84 The Irt, flitution and Government Offices alfo, thou art Chrift, he owns him to be the Anoint- ed of the Lord : God's Chrift and God's Anointed is the fame Thing, Pfal. ii. 2. Compared with Ads iv. 26. He that is the Lord's 4nointed in the Pfalms, is called his Chrifi in thei47s. Now as he is the Lord's Anointed, he is Pro. phet, Prieft, and King: Luke iv. IS. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, becaufe the Lord bath anointed me to preach the Gofpel unto the' Poor, -there is his Prophetical Office; to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, there is his Kingly Office ; and to open the Prifòn- doors, or to fit at Liberty thofe that are bound, there is his Prieftly Office. And the Son is not only owned in his Natures, in his Offices, but the Father alfo, the Son of the living God; here is ;iothing . in this Conferfon but what refpetts Fundamentals, nor was there more in the Confeffion of the Eunuch, Acts viii. 37. I believe that jefus Chriii is the Son of God. Nor do I think there was more in the Gonfefion that was made by the three thoufand, .l'7s ii. 4s. Upon which they were baptized and added unto the Church. And I have thefe Reafons for it : t.) Becaufe Chrift tells us, that upon this Rock (that is upon Chrift fo confeil, as Peter had confect him) he would build his Church. (z.) Becaufe thefe new Converts had but little Time to be made acquainted with leffer Points of Divinity; the Sub - ftance of the Doecrine preached' to them antecedent to their Converfion, is contained in the preceding Part of the Chapter, wherein the Fundamentals of Religion are declar- ed in a great Meafure; and it was, upon the owning, receiv- ing, and embracing that Dottrine, they were baptifed and added to the Church. Then they 'hat gladly received the Word, were baptized, and thefame Day there were added unto them about three thoufand Souls. z. Churches may not be too firia in enquiring into their Experiences, as to the particular Time and Means of their Converfion; poffibly the Work may be carried on fo gradually with fome, efpecially with fuch as have been brought up in religious Families, that they may not be able to give a particular Account, and yet may be able to evidence the Truth of their Converfion. Some
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