But the character here given of him deserves more attentive consideration —
[The essential dignity of our Lord is that first mentioned. As " the King of glory," and " the Lord of glory," he could claim heaven as his own. There he had from all eternity beer " in the bosom of the Father:" there he had " had a glory with the Father before the worlds were made." " From thence he had descended," for the purpose of executing the Father's will. Though he had assumed our nature, and " was found in fashion as a man," yet was he from all eternity " in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God." He was " the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." He was " one with God," in glory equal, in majesty co-eternal: in a word, he was " the mighty God," " the great God and our Saviour," " God over all, blessed for evermore." Well therefore might his attendant angels call on the hosts of heaven to open wide the portals of those glorious mansions for his admission ; since the heaven of heavens were from all eternity his proper, his peculiar residence.
But he is further described as " the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." The reason of his descent from heaven had been to rescue a ruined world from the dominion of sin and Satan, death and hell. " The god of this world " had his vassals in complete subjection : as " a strong man armed he kept his house, and all his goods were in peace." But Jesus entered into conflict with him, and " bound him and spoiled his goods ;" or, in other words, delivered from his sway millions of the human race, who had not only been " led captive by him at his will," but would ultimately have been " bound with him in chains of everlasting darkness." True indeed, he himself received a wound in the engagement ; (" his heel was bruised:") but he inflicted a deadly wound on "the head" of his enemy % and vanquished him for ever. It may be said indeed that he himself died in the conflict: he did so, and appeared to be " crucified through weakness : " but it was not through weakness that he died, but in compliance with his own engagement to " make his soul an offering for sin." His death was to be the very means of victory : it was " through death that he overcame him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage." On his cross he not only " spoiled all the principalities and powers of hell, but made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it:" and in his ascension " he led them captive," bound, as it were, to his chariot- wheels. This constituted a further claim to the
^ Gen. iii. 15. .