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mediatorial capacity, we should not be so apt to mistrust him as we do, through remaining unbelief, because of our sinfulness, the power of our enemies, the depth of our corruptions, the darkness of our own minds, and the suggestions of the devil. To honour the Son is to exalt him in our hearts as an all-sufficient Saviour. This is his proper glory, as Mediator. And the way to it is, to keep closer to him, to think oftener of him, and to behold and look more abundantly upon his glory as the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Nor shall our labour herein be without reward. Our faith will grow more lively; our hope of beholding his glory in heaven more ardent ; our souls will be more peaceful; our fears of death die away; our love of this world be mortified. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" There is the conquering faith. Strive hard for it. Let Jesus dwell in our hearts, and our hearts will be changed from day to day; see therefore that ye pay increasing honour to Jesus the Son of God.

SERMON XVI.

ACTS xvi. 30, 31.

What must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

I AM now to speak of Jesus as our Lord, which will afford us another important ground of our faith in him. And the addition of his being our Lord will be found, in connexion with what he has been already seen to be, a substantial foundation of all confidence in Jesus. As Christ, he is amply furnished for the work of salvation; as the only Son, his sufficiency in that work is incontestable; and being our Lord he acts therein with sovereign authority.

In treating this point we must needs proceed as with the foregoing, considering it in a practical manner, inasmuch as Jesus's being our Lord cannot be a thing of speculation, but that on which our confidence in him, as acting with all authority, is indisputably determined. That he is so, that he transacts all his mediatorial work with absolute power and plenary authority, we all profess to believe, as a sure ground of our confidence in his salvation, when we say, I believe in Jesus our Lord. Wherein we declare thus much,

First. I believe Jesus to be Lord of all things by his nature, as the only Son of God.

Secondly. Therefore I believe him qualified to be, what he is, Lord of all things by constitution, as the Son of man.

Thirdly. As the Son of man I know that he hath exercised, and believe that he both doth and will exercise, an absolute dominion over all things. Wherefore,

Fourthly. I humbly subject myself to his saving power in all respects. I do confidently trust upon Jesus as authoritatively executing all his offices. I quietly wait upon him for the per

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formance of all salvation to me. And as the subject of his dominion, I desire to own and honour him as my Lord and the Lord of all things, by a dutiful use of myself and my gifts, by a public profession of his name in the world, and by keeping my body and spirit for him to death and judgment.

First. I believe Jesus to be Lord of all things by his nature, as the only Son of God. For as I know him to be the proper Son of the Father, and see all the works and perfections which are proper to God ascribed to him, so I find him bearing those titles, which, as they are incommunicable, so also expressive of absolute independency, and consequently of the dependence of all things upon God. Thus in the Old Testament he is frequently called Jehovah (which signifies the root and fountain of all existence, or very being itself), and that in such passages where the Father and the Son being equally styled by this very name Jehovah, there is no room left me to doubt that the Son is Jehovah as well as and with the Father. Thus I read in Zech. x. 12. "I will strengthen them in the Lord (in the original it is Jehovah), and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord (Jehovah)." And in Hos. i. 7. "I (Jehovah) will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord (Jehovah) their God, and will not save them by bow nor by sword." And in the New Testament he is known to me by the same title universally, the Lord being a name there continually given him; while also it is not disputed, that the Lord and Jehovah are but the same word in two different languages, which expresses that independency of God, by which he must needs have all creatures in dependence upon him, holding dominion over all things. Wherefore,

Secondly. Knowing him to be Lord of all things by nature, as the Son of God, the Creator and Upholder of all, I do believe him qualified to be what he is, the Lord of all things by constitution, as the Son of man. Redemption I know to be a work beyond the power of any son of man, who is not also the Son of God: but when I see upon whose shoulders the government is laid, even upon that Son of man who is assumed into union with the mighty God, the wonderful Counsellor, I see it placed where it belongs, and in hands that are able to support it with honour, and to exercise it with power. And accordingly,

as I know him thus qualified for dominion, so I believe him to be constituted Lord of all things, as Mediator, by the express appointment of the Father; whereof I am assured in numberless Scriptures, where I am told, "God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things," according to what was declared before concerning him. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Of this grant I hear him speaking himself; "All things are delivered unto me of my Father." And again, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands;" and the apostles triumphing in the truth of this dominion, "God hath made this same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ; and God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Here is plainly declared to me the extensiveness of his dominion, as it is also yet more fully in other places: "He hath set him at his own right. hand in heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under him; for in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him." Neither do I find this dominion of Jesus less ample as to continuance than complete in largeness; "Of his kingdom there shall be no end, his throne is for ever and ever, his dominion an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away; and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." And,

Thirdly.-As I find him to have been thus constituted Lord of all things as the Son of man, so I find further that he actually exercised the dominion that was committed to him, while he was upon earth, in an authoritative manner, though not with that fulness of power and dominion wherewith, in reward of his death, he was invested after his resurrection, when God put all things under his feet. His taking possession of the kingdom in the whole

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glory and exercise of it was reserved to the solemn day of his session at the right hand of God: but yet he exercised his dominion in a royal manner, and with supreme authority, while he was upon earth. Thus I hear him saying to the winds and sea, Peace, be still; and immediately there was a great calm.' I hear him commanding the lame to walk, and suddenly they take up their bed. I find him giving sight to the blind at a word; and I hear him speaking to the dead, and they arise. Nay, I behold him exerting his dominion in such acts as are more proper to the nature of his kingdom, as a spiritual government; he cast out devils at a word, and empowered his disciples to do the Master, even the devils are subject to us through thy name.' He said to one and another, Thy sins are forgiven thee;' that it might be known he had power on earth to forgive sins.' He exerted acts of divine power upon the hearts of men, Follow me; turned the hearts of some; and such a majesty was felt in his preaching, that such as would not believe could not help confessing, never man spake like this man.' But his whole dominion was reserved till his inauguration at the right hand of the throne of God. Then he wrought to make his I see the exalted Jesus to be Lord of all power to be known. things. Lord of gifts; what an effusion of them was there at Pentecost! And of graces; what zeal, what boldness, did the cowardly fishermen obtain in a moment! Then he proved himself the Lord of men's hearts. How many were made obedient to the faith, in one day, of those very persons upon whom the word of Jesus in person had proved inefficacious! I see the wisdom of man, and the prince of darkness, bowing everywhere before the throne of Jesus. I see attending angels executing his commissions, when he will save the life of an apostle, and the soul of a jailer. I see Death disarmed of all his terrors, the world of all its power, while suffering saints look up to heaven and say, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" What is become of

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the rage of men, the awe of councils, the dread of judgmentseats? The power of Jesus has disarmed them all. His servants are made strong by his arm, they only triumph while their judges are confounded. How did the number of disciples increase, Gentiles as well as Jews became obedient to the faith, and opposition only served to illustrate the reign of Immanuel !

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