2. His power. Hence faith the pfalmift, Pfal. lxxvii. 10. I faid, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Moft High. There we find God's power under the metonymy of a right hand, oppofed to the infirmity of his fervant. " My infirm and weak faith," faith Afaph, "made me apt to fink under the weight of heaven's displeasure; but when I called to mind my sweet experiences of the divine power which had been exerted for my deliverance in former diftreffes, this revived my spirit, and refreshed me again."

Chrift's fitting at the right hand of God, implies the following things.

1. A ftate of reft, Micah iv. 4. They fall fit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree. Chrift had a troublesome life while in the world; but now that he has finished the work the Father gave him to do, he has for ever fat down at the right hand of God, Heb. X. 12. and is thereby fet beyond the reach of men and devils. While here they would give him no rest from his cradle to his grave; but now they may tear his picture, and perfecute his members, but they cannot reach his perfon,

2. Continuance in that ftate; 2 Kings vii. 3. Why fit we here until we die? faid the four leprous men at the gate of Samaria. The days of forrow that he met with on earth fhall never recur; his crown shall flourish on his head, and his kingdom ftand firm and be established.

His fitting at God's right hand denotes,

1. The accomplishment of that work, and the confummation of all thofe offices which he was to perform on the earth for the redemption of elect finners. For till all this was finished, he was not to return to his glory. For he that hath entered into his reft, bath ceafed from his works, as God did from his, Heb. iv. 10.

2. The great delight and fatisfaction that the Father had in Chrift, and in that glorious work which he had finifhed. When he returned from earth to

heaven, the Father welcomed him with the greatest teftimony of fatisfaction and joy, Sit thou on my right band, &c. Pfal. cx. 1.

3. The great honour and dignity to which he is ad vanced in heaven. While he was here on earth, he vailed his divinity with the infirmities of the flesh, and lived in a mean and low condition: but now he is exalted to the highest honour. In this refpect he hath beftowed more honour upon his own Soa as Mediator, than ever he did on any creature: for, as it is faid, Heb. i. 13. To which of the angels faid he at any time, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

4. His being invested with fovereign dominion and fupreme authority and power. God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, Phil. ii. 9. 10. He bath fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, &c. Thou madeft him a little lower than the angels, i. e. in refpect of his ftate of humiliation on the earth; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, and fet him over the work of thy hands, and haft put all things in fubjection under his feet, Heb.

ii. 7. 8.

It is Chrift as Mediator that fits at the Father's right hand. With refpect to his divine nature, which in the days of his flesh was as a bottle in the smoke, apparently fullied and vailed, it now breaks forth in all its effential glory and fplendor. And with regard to his human nature, which while tabernacling here bore the likeness of finful flesh, and had nothing more engaging in it than that of other men to outward afpect, it has obtained a glory far fuperior to all creatures, even the very angels being made fubject to the man Chrift.

The ends for which our Redeemer fitteth at the right hand of God, are thefe following.

1. That, as a mighty King, he may protect and defend his church and people, against the rage of all

their enemies, both temporal and fpiritual, If. xxxii. 1. 2. Deut. xxxiii. 26. 27.

2. That he may fubdue all the enemies of his kingdom and people, the devil with all his retinue, the world, the flesh, fin, and hell, Pfal. cx. 1. Acts ii. 36. Heb. x. 12. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 25.

3. That with royal munificence he may difpenfe unto all his faithful fubjects all thofe gifts and graces that may qualify them for the fruition of that glory that is to be revealed, Acts v. 31.

4. That he may act the part of a powerful Interceffor for them, Rom. viii. 34.

5. That all his friends and followers may with him be tranflated into heaven, and advanced unto a glorious ftate, being made kings and priests unto God, Eph. i. 4. 5. 6. Rev. iii. 21.

