the perpetuity of his kingdom; no more than his ceasing to intercede for his people is to the perpetuity of his priesthood, which is confirmed to him by oath. The kingdom of Christ may be said to abide for ever, in that all his saints and angels shall eternally adore and worship him on account of the glory which he hath received as the king and head of the church; and in that all the saints shall abide in their state of union to God, through him as their head. God communicating of his fulness to them in this way, will be the mediator's eternal glory, when all his enemies shall be his footstool. Besides, as the righteous judge of all, he shall continue, and that to all eternity, the punishment of his adversaries.

§12. Hence we may infer the following remarks,

1. The authority of God the Father in the exaltation of Jesus Christ as the head and mediator of the church, is greatly to be regarded by believers. "Sit thou on my right hand." Much of the consolation and security of the church depends on this consideration.

2. The exaltation of Christ is the great pledge of his acceptance as the surety of the church. Now, saith God, "sit thou on my right hand," the work is done wherein my soul is well pleased.

3. Christ hath many enemies to his kingdom; I, saith God, will deal with all of them.

4. The kingdom and rule of Christ is perpetual and abiding, notwithstanding all the opposition that is made against it. His enemies rage, at least sometimes, as though they would pull him out of his throne. Fruitless rage! He hath the faithfulness and power, the word and right hand of Jehovah, for the security of his kingdom.

5. The end to which the Lord Jesus Christ will as suredly bring all his enemies, (tremendous yet delightful thought!) shall be to them miserable and shameful, to the saints happy and joyful, to himself victorious and triumphant. Yes, ruin to enemies, joy to saints, and glory to Christ, will be the momentous issue of all the world's enmity and opposition! They come upon the breadth of the earth, and compass the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, Rev. xx, 9. They go about their work as if they would accomplish it in a day; and what is the issue? The city which they look on as an unwalled town, no way defensible or tenable, is not yet taken; no, nor never shall be, but they fall before it, one after another, and their bones lie under the walls of the city they oