our hopes, to add some observations upon the perfection of God's omnipotency, or infinite power. First, then, he may well be called Almighty, who is the fountain of all might. (2.) The title most justly belongs to Him, against whose power no resistance can be made; no opposition to his will, no deliverance from his hands. Hear the Prophet Isaiah (xiv. 27): The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? He doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost thou? That power which defies all opposition, must be infinite. Thus Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 6): In thine hand, O God, is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Again, God is more properly called omnipotent, because his own active power extends to all things. Thus, when he had several ways declared his might to Job (xlii. 2), Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing.

Thus much I have thought proper to add for your further understanding of the title of Almighty, as denoting the universal power of God the Father.

Having dwelt very fully on the just signification of those expressions in this article, which were necessary to inform and convince, the rational understanding; let us now

tend to the spiritual food that may be derived from this doctrine of the ascension of our Lord into heaven, and the dignity and power he hath obtained in consequence of his particular exaltation. The first happy effect as expressed in the text I have chosen for this subject is, that he hath led captivity captive; the meaning of which words is, that he triumphed over Satan and death; and though, indeed, Christ did this effectually on the cross, yet he led Satan captive, more gloriously, when, after his ascension, he poured out his Holy Spirit upon his Apostles and disciples, and by that Spirit enabled them to cast out devils in his name, and turn men from the power of Satan unto God. (Acts, xxvi. 18.)

To lead captivity captive, is a very common phrase in the Old Testament, to signify a victory over those particular enemies who had formerly led THEM captive, who at length had obtained the final conquest. Thus, it is expressly applied, Judges v. 12, Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive. In this sense, therefore, the benefits of Christ's triumph most manifestly extend to all his faithful servants; for it can with no truth be said of Christ, that part of the enemies he conquered (viz. sin and Satan) had previously led him captive. He yielded only to death, over which he triumphed at the same time, by rising from the dead. By being

obedient to the law in all things, he removed the sting of death, which was sin; for no guile was in him. And in that he was tempted, yet without sin, so he completely defeated all the wiles that Satan employed against him.

The next important and most comfortable consideration in this prophecy is, that HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN, by which is meant, that he received power as the reward of his sufferings, to bestow such aid to all who call upon him, as they could not receive before he ascended up on high. Again, we are not to confine these gifts to the extraordinary manifestation of the Spirit to the Apostles, in the first days of Christianity, which were shown by the powers of healing, speaking in tongues they had not learned, and working various miracles. But we are to consider the nature of these gifts in a more general view, as the sanctifying promise contained in these consoling words: And, lo, I will be with you even unto the end of the world. These gifts, then, relate to us, and every Christian that shall be born to the end of time, whose faith is steadfast to believe, and whose heart is seriously devoted to obey the precepts of his blessed Master, who is in heaven. They are the ordinary gifts of the Spirit, it is true, but as necessary to the forming of a real Christian now, as the more visible influence of the Holy Ghost was upon the Apostles, in order to produce the

supernatural works they wrought in testimony of the truth. Indeed, they are the very same gifts which they also finally received, but certainly did not fully receive, while Christ was with them, because they could not be obtained till he had ascended; for this was the Spirit which they who believe in him should receive; but the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. And our Lord himself (John, xvi. 12) declares thus much to his disciples, in these plain words, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them Now: (ver. 13.) howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, by which we learn, that Christ's true followers need another Spirit to guide them than the spirit of this world; and at the same time we see the end they ought to have in view, and that is, the truth and a blessed assurance it is; for, otherwise, we might for ever grope in the dark, and continue as blind and unbelieving as many of the disciples were, till their natural understanding was enlightened by the Spirit of grace.

It concerns us, then, to inquire next, what these gifts are, which we have in common with the first Apostles of Jesus Christ; and which were as indispensable for their edification and support as ours. The first gift of the Spirit which Christ hath received for men, is faith in HIM. Another, is the enlightening the mind to

discern the things of God; and that we must have grace to do this is evident, because the Apostle says (1 Cor. ii. 14), that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. By the natural man is understood the unrenewed person in his mind, one that has nothing but a principle of unassisted reason to direct him, without the light and support of revelation. Such a one, even though he be possessed of the most exquisite natural accomplishments, and has improved his reason to the highest pitch by scholastic learning, is yet (without grace) but a natural man. It does not follow, however, but that he may have grace together with these improvements of his natural mind; nay, the insufficiency of these fine qualities singly for producing faith, will help to convince him of the necessity of a superior principle; but, still, faith and reason are evidently different powers, for a man may possess great powers of natural understanding, or strength of reasoning, and yet be a downright infidel. For reason is chiefly employed about the things that occupy our senses, whereas faith is the evidence of things not seen. Before Christ had received this gift for men, even they who lived with him during all his ministry, were yet very deficient in their conduct, and ap