Imatges de pàgina
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only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet."e St. Peter bore testimony to the same fact: "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."f

The words, therefore, of Christ, thus confirmed by other parts of Scripture, must be understood in their most literal and comprehensive sense: and they contain two assertions. The first is, "All power is given unto me in heaven."

1. The first obvious deduction from this assertion is, that the person who so spake was a Divine person. We read in Scripture of various gradations of heavenly beings; all created by the Almighty, and all performing his will in their several stations. He maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. We read of the angels and archangels; of the innumerable company of blessed spirits, who bow down from hour to hour before the eternal throne. But all these possess no intrinsic authority. They refused to receive worship from man, being, only in a higher degree, the fellow-servants of earthly prophets. h And the delusion of worshipping

e Eph. i. 20, 21.

8 Psalm civ. 4.

f Acts v. 31.

h Rev. xxii. 8, 9.

angels is pointedly condemned in Holy Scripture, as the result of intruding into things, which no man hath seen? But high above all principalities and powers is seated He, the ineffable Creator of all things, King of kings, and Lord of lords who only hath immortality and power. When, therefore, Christ asserts, that "all power is given unto him in heaven," he asserts, what is frequently asserted and implied in other parts of Scripture, that he and the Father are one.—And it is to be observed, that this confirmation of the great fact was given after he had indisputably confirmed his divine mission, and his truth, by rising from the dead, and immediately before his visible ascension into those glories, which he had with the Father before the world was.

2. Christ being thus truly God, peculiarly lays claim to almighty power; all power is given unto me in heaven.

k

By him all things were made; and without him was not any one thing made, that was made. "By him all things consist:" for he upholdeth all things by the word of his power.TM He possesses all things which the Father hath." He is the Lord of all things."

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He is over all things, God blessed for ever,

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angels, and authorities, and powers, being subjected to him."q

These expressions of Holy Scripture are plain enough to be comprehended, if they be taken in their obvious, literal sense. All attempts to explain them away, so as to make them bend to the pre-conceived opinions of human reason, lead only to contradiction. True it is, they open a great mystery: but why should it be astonishing, that in a religion, which is from above, and speaks of such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, something should be found which we cannot entirely comprehend? — Surely it becomes us, instead of cavilling at the revelation which is given us, to meditate with wonder upon the mercy of God, who hath done so great things for man: to contemplate with thankfulness Jesus Christ, who died for us men and for our salvation, as invested with supreme power in the highest possible sense; the Creator, the preserver, the governor, of the universe.

3. But, further, when Christ declares, "All power is given unto me in heaven," he asserts another fact, very important and most consolatory to every soul of man.

Rom. ix. 5.

Who that looks

a 1 Pet. iii. 22.

forward with trembling hope to those regions of happiness, which are promised to the faithful, can avoid many feelings of anxious dread, lest he should at last be found a castaway? In the midst of the most earnest aspirations after future happiness, we still find that the world, and the things of the world, cling to the soul, and often distract it. Even when we feel most convinced of the entire truth of our religion, how frequently does the secret delusion of a heart of unbelief betray to us the weakness of our fallen nature. How frequently is the avowal of faith, "Lord, I believe," immediately checked and qualified with the prayer, "help thou mine unbelief." There are times, when a man is more than usually aware of his responsibility; of the little which he has done, of the greatness of the duties which he ought to do. When the spirit of a man is thus bowed down, the gospel of Christ speaks peace to him, if he relies upon its gracious promises. It points to Christ, who possesses all power, as our prevailing intercessor in heaven. It declares, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins."' It declares, that Christ" is able also to save them to the 31 John ii. 1, 2.

Mark ix. 24.

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uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

To Christ, therefore, in his divine nature, is given all power in heaven: the power and supreme dominion over all created beings; and especially that power, by which he intercedes for and saves those who put their trust in him.

II. There are found, however, few, who disavow the power of Christ in heaven. It is expressed so fully and so frequently in Scripture that they, who would refuse to acknowledge it, must either deny or pervert the obvious meaning of the inspired writings. Accordingly, almost all who speak or think at all upon the nature of Christ, speak and think of him as supreme in power, seated at the right hand of the majesty on high.

But the words which we have been considering contain another assertion: All power is given unto me in earth. And this is an assertion far less regarded in practice; because it more immediately interferes with the violent and evil passions of mankind. The duties, which this power requires of man, are sufficiently plain.

1. He, who has all power in earth, requires our obedience to his commands, whenever they are made known to us.

t Heb. vii. 85.

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