1 Cor. ix.22.

=pwrǹ) a commander and a faviour, (or redeemer ;) as he who by his happy conduct did free them from Egyptian slavery f. So is Jesus called åpxnyòs tñs owinplas, (the Captain of our falvation, Heb. ii. 10.) ȧpxnyòs Swñs, (the Captain of life, the chief Leader of us into the way of eternal life and falvation, A&s iii. 15.) ågxnyòs #isews, (the Captain of our faith, he that brought us into the belief of that faving doctrine, which is the power of God to falvation, Heb. xii. 2. Rom. i. 16.) and these titles we find together attributed to him, (Acts v. 31.) Him hath God exalted, ágxnyov σwinpa, as a Captain and Saviour. And thus hath he conducted us first by inftruction, fhewing and teaching us the way of falvation, (the doing of which we fee often called faving, because it hath fo much efficacy Rom.xi.14. towards the effecting falvation,) God's gracious intentions 1 Tim. iv. of mercy toward us, the conditions of duty required by 16. God from us, the great encouragements to faving obe- Jam. v. 20. dience and determents from destructive disobedience; the whole will of God, and concernment of man respecting falvation, he hath revealed unto us; No man hath ever John i. 18. feen God, (not his face or nature, not his purpose and pleasure,) the only begotten Son, being in the bofom of the Father, (ixeivos Enyhσalo,) he hath reported and expounded him unto us all that excellent doctrine, which he that heartily believes and faithfully practifes according to, fhall infallibly be faved, he was the first author and doctor of: God faved and called us, as St. Paul tells us, with 2 Tim. i. 9. a holy call, (called us out of the way of error and wickedness and mifery, into the way of truth and righteoufness and happiness,) according to his purpose and grace, πρωτότοκος (his gracious defign,) that was bestowed upon us in Chriftin xe, Jefus before the world began; but being now made mani-Y fest by the appearing of our Saviour Chrift Jefus, who puru is a hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to θαρσίαν ὁδόν. light by the Gospel. By him the owlipios xápis (the grace Tit. ii. 11,

f Thus Demetrius, by the Athenians, was entitled gyśons xai owong; for delivering them from the Macedonian subjection, and reftoring to them their liberty.

να γίνηται

Cyr. Alex.

12.

of God that bringeth falvation) did appear unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we Should live foberly, and righteously, and piously, in this world. Neither by his doctrine only, but by his example and real performance he hath conducted us in the fame blessed path he hath refolutely marched before us through all the most difficult and dangerous paffages; charging, beating back, and breaking through all the forces of our enemies; enduring painfully the most furious affaults of the world, and powerfully fubduing the most malicious rage 1 Cor. xv. of hell. O death, where is thy fiing? O hell, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory by our Lord Jefus Chrift. Victory and falvation (from 1 Pet. ii. 21. death and hell) we shall be certain of, if we pursue his Steps, and do not bafely or falsely defert fo good a leader; Heb. xii. 1, If with patience we run the race that is fet before us, looking unto the captain and perfecter of our faith, Jefus; who for the joy propofed unto him endured the cross, defpifed the fhame, and hath fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. Would it not raise and inflame any courage, to fee his Commander adventure fo boldly upon all dangers, to endure fo willingly all hardships?

55, 57.

2.

2. But he was also farther (in a more excellent and peculiar manner) our Saviour, in that he purchased for us falvation, freeing us from the captivity we were detained in, from the obnoxioufnefs to punishment we were subjected to, by yielding himself a ranfom for us, offering his life a facrifice for our fins, procuring by his merit and fuffering, in our stead and behalf, the pardon of our fins, Acts v. 31. and reconciliation with God. Him, fay Peter and the Apoftles, hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Ifrael 1 Tim. ii. 6, and remiffion of fins. He gave himself, ávlíλulpov úñèp wávMatt. xx. Twv, (a ransom inftead of all:) We have redemption through Ephef. i. 7. his blood, the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of Col. i. 14. his grace: He bare himfelf He bare himself our fins in his own body upon i. 18, 19. the tree: He by the eternal Spirit offered up himself a spotHeb. ix. 14. lefs facrifice to God, being thereby a propitiation for our

28.

Vid. Pet.

1 Pet. ii. 24.

1 John ii. 2. iv. 10. ἱλασμός. ἱλατήριον. Rom. iii. 25.

Col. i. 20,

fins and the fins of the whole world: God by him did re- 2 Cor. v. 19. concile the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their tranfgreffions. Thus doth the Scripture declare Jefus to have been our Saviour: for he not only leads us in the way, but (as a gracious reward of our faithful and conftant adherence to him) has given us the promise of eternal joy and happiness.