USE. Behold here the great difference between our Redeemer's ftate while here on earth, and what it is now in heaven. How wonderfully is the fcene changed! When he was on earth, he lodged in a stable, but now he reigns in a royal palace. Then he had a manger for his cradle, but now he fits in a chair of ftate. While here he was hated and fcorned by men, but now he is adored by angels. Here his name was reproached and reviled, but there he hath a name above every name. Here he was a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; but now he is anointed with the oil of gladnefs, and filled with inexpreffible delight and joy. While here he feemed to have no form or comelinefs why he fhould be defired; but now he is manifeftly the brightnefs of his Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon. Here he lay grovelling upon the ground, fweating drops of clotted blood; but there he fits upon a royal throne, furrounded with many myriads of holy angels. Here he groaned, but there he triumphs; here he was crucified, but there he is crowned.

2. Behold how highly our nature is dignified and ennobled, in the perion of our Redeemer. It is far

exalted above that of the angels; and thefe glorious fpirits bow the knee to him who is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh.

3. This lets us fee that the redemption of loft finners, that was brought about by the death of Chrift, was very pleasing unto the Father. The great dignity and honour that is now conferred upon him, fpeaks a fragrancy in his fatisfaction to God, as well as a fulnefs of merit for the fons of men.

4. Then we should draw near to him in all the duties of worship with the most awful reverence and the deepest proftration of foul, fuch as becomes the glory and dignity of his adorable Majefty. Let us have grace whereby we may ferve him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.

5. Then let this exalted Saviour have your hands and your heart. Will ye deny him a lodging in your fouls, to whom the Father has given to fit on his right hand? The rejecting of Chrift in his humbled eftate, was grievously punished on many individuals, and occafioned the deftruction of the Jewish church and nation. And fhall And fhall ye escape, if ye reject him now in his exalted and enthroned ftate? It is better that our hearts be his throne where he may fway his fceptre in a way of mercy and grace, than that we be made his footftool in wrath.

6. Let this fettle and compofe the hearts of the Lord's people, with refpect to the ftate of religion, and the interefts of Chrift's kingdom among men. Chrift is feated on his throne, and will fee to his interest in the world. Zion's God and King reigneth, If lii. 7. If Chrift be on his throne, all his enemies shall be deftroyed. As fure as he reigns King for ever, fo fure fhall Antichrift be degraded and humbled from off his throne, and all the rags he has left behind him in the Proteftant churches be burnt.

IV. The laft ftep of our Lord's exaltation is bis coming to judge the world at the laft day. As I difVOL. II. P

courfed to you of this formerly *, I fhall be the briefI fhall endeavour a little to confider,

er now.

1. The manner and circumftances of Chrift's coming to judge the world.

2. The Judge.

3. The parties to be judged.

4. The matters about which they are to be judged. 5. The properties of it.

6. The final caufes of the judgement.

FIRST, I am to confider the manner and circumftances of Chrift's coming to judge the world.

1. He fhall come with obfervation, in the view of the whole affembled world: for all the kindreds of the earth fhall on that day fee this mighty perfonage with their bodily eyes. None cf all the fons and daughters of Adam can poffibly avoid this wonderful fight. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye fhall fee him, and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail becaufe of him, Rev. i. 7.

2. Though he fhall come with observation, or in a vifible manner, yet he will do fo very fuddenly and furprisingly. As the univerfal deluge catched the old world fleeping in the deepeft fecurity, fo at the fecond coming of Chrift the finners of the last times will be drenched in flumbering ftupidity, as is plain from Matth. xxiv. 37. 38. 39. In fhort, the coming of a thief to break a houfe is not more furprising to thofe in it, than Chrift's coming to judgement will be to finners. Hence the apoftle fays, 1 Theff. v. 2. Yourfelves know perfectly that the day of the Lord fo cometh as a thief in the night.

3. He will come very feafonably, at the very precife point and period of time fixed upon in the eternal counfels of heaven. When once that memorable moment begins, he will delay no longer, but inftantly

This probably is the difcourfe on the general judgement, inferted in the Fourfeld ftate, as no other fermon on that fubject is to be found among the author's MSS.