decisive terms ; " Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever ; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom8."]
2. In the New Testament —
[Our blessed Lord himself frequently speaks of his pre- existent state. To Nicodemus he speaks of himself as having come down from heaven, and as actually existing in heaven even whilst in his bodily substance he was on earth h. To the Jews who thought of him as a mere man like themselves, he says, " Before Abraham was, I am1." And, in addressing his heavenly Father, he prays, " Glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world wask." His Apostles uniformly maintain the same language : " In the beginning was the Word ; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God: the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him ; and without him was nothing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us1." This is the testimony of St. John : and that of Paul accords with it, that, whilst " accord- ing to the flesh Jesus was of the seed of David, according to the spirit of holiness he was by his resurrection declared to be the Son of God," even " God over all, blessed for everm." In the book of Revelations there is a remarkable passage, where, speaking of our blessed Lord, the beloved Disciple attests his character in these expressive words ; " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty:" and then he introduces that same Jesus speaking personally to him, and saying, " Fear not ; I am the first and the last ; I am He that liveth, and was dead ; and, behold, I am alive for evermore ; Amen ; and have the keys of hell and of death"."
From all these testimonies then, we are prepared to welcome the advent of this august Ruler, in the language of the Prophet Isaiah ; " To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders ; and his name shall be called the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace : and of the in- crease of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever0."]
That we may suitably improve this subject,
1. Let us adore this divine Saviour for his con- descension and love —
s Heb. i. 8, 10 — 12. h John iii. 13. • John viii. 58.
k John xvii. 5. > John i. 1—3, 14. ra Rom. i. 3, 4. & xi. 5.
n Rev. i. 8, 17, 18. ° Isai. ix. 6, 7.