SERMON XXXIII.

OF DOING ALL IN THE NAME OF CHRIST,

COLOSS. iii. 17.

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

SERM. WHATSOEVER ye do in word, or deed: A duty we XXXIII. fee the Apoftle enjoins us of a large extent, and therefore furely of a great importance; indeed of an universal 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 practise it carefully. But firft we must understand what it is; the doing whereof depends upon understanding the fense 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 nature of the action doth admit. And according to this acception 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 respective branches of this

duty: yet first of all rejecting one or two, which cannot SERM. well be applied to this purpose.

To do in another's name, doth fometime denote the affuming another's perfon, or pretending to be the fame

XXXIII.

xxvi. 5.

Joh. v. 43.

with him, the very He. So, many fhall come in my name, Matt. xxiv. prophesied our Saviour, faying, I am Chrift: to do thus 5. in Jefus's name, is the part of an Antichrift and an impoftor. That sense therefore hath nothing to do here. 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 substitute; representing the perfon, or supplying the office of another. So did the Prophets come, and speak Jer. vii. 13. in God's name; what they declared, or enjoined, being xiv. 14. therefore said to be declared and enjoined by God him-Jam.v.1 felf: I spake unto you, rifing up early, and Speaking, (viz. Matt. x. 4. by the Prophets, whom he fent, and who are faid to come Ear. v. 1. and speak in his name.) And thus the Apostles spake in Chrift's name: We are ambasadors for Chrift; we pray 2 Cor.v. 20. you in Chrift's fiead, be reconciled. Thus alfo princes govern, and magiftrates execute juftice in God's name; Deut. i. 17. whence they are styled gods, as being his lieutenants, adminiftering that judgment 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 persons, 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 become ufurpers and deceivers. We (and to us all this precept is directed) fhall heinously tranfgrefs 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 authorized thereto.

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

Rom. xiii.

4.

Mark ix.

I. To do in another's name fometime doth fignify to do Compare it out of affection or honour to another; for another's fake, 41. because we love or esteem him; év Tự ỏvóμatı being equi- Matt. x.41, valent to ἕνεκα τοῦ ὀνόματος, and διὰ τὸ ὄνομα, Thus it is

xxiv. 9. xix. 29.

SERM. faid, Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in XXXIII. my name; because ye are Chrift's, (is added by way of in

5.

1 Cor. xvi.

14.

terpretation, that is, out of respect to Chrift, because of your relation to him,) shall not lofe his reward. And thus furely we ought to do every thing in Jefus's name: all our actions ought to proceed from a principle of grateMatt. xviii. ful love and reverence towards our gracious Redeemer. Let all your actions be done in charity, faith the Apoftle; if in charity to our neighbour, then much more in love to him, for whose fake we are especially bound to love our neighbour. Upon any undertaking, or applying our felves to action, we should 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 otherwise appear difpleafing or difhonourable to him, we should, from the fame principles, carefully decline it. The duty is certain, and the reason thereof evident; for inducement to the practice thereof, observe St. Paul's example; who thus reprefents himself in the main employment of his - life, acting, The love of Chrift confirains us; judging this, that he died for all, that they who live might not live to 2 Cor. v. 9, themfelves, but to him that died and rofe for them: the love 1 Theff. ii. of Chrift, begot and maintained by a confideration of his great benefits conferred on him, was the fpring that fet St. Paul on work, that excited and urged him forward to action. Thus doing, we fhall do in Jefus's name; but if we act out of love to ourfelves, (to promote our own interefts, to gratify our own defires, to procure credit or praise to ourselves,) we act only in our own names, and for our own fakes; not in the name, or for the fake of Jesus.

θα αὐτῷ εὐτ

άρετοι εἶναι.

14.

6.

Tit. i. 11.

1 Pet. v. 2.

Phil. i. 15

Matt. xxiii.

5.

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 bufinefs is another's, and the fruit or benefit emergent belong to another, he that profecutes that

And

1. 25. V.

