THE Free Presbyterian Magazine and MONTHLY RECORD

VOL. XLII.

May, 1937.

No. 1.

The Coronation.

THE crowning of a King who is to reign over an Empire so extensive as the British Empire is an event that is fitted to awaken in all serious minded persons a feeling of solemnity. The press has been busy instructing its readers as to the signification of the various symbols in the elaborate ritual of the Coronation ceremony and by the time of the date of the Coronation no one can blame the press for not working up the people to a high pitch of enthusiasm. The vast concourse that will gather in London to witness the procession to the Abbey must be giving those who are responsible for handling them great anxiety and concern and it ought to be our prayer that nothing untoward will happen to mar the proceedings. The ritual in connection with the ceremony, though shorter than at former coronations is still very lengthy, will tax to the utmost the chief actors—the King and the Queen—and the officials engaged in carrying out the elaborate ritual. Many of our readers will remember that within two days of the coronation of Edward VII. the stunning announcement was made that the King was in surgeons’ hands stricken with appendicitis. The decorations were taken down, the bonfires remained unlit, and the joy and rejoicing came to an end and an awe fell upon the people throughout the Empire. Meetings which had been appointed by the Presbyteries of our Church met notwithstanding and while confessing national sins, prayer was made to God for the restoration of the King. It was a very solemnising intervention on God’s part in the affairs of men. A reminder to them that by Him kings reign and princes decree justice and that the King of Great Britain sits on the throne by the grace of God whether men acknowledge it in words or not.

In reading through the account of the ritual at the Coronation one cannot say it makes its appeal to a true Presbyterian. There is far too much of the ritualistic element in the ceremony. At Edward VII.’s coronation a richly bound Bible was offered by the Bible Society but it was rejected because it did not contain the Apocrypha. The words uttered by the Archbishop in handing the Bible to the King are very beautiful as descriptive of God’s Word were the Apocrypha not in the volume. The act of handing a Bible to the Sovereign is said to go back to the time of Edward VI., England’s pious youthful King. At such a time as this it would be a great day for the British Empire if the thoughts of the people would be turned to Him whom the Father has crowned with a crown of the purest gold, whose sceptre is a sceptre of righteousness and whose dominion is an everlasting dominion.

Our Sovereign and his Consort have come to the throne through the gate of humiliating sorrow for themselves and the nation, and they need the prayers of all God’s people so that they may be enabled to serve Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords. The tremendous responsibilities to which King George was so suddenly and unexpectedly called will awaken sympathy for him by all right thinking men, in the onerous and exalted position to which he has been called to rule over such a vast empire. May he and the Queen be blessed of the Lord and be made a blessing.

Sermon.

By REV. JOHN LOVE, D.D.

“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. 38).

IF our eyes were spiritually opened to see into this text, we would find therein such discoveries of the glory of Christ, as would fill our souls with inexpressible joy. Nor is there any thing betwixt us and such joyful views, but the darkness and unbelief of our hearts. But if many of them, who were eye-witnesses of these things, remained in unbelief, it is not to be wondered at, that many of those do so, who have only the report concerning Christ. Blessed, however, according to the word of Christ, are they, who have not outwardly seen, and yet have believed! It is only the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, who can, even in the most advantageous circumstances, give a sinner gracious views of Him. And the Spirit is as able to do this now, as in those days when Christ was on earth. The preaching concerning Christ, however mean its outward appearance, is that whereby the Spirit of God performs those great works. And if He be present now to heal us, we shall have such sights of the Lord Jesus, even before we leave this place, as will knit our hearts to Him, that we shall never afterwards depart from following after Him.

In endeavouring to discourse from this text, I propose, I. To consider that preparation for his public work, which was bestowed on the Lord Jesus. II. That Divine presence which was with him therein. III. The particular view of his public character and work which this text affords us. IV. I shall illustrate the connection and reference of this part of his character, to those parts thereof, which are elsewhere expressly delineated.

I. I am to consider that preparation for his public work, which was bestowed upon the Lord Jesus.

“How,” saith Peter, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.” The ancient prophets, priests, and kings were anointed. But their unction was only a shadow of that here spoken of.

