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authority, and power," "hath put all enemies under his feet," "when all things shall be subdued unto him." The object of the spiritual kingdom of which Christ is the head, is to subvert and subdue every thing which opposeth itself against God, and his purposes of mercy towards his faithful people; and thus to effect their complete salvation in their establishment in everlasting glory and felicity. Accordingly, until this object is effected, the mediatorial kingdom of Jesus Christ continues; he reigns as the head and Almighty Ruler of this kingdom, agreeably to the declaration of God the Father, when he constituted his Son, in his human nature, as Mediator-" The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." But when this great event takes place; "when he shall have put down all rule, and authority and power," either in men or the hosts of darkness, which opposed his grace, and sought to defeat his purposes of mercy; when "he hath put all enemies under his feet," made the opposers of his kingdom bow to his Almighty power, or trampled them under foot in the fury of his indignation; when, having rescued his faithful servants from the sins, and sorrows, and temptations of the world, he finally raises them, in bodies incorruptible and glorious,

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to a state of fulness of joy; when death, the last enemy, is thus destroyed; and the righteous have taken possession of the seats prepared for them before the foundation of the world; and when the rebellious subjects of Christ's kingdom, whom his mercy could not subdue, are consigned, by his justice, with the devil and his angels, to everlasting fire-all things are then subdued unto Christ" the Son." The object of his mediatorial kingdom in the salvation of the righteous and the perdition of the ungodly, is accomplished-" then cometh the end, and he delivers up the kingdom of God even the Father."

III. But what are the consequences of this sur render of his kingdom? This was the third inquiry proposed.

They are described in the text-" then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

"Then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him," that is— the mediatorial kingdom which the Son, in his human nature, received of the Father, shall cease; and in his human nature he shall no longer reign as Mediator, but shall be subject to God the Father. The right to conduct the dis

pensation of mercy to the world, to instruct men as their Prophet, to intercede for them as their Priest, to govern and defend them as their King the Son of God received from the Father. It was the reward of his humiliation, of his sufferings and death as the Son of man-" Therefore," we are told, "God highly exalted him, and gave him a name above every name *. k" With this kingdom he was solemnly invested when at his resurrection and ascension to heaven, God declared to him, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee"-"I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion"-" Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool1." The object of this mediatorial kingdom which Christ received of the Father, was to enable him to "bring many sons unto glory";" to

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purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works ";" to redeem and save them from the hands of their enemies; to make them conquerors over death and the grave; to exalt them to a kingdom of glory eternal in the heavens. But when these objects are accomplished; when his faithful people, exalted to the bliss and immortality of heaven, and rescued from error and temptation, from death and the grave, need no longer a Prophet to teach them, a Priest to intercede for them, or a King to govern and defend

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them, the mediatorial kingdom of the Son ceases; he delivers it up to God the Father, and in his human nature becomes subject to him. Christ, as Mediator, was indeed subject to God the Father before this surrender of his kingdom; but after this surrender he is subject to the Father, not as Mediator, but in his private capacity as the Son of man.

But are we not assured that his redeemed shall reign with him for ever; that he "shall reign for ever and ever;" and does not the Church universal, therefore, in one of her creeds profess her belief, that of "his kingdom there shall be no end." How can these things be, if Christ delivers up his kingdom to God the Father? It is only his mediatorial kingdom which he delivers up, that kingdom which had for its object the salvation of the redeemed; and when this object is accomplished in their advancement to immortality and glory, the neces→ sity of this kingdom ceases, and the Son delivers it up to God the Father. But still the glorified humanity of Christ retains power and dominion by virtue of its union with the Son of God. This humanity is to be co-eternal with his divinity; and thus, though the human nature of the Son will in itself be subject to the Father, no longer reigning over the mediatorial kingdom, yet by virtue of its eternal union with the second person

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of the Trinity, the Son of God, it will possess everlasting power and dominion. In this sense Christ will "reign for ever and ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

After the Son thus surrenders his mediatorial kingdom-" God will be all in all." Here it is worthy of remark, that the Apostle omits the appellation, the Father. And the meaning of this passage, therefore, evidently is, not that God the Father" will be all in all," but that God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the eternal Godhead, will be "all in all." The Son as Mediator exercised all power in heaven and in earth. But this power ceasing, when he delivers up the kingdom; all dominion hereafter is exercised, not by the Son as Mediator, but by the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore. "God" is thus "all in all," the only source of power and dominion, of glory, and felicity, the only object of homage and obedience.

Thus, brethren, has been unfolded to you, the important event which takes place when "the end cometh; when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power. For he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all

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