: and this but in a gradual manner: yet inasmuch as the whole and every truth of the everlasting gospel had been set before them, and delivered unto them, and they had actually received by the teachings of the Holy Ghost, the true spiritual apprehensions of the same, they knew all things which concerned the salvation of their souls. They knew every truth, and article of their most holy faith. This was for the substance of it to know all. Therefore the apostle says, But ye, (hereby distinguishing them from others) have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I doubt not but some present, have the same divine Unction from the Holy One, which they had: but not in the same measure, nor degree; and none of us can say, we know all things; yet we know some things as truly and spiritually as they did; but not so immediately as they, nor from the same means as they. I would not say, I know all things. I would not say of every thing I deliver, this is as true as God is true. The apostles could. I am not an ambassador for Christ. I have no immediate message or commission from Him; nor do I believe any one man in the whole church of Christ, throughout the whole world hath. The ministers of our Lord Jesus Christ now, receive what they receive concerning the truths of the everlasting gospel, not immediately from Christ; they receive it mediately: some from the preaching of men: some from the word of God: some from conversing with saints: some from the writings of such, who may be justly esteemed as fathers in Christ some by meditation and prayer: and some by the Holy Spirit's divine light and instruction: so that we all receive light and knowledge

one from another. We may be unwilling to acknowledge it: yet this is the truth of it: therefore none of the ministers of Christ, see so clearly into all truth, as to be uniformly of one and the same judgment: for instance, the doctrine of the Trinity is essential to salvation; without it we cannot speak of the Father's everlasting love to the persons of his Elect, whom he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world: nor of the Person of Christ, set up from everlasting, to be God-Man, the Head, Mediator, and Saviour of his church and people: nor of the Personality of the Holy Ghost, and his interest and concern with the Father and the Son in the everlasting covenant. Yet this great and fundamental truth, into the belief of which real believers in Christ, are baptized; saints of the greatest degree, although they most cordially believe the truth of the doctrine, do not state it alike. Mr. Romaine and Dr. Gill whilst they most heartily believed in the Three in Jehovah, yet in their statement of the same they were quite different: why, beloved, had they been both infallibly taught by the Holy Ghost, they would not have differed one hair in expressing themselves on this most sublime subject; yet they were both great men of God, and the Spirit of the living God dwelt in them. It might have been said of them, But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. What I have said, is with a design to shew that there is no man on the earth, in any of the churches of the saints, perfect in knowledge. The great apostle of the Gentiles, says of himself, and others, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part." 1 Cor. xiii. 9. Surely we are not going to set up ourselves above him; and yet it may be safely expressed, that we, who have received the Unction from the Holy One, know all things. But it may be asked, how, in what sense do we know all things? All who are under the teachings of God's Holy Spirit, are by him, from the word of grace, taught all things necessary for their own personal, complete and everlasting salvation and all things necessary for life and godliness. And this is all our Lord sees necessary for us to know; and it contains in it a sufficiency for the maintenance of our spiritual life, faith, love, and hope in God. There is an infallibility in the word, and in the Holy Spirit's teaching; yet He is not pleased to teach us so infallibly, as that we cannot make any mistake in what he hath taught us. Some things he is pleased to teach us, we can never forget, nor alter in our judgment of the same. The true knowledge concerning Christ, and the Father's love to us in Him, which we received into our mind from the word, by the unction of the Holy Ghost, this we can never forget. It is by and from the word, the Holy Ghost is pleased to create and form, true, real, spiritual, and supernatural ideas and conceptions, of the Person, and salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, in our renewed understandings. And it is from the Holy Ghost, who will dwell in us in heaven for ever, that we shall have such inward intuitive conceptions of our Lord, as will everlastingly, intensely, and immutably fix and centre us so in Him, and upon Him, as that we shall never have one thought to take us off from Him for everIf we know Christ, we know all things. There is an increase in the knowledge of Christ: and the word expresseth Him fully. It is well therefore for us to read and search it to this very end; that we may know Him more fully, and to follow the apostle, who expresseth himself thus. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

more.