' John xvi. 14, 15. ' Isa. liii. 11, 12; John i. 16; Col. i. 19, 20.
3 Heb. xii. 2; Rev. i. 11,
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 69
the payment of the great price of his blood, and full acquitment on the satisfaction he made, all grace whatever (of which at large after- ward) becomes, in a moral sense, his, at his disposal ; and he bestows it on, or works it in, the hearts of his by the Holy Ghost, according as, in his infinite wisdom, he sees it needful. How glorious is he to the soul on this consideration ! That is most excellent to us which suits us in a wanting condition, — that which gives bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, mercy to the perishing. All our reliefs are thus in our Beloved. Here is the life of our souls, the joy of our hearts, our relief against sin and deliverance from the wrath to come.
(3.) Thus is he fitted for a mediator, a days-man, an umpire be- tween God and us, — being one with him, and one with us, and one in himself in this oneness, in the unity of one person. His ability and universal fitness for his office of mediator are hence usually de- monstrated. And herein is he " Christ,^ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." Herein shines out the infinitely glorious wisdom of God ; which we may better admire than express. What soul that hath any acquaintance with these things falls not down with reve- rence and astonishment? How glorious is he that is the Beloved of our souls ! What can be wanting that should encourage us to take up our rest and peace in his bosom? Unless all ways of relief and refreshment be so obstructed by unbelief, that no consideration can reach the heart to yield it the least assistance, it is impossible but that from hence the soul may gather that which will endear it unto hiin with whom we have to do. Let us dwell on the thoughts of it. This is the hidden mystery; great witliout controversy; admirable to eternity. What poor, low, perishing things do we spend our con- templations on ! Were we to have no advantage by this astonishing dispensation, yet its excellency, glory, beauty, depths, deserve the flower of our inquiries, the vigour of our spirits, the substance of our time; but when, withal, our life, our peace, our joy, our inheritance, our eternity, our all, lies herein, shall not the thoughts of it always dwell in our hearts, always refresh and delight our souls?
(4.) He is excellent and glorious in this, — in that he is exalted and invested with all authority. When^ Jacob heard of the exalta- tion of his son Joseph in Egypt, and saw the chariots that he had sent for him, his spirit fainted and recovered again, through abun- dance of joy and other overflowing affections. Is our Beloved lost, who for our sakes was upon the earth poor and persecuted, reviled, killed? No! he was dead, but he is alive, and, lo, he lives for ever and ever, and hath the keys of hell and of death.^ Our Beloved is made a lord and ruler, Acts ii. 36. He is made a king; God sets ' 1 Cor. i. 24. 2 Gen. xlv. 26, 27. ' Rev. i. 18.
70 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
him his king ou liis holy hill of Zion, Ps. ii. 6;^ and he is crowiicd with honour and dignity, after he had been "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death/' Heb. ii 7-9. And what is he made king of? " All things are put in subjeption under his feet," verse 8. And what power over them hath our Beloved? " All power in heaven and earth," Matt, xxviii. 18. As for men, he hath power given him "over all flesh," John xvii. 2. And in what gloiy doth he exercise this power? He gives eternal life to his elect; ruling them in the power of God, Micah v. 4, until he bring them to himself: and for his enemies, his arrows are sharp in their hearts, Ps. xlv. 5 ; he dips his vesture in their blood.^ Oh, how glorious is he in his authority over his enemies! In this world he terrifies, frightens, awes, convinces, bruises their hearts and consciences, — fills them with fear, terror, disquietment, imtil they yield him feigned obedience; and sometimes with outward judgments bruises, breaks, tm~ns the wheel upon them, — stains all his vesture with their blood, — fills the earth with their carcases: and at last will gather them all together, beast, false prophet, nations, etc., and cast them into that lake that burns with fire and brimstone.^
He is gloriously exalted above angels in this his authority, good and bad, Eph. i. 20-22, " far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." They are all under his feet, — at his command and absolute disposal. He is at the right hand of God, in the highest exaltation possible, and in full possession of a king- dom over the whole creation ; having received a " name above every name," etc., Phil. ii. 9. Thus is he glorious in his throne, which is at "the right hand of the ^Majesty on high;" glorious in his commis- sion, which is "all power in heaven and earth;" glorious in his name, a name above every name, — "Lord of lords, and King of kings;" glo- rious in his sceptre, — " a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of his kingdom ;" glorious in his attendants, — " his chariots are twenty thou- sand, even thousands of angels," among them he rideth on the heavens, and sendeth out the voice of his strengih, attended with ten thousand times ten thousand of his holy ones; glorious in his subjects, — all creatures in heaven and in earth, nothing is left that is not put in subjection to him ; glorious in his way of rule, and the administra- tion of his kingdom, — full of sweetness, efficacy, power, serenity, holi- ness, righteousness, and grace, in and towards his elect, — of terror,