1. It is the human nature of Christ that is to be considered as the subject of this anointing, If we speak of Him, as He is the Second Person in the Godhead,—in that view, He is to be considered as infinitely superior to all possibility of any such thing as unction. In that view, His divine glory is incapable of increase, as it is of diminution. All is unchangeably infinite in Christ, as He is God. He behoved to assume a human nature before He could be thus anointed; and it was the mysterious union of His human nature with the Divine, which rendered that human nature susceptible of the peculiar, distinguishing unction here spoken of.

2. The anointing of the Lord Jesus with the Spirit, refers chiefly to that abundant and incomparable fullness of the Spirit, in His various influences, which was personally communicated to Him, and poured into His holy human soul (Isa. xi. 2, 3). The effects of that communication of the Spirit, are personal on Christ Himself. The variety of these operations and influences of the Spirit, with regard to His members, is intimated in that expression (Rev. i. 4)—”The seven Spirits which are before the throne.” And this variety is to be transferred by analogy to Him as the Head.

3. Among these various influences of the Spirit, in the human nature of Christ, that wherein they all centered, and were united in a glorious harmony and subordination, was His influences as the Spirit of Holiness. Therefore the Spirit, in this text, has this title assigned Him, “The Holy Ghost,” not merely because of His essential holiness, but from the holy tendency and effects of His operations. It was on this account, that Christ was styled the Holy One of God; and that, even by the infernal spirits, who were struck with horror by the contrast betwixt His illustrious holiness, and their own diabolical profanity and impurity. This eminent and distinguished holiness—I mean, not only in comparison of sinful men, but of the purest seraphim in heaven—diffused an amiable and splendid lustre over every thing else in the human soul of Christ. It shone forth in that peculiar ardour of love to God, which burned in Him with such a steady and intense heat, that He might say without exaggeration, “The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up” (John ii. 17). And in that holy compassion, condescension, and benignity towards the human race, which, in its height and depth, its breadth and length, passed knowledge. Ps. xlv. 7: “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Isa. xi. 3, 4, 5: “And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: but with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.” All this holiness was the effect of the peculiar unction of the Spirit. And hereby He was especially prepared, both as the Lamb of God, and for the great acts of offering up Himself, as the grand sacrifice of expiation.

4. This personal anointing of the Lord Jesus, whereby He was prepared for His public work, was begun at the moment of His conception, and carried on till it was completed at His baptism. It was the overshadowing power of the Holy Ghost, whereby His human body was formed in the womb of the virgin. And the Spirit then was at work also with regard to His human soul. For, if His forerunner was so early influenced by the Spirit, even while in the womb of his mother, how much more shall we not believe, that the Spirit of holiness dwelt in the human nature of the Lord Jesus, while in that humble recess! Therefore, the blessed babe is thus denominated by the angel, in his speech to Mary, “That holy thing which shall be born of thee.” To this early beginning of the mysterious unction of Christ, we find references in the ancient predictions concerning Him. Isa. xlix. 1, 2, 3: “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far. The Lord hath called me from the womb: from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name. And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He hid me, and said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” And again, verse 5th of the same chapter: “And now, saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him.” And in Psalms xl. 6: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: mine ears hast thou opened: burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required;” compared with Heb. x. 5: “Wherefore, when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” The preparation of His human nature, and opening of His ears, evidently in reference to the holy influences of the Spirit, are conjoined. And, with regard to the gradual progress of this inward preparation, we may consider that remarkable testimony, Luke ii. 52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” The complacency which God had in His human nature, as it were, sweetly expanded itself in proportion to the progressive communication of the Spirit of holiness, bringing His inward sanctity to higher and higher degrees of maturity and intenseness. And parallel to this, is that testimony of the ancient prophet, Isaiah liii. 2: “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground,” &c. There are two properties here assigned to His progressive growth. The one is, that it would be in an eminent manner, “before God,” and, therefore, of a Divine, mysterious, spiritual nature, comparatively hid from all creatures, and fully understood and inspected only by the penetrating eye of Jehovah. The other property ascribed to it is, that it would be a thing unobserved, and unnoticed by carnal men. In all its progress, and brought to its intended maturity, no loveliness would be apparent to their accursed and wretched eyes; and, therefore, the progress chiefly intended in that expression, “He shall grow up,” &c. must be chiefly spiritual, and consequently no other than that of which we are now speaking. But, although the Spirit was at work with the human nature of Christ all along, and though, from the beginning, it was spotless before the holy eyes of God, His preparatory unction for His public work was not completed till the time of His baptism, when, according to the wonderful words of the evangelist, Luke iii. 23: “He began to be about thirty years of age.” On that great occasion, the full entrance of the blessed Spirit into the holy humanity of Christ, was attended with a visible emblem, intimating the nature and effects of His present and future influences, while dwelling in that most holy temple, and perfuming it with the sweet odour of heavenly purity and gentleness. I desire, with humble reverence, to rehearse the words wherein these things are declared. The important narration is four times recorded in the oracles of God. I shall only, at this time, repeat the words of the fore-cited evangelist Luke, which you will find in the 3rd chapter, verses 21, 22: “Now, when all the people were baptised, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, like a dove, upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well-pleased.”

