in the passage from the Corinthians already cited: "He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." For that this subjugation of his several enemies will be successive, one after another, is strongly intimated by the expression," the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

Now, to apprehend the probability of these things coming to pass, or rather to remove any opinion of their improbability, we ought constantly to bear in our mind this momentous truth, that in the hands of the Deity time is nothing, that he has eternity to act in. The Christian dispensation, nay, the world itself, may be in its infancy. A more perfect display of the power of Christ, and of his religion, may be in reserve: and the ages which it may endure, after the obstacles and impediments to its reception are removed, may be, beyond comparison, longer than those which we have seen, in which it has been struggling with great difficulties, most especially with ignorance and prejudice. We ought not to be moved, any more than the apostles were moved, with the reflection which was cast upon their

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mission, that since the "fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were." We ought to return the answer which one of them returned: that what we call tardiness in the Deity, is not so; that our so thinking it, arises from not allowing for the different importance, nay, probably, for the different apprehension of time, in the divine mind and in ours; that with Him a thousand years are as one day; words which confound and astonish human understanding, yet strictly and metaphysically true.

Again; we should remember, that the apostles, the very persons, who asserted that God would put all things under him, themselves, as we have seen, acknowledged that it was not yet done. In the

mean time, from the whole of their declarations and of this discussion we collect, that Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, is, at this day, a great efficient Being in the universe, invested by his Father with a high authority, which he exercises, and will continue to exercise, until the end of the world.

Thirdly, he is the same in his office. The principal offices assigned by the Scriptures to our Lord in his glorified state, that is, since his ascension into heaven, are those of a mediator and intercessor. Of the mediation of our Lord the Scripture speaks in this wise: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus:" 1 Tim. ii. 5. It was after our Lord's ascension that this was spoken of him and it is plain, from the form and turn of the expression, that his mediatorial character and office was meant to be represented as a perpetual character and office, because it is described in conjunction with the existence of God and men, so long as men exist: "there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name:" "At that day ye shall ask in my name:" John, xvi. 24, These words form part of our Lord's memorable conversation with his select disciples, not many hours before his death; and clearly intimate the mediatorial office, which he was to discharge after his ascension.

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Concerning his intercession, not that which he occasionally exercised upon earth, when he prayed, as he did most fervently for his disciples, but that which he now, at this present time, exercises, we have the following text, explicit, satisfactory, and full. "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood:" by priesthood is here meant the office of praying for others. "Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us." No words can more plainly declare, than these words do, the perpetuity of our Lord's agency that it did not cease with his presence upon earth, but continues. "He continueth ever: he ever liveth: he hath an unchangeable priesthood." Surely this justifies what our text saith of him; that he is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever;" and that not in a figurative or metaphorical sense, but literally, effectually, and really. Moreover, in this same passage, not only the constancy and perpetuity, but the power and efficacy of our Lord's intercession are asserted: "He is

able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him." They must come unto God: they must come by him and then he is able to save them completely.

These three heads of observation, name

ly, upon his person, his power, and his office, comprise the relation, in which our Lord Jesus Christ stands to us, whilst we remain in this mortal life. There is another consideration of great solemnity and interest, namely, the relation, which we shall bear to him in our future state. Now

the economy, which appears to be destined for the human creation, I mean, for that part of it which shall be received to future happiness, is, that they shall live in a state of local society with one another, and under Jesus Christ as their head: experiencing a sensible connection amongst themselves, as well as the operation of his authority, as their Lord and governor. think it likely that our Saviour had this state of things in view, when, in his final discourse with his apostles, he tells them: "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will

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