Adam, the head and representative of his people, he afcended on high, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. As an illustrious proof to the universe, that God is reconciled; that there is forgiveness with him for finners who implore his mercy; one in our nature and on our behalf, has taken poffeffion of the kingdom. The series of texts in this part of the oratorio, recals this fubject frequently to our thoughts, nor can we think of it too often. It is the foundation of our hopes, the fource of our fublimeft joys, and the fufficient, the only fufficient answer to all the suggestions by which guilt, fear, unbelief and Satan, fight against our peace. Surrounded as we are with enemies and difficulties, we plead against every accufation and threatning, that our Head is in heaven; we have an Advocate with the Father, a High Priest upon the throne, who, because he ever liveth to make interceffion, is able to fave to the uttermoft. This is all our plea, nor do we defire any other. His afcenfion on high, is a fure pledge that his fervants shall follow him *. And even at prefent, by faith they afcend and are feated with him in the * John xii. 26.

heavenly places *. They behold invifibles with the eye of their mind; they realize the glorious fcene, from which they are separated by the veil of flesh and blood. They know that, even now, day and night, day without night, myriads of golden harps and happy voices, refound his praise. The Babe of Bethlehem, the Man who once hung dead and forfaken upon the cross, is now the Lord of glory. In the thought of his glory they greatly rejoice, because they love him, and because they expect shortly to be with him.

II. Thou haft led captivity captive. The expreffion is emphatical. He has conquered and triumphed over all the powers which held us in captivity, fo that captivity itself is taken captive. The fpirit and force of it is deftroyed, and his people, when released by him, and walking in his ways, have no more to apprehend from those whose captives they were, than a conqueror has to fear from a prisoner in chains. The energy of the phrafe, is not unlike that of the apostle, which we are hereafter to confider-death is fwallowed up in victory. Man by nature is a captive, in a state of confinement and * Eph. ii. 6.

bondage,

ondage, from which he cannot escape by any addrefs or effort of his own.

He is a captive to fin; a finful state is a ftate of bondage; and this, notwithstanding the finner is a willing captive, fpeaks fwelling words of vanity, and boasts of liberty, while he is the fervant, the flave of corruption. He is not always, and in every fenfe, a willing captive. Confcience fometimes remonstrates, fills him with fears and forebodings, which make him struggle to be free. And there are many fins, which, befides being offences against the law of God, are directly contrary to the finner's prefent intereft and welfare; and would be fo upon his own plan, and if he was wholly his own mafter, and had no account to render of his conduct. Perfons enflaved to habits of lewdnefs or drunkennefs, need not be told from the pulpit, that the courfes they pursue are injurious to their health, their business, or substance, their reputation and their peace. They know it and feel it, without a monitor. There are seasons, when the ill confequences they bring upon themselves, make them fick of the drudgery, and excite fome efforts towards a reform. But in vain. The next return

return of temptation, bears down all their refolutions like a torrent, and, after every attempt to amend, they ufually become worfe than before. For none can escape, unless the Son makes them free. His grace can overcome the most obftinate habits of licentiousness, and implant the contrary habits of purity and temperance. But they, who are not delivered by him, muft die in their chains.

III. Thou haft received gifts, even for the rebellious. To beftow gifts upon the miferable, is bounty; but to beftow them upon rebels, is grace. The greatness of the gifts contrafted with the characters of those who receive them, displays the exceeding riches of the Redeemer's grace. He came to fave, not the unhappy only, but the ungodly. He gives pardon, peace, and eternal life, to his enemies; whofe minds are fo entirely alienated from him, that until he makes them willing, in the day of his power, their minds are determined against accepting any favour from him. They live long in contempt of the law and -authority of God; and though justly obnoxious to his displeasure, while left to themfelves, they defpife and reject the proposals

of

of his mercy. If they fometimes acknowledge themselves to be finners, they still prefume that they are able to procure his favour by their own performances. They strangely imagine they have a fufficient ground of hope, fo long as it appears to themselves, that they are not altogether fo bad as others. And when, by the Gofpel, the Lord treats them as finners already justly condemned by the tenor of his holy laws, and informs them of the exigency of their cafe; that nothing less than the refources of his infinite wisdom, and the most expensive exertion of his unspeakable love, can poffibly fave them from destruction; the pride of their hearts rises against his declarations. His wisdom, in their view, is folly; and his love provokes their enmity and fcorn. He fays of MESSIAH, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed, hear ye him; but the language of their hearts is, we will not have him to reign over us *. They revile and pose the meffengers of his grace, account them enemies, charge them as troublers of their peace, and as those who turn the world upfide down and when not restrained by the providence of God, inflict upon them,

*Luke xix. 14.

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