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By ancient covenant, ere nature's birth,

And thou hast made it thine by purchase since,

And overpaid its value with thy blood.

To complete what may be said in support of that right which Christ has to the world, let it be added in a word, that he made all things for himself; that the church is his body; and, that to minister to this body, is the end which all things have to answer.

Those who acknowledge Jesus Christ to be God over all, will acknowledge his right without any limitation; but those who assert him to be a mere creature of God, whatever rank they may allow him, will be puzzled to maintain that he has any right; since all creatures must be subordinate, and dependant, and every thing which may be strictly called a right, must be possessed, and exercised by God himself.

Though this passage may not have been reckoned among the direct proofs of the deity of Christ, it seems even alone, to be proof abundantly sufficient, since it allows of no explanation, if we deny that doctrine. We should do well to pause, and reflect upon the passage, and upon all other passages, which hold up the same object in the same light.

The concluding clause remains, and we shall give it a brief consideration. And I will give it him. This is common language in the scriptures. Christ is spoken of as the gift of God to the world; and his people, and every thing, relating to his kingdom, are spoken of as the gift of God to him. A few quotations will be sufficient: For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful; Counsellor; The mighty God; The everlasting Father; The prince of Peace. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people; a leader, and commander, to the people. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the gentiles. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possessions. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the

great; and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Father the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

But

If Christ is the independent God, having a right, in consequence of his independence, to all things, how he can be given to the world; and how the world can be given to him, is a mystery which no one will undertake to unravel. do we not receive the scriptures as the Word of God; and is not this the manner in which this affair is represented in the scriptures? If the scriptures are the Word of God, the representations which they give us, however they may exceed our comprehension, are undoubtedly correct. Is this the only thing which appears unintelligible? Can we say we have a clear conception of that eternal God whose existence all are compelled to admit; under whatever name, they may designate him; or whatever they may suppose the mode of his existence? Can we trace the hand of God in creation; and see how he made all things out of nothing, by the word of his power? Do we understand how matter and spirit, or the body and soul, which are the two component parts of man, and which have less affinity than oil and water, can be so united as to act upon each other, producing effects of which we are every day sensible? Can we tell in what way inspiration was imparted to the prophets, when they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and described events to be brought about at the most remote period.

If we have any leisure, and suppose ourselves to have any ability to solve difficult questions, we can find enough of them; and a list sufficiently long to answer our purpose, is contained in the thirty-eighth chapter of Job. The scriptures present different views to mankind, according to their different dispositions, as the pillar of the cloud, when it came between the camp of the Egyptians, and the camp of Israel,

gave light by night to the Israelites but was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians.

A proper attention to the words of our Savior to the Jews, would free us from all difficulties of this kind. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Those who have been the most faithful in their service, have ever been the least perplexed in their minds; and if we would have more discernment we should ask for more faith. The promise of God in the text, that he would give it; the kingdom, or the world, to Christ, whatever there may be in it which we cannot comprehend, clearly conveys this idea, that the kingdom, or the world, should be brought into such a situation, as to be subject to, and quiet under, the government of Christ. This must be the case if things civil, and religious; if the affairs of the great community of mankind, experience such an alteration, or overturning, that it will be proper to say, Old things are passed away behold all things are become new.

If those evils, public, and private, and of every name, and nature, which have hitherto disgraced the human character, shall be laid aside, what can take their place, but holiness in its various manifestations? Many will treat as chimerical, whatever is said about a day of universal peace, and holiness. Why do not the same persons treat as chimerical, the calculations of astronomers, and say, that the eclipses which they predict, will never take place? Are the truths of God less to be depended upon, than the principles of astronomical calculation? Does not history coincide exactly with prophecy, so far as the time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled?

Let no one then, congratulate himself, and call his own unbelief superior judgment; but let every unbeliever take warning from unbelievers of old time. Noah's ark, doubtless, furnished a topic for much ridicule. But what became of those who ridiculed the ark, and its builder? The flood washed them away. The people of Sodom disregarded, and despised, all the counsels, and instructions, of Lot. What became of them? They were consumed in a storm of fire, and brimstone. What became of the unbelieving

lord, who treated with contempt the prophecy of Elisha, respecting plenty in Samaria? He lived to see the plenty; but not to partake of it, for he was trodden to death at the gate.

It is acknowledged, that the change we are contemplating as to take place in the world, will be so great and wonderful, that those who disregard what God has said about it, and are unmindful of his power, may, in perfect consistency with their principles, pronounce it altogether impossible. That it will be effected we are assured; and how it will be effected we are, generally, informed. Miracles have had their day and have answered their purpose.

What is now to be done will be brought about in the ordinary way of God's dispensations, and by the instrumentality of second causes. The work was going on in St. Paul's day; and he was one of the instruments; and from him we may learn what means are suitable to be used and what will be effectual. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God; and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. A single clause of Daniel's prophecy with respect to the time of the end, or the last days, will be sufficient information. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. From this we learn, that many persons were to be employed as teachers; or to give them another name, as missionaries, to instruct the ignorant, not only, nor especially, in things relating to civilized life; but in the higher concern of religion.

Of course we are to expect that the bible, which hitherto, has been confined within a narrow circle; will be sent in every direction, and translated into the various languages of the world, that it may be understood.

Perhaps it may be thought that since the bible has had but a partial influence in those christian countries where it has long been used as a school book, the most that we can expect from it, should it be circulated through the world will be, that it will produce such effects within a great circle, as it has already produced within a small one. Such

an opinion would have more to support it than it now has, if we were not taught, in the plainest man ner, to look for such things as the world has never yet experienced. The text is a mass of information, and evidence, of itself. The eleventh chapter of St. Paul's epistle to the Romans deserves to be consulted likewise; and whoever believes it to be true, must have very high expectations with respect to future time.

We have now given our subject a hasty, and imperfect discussion, and will bring it to a close with a few words of improvement.

St. Paul's words to the Romans are pertinent in our case, What advantage then hath the Jew, or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way; chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. The chief advantage which the Jews had in that day consisted in this, that they were favored with revelation which other nations had not. We have the same revelation, enlarged by the addition of all the New Testament. If this constitutes our principal advantage, as doubtless it does, we are thankful for nothing, unless we are especially thankful for this. From the scriptures we may learn the character of God; and our own character; our duty; and our destiny; what has filled the world with evil; and what will cure the evil of the world; what events are to take place at one period, and another, and what will be the grand result; and from this source we may derive our highest enjoyments for the present; and our brightest and most substantial hopes for the future.

God has also given us a goodly heritage. Instead of inhabiting a barren nook of earth, we dwell in a land so extensive as to offer easy acquisitions to the people; and so abundant in its productions, that industry is seldom disappointed. If we should be thankful for a litttle of this world, how thankful should we be for the abundance which we possess.

Notwithstanding all the wretched beings who are held in bondage within some sections of our country, we are a free people, for those who have any thing, have it under

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