272 268 SERMO XVII. TLE SPOON SELVIN ON TET CIRCUMCISION. A Praise his name and give thanks to it; that, str nobody will deny Lm, arist and thanks for what he has dua by it Anà, 5, love is name we must 100; love to think of “. love to be sperking of reported of the holy Ignatio that the name of Jesus was se faguently in his mouth, th it was even hand ma a is bear when he was dea found written there in garden characters: and it is affriad by good authors... Of that this sweet name were writte in our hearts toe wilt we are bring; that it were dail modiisted upon sad hearty hored by us as it should! We would then. 5. 191 I aftener than we do, be eva John xat, calling on it. We have I MILIN T be heard for "whatever we ask in 4,” ani wy hay an arthaotic example, Christ's ebru M. frst meter, se to do. de ve no aird, then, of the tongues of foolish men, but open ve the morning and shut in th evening with a bega mi mi our days with it in our mouths with it of 7. Nay issty, born and end or works and actions ào sà in the mane of the Lord Jesus,” “whatsoever we de in vari æ hæl" says the Apostle there: we oan mother beg 1 na alime. How sweet is the name Josus, or a Sivier sa the ost of our work, to save and keep us from £.. namig 11' How sweet is it, again. when we have done. 2 we can say Jesus again; that we have den stad by a hea sowin and shall one day be saved through it, tha 78s runs trough £i rith us! So then remember we ze born and end in Tess: the New Testa ment, the ovenant of our sisala, bagus and ends so. * The grantes d'os's adegas; and -Come, Lond Jesus!" so tek kuwĹels wor are going hoare, comment, or seta with S. Sagben, into his hands; and when he comes, nuk novoe them to sing and when we praises and debyths to his lesseÈ LA LÍN the saints and angels is is clonus kazkam ize ever And when they were come into the house, they saw the young : him and when they had opened their treasures, they pre- XVIII. A DAY, this, of the luckiest aspect; a text, this, of the SERMON happiest success that ever travellers met with never had journey better success, never pains more happily bestowed than in the text, and on the day. Christ, the end of all our travel, the full reward of all our pains, was here this day found by the "wise men," after a twelve days' journey. And what wise man would not think himself well paid for all his labour, were it not so many days, but years—not so many years, but ages-so that after all he might bless his eyes with this happy sight? Well may these fortunate travellers in thankfulness fall down and worship and offer presents. Wise men could do no other; and we, if we be wise, will do no less. For ordinary and common blessings we bend our knees and present our offerings to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; but for the Lord Jesus Christ himself, it is not bending, but falling down-not offering of all praises only, but praises and offerings of all-ourselves, and all we have-which can any way look like a thankfulness correspondent to so great a benefit. XVII. SERMON this name is the oil to lenify and cure them: pour it out upon them. Art thou to encounter death itself? in this name thou shalt overcome it, deliver up thy soul but in it. It is a name of truth and fidelity: thou canst not distrust it. It is a name of might and power: thou mayest rest upon it. It is a name of majesty and glory: thou must exalt it. It is a name of grace and mercy: thou must praise him for it, and commit thyself unto it. It is a name of sweetness and comfort thou must "rejoice and be glad in it." It is a name of wonder and admiration: thou must admire and declare it. It is a name of adoration: thou must now adore it too. : 2. "Bow the knee," says the Apostle, or bow down at it. Ps. cxi. 9. "Holy and reverend is his name," says the Psalmist. And if reverend, it may be revered, it may be worshipped. I speak not of the syllables and letters, but of the sense. When we hear the name of Jesus, I suppose there is none so little Christian but that he will confess I may lift up my heart and praise him for the mercy and benefits that I remember and am put in mind of by it; and where I bow my soul, may I not bow my body? The text is plain enough, Phil. ii. 10. that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow: should, though they do not, or else shall, when they will not, and where they would not,-when they come among those that are 66 under the earth." And was ever more need to do it than in an age where it is doubted whether he be or God or Saviour-where it is questioned so often whether there were ever such a name to be saved by, and we not rather saved every one in his own? Is it not high time to revive this honour to it, that the world may know "we acknowledge him" to be God, "to be the Lord," and are not ashamed to confess it? But to sift the matter, and speak home, Is this doing any other than only one particular way of praising, glorifying, and magnifying of the name? and are not all the Scriptures expressions so for doing that, and for declaring it? and is this any more? How ordinary are the phrases of exalting, and blessing, and praising, and sanctifying of his Ps. xxix. 2. name, and making of it to be glorious-of a "glory due to Ps. lxvi. 2. his name " of the "honour of his name"-to be sung forth! And sure the Scripture knows how to speak. And though the name of Jesus be not, I confess, directly and immediately meant in those places, but the name of God; yet thus much we have certain thence, that (i.) the honour done to his name, be it by words or any expression else,-for all our outward expressions have the same ground and reason,-are duties of the text: and that (ii.) the name of Jesus being now the name of God, it can be no superstition to do the same to that. Now the Jews, I must tell you, never mentioned the name of God without an adoration and a Benedictus; whenever they mentioned it they bowed themselves, and added always, "blessed for ever," or "blessed for evermore," as you have S. Paul, Rom. i. 25; 2 Cor. i. 3; Ephes. i. 3; 1 Pet. i. 3; 2 Cor. xi. 31; 1 Tim. vi. 15; nay, doing no less to the name of Christ, Rom. ix. 5, mentioning him there with the same words after it. So that it is but reasonable to suppose the Christians should do as much to the name of Jesus; thereby to possess themselves that he was God, and to possess others against those rising heresies that were then starting up to rob him of the honour of his Godhead. And I cannot but fear that such as obstinately deny this worship to it, do as inwardly grudge at that article of faith that believes him to be God; and are little better in their hearts than old Arians or new Socinians, or well looking towards them. But I add no more; only remember you, that we daily cry out in the Te Deum, "We worship thy name ever world without end:" and if we do not, why do we say so? But say that or not, say good of it, however, I hope we will; and, as David's phrase is, "speak good of his name:" omnia bona dicere, say all the good, speak of all the good, we receive by it. SERMON XVII. 3. Say good of it, and make others say good of it; not give others occasion to speak ill of it, "to blaspheme that holy [James ii. name by which we are called;" not blaspheme it ourselves, 7.] neither by our words nor by our actions; not blaspheme it by oaths and curses; not blaspheme it by our evil lives; not use it irreverently, not speak of it slightly, not cause others to say, Lo, these are your Christians, these your professors to worship Jesus-men that cannot so much as speak well of his name, which they pretend to be saved by! Carry ourselves we will, I hope, as men that have a portion in Jesus, a share in salvation. SERMON 13, 14. 4. Praise his name and give thanks to it; that, sure, nobody will deny him, praise and thanks for what he has done by it. And, 5, love his name we must too; love to think of it, love to be speaking of it. It is reported of the holy Ignatius, that the name of Jesus was so frequently in his mouth, that it was even found written in his heart when he was dead, found written there in golden characters: and it is affirmed by good authors. Oh that this sweet name were written in our hearts too while we are living; that it were daily meditated upon and heartily loved by us as it should! We would then, 6, call upon it oftener than we do, be ever John xiv. calling on it. We have a promise to be heard for "whatever we ask in it;" and we have an authentic example, Christ's Acts vii.59. first martyr, so to do. Be we not afraid, then, of the tongues of foolish men, but open we the morning and shut in the evening with it, begin and end our days with it in our mouths. [Col. iii. 17.] 7. Nay, lastly, begin and end all our works and actions with it, "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus," "whatsoever we do in word or deed," says the Apostle there: we can neither begin nor end better. How sweet is the name of Jesus, or a Saviour, at the onset of our work, to save and keep us from all miscarriage in it! How sweet is it, again, when we have done, if we can say Jesus again; that we have [been] saved by it, been saved in it, and shall one day be saved through it; that Jesus runs through all with us! So then remember we to begin and end all in Jesus; the New Testament, the covenant of our salvation, begins and ends so. "The generation of Jesus," so it begins; and “Come, Lord Jesus!" so it ends. May we all end so too; and when we are going hence, commend our spirits, with S. Stephen, into his hands; and when he comes, may he receive them to sing praises and allelujahs to his blessed name, amidst the saints and angels, in his glorious kingdom for ever. |