last day, when he will destroy all his own and his people's enemies from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,--1 Cor. xv. 25; Rev. xx. 14. This will be the most signal display of the glorious conquests of Zion's king; and the trophies of his victory will be the subject of the song of the redeemed for ever.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The safety of the Lord's people in a day of trouble, and in the midst of their enemies. 2. That Christ's willing subjects may rejoice in the inheritance which he hath promised. 3. The duty of all to submit to this king, and the danger of disobedience.-Psal. ii. 12. 4. That Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and perfectly distinct from the kingdoms of the world. 5. The comfort which arises from the consideration that the kingdom of Christ is an extensive kingdom. All are called to receive and obey him as their king. 6. The happiness of this kingdom: it shall endure for ever. 7. The necessity of obeying Christ, and of being spiritual as he is. 8. The danger of rejecting him from reigning over us. 9. The great comfort which arises from the wisdom of Christ in the administration of his kingdom. 10. The certainty of his having a church on earth in all ages. 11. The happiness of being ruled by Christ. 12. The certainty of happiness in being under his protection. 13. The certain conquest which the believer shall obtain over all enemies. 14. The honour of following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, although it be through great tribulation. 15. That they who fight against Christ, and persist in their enmity against him, shall be destroyed, and that without remedy.

THE STATES IN WHICH THE REDEEMER EXECUTED HIS THREEFOLD OFFICE.

Of Christ's State of Humiliation.

Christ's state of humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition; in his being made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the

wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; and in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That Christ, in becoming man, humbled himself by being born, and that in a low condition. Luke i. 35.--." That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke ii. 7.-" And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger." See Phil. ii. 6, 7.

2. That Christ humbled himself by submitting to be made under the law. Gal. iv. 4.-"God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."

3. That Christ humbled himself by enduring the miseries of this life. Isa. liii. 3.--"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."

4. That Christ humbled himself by enduring the wrath of God in our stead. Matt. xxvii. 46.- "Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken See also Luke xxii. 44.

me?"

5. That Christ humbled himself by submitting to the cursed death of the cross. Phil. ii. 8.--" He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

6. That Christ humbled himself by submitting to be buried, and by remaining in the grave for a time. 1 Cor. xv. 4.-"He was buried, and rose again the third day." See also Matt. xii. 40.

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 115.-Jesus Christ humbled himself.

By the humiliation of Christ, we are in general to understand, his condescending to leave the bosom of his Father, and his being made for a season a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death.-Phil. ii. 8.

Christ's merely possessing manhood was no part of his humiliation. This, indeed, showed infinite condescension in him who is the Creator of man; but, properly speaking, it was no part of his humiliation; for he still retains his manhood in a glorified state, and will for ever retain it.

The cause of Christ's humiliation was, the unmerited love of God the Father, and his own love to self-destroying sinners. -See 1 John iv. 9, 10.

The steps of Christ's humiliation were these:- His being born, and that in a low condition; his being made under the law; his undergoing all the miseries of this life; his enduring the wrath of God; his submitting to the cursed death of the cross; and his being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Obs. 116. Jesus Christ humbled himself by being born, and that in a low condition.

It was great condescension in the Lord Jesus Christ to be born at all; but it was still greater condescension in him to be born in a low condition. He was, indeed, of the race and lineage of David, whose family was the most illustrious in the world; but he was born of a virgin of that family, who was then in very low circumstances; he was born in Bethlehem, an obscure village; he was born in a stable, and laid in a manger.-See Luke i. and ii.

Obs. 117.-Jesus Christ humbled himself by being made under the law.

Although Christ may be said to have been made under the ceremonial and political laws of the Jews, inasmuch as he obeyed them (Luke ii. 21, &c.), yet, properly speaking, it was not any of these laws, but the moral law under which he was made, as our Surety. Nor was it under this law as a rule of life, but as a covenant, demanding perfect obedience as a condition of life, and full satisfaction on account of the violation of the law. Gal. iv. 4, 5. Now, Christ's humiliation in being made under the law, appears in this, that he who was the Lawgiver, Lord and Judge of heaven and earth, condescended to become subject to his own law, and for this very purpose, that he might deliver from its curse, his people who transgressed it, and fulfil it in their stead.

Obs. 118.-Jesus Christ humbled himself by undergoing all the miseries of this life.

He was not only subject to the sinless infirmities of humanity, such as hunger, thirst, weariness, and grief, &c.; but he voluntarily submitted to all the sorrows and afflictions to which his people can be exposed in the present state of

existence.-Heb. ii. 14, 18, iv. 15, and v. 2; Matt. viii. 20 ; Heb. xii. 3, &c.

Obs. 119.-Jesus Christ humbled himself by enduring the wrath of God.

The wrath of God and the hiding of his countenance were the greatest miseries that Christ underwent in this world. When in the garden of Gethsemane, the anticipation of this wrath made his soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death; at which time his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground; and the pressure of this wrath upon him made him exclaim in the agony of his soul, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And nothing but Almighty power could inflict or sustain the stroke!

Obs. 120. Jesus Christ humbled himself by submitting to the cursed death of the cross.

The death of the cross was a most painful and excruciating death, a lingering death, and a shameful and ignominious death. It was called a cursed death, because God had said, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."-Gal. iii. 13. Jesus, however, endured the cross, despising the shame. The exquisite agony of his sufferings is pointed out to us in various ways. See Psal. xxii. throughout.

Obs. 121.-Jesus Christ humbled himself by being buried, and by continuing under the power of death for a time.

Christ was buried and remained in the grave for three days and three nights, to show that he was really dead; seeing it is on his death that the hopes and happiness of his people depend, inasmuch as by it transgression was finished, an end put to sin, reconciliation made for iniquity, and an everlasting righteousness introduced. He was buried also, that he might overcome death in its darkest and strongest hold, even in the gloomy recesses of the tomb; and to sanctify the grave to all his friends and followers, that it may be to them a place of repose, where their bodies may rest until the resurrection.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The amazing grace and condescension of Christ in becoming man to die for sinners. 2. That through much tribulation we must enter into the

kingdom of God.-John xvi. 33; 2 Tim. iii. 12. 3. That the law is now magnified; that the justice of God is satisfied; and that he is now pacified towards us, notwithstanding all that we have done. 4. That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us. 5. The misery of all those who are without an interest in Christ, and who have in their own persons to answer to God for the debt which they have contracted, both with respect to obedience and suffering. 6. The happiness of believers, who have Christ as their surety, who has discharged all their debt, and who has freely forgiven all. 7. That Christ's

descent into the gloomy mansions of the dead hath, as it were, perfumed this dreary abode; so that the saint may view it no longer loathsome, but as a place of sweet repose, until the sound of the archangel and of the trump of God.

Of Christ's State of Exaltation.

Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That Christ was exalted by rising from the dead on the third day. 1 Cor. xv. 4.-"He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

2. That Christ was exalted by ascending up into heaven. Luke xxiv. 51.-" While he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." See also Mark xvi. 19.

3. That Christ is now exalted by his sitting at the right hand of God. Eph. i. 20.-" He set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." See also Col. iii. 1.

4. That Christ will be exalted by his coming to judge the world at the last day. Acts xvii. 31.-"He hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."