Book II. THENAME OF CHRIST LIKE TO PRECious OINTMENT. 381 SIMILE. PARALLEL Text fay s, the whole Houfe was filperfumes as it were all Perfons and Places where led with the Odor thereof. he cometh; the Perfon, Example, Paffion, Inter– cefiion, Word, Promifes, Ordinances of Chrift. I!. Ointment hath an exhilarat– ing Virtue, it chears, elevates. and makes theHeart glad, Prov. xxvii. 9· Ointment and Perfume rejoice the Heart; hence the Anrients in their Banquetings and joyful Feaft– ings, ufed choice and pecious Ointments, Amos Vl. 6. "' III. Oil hath a drawing and cleanfing~ality in it; it is power– ful in attracting, or drawing Pol– lution or noxious Matter out of Wound3 or Sores in the Body. are of a fweet Savor, Rev. viii. 3, + I!. Jefus Chrift, and the Spirit that Aows or proceeds from him, is of agladening, refrefhing and comforting Nature, Heb. i, 9· he anoints his Saints, gives the Sorrowful the Oil of Gladnefs for the Spirit of Heavincfs, 'J'hou haft put Gladnefs in my Heart, more thmr in the 'I'ime when their Corn and their Wine increa}ed, !Ja. )xi. 3· Pfal. iv. 7· III. Chrift draws the Soul (when "is Name is poured out fo, that the Soul feels the Nature of his fovereign Love and Grace) out of the vVorld, and the Kingdom of Satan, and from all Un– cleannefs of the He,art and Life to himfelf. Saith Chrift, And ifI be lifted up from the Earth, I will draw all Men unto me ; With L oving-kindnefs have I drawn thee; Draw me, and 1will run after thee, Cant. i. 4· John xii. 32. Jer. xxxi. 3· Chrift draws the Soul from Sin, and Sin from the Soul; and fo cleanfeth it thereby. IV. Ointment hath a mollifying IV, Chrifl:'s Name pour/!6 forth, viz. his Perand fuppling Virtue, it will foften feet ions and Excellencies made known to a Sinner, any hard Tumor or Swelling in prefently foftens his hard adamant·like Heart: the Body; the Lord alludes to this: all the Hearts of Sinners that have been broken ']'hey have not been mollified with and made tender, have been fo by the Virtue of· Oi>ztment, !fa. i. 6. this precious mollifying Ointment. V. Ointment is of a beautifying V, This fpiritual Ointment will fetch out all Nature; David tells us, it makes the Stains and Spots of Sin; all thofe Blemilhes the Face to iliine, Pfal. civ. ' 5· ant! Wrinkles of the Soul; of which the Apoltle N aturalil:ts fay there is a Sort fpeaks, that fo we may be prefented amiable in of Ointment that will fetch out the Sight of God. Believers have no Beauty but Wrinkles . what they have from Chrilt, Eph. v. 27. VI. Some Ointments are of VI. The Lord J efus Chrift is of an inefl:imable great Worth and Value, as appears Worth; who is able to account the Value of this not only by Hifl:orians, but by Box of precious Ointment? Wifdom is the prin– what is faid of that Box Mary becipal Thing, (Chrijf is the Wifdom) of God, 1 Cor, flowed upon our blelfed Savior, i. 24. its Price is above Rubies, Prov, iii. 1 5· Matt. xxvi. 7· VII. Ointments are ofa healing Nature. . VIII. Some Ointments are of a ftrengthening Nature; the Joints being weak and benumbed, or Parts of the Body anointed therewith, it recovers their Strength. VII. Chrifl: heals the Soul ; he is not only the Phylician, but his Blood, and the precions Graces of his Spirit, are the Balm or Ointment that cures all our Sores. VIII. All fpiritual Strength is from Chrifl: ; it is he only that comfirms and ftrengthens the feeble Knees, and the Hands that hang down, Eph. vi. 10. Heb. xii. 12. it is he that ftren gthens our Hearts in the Day of Trouble, and weakens the Hands of our Enemies, Pfal. xxxi. 24. IX. Ointment being poured IX. TheName of Chrift hath not that fragrant forth, denotes the Ufe of it; it is Smell, nor appears of that great Worth and Ex– of little Profit whilft it is kept clofe . cellency, till poured forth in the Miniftry of the !hut up in the Box, nor cloth it Word by the Spirit and in his Ordinances: that is yield that fragrant Smell till pourthe Way of opening this precious Alabafter-Box, ed forth . which, like Pipes, conveys the golden Oil to the Lamps ; thus Chrift manifefted the Savor of his _l(nowledge by the Apofl:les in feveral Places, 2 Cor. ii. 14, •5· X. Ointment poured forth, deX. The Lord Jefus hath a great Plenty of all notes Plenty ; as one obferves good and fweet Perfumes, and precious Things in 5 E him,
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