Part 344

Christ has what theologians are accustomed to call his king- dom of power. As Theanthropos and as Mediator, all power in heaven and upon earth has been committed to his hands. (Matt, xxviii. 18.^ In Psalm viii. 6, it is declared to be the pur- pose of God that all things should be put under the feet of man. This purpose, we are taught by the Apostle, God fulfilled in the exaltation of Christ, " when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 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 ; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." (Eph. i. 20-22.) In 1 Corinthians xv. 27, the argument is pushed to its utmost ex- treme. When all things are said to be put under the feet of Christ, nothing is to be excepted from this subjection, except Him " which did put all things under him." And in Hebrews ii. 8, it is said, " In that he put all (ja. iravra, the universe) in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him." The same uni- versality of dominion is implied in Christ's sitting at the right hand of God. As this session on the throne of God involves equality with God in glory and dominion, it cannot be said of any ci'eature. And as it is said of Christ it proves that Christ is a divine person, and is invested with all the power and authority of God. This is the Apostle's argument in Hebrews i. 13. " To which of the angels (to what created being) said he at any time, Sit on my right hand?" The Apostle says to the Philippians, that Him, who though equal with God was found in fashion as a man, " God hath highly exalted, and given him a name which is above every harae : that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." (Phil. ii. 9, 10.) This is a perfectly exhaustive statement. All in heaven, all in earth, and all under the earth, include all i-ational creatures. The person to whom they are to bow the knee is Tesus, not the Logos, but the God-man. And the acknowledgment which they are to make is, that He is Lord, i. e., their Lord, their absolute proprietor and Sovereign. It is in this sense also, that the Apostle says (Heb. i. 2), that God hath appointed the Son heir of all things. It is in virtue of this dominion over the uni- verse that Christ is called Lord of lords and King of kings, i. «,, the Sovereign over all other sovereigns in heaven and on earth.