Saviour set forth by a lion, called the lion of the tribe of Judah, because it is evident that Christ sprang from that tribe, Heb. vii. 14, as touching his manhood; and yet this lion is the everlasting father of Judah with respect to his Godhead; hence Judah is called a lion's whelp, that went up from the prey, Gen. xlix. 9; from being a prey to the lion of the bottomless pit, by faith in the lion of heaven, which is God: "The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?" Christ is here called the root of David; because David derived his being from him as the God of nature and the creator of the world; all things were made by Christ, Col. i. 16. David derived his spiritual life from him as the God of grace; Christ is the resurrection and the life and David expected to be glorified by him as the King of glory; "Thou shalt guide me with thy council, and afterward receive me to glory." Hence the Psalmist so often calls him his Lord, his King, his Redeemer, his Saviour, and the King of Glory; "Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in," Psal. xxiv. 9. Thus Jesus as God is David's root, and as man he is David's offspring; "I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star."

"The lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open the book." This lion hath prevailed over the lion of the bottomless pit; over sin, the devil's essence; and over death, sin's firstborn; and over

destruction, the firstborn of death; he hath prevailed, and led captivity captive; spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly. This is the all-conquering lion that made the devil feel the rod of his strength when he dethroned him, and cast him out of sinners' hearts, destroyed his works, and marred his kingdom; and will at last destroy him with a dreadful destruction, and crush him beneath the feet of all his saints; as sure as Moses' rod, when turned into a serpent, devoured all the serpents produced by magic or infernal art.

This lion hath prevailed, not only over the world and the devil, but he hath prevailed with God also in behalf of his people. By his obedience, he prevailed to disarm the law of its curse; by prayer, he prevailed with his father for us; by death, he prevailed with justice; by his resurrection, he prevailed over death; and as a mediator, high priest, and advocate, he must ever prevail in heaven; for all power, and all judgment, are committed to him; he is ascended far above all heavens, enthroned, glorified, and set down at the right hand of the majesty on high,

The diadem of David is removed, and the crown put on the Saviour; all other crowns must submit to his, for all must be abased before him, and be obedient to him. He that humbled himself, he that was meek and lowly, must now be exalted, and wear both the crown and diadem, Ezek. xxi. 26; and be proclaimed, through heaven and earth,

the king of kings and lord of lords. Is this the case; then oh, my soul, submit thou to his sceptre; take the oath of allegiance, and kiss the hands of this wonderful, all-conquering, and terribly majestic sovereign, as thou art commanded to do, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry;" and say, with a loyal and a loving heart, "O king, live for ever;" and this of him will be neither falsehood nor flattery.

"And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” I shall not mention the lamb here, the beasts, nor the elders, as they are ineluded in my text, but drop a few words upon the horns and eyes. By the horns you are to understand the majestic or kingly power of Christ; David was anointed with oil out of an horn, hence he often speaks of his horn, Psalm xcii. 10; and of his horn being exalted with honour, Psalm cxii. 9; which horn signified the kingly power and authority that God had given him; and as the Saviour was to spring from David, he is called a bud from his horn, who was to govern Zion for ever: "The Lord hath chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish." This was fulfilled at the

appearance of Christ; "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began," Luke i. 68-70. Blessed be his name this is fulfilled; our mighty horn of salvation is exalted, and he makes all his people kings and priests; he anoints us with his spirit, 2 Cor. i. 21; crowns us with knowledge, with lovingkindness and tender mercy, Psalm ciii. 4; and we shall reign on the earth, because we are upheld by his hand; he has horns coming out of his hand, and there is the hiding of his power, Hab.

iii. 4.

But you will say, why is he represented as having seven horns? Every horn has its signification; ten horns are called ten kings, Rev. xvii. 12; and Jesus Christ is a king in a sevenfold sense, represented by seven horns; he is anointed with the sevenfold gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, and on his head are many crowns, as well as many horns. First, he is King of Glory, Psal. xxiv. 7; Secondly, King of Zion; "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion." Thirdly, he is, as Tidal was, King of nations; "Who would not fear thee, O King of nations," Jer. x. 7; he has power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him, John xvii. 2. Fourthly, he is King of Kings; "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice." Fifthly, he is

King over sin; sin is said to reign unto death, but Christ hath destroyed that monster; "For this purpose the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil." And grace by him reigns over sin; sin shall not have dominion over the saints, for they are under grace; and grace shall reign through righteousness unto eternal life."

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Sixthly, Christ is King over Death, which is called the king of terrors. "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression;" but Christ ransomed his people from the power of the grave, and redeemed them from death; he was the plague of death, and the destruction of the grave, and must reign till " he shall have put down all rule, all authority, and power. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Seventhly, Christ is King over devils, though against their will; he demolishes the kingdom of Satan, and translates sinners out of his dark dominions into his own kingdom, and into marvellous light; having destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil, Heb. ii. 14; and led him captive, and will bruise him under our feet shortly.

Thus Christ is King of Glory, and the head of all principalities and powers; the King of Zion; King of nations; King of Kings; King over sin, and sin's dominion; King over death; and King over devils and of his kingdom there shall be no end, Isaiah ix. 7.