Luc.i. 33.

SER M. will continue to accomplish; according to IV. the True Intent of the Prophecy, though not after the manner of Their Interpretation. If. ix. 6. Unto Them, though they know it not, a Child is born; unto Them, a Son is given; and the government Is upon his Shoulder; and his Name Is Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God; (Not, the everlasting Father; For it is the Son here fpoken of, and not the Father everlasting; But) the Governour, the Father or Lord of the Age to come, (fo the Phrafe ought to be rendered;) The Prince of Peace: And he fhall reign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. The Jews, at the time of our Lord's appearing in the Flesh were extremely disappointed and prejudiced against him; because his feeming meannefs fell fo much fhort of that Grandour, wherein they expected their Meffiah should have shown himfelf: And yet in reality his True Power and Authority was as much Superiour even to that expected Grandour; as his feeming Meannefs, for which they defpised him, was inferiour to it. They expected a Temporal Deliverer, and he propofed to them a Salvation eternal : They looked

IV.

n

looked for a Prince of Men, and he ap-SER M. peared to be the Lord of Angels: They expected a Meffiah endued with great Power on Earth, and he showed himself to be invested with All Power both in Earth and Heaven. Thus did the Wifdom of God put to filence the ignorance of foolish men; And while the Lovers of Worldly Grandour defpifed and reviled our Lord for his appearing Meanness; under that Meannefs there lay concealed, and to all well-difpofed Perfons (who looked for Redemption in Ifrael) there discovered itself, a Power, infinitely fuperiour even to the highest Expectations, of those whofe Hearts were bent on nothing but Worldly Greatnefs. O the depth of the Riches both of the Knowledge and Wifdom of God! How unfearchable are bis judgments, and his ways paft finding out! Our Saviour, as he miniftred to the Father in creating the World; (For by Him, the Scripture declares, God created all things;) So in governing the World, he likewise supports all things by the Word of his Power. He does what he pleases, in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inbabitants of the Earth; He is King of G 3

Kings,

IV:

SERM. Kings, and Lord of Lords; and judges, punishes, or rewards, as he pleases: For as the Father raifes up the dead, and quickneth them; even fo the Son quickneth whom he willeth; St. Joh. v. 21. He fearches the Hearts and Reins, and declares that he will give to every man according to his Work, Rev. ii. 23. He hath the Keys of Hell and of Death, Rev. i. 18; the Key of David, that openeth and no man shutteth, and fhutteth and no man openeth; Rev. iii. 7. The Words are of the fame import with thofe in Job, ch. xii. 14, where compleat and irresistible Power is thus defcribed ; Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; he fhutteth up a man, and there can be no opening: And they are an Application of that antient Prophecy, to our Saviour; I, xxii. 22: The Key of the Houfe of David will I lay upon his shoulder; fo he shall open, and none shall skut; and be fall fhut, and none fall open.

AND This, as it is a full Declaration of the Extent of our Saviour's Power, that it is univerfal, All Power both in Heaven and Earth; which was the ft particular obfervable in the Text; fo it leads us in the 2d place, to the confideration of the

"

Original

1

IV.

Original of this unlimited Power and Au-SER M.
thority. I will lay upon his shoulder the
Key of the House of David. I will invest
him with All Power, faith God in the
Prophecy; And, at the Accomplishment
of the Prophecy, All Power is Given unto
me, faith our Saviour in the Text; i. e.
given unto me by the Father. Underived
Power, is peculiar to the Perfon of the
Father; the incommunicable Property of
Him alone, who is made of None, neither
created, nor begotten, nor proceeding, nor
in any manner whatsoever derived from
Another. All Power is derivative from
Him; derivative from the Father, to the
Son; and from the Son, by the Spirit, to
all Creatures. In our Saviour therefore,
is vefted all Dominion and Authority; be-
caufe in Him dwelleth the Fulness of the
Godhead, (the Fulnefs of Divine Power,
the Glory of the Father,) bodily, vifibly,
as in the Perfon of a Man: And therefore
he is ftiled, the Image of the invifible God;
because (as the Apostle expreffes it,) it
pleafed the Father, that in him should all
Fulness, the Fulness of all Power, dwell.
This is, in a moft lively Figure, repre-
G4

fented

SER M. fented to us by the Prophet Daniel, ch. IV. vii. 13; I faw in the Night-vifions, and bebold, One like the Son of Man, came with the Clouds of Heaven, and came to the Antient of Days, and they brought him near before him; And there was given him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom; that all people, nations and languages should ferve him; His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away; and his Kingdom, that which shall not be deftroyed. And the Expreffions in the New Teftament, wherein is recorded the Fulfilling of this Prophetick Vifion, are exactly agreeable to it. The Angel at the Annunciation, thus declares concerning him, before his Conception, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Higheft; and the Lord God fhall give unto him, the Throne of his Father David; and be shall reign over the Houfe of Jacob for ever, Luke i. 32. Concerning Himself he profeffes accordingly, Matt. xi. 27; All things are delivered unto me of my Father ; And again, Joh. xiii. 3; Knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands: And yet more exprefly, Joh. v. 22; The Father