worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto God with thy blood."

The government of the Church is in the hands of Jesus Christ. He has instituted laws and ordinances in it, and has appointed officers to administer them. He dispenses the influences of the divine Spirit to give power and efficacy to his word. He watches over his church to defend it from enemies. He will one day enlarge its bounds, and render it more glorious, than it has ever yet been, in its extent, its numbers and its purity.

He has dominion over devils. His superiority to them he displayed on earth, by expelling them with his word from their ancient possessions. They fell as lightning from heaven before the power of his name. "He spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them on the cross." Though he has not perfectly extinguished their influence among men, yet he has greatly diminished it by the light of his gospel; and he sets bounds to their power. He will not suffer their malice so far to prevail, as to pluck out of his hands any of the souls which believe in him; much less to subvert and destroy his church: This he has built upon a rock, and against it the gates of hell will never prevail. In the Revelation, St. John describes the conflict between the kingdom of Christ, and the kingdom of Satan, as issuing in a complete and final victory of the former over the latter. "There was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place any more found in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world, and his angels were cast out with him."

The last and most glorious act of Christ's supreme dominion is the judgment of the world. "God has

committed all judgment to the Son." As Jesus has gone into heaven; so, we are told, he will, in some unknown period, come down from heaven in flaming fire, attended with all his mighty angels. He will appear sitting on the throne of his glory, and before him all nations will be gathered; and every man will be judged according to his works. They who are found approved, will be received into that glorious kingdom, into which nothing can enter that defiles. But unbelievers and hypocrites, the disobedient and abominable will be cast into the place of everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels. Then will these material heavens pass away, and the earth with its works will be burnt up; and the great Redeemer, having finished the solemn trial, will return to his exalted seat in the heavens, attended with his exulting train, who will enter with songs of joy and praise into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. When Christ shall have put down all rule, and principality and power, shall have destroyed the last enemy, death, and shall have made the final distribution of rewards and punishments; then shall he deliver up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all.

In the view and expectation of this solemn and tremendous scene, let us now humbly submit to the gov ernment of Jesus Christ, and thankfully accept the gracious proposals of his gospel. Let us be careful what manner of persons we are in all holy conversation. Let us judge ourselves, that we may not be condemned with the world. This is the divine admonition to the children of men: "Behold I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion-I will give him the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession--He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore,; serve ye the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss ye the Son, lest he be angry and ye perish from the

way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

IV. We proceed to consider the end for which Christ exercises his high and extensive dominion. "He is made head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him, who filleth all in all."

The church here, as often elsewhere, is called a body, to signify the harmony and union, which ought to subsist among its various parts. "The body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ;" or the Christian church. In this body, there ought to be no schism, no rent or division; but all the members should have the same care for one another, as each for itself. This thought the Apostle resumes in the 4th chapter of this epistle. "Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is one body, and one Spirit."

The church is called the body of Christ, because he is its head; and all the members, being united to him, take their direction, and draw their support from him; and he exercises a continual care and concern for them. He loved the church and gave himself for it. He loves it still, and feeds and sustains it.

The church is "the fulness of him who filleth all in all." Jesus ascended on high, that he might receive gifts to bestow them on men. He has given his word and ordinances, ordained pastors and teachers, and shed down divine and heavenly influences, "for the edifying of the church, until we all come, in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

"He ascended far above all" these visible "heav ens, that he might fill all things" with his gifts according to his promise to his diciples, that he would send them the Spirit to comfort and teach them, and to

abide with them. As in Christ all fulness dwells, so believers are complete in him, and of his fulness they receive grace for grace-grace answerable to their cases, and equal to their necessities.

All his government is managed in reference to the good of the church. He has made the world by his power; but the church he has purchased with his blood. He therefore has a peculiar concern for her, in distinction from the world; and, in subservience to her interest, he directs all the affairs of his general dominion. He has promised, that he will finally make her victorious over all her enemies; and we may be assured, that all the revolutions of kingdoms, and all the dispensations of Providence will, under his direction, conduce to the fulfilment of this promise.

The church is instituted to train up rational beings in knowledge and holiness, that they may become meet for everlasting felicity in the future world. This must, then, be the most important branch of Christ's government; and to this all the other parts must be subservient. If the happiness, of men in another state is of more value than all temporal glory and riches; if that happiness depends on moral qualifications; and if to form men to these qualifications is the great purpose for which the church was instituted and endowed; then it cannot be doubted, but that the Redeemer continually exercises his supreme dominion in reference to her edification and safety.

This thought should give us much consolation in the darkest periods of the church.

There are times, when from the approach of external dangers, or from the increase of internal corruptions, her state appears critical and tending to ruin. But Christ will not forget his promise; "I the Lord do keep her, and lest any hurt her, I will keep her night and day." He may visit her transgressions with a rod; but his loving kindness he will not take from her, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail. He knows how

to overrule the most threatening appearances for the advancement of her purity, and the establishment of her safety. The time is coming, when she will arise and shine, and her glory will spread through the earth; And those circumstances, which in human view look most unfavorable, may, under the direction of divine wisdom, contribute to the introduction of such a happy period.

We see how criminal and dangerous it is to oppose the interest of the church.

As the church is Christ's body, which he nourishes and defends, and for which he is made head over all things, they who persecute this, wound him in a most tender part: They who cause divisions in this, make a schism or rent in his body: They who form parties in opposition to cach other, and still call themselves members of Christ, treat the one Saviour, as if he were divided into as many parts, as there are sects which assume his name: They who, by corrupt doctrines and examples, draw tender minds away from the truth as it is in Jesus, and throw stumbling blocks before the lame and the weak, are destroying those for whom Christ died; and by thus sinning against the brethren, they sin against Christ: They who call Christ their Lord, and yet serve divers lusts and pleasures, are enemies to his cross, and their end will be destruction,

If the church is Christ's body, let us honor it; study to preserve unity in it; labor for its edification and comfort; and, as fellow members of the same body, exercise for each other the same care as for ourselves.

How safe and happy are they, who are the true members of Christ's body, being vitally united to him by faith! They are of that select and distinguished member, for whom he is made head over all things, and to whom all things under his direction, are working for good.

If Christ is the head of the body, and filleth all in all, let us daily look to him for counsel, comfort and sup