SERMON IV.

Of doing all in the Name of Christ.

COLOSS. iii. 17.

And whatfoever ye do in word, or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus.

s

WHATSOEVER ye do in word, or deed: A duty S ER M. we see the Apostle enjoins us of a large ex- IV. tent, and therefore furely of a great importance; indeed of an univerfal concernment; fuch as muft go along with, muft run through, all our words and all our actions. We are therefore much obliged, and much concerned to attend thereto, and to practife it carefully. But firft we must understand what it is; the doing whereof depends upon understanding the sense of that phrafe (doing in the name of Jefus) being fomewhat ambiguous, and capable of divers meanings; which both in common use and in holy Scripture we find it to bear, different according to the variety of matters or occafions to which it is applied; most of which are comprehended, and, as it were, complicated in that general one, according to which we may be faid to do that in another perfon's name, which we do with any kind of reference or regard to him; fuch as our relations or our obligations to that perfon do require, and the particular

VOL. II.

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nature

IV.

SER M. nature of the action doth admit. And according to this acceptation I conceive it safest and best to interpret Saint Paul's meaning here, fuppofing it to comprehend all the more fpecial and reftrained meanings of this phrafe, truly applicable to the prefent matter; of which meanings I fhall endeavour in order to propound the chief; and together, both to unfold and to inculcate the feveral refpective branches of this duty. Yet first of all rejecting one or two, which cannot well be applied to this purpofe.

5.

To do in another's name, doth fometime denote the affuming another's perfon, or pretending to be Matt. xxiv. the fame with him, the very He. So, many shall come in my name, (prophefied our Saviour) faying, I am Chrift: to do thus in Jefus's name is the part of an Antichrift, and an impoftor. That fenfe therefore hath nothing to do here.

14.

Jo. v. 43.

2 Cor. v. 20.

Again; to do in another's name, doth often imply doing alterius loco, or vice; in another's name, or ftead, as a deputy, or fubftitute; representing the perfon, or fupplying the office of another. So Jer. vii. 13. did the Prophets come, and fpeak in God's name; what xxvi. 5.xiv. they declared, or enjoined, being therefore faid to Jam. v. 10. be declared and enjoined by God himself: I speak Ezr. v. 1. unto you, rifing up early, and fpeaking, (viz. by the Prophets, whom he fent, and who are faid to come and fpeak in his name.) And thus the Apoftles fpake in Chrift's name: We are ambasadors for Chrift; we pray you in Chrift's ftead, be reconciled. Rom. xiii. Thus alfo princes govern, and magiftrates execute Deut. i. 17. juftice in God's name; whence they are ftyled Gods, as being his lieutenants, adminiftering that judg ment which belongs originally and principally to him. Now for this fenfe, neither is it fo proper, or convenient here; it agreeing only to fome particular perfons, and to fome peculiar actions of them; infomuch, that others prefuming to act, according to that manner or kind, in Jefus's name, fhall thereby

4.

become

IV.

become ufurpers and deceivers. We (and to us alls ER M. this precept is directed) fhall heinoufly tranfgrefs iv. our duty, doing any thing thus in his name, without his letters of credence; without being fpecially called or fent, or being duly by him authorised thereto.

These and fuch like fenfes the prefent matter doth not well admit the reft that fuit thereto I fhall with fome diftinction in order reprefent.

Mark ix.

41.

xxiv. 9.

xix. 29.

Matt. xviii.

I. To do in another's name fometime doth fignify to do it out of affection or honour to another; for another's fake, because we love or esteem him; ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι being equivalent to ἕνεκα τῇ ὀνόματα, Compare and dia To čvoμa. Thus it is faid, Whofoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name; becaufe ye Matt. x. 41. are Chrift's, (is added by way of interpretation, that is, out of refpect to Chrift, because of your relation to him,) shall not lofe his reward. And thus furely we ought to do every thing in Jesus's name: all our actions ought to proceed from a principle of grateful love and reverence towards our gracious Redeemer.. Let all your actions be done in charity, faith the Apo-1 Cor. xvi. ftle; if in charity to our neighbour, then much1+ more in love to him, for whofe fake we are especially bound to love our neighbour. Upon any undertaking, or applying ourselves to action, we fhould fo reflect thereupon, as to confider, whether that we are going about be apt to please him, and conducible to his honour; if fo, remembering what he hath done and fuffered for us, (what excellent bleffings he hath purchased for us, what exceeding benefits he hath conferred upon us,) we fhould out of love and respect to him readily perform it; but if it otherwife appear difpleafing or difhonourable to him, we should, from the fame principles, carefully decline it. The duty is certain, and the reafon thereof evident; for inducement to the practice thereof, obferve St. Paul's example; who thus represents himself in the main employment of his life,

IV.

θα αὐτῷ εὐ

14.

SER M. acting, The love of Chrift conftrains us; judging this, that he died for all, that they who live might not live to themfelves, but to him that died and rofe for them: The love of Chrift, begot and maintained by a confiderprivat. ation of his great benefits conferred on him, was the 2 Cor. v. 9. fpring that fet St. Paul on work, that excited and Theff. ii. urged him forward to action. Thus doing, we shall do in Jefus's name; but if we act out of love to 1 Pet. v.2. ourselves, (to promote our own interefts, to gratify Philipp. i. our own defires, to procure credit or praife to ourMatt. xxiii. felves,) we act only in our own names, and for our own fakes; not in the name, or for the fake of Jefus.

6.

Tit. i. 11.

15.

5.

John vii.

18. viii. 54. X. 25. V.

28. ix. 3,4.

Ileb. ix.

12.

II. To do in another's name implies doing (chiefly) for the intereft or advantage of another, upon another's behalf or account, as the fervants or factors of another. For, when the business is another's, and the fruit or benefit emergent belong to another, he that profecutes that bufinefs may well be, and is commonly, fuppofed to act in that other's name. Thus our Saviour is in St. John's Gofpel expreffed to come, to fpeak, to act in God's name; because he 43. 36. vi. did God's bufinefs, (the work which God gave him to 1 Cor. vi. accomplish) and entirely fought the glory of God, as he 19. vii. 23. there himfelf often avouches and profeffes. And thus, in imitation of him, ought we alfo to do all 1 Pet. i. 18. things in his name; remembering that we are not our own men, but the fervants of Jefus, (fervants to him not only by nature, as to our Maker and Preferver, but by purchase, as to our Redeemer, who bought us with the greateft price; and by compact alfo, we having freely undertaken his fervice, and expecting wages from him,) that we have therefore no bufinefs or employment properly our own, but that all our bufinefs is (or fhould be) to ferve him, 1 Cor. x. and promote his glory; Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we should do all to the glory of our Lord. Whatever, I fay, we do, we therefore fhould perform it with this formal reference, as it were, toward

Rom. xiv.

8, 9.

31.

Jefus,