into the captivity of our nature, that He may captivate captivity, in us. All the powers of darkness strive against the entrance of the Light of our Risen Redeemer into the soul. For the entrance of the Eternal Light, is their notice to quit. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. We are no sooner possessed of "the Light of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," than we are new creatures. As new creatures, it is true, we must consent to be struggling captives all the days of our mortality; but we may rejoice in hope, for the Light and Power of our Lord's life, in us, will win the day. Jesus never becomes a captive in vain: He never fails to captivate the creature in whom He becomes captive. And to be the captive of the Lord is to inherit enlargement without limit and without end.

III.-The Divine qualities and powers of the ascended Humanity of Christ, are "gifts for men." What He has acquired in our nature, He has acquired for our nature.

1. The house of flesh, in which Jesus was shut up, a suffering, weeping Captive, is become the home of all powers. No previous nature, or substance, can be compared with the risen, glorified Body of our Lord. The Humanity of Christ has a Name above every name, because

it has qualities above every thing that is named, whether in visible or invisible worlds. "When He had in Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels"—how much better?— "so much, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they." Heb. i. 3, 4. The same Jesus Who, by the assumption of human nature, was made "lower than the angels," has obtained for the said nature, this "more excellent Name." As God, a more excellent Name was His, but as man, He obtained it. He laid down our flesh in death, but He took it again; and in its glorification and ascension, shone forth the evidence that it was made one with the Divine Nature. "To which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand?" "But unto the Son He saith, Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever." Natures, which were supposed to be, irreconcilably incongruous, have met and kissed each other into unity, in Him. First and Last are in agreement, in Him. All natures, elements and virtues cohere in Him. "Thou crownedst Him with glory and honor, and didst set Him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him.” Heb. ii. 7, 8.

And all those Powers and Virtues, congregated in the Nature of Jesus, and which are of universal dominion, are "gifts for men." As Man, He acquired them in battle, for man. All Divine

powers and qualities, all spiritual powers and qualities, and all material powers and qualities, He has gathered together in One. The house of all these powers is Human Nature. riches are in "The Man," for men.

All possible

2.-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask The Father, in My Name, He will give it you." John xvi. 23. "If you shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it." John xiv. 14. For His Name includes every thing. Ask love, ask wisdom, ask meekness, ask humility, ask penitence, ask beauty, ask for heavenly qualities, ask for Divine qualities, ask for natural qualities in their highest condition of glory and power,-ask what you will, His Name comprehends all. Highest things have taken captive the lowest, and have gone up with them to the throne of God. Jesus fills all things. He is "All." He is the First, He is the Last, and all that comes between the first and last. "Ask what you will." You are not straitened in Him. "According to your faith it shall be done unto you."

3. He spake it solemnly, that it was His will

that His disciples should do greater works than He had done. John xiv. 12. The works of God which were done by Christ were done through the feebleness of His flesh. But the works which are yet to be wrought by His disciples, are the works of God through the might of His glorified Son. The descent of the Father into the flesh of His Son is not so great a work, as the ascent of the flesh to the Father. “Greater works" therefore will result from the ascent of Humanity to the Father than from the descent of the Father into Humanity. "Greater works than these shall ye do; because I go unto My Father." But the Church has not yet a faith worthy of Human Nature, as made one with the Almighty Father in His Son.

IV. All the riches of glory, of Heaven and of Godhead, which the Man of Nazareth has obtained, are truly "for man;" but it is well that it is distinctly added, "yea for the rebellious also." All rebels may find quarter, for the Man Jesus, Who was "made sin for us," and "died for our sins," is in the throne of God. He is in the throne of God, and wields the power of God not to condemn, but to save them, not to judge them as rebels, but to meet them as creatures needing His pity and His strength, His truth and His grace.

H

His end is not to punish the rebels, but to cure them. Was it not to be expected, that He would overflow with compassion towards those, for whom He died? He died for rebels. He endured the penalty, and exhibited the exceeding great and dreadful evil of rebellion, in His own death; and having so done, He is annihilating rebellion by winning the rebels to Himself. He has made Himself one with them, and now seeks to make them one with Himself. He brought His Divine Nature into human nature, and was tempted in all points as rebellious nature is tempted, but He withheld it from rebelling. In Him our nature was perfectly obedient. He was "made sin," but "did no sin." Herein was the glory of His obedience, that He made that nature obey, which had from the beginning disobeyed. How otherwise indeed could He have been "tempted in all points like as we are," had He not been of "the same" nature that we are? Deny the identity of the Human Nature of Christ and of mankind, and the absolute rock and certainty of human salvation are no more. Whatever flesh and blood mankind were partakers of, "He also Himself likewise took part of the same." He underwent the unutterable conflict between Divine Nature and our nature, and by upholding our nature in the conflict, and making it