1 Cor. vi.

Heb. 1.12.

bufinefs may well be, and is commonly, fuppofed to act in SERM.
that other's name. Thus our Saviour is in St. John's Gof- XXXIII.
pel expreffed to come, to speak, to act in God's name; be- John vii-
cause he did God's bufinefs, (the work which God gave 18. vi. 54.
him to accomplish,) and entirely fought the glory of God, 13. 36. ri
as he there himself often avouches and profeties.
thus, in imitation of him, ought we alfo to do all things 19. v. 23.
in his name; remembering that we are not our own men, ¦ Pet. i. :8.
but the fervants of Jefus, (fervants to him not only by nature, Rom.
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 business or employment properly our own, but that all
our bufinefs is (or fhould be) to ferve him, and promote

his glory; Whether we eat or drink, or u hatever we do, we 1 Ca. 1.31.
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 Jefus, as his fervants, from
confcience of the duty we owe to him; with intention
therein to ferve him; in expectation of reward only from
him. So doth St. Paul (in profecution of this fame pre-
cept) beneath in this chapter enjoin us, that, u batever we Col in sa,
do, we perform it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men,
knowing (or confidering) that from the Lord we fill re-
ceive the recompence of the inheritance; for that we ferve
the Lord Chrift. In like manner otherwhere he teaches

24

v.

us to do what we do, not as ple:fers of men, sot spot Ean, Í

any inferior accounts,) but as fervants of Chri, kuna lag “

and confidering that we have a Mater in heaven. Ezt.
III. Doing in another's name imports frequently diing

by the appointment and command, or by the common
and authority of another. Es rol, 2) be the by- Ait m •
par; By what power and in what name have ye dire thefe
things? fay the High Priefts to the Apofties; that is,
who did appoint or authorize you to do thas? Their an-
swer was ready; In the name of Jefus, who had fent, com- John v. 36,
miffionated, and commanded them to preach and propa 14.XVIL 18.
gate that doctrine. And thus we are also bound to do all Luke xv.

47.

2 Cor. v.20.

6.

22.

SERM. things in the name of Jefus, regulating all our actions by XXXIII. his law; conforming our whole lives to his will; acting, not only out of good principles, (principles of love and 1 Cor.vi.11. confcience,) but according to right rules; the rules of his 2 Theff. iii. word and example, which he hath declared and prescribed to us: for what is done befide his warrant and will cannot be rightly esteemed done in his name; will not as so be avowed or accepted by him; no unjust or impious action John xvi. 2. will he upon any terms countenance or patronize. It was once a famous faying, All mifchief begins in nomine Domini; and much furely, more than one way, hath been done under the like notion or pretence: but this will not serve to excuse the doing of that, in the day of final reckMatt. vii. oning for our actions. For there will be many, we are taught, that shall in that day, by Specious profeffions of having done this or that in Chrift's name, veil their tranfgreffions and their neglects of duty, faying, Lord, Lord, || have we not in thy name prophefied, and in thy name caft out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful things? who yet, our Lord himself affures us, fhall have this reply made Luke xiii. to them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. There will be those that shall claim acquaintance with Chrift in fuch terms: Lord, we have eaten and drank before thee; and thou haft taught in our fireets; whom yet our Lord will disclaim with a, Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. It is not, we fee, prophefying in Christ's name, (or preaching about him,) nor frequent attendance upon those who do so, nor speaking much or hearing much concerning him; it is not having great gifts or endowments conferred by Chrift, (not even fo great as that of working miracles;) it is not familiar converse with Chrift, or making frequent addreffes to him, that can fanctify all a man's actions, or so entitle them to the name of Chrift, as to fecure his perfon from being difavowed and rejected by Chrift; it is only the conforming all our actions to his holy laws, that can affure us to be acknowledged and accepted by him. This I could wish they would confider, who seem, by fuch pretences, to commend or excufe their actions, although otherwise irregular and plainly

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