tial to spiritual life. Christ, "the firstfruits of them that slept," makes certain the resurrection of all men. This forces the moral government of God upon the attention, it carries the man beyond the grave, where the awards will be according to the deeds done in the body. This throws deep solemnity upon the life that now is, and makes Christ crucified a most welcome truth, because "He died for our sins." The risen Saviour is the only "hope of glory." "Begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." "For whether we we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived." "I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." 3 CHAPTER XIV. THE MEDIATORIAL KING. HEREFORE did the Lord ascend on high? Prophecy answers: "I have set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.” "The heathen shall be His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth His possession." "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." "His name shall endure for ever, and men shall be blessed in Him: all nations shall call Him blessed." "Let the whole earth be filled with His glory." Such is the prophetic delineation of the universal happy empire of the Mediatorial King. The same love which brought the Lord from heaven to the cross controls His heart whilst sitting upon the mediatorial throne. That He may perfectly and triumphantly carry out the rich and wide-reaching purposes of His atonement, "God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ." “Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."2 "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Prophecy in the distant past foretold the "Thou purpose of the mediatorial reign. hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." The answering voice comes, "He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and He gave gifts unto men. . . He gave some, Acts v. 31. |