honours. It was therefore in his nature as man, and in his office as Mediator, that God highly exalted him. Christ is now, in his glorified human nature, exalted to supreme authority and dominion-head over all things to his ChurchLord of angels and of men. For God has given him "a name that is above every name," the name Jesus, which imports, "divine Saviour "— and which is therefore superior to all names that can be bestowed on created beings. And "at this name ”—to him who enjoys it, " every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth." All the host of heaven, all the inhabitants of the earth, all the spirits of the departed, should render divine honours, to Christ the Son in his office as Mediator, "honouring him even as they honour the Father". "And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord "-the Supreme Ruler of the world, as the Apostle John emphatically styles him, King of kings and Lord of lords i". -pos.. sessing in his own divine right universal and sovereign dominion, and exercising in his nature as man, and in his office as Mediator, "all power in heaven and in earth;" as the King of glory, his "dominion an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." And this divine adoration of Christ is "to the 66 * John v, 23. i k Rev. xix. 16. Daniel vii. 14. glory of God the Father"-who sent him, his only-begotten Son, to take upon him our nature, and who advanced him, in that nature, as our Head and Saviour, to everlasting power and dominion. My brethren-the angels in heaven, and the Church of the first-born, are represented by the Apostle as bowing the knee to Jesus Christ, and confessing that he is Lord. Oh! let us fear, that, if through that pride of human reason which rashly and presumptuously attempts to search and to comprehend the Divine nature, we refuse to unite in those songs of the Church on earth which ascribe divine honours to him who, for our sakes, "humbled himself and became obedient unto death,”—we shall not be prepared for uniting in the songs of the Church triumphant. For no praises are there heard, but those of " blessing and honour and glory and power to Him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever". Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing'." 66 My brethren-For us, the Son of God humbled himself; the High and Holy one, who filleth eternity, tabernacled on earth; the brightness of the Father's glory was veiled in mortal form. For us-the Lord of Life offered himself Rev. v. 12. in the death of the cross. It is a display of humility and love which baffles comprehension, but which should excite our unutterable wonder and adoration. What return shall we make, for all this goodness, to him who, "though he was rich"-rich in the glory of the Godhead-" for our sakes became poor;" and though the Lord of angels and of men-for our sakes submitted to the death of the cross? The Apostle answers-" Let the same mind be in you which was in him,”—the same spirit of humility, of gentleness, and of divine love. And let his infinite condescension in taking upon him our nature, and the sufferings by which he achieved our redemption, call forth our devout gratitude. Let those sufferings be commemorated with sacred sympathy and devotion in the services of the Church during this holy week. Let not the day which is sacred to the commemoration of his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, be profaned by the business or the pleasures of the world; but let us, in public and in private, meditate upon and commemorate the sorrows and the death of him who, for our sakes, was acquainted with grief, and for us made his soul an offering. And especially let us celebrate the exceeding great love of him who for us died, and for us rose again, in that Holy Supper which he instituted. My brethren, who was it that said"This do in remembrance of me?"-He, who being in the form of God, and equal with God, for us made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; and is now exalted as the King of kings and Lord of lords-He, who will come to sit in judgment upon us, and to dispense the felicities or the woe of eternity. Can we at his tribunal, before an assembled universe-for at his tribunal, before an assembled universe we must render an account-justify or excuse our disobedience to the dying injunction of the Lord who bought us-"Do this in remembrance of me!" Oh-let us realise the hour, the tribunal, the account of the last judgment; the power, the majesty, the justice of the Eternal Judge; and let us in humility, in penitence, in faith and in love, surrender ourselves a living sacrifice to him, who for us humbled himself and became obedient unto death; and let us seal the devotion by the symbols of his body and his blood. Often invited, often urged, and often warned-oh! that so many should wilfully "abstain from the table of their Divine Lord, and separate from their brethren who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food." |