determine, it appears to me clear, from the connexion, that it refers to the universality of his spiritual authority, and not to the degree or nature of the power by which it was to be exercised.

VI. In Rev. i. 18. our Lord says to his favoured disciple, ' I live for ever and ever, and I have the keys of death and the grave,' I have authority to call the dead from the grave, and to give unto my sheep eternal life.

Respecting the NATURE OF THE DIGNITY AND AUTHORITY which were given to Jesus in consequence of his faithful and complete execution of the work assigned to him, we must of course be contented with the information which we may derive from the Scriptures.

(1) It is perfectly clear that the sovereignty of Christ is of a spiritual nature; and that he rules in the hearts of men by means of those precepts and principles which are contained in his Gospel. Suppose that, after his ascension, it had pleased God to bestow upon him the rich rewards of his favour, in holy and happy intercourse with the blessed spirits which surround the throne, and in peculiar manifestations of his approbation and love, but without assigning to him any further agency in promoting the spiritual welfare of mankind,-still might our Saviour, with the utmost propriety, have been styled our Lord and King: the laws and rules of his kingdom must have been our guides and principles of action: and we must have been his obedient subjects, in order to obtain the

rewards and shun the punishments which the Gospel discloses to us.-Independently of any immediate share he may have in the present regulation of his church, his authority is there complete. To that, and that alone, should we bow in matters of religion. What he teaches, we have nothing to do but to believe. Where he commands, we have nothing to do but to obey. Where his precepts cannot be applied to particular cases, there the spirit of them must be our guide. All things must be done by the Christian, in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, to the glory of GOD even the FATHER.

(2) He was authorized by God to communicate the holy spirit, during the apostolical age, to his Apostles, if not to his disciples at large. This I infer from John xiv. 13. xv. 26. xvi. 7. Acts ii. 33. In this last passage, Peter declares the authority by which Jesus communicated the spirit; and in the course of his speech to the Jews, delivered in consequence of the Apostles' having received the spirit, he speaks of Jesus as a MAN, and does not, though he speaks of his exaltation, give the slightest intimation that he was, as to nature, more than man. The speech is highly remarkable in every point of view; and I think may be considered as a proof, that the communication of the holy spirit gave them no new information as to the nature of Jesus.

(3) On several occasions he manifested himself to his Apostles, by direct spiritual communications, and sometimes by personally appearing to

them. The Apostle Paul seems to have received not only his commission, but all requisite instruction respecting the exercise of it, directly from his glorified Lord. See Gal. i. 1. 12. 1 Cor. xi. 23, &c. The favour shown to one, would scarcely be withheld from the other Apostles: he had promised to be with them continually till the end of the age (p. 217); and he declared to them that wherever two or three of them (the Apostles) were met together in his name, there should he be in the midst of them.*

(4) By means of the miraculous communications made to his disciples, the glorious doctrines of the Gospel were most rapidly and extensively diffused and embraced; the spiritual rule of Jesus, (the reception of him as the Son of God, and the consequent submission to his authority,) was, during the life of Paul, extended through the Roman empire, and his sovereignty had been owned by men of all ranks and distinctions; and (notwithstanding the most bitter opposition) by the influences of those glad tidings of pardon and everlasting life which he brought from God,

say.

* To what degree the natural powers of our Lord were at once extended, after he entered into his glory, it is impossible for us to We know that his glorified body was no longer subject to the dominion of death: and we may reasonably suppose that with this change was communicated such an extension of knowledge and power, that his spiritual presence might extend to every part of his church. There are, too, several expressions which lead to the infer ence, that (during the apostolic age) he sometimes influenced the minds of his followers, so as to give them extraordinary supplies of strength and consolation. But at any rate, without entering too much into particulars, the general truth is certain, that by peculiar interpositions he frequently did, during the apostolic age, specially direct the concerns of the church. (3d Ed.)

aided by those striking displays of divine power with which the testimony of the Apostles was confirmed, he was in a most astonishing manner subduing all to himself. What joy, what triumph, must this scene afford to the benevolent Jesus! to see myriads in every region, sharing in the great and glorious blessings of the Gospel, brought over by them from sin and darkness to holiness and happiness, to regard this as only the beginning of that kingdom of truth and righte ousness, which would be gradually extended over the whole earth, and would put down all opposing authority and power, and to feel that he had been made the agent in producing all this good, must have been a full recompense for the shame and suffering which he endured, and was without doubt that joy for which he endured them, and so became the author of eternal salvation to all that believe in him. When we bear in mind that Paul was so much the honoured instrument and witness of the astonishing spread of the Gospel and rule of Jesus, can we wonder that he should speak in such elevated language respecting that power to which our Saviour had been exalted, and of that change in the moral world which was thereby rapidly effected? See p. 46, 50.

(5) Whether Jesus has at present any direct and personal concern in the regulation of his spiritual kingdom, or in any way, or at any time, directly influences the minds of his disciples, we have no certain information; it is not, however, unreasonable to suppose that the mental powers

of our exalted Lord have been continually extending; that he is acquainted with all the spiritual concerns of his disciples; and that he is still employed in some way or other for the benefit of his church. Such appears to be the idea of the Writer to the Hebrews, when he says (vii. 25.) Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, since he EVER liveth to interpose for them.'* However, this may refer to nothing more than "the continual operation and effect of his miracles and doctrine in the world, by which men are brought to believe in God by him, and to be saved." The language of the Apostle Paul (Rom. viii. 34.) is similar, but does not necessarily refer to any but the then present time; Who is also on the right hand of God, who also interpose th for us,' apparently referring to the obvious supernatural interposition of Jesus in behalf of his religion.

(6) The most important office assigned to Jesus is that which will be the first great consummation of the purposes of God in the moral con

* Εις το εντυγχανειν υπερ αυτων. It is principally, if not solely, upon the employment of this word that the strange idea is founded, that Jesus is now employed in interceding with God for his saints. I am not aware how this can be shown to be consistent with the doctrine that Jesus made a full satisfaction to God for the sins of men: but where reason is not employed in the interpretation of Scripture, consistency will be no object, and need not be expected. The fact is, as Schleusner has remarked, (though he refers the expressions above quoted to the efficacious merits of the death of Christ,) that EvTVYXаVW VπEρ TIvos signifies, to do any thing for the benefit of any one. If Paul had meant "intercedeth with God," he would probably have added 74 Oew, as he does in Rom, xi. ?. How he maketh intercession to God against Israel,'