3. He is, thirdly, our Saviour by communication of spiritual strength and power, whereby we are enabled to refift and overcome the enemies of our foul and our falvation, freeing us from the dominion of fin and Satan. Our own reason, however aided by exterior inftruction and excitement, being unable to deal with those powerful temptations, oppofitions, and difcouragements we are to encounter with, he hath given us a wife and powerful Spirit, to guide and advise us, to excite and encourage us, to relieve and fuccour us, in all our religious practice and welfare; fo that all deliverance from the prevalency of temptation and fin we owe to his grace and affiftance. By our faithful embracing Chrift's doctrine and yoke, our old man Rom. vi. 6, is crucified with him, that the body of fin may be defroyed, 14, 18, 22. So that we henceforth fhould not ferve fin. Sin fhall no longer lord it over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace: being freed from fin, we are fubjected to righteoufnefs, and made fervants to God; having our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life: The law of the Rom.viii. 2. Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath freed us from the law of fin and of death. Thus is Jefus our Saviour.

4. He is fo, laftly, by final conferring upon us, and crowning us with falvation. He not only led us in the way, and hath purchased for us the means, and helps us in the prosecution, and hath promised unto us, but will actually bestow upon us, (as a gracious reward of our faithful and conftant adherence to him,) eternal joy and happinefs: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 2 Tim. iv. I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous judge, Shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them alfo that shall have loved his appearance. He is able Heb.vii. 25.

7, 8.

2, 22.

to fave them to the uttermoft that come unto God by him, John xvii. Seeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. Thou haft given him (thou, O Father, to thy Son Jesus haft given) the power of all flesh, that he should give eternal life to all that thou haft given him, (that is, to all who by God's grace have perfifted in faithful obedience to him.) Heb. xii. 2. The glory which thou haft given me, I have given unto them. Thus is he the agxnyos xai TEXEITǹs, the beginner, carrier on, and accomplisher of our falvation; and therefore most appofitely was named Jefus; the name which anciently that most valiant and fuccessful captain did bear, who did of all moft livelily represent and prefignify him, and had therefore queftionless by God's fecret providence this name affigned him.

I need not now much to mind you what refpect, what love, what gratitude the very mention of this name, the confideration of these benefits towards us implied thereby, fhould beget in us. He that should freely, with great inconvenience to himself, come out of his own way, to fhew us ours, bringing us out of a road tending unto certain destruction into a most pleasant and fafe way, furely leading unto the end of our defires, we should think ourselves much obliged unto: he that should draw us out of a wretched flavery, deftitute of all eafe, comfort, or hope, by frankly yielding up himself a ranfom for us, we could not know how fufficiently to value his kindness toward us: he that, when we were fentenced to death, (a death of torment endless and remedilefs,) fhould not only expofe his life for our delivery, but undergo willingly a painful John xv.13. and disgraceful execution in our ftead; what fhould we think of his friendship? what expreffion could reach it? he, lastly, that from a state of extreme penury, baseness, and difconfolacy, fhould raife us to the highest pitch of wealth, dignity, and happiness, how could we worthily thank him, how love or honour him enough? This and much more, much more than we can conceive or express, hath Jefus done for us: well therefore ought our hearts to melt with affection in thinking of him, our knees to bend with reverence at the mention of his name. It con

cerns us also to take care that his fo excellent endeavours for our falvation be not fruftrated; that he be, as well in effect as defign and virtue, our Saviour. What a folly were it, what a crime to neglect (to render useless and in- Heb. ii. 3. effectual) fo great falvation!

IT is a title or name importing office and dignity, the

15.

XXX.23, &c.

Vid. Pfal.

fame with Meffias; this in Greek, that in Hebrew figni- 1 Kings xix. fying The Anointed. Of ancient times, in the eastern countries, (abounding as with good oil, fo with many delicate odoriferous fpices,) it feems, by Hazael's inunction, to have been the manner (it was fo, however, among the Jews) to separate (or confecrate) perfons (and things too, I might add) defigned to great and extraordinary employments, by anointing them with ointments composed Vid. Exod. of thofe ingredients; fymbolizing, (or devoting,) it seems, thereby both a plentiful effufion upon them of gifts, qualifying them for their employment, and a comfortable and pleasant diffufion of good and grateful effects expected from them, from the ufe of things and the performances of perfons fo fanctified. Thy name, faith the Spouse in the Cant. i. 2. Canticles, is an ointment poured forth; that is, very de- cxxxiii. lightful and acceptable; and fo were thofe offices hoped to be, to which men by fuch unction were confecrated. We find especially three forts of perfons to whom this confecration did belong by divine appointment; kings, and priests, and prophets; who are therefore (all of them) styled God's anointed; kings and priests more frequently, but fometimes also prophets; Touch not mine anointed, 1 Chr. xvi. and do my prophets no harm; where prophets and anointed 22. do seem to denote the fame thing, and to expound one the other; for Abraham (whom with the other patriarchs those words do concern) is called a prophet, and because Gen. xx. 7. so, seems here styled God's anointed. Of priests, (though at firft all the fons of Aaron were thus confecrated, according to that law, Exod. xxx. 30.) Thou shalt anoint Aaron Exod.xl.15. and his fons, that they may minifter unto me in the priest's xxx. 30. office; yet they tell us, that afterward, in all courfe of