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be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1. 5, 6. 'Tis faid of him, that he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that fate upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints. And they sung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy bloud, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And haft made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honor, and glory, and bleffing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, heard I faying, Bleffing, honor, glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, Rev. 5. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. To him the Martyrs cried with a loud voice, faying, How long, O Lord, boly and true, doft thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth? Rev. 6. 10. The great Multitudes alfo cried with a loud voice, faying, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, Rev, 7. 10. Infomuch that our Lord's Words were then fignally verify'd, that Men fhould honor the fon, even as they honour the father, that is, fhould pay religious Adoration to him, John 5, 23.

Then did our Lord's great Power display it felf. He shower'd down thofe Bleffings upon his Church, which God had enabled him to beftow, who then

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actually poffefs'd, by the Father's Gift, all power in beaven and in earth, Mat, 28. 18... The Apoftles reprefent him as the Difpenfer of Grace, Mercy and Peace, in Subordination to, and as the Son of, the very God. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Christ, Phil. 1. 2. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Chrift our Savior, Tit. 1. 4. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift, Phil. 3. Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift the fon of the father, 2 John 3. Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, and from the feven fpirits which are before his throne: And from Jefus Chrift, who is the faithful witnefs, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, Rev. L. 4, 5.

And indeed, how fhould it be otherwife? For our Lord, immediatly after his Afcenfion, began his Spiritual Reign, as the Vicegerent of the very God, over all created Beings. How truly might it then be faid, The kingdoms of this world are become the king downs of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Rev. 11, 15? Now is come falvation, and ftrength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chrift, Rev. 12. 10. He has on bis vesture, and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19. 16. Then might all his Enemies justly tremble and dread his Power. Well might they fay to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that fitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come, and who fhall be able to stand? Rev. 6. 16, 17, And as his Enemies dreaded him, fo his faithful Difciples might well rely upon him. Accordingly Sr, Paul trufted in him for what he hop'd to accomplifh, Phil. 2. 9, 24,

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The bleffed Jefus fhall continue thus exalted till the Confummation of all things, when all Mankind fhall ftand at his Tribunal, and he fhall fentence them to eternal Happiness or eternal Mifery. For God fhall then judge the World by Jefus Chrift. For the Father judgeth no man: but hath committed all judgment unto the Jon, John 5 22. It is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead, Acts 10. 42. even the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom, 2 Tim. 4. 1. This his general Judgment will be exceedingly glorious. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father, with his angels: and then be Shall reward every man according to his works, Matt. 16. 27. and again, When the Son of man cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels, Mark 8. 38.

In this exalted Condition muft the Bleffed Jefus continue, till he has gain'd a complete Victory over all his Enemies. For this man, after he had offered one facrifice for fins for ever, fate down on the right hand of God: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made bis foot-ftool, Heb. 10. 12, 13. For he must reign, till be has put all enemies under bis feet. The last enemy that fhall be destroy'd, as death. For he has put all things under his feet, 1 Cor. 15. 25, 26, 27.

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After this general Judgment, our Lord Jefus Chrift fhall ceafe to be the Adminiftrator of God's Kingdom. For then cometh the end, when he shall have deliver'd up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, 1 Cor. 15. 24. And when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then fhall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all, v.28. I confefs, it may be objected, that St. Paul feems to affirm, Heb. 10. 12. that he fhall adminifter God's Kingdom for ever, and confequently after the Day of Judgment. But, fays Dr. Whitby in his Com

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ment on that Text, by comparing this with v. 14. By one offering he has perfected, eis to Sinvexès, for ever, them that are fanctified, and with v. 1. where it is denied, that the legal Sacrifices could Tee is TO Jinvexès, expiate fins for ever, and from the Stress "the Apostle here, V. 10. and elsewhere lays upon this westry spana, oblation once for all, I imagine "that thefe Words may be better rendred thus, This man, "after he had offer'd one facrifice for fin for ever, СС is fate down.

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But tho' this Administration by the Son fhall then ceafe, yet doubtless that Happiness and Joy, which the Son poffeffeth as the Reward of his Sufferings, as it undoubtedly may (because, tho' by God's Appointment 'tis at prefent join'd with it, yet 'tis in its own Nature diftinct from it) fo moft certainly will, continue everlastingly.

Thus have we confider'd the Bleffed Jefus as invefted with, and exercising, the Authority of the very God, from the time of his Entrance on that fublime Office, to the time of his Refignation of it into the Hands of his Father, from whom he receiv'd it.

The only Obfervation I fhall make upon the whole, is, that tho' there are Two Natures united in the Perfon of our Lord, yet this Exaltation refpects his human Nature only.

Now plain Fact demonftrats this Exaltation of his human Nature. However, let us confider what the Scriptures fay. The Lamb that was flain, Rev. 5. 6, 12. he whofe Throne is the fame with that of God, Rev. 22. 1, 3. is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels, and authorities, and powers, being made fubject unto him, 1 Pet. 3.22. Him that was rais'd from the dead has God fet at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and

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power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, Eph. 1. 20, To him that rose from the Dead, was given all power in heaven and in earth, Matt. 28. 18. And at the Laft Day God will judge the World in Righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he has given affurance unto all men, in that he bath raifed him from the dead, Acts 17. 31. For the fon of man Jhall come in the glory of his father, with his angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works, Matt. 16. 27.

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Now he that fhall be our Judge, is at prefent our Mediator. For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Jefus, 1 Tim. 2. 5. And to him that is at present our Mediator, and shall hereafter be our Judge, we are requir'd to give Religious Adoration. For it must be obferv'd, that the Fa-' ther bath given him authority to execute judgment, for this plain and exprefs Reason, viz. because he is the Son of Man, John 5. 27. And because the Son of Man hath Authority to execute Judgment, therefore he is thereby conftituted the Object of Religious Adoration. For the Father bath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men fhould honor the Son, even as they honor the Father, V. 22, 23. that is, fhould give him Religious Adoration, as they do to God. For you have rightly (a) obferv'd, that the Word [ad's, even as] in St. John's Style, never fignifies an exact Equality, but only a general Similitude. "Thus John 17. 11. That they may be one, as [xat's] we are. Ver. 14. They are not of the world, even as . [raw's] I am not of the world. Ver. 21. That they

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(a) Reply to the Bishop of Chester, P. 260, 261.

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