5. The Lord Jesus, being thus personally prepared, was also officially, according to the text, “anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power.” In the opening of these, two things must be considered. (a) The things which were officially intrusted to the Lord Jesus. (b) How this trust might be called an anointing.

(a) The most remarkable things which were officially intrusted to the man Christ Jesus, as to the subordinate and obediential administration of them in His public appearance on earth, may be classed under these heads, which I shall just mention at present.—The dispensation of the pardon of sin: The communication of the Spirit in his saving influences: And the application of the power of the Godhead in miraculous works. (b) His being intrusted with these things, is justly described by His being anointed thereto.

For, it was by the peculiar influences of the Spirit, that, (1) He was fully assured of this trust being truly reposed in Him; and that the power of the Godhead, in these respects, was indeed at His command. John xiv. 10: “The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (2) And it was by the same influences that He was directed, with Divine wisdom, in the administration of this exalted trust. Isa. lii. 13: “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”

And thus I have finished what has appeared necessary to be laid before you, on this first branch of the subject namely: The preparation of the Lord Jesus, for His public work; or, “How God anointed Him,” according to the text, “with the Holy Ghost and with power.” It hath been observed, that the human nature of Christ was the proper seat of this unction, which comprehended His personal reception of the Spirit, in His various influences, especially as the Spirit of holiness, Rom. i. 4, (which reception was begun at His conception, and completed at His baptism,) and also His being officially intrusted with the dispensation of the Spirit and power of God, in various respects, during His public ministry.

II. I proceed to the next part of the subject, namely, to consider, that Divine presence which was with Him during His abode on earth.

This is intimated in the text, when it is said: “For God was with Him.” This I consider as including these three things:
1. The continued, seasonable communication of fresh influences of the Spirit, for His direction and support, through the whole of His public work. The preparation already mentioned was not enough without this. We find the Lord Jesus represented as encouraging Himself in the expectation of this. Isa. l. 7, 8, 9; John xvi. 32. This is the thing referred to in that expression concerning Him, Isa. xlii. 1: “Behold, my servant whom I uphold,” and verse 6. Psal. lxxxix. 19, 20, 21. To this, that trust in God referred, wherewith His enemies upbraided Him, and probably these secret supplications of His, of which we read in the evangelical history.

1. The actual interposition of the authority and power of the Godhead, according to the holy motions of His human will, as to these things which were intrusted to His administration (See article 5 of former head). John xi. 41, 42: “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said: Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

2. The approbation and complacency of God, as to the whole of His character and conduct, as manifest to Himself and others. This manifestation of God’s approbation of Him, was partly to the Lord Himself, and partly to others; and partly internally, and partly externally.

Even of His people it is said, Rom. viii. 16: “The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” But, how inexpressibly glorious behoved that inward testimony of the Spirit to be, in His human soul, inwardly sealing, with ineffable sweetness and certainty, what was outwardly testified concerning Him by the voices from heaven, &c.! This assurance of divine approbation, as to what He did, was intimated by Him in such expressions as these; John viii. 29: “And He that sent me is with me: The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” But there were outward testimonies given Him also, which He regarded, as at His baptism, according to the account of Mark i. 10, where it is said, that “he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him.” However, in general, these external signs were chiefly intended to help the unbelief of the people, as appears from John xii. 30, “Jesus answered and said: This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.” There was also an inward testimony of God’s approbation of Him, in the hearts and consciences of men, and that either in a common or saving way. Thus He was “justified in the Spirit” (I Tim. iii. 16). And it was on account of this inward testimony of the Spirit, that some of the Pharisees were capable of committing the sin called the “sin against the Holy Ghost,” it being against Him, not only objectively, as dwelling and working in Christ, whom they blasphemed, but also subjectively, as working in themselves, so as powerfully to convince them, in a common way, of his Divine character and mission.

III. We are now come to the third branch of the subject, namely, To consider those things which are ascribed to the public ministry of Christ, when it is said of Him, that He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.”

1. There was a beneficent tendency in the public appearance and exhibition of His Person; although He had satisfied Himself with just the internal exercise of love to God and man; and had gone out and in, just waiting the call of the Supreme Judge, to the offering up of Himself. For thus, the long-expected Lamb of God was set before the internal senses of those who had believed in Him from the Word (Luke ii. 28, 29).

2. He went about doing good, with regard to his prophetic office (John viii. 12). Never was there such an approach of the Godhead to mankind, as the fountain of light and truth, as when “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, declared Him” (John i. 18), and spake the words of God under the immeasurable influences of the Spirit—even that which He had, in an ineffable manner, seen and heard, in consequence of the personal union of His human nature with the Divine—and with inexpressible love and wisdom, authority and earnestness (John iii. 11, 13, 31, 32).

3. He laid open the fountain of all deliverance from evil, and of all good, in forgiving iniquity, Mark ii. 10: “That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.”

4. He began the communication of deliverance from evil, in the curing of various diseases, particularly in the great instance or diabolical possessions. Because our spiritual misery, under the possession of Satan, as our instigator to sin, and the instrument, in some degree, of our punishment, is little seen or regarded, and consequently deliverance thence slighted; God was pleased to permit these awful appearances of the power and cruelty of Satan, to be frequent at the time and place of the appearance of Christ. And, in granting these external deliverances, the saving power and condescending grace of the Lord Jesus were conspicuously manifested, in drawing near to those of the human race, who were in the most dismal, dreary, and unsightly condition, most remote from all other regard and help; as you may see in that remarkable narration (Mark v. 1. &c.).*

5. He began the communication of good, by supplying necessities and wants of an external kind, both as to necessaries and comforts (John vi. 2).

6. He did good, by the exhibition of the perfection of moral excellency, in the most engaging and winning manner.

7. He continued in these things with unwearied assiduity, making it his trade and business. The fountain of beneficence in him was inexhaustible (John xx. 30;—xxi. 25).

IV. I proceed to the last branch of the subject, which was, to point out the connection between these parts of the character of Christ, and other parts of His work as the Saviour of the world.

We must take our views of the character of Christ, from the whole revelation concerning Him throughout the Scripture; and we must consider every part of His character, not only distinctly by itself, but also in its connection with other parts of His character. Every partial, disjointed view of Him is, in so far, a false one.
1. In these things already mentioned, the truth of God concerning His Person was manifested. The real union of the divine and human natures; and the perfect holiness of His human nature. The majesty of Godhead, and the sympathetic condescension of humanity, appeared in these things. And the constitution of the Person of Christ, is the foundation of His character as a Saviour. Hereby His fitness for that work appeared.
2. His love, condescension, and willingness to do all that was necessary for the salvation of sinners: His philanthropy, &c. These appeared in that series of beneficence, &c.

1. The certain sufficiency and acceptableness of His whole righteousness was manifested, in His being thus empowered to begin the deliverance of sinners.

2. That course of beneficence, &c. was a part of the righteousness itself, whereby salvation is purchased. Rom. v. 19: “By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

3. And a specimen and emblem of what was to be done by Christ, after His exultation spiritually. John xiv. 12: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father.”

4. And at the day of judgment.

APPLICATION.

1. He is here proposed as the object of faith. He is ready to do good to us daily, from His throne, &c.
2. As the object of gratitude.
3. And of imitation. I John ii. 6: “He that saith, he abideth in Him, ought himself also so walk, even as He walked.” Therefore, those who can take pleasure in any kind of malice, or hurt of others, and the unprofitable, are not Christians.
   *The spirits might be called unclean, not only from their own nature, but from their influence in exciting corruption in the person possessed.