geniture still attach to him ; and that he is, in heaven, the Head and Representative of all his members, who, in due time, shall participate the glory which he there enjoys. This is what the Apostle elsewhere distinctly states ; saying, " Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept0."
Consider him, then, in this his mediatorial character ; and say, whether he does not in this view, also, justly claim the pre-eminence ? To him are all in heaven, and all on earth, indebted for their happiness ; even as the moon and stars, no less than this terrestrial globe, are indebted to the sun for all the light which they enjoy. The angels around the throne, no less than ourselves, are all collected under him as their Headd ; and, through his all-powerful aid, retain the blessed- ness, of which we, in due season, are destined to participate. Yes, in heaven, at least, is he glorified as he ought to be ; for " in that celestial city the glory of God does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereofe."]
But as, in ascribing pre-eminence to him, we must be active, let us consider,
II. In what way and manner it should be assigned him —
It is not sufficient that we "call him, Lord, Lord:" we must honour him, " not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth." We must give him the pre-eminence,
1. In our regards —
[Go up to heaven, and see how he is honoured there. There is he " as a Lamb that has been slain ;" and there, " as a Lamb, he sits upon his throne;" and all the hosts of heaven, those who never fell, no less than those he has redeemed, are singing day and night, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessingV Now, thus it should be on earth. We should be so filled with views of his excel- lency, and so penetrated with a sense of his love, that the whole creation should be a mere blank in comparison of him. Parents, children, life itself, should be of no account, where his honour is concerned. What the Psalmist said, should be the continual language of our hearts, " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides theeg." As for the poor things of time and sense, we should
c 1 Cor. xv. 20. A Eph. i. 10. e Rev. xxi. 23.
f Rev. v. 11—13. b Ps. lxxiii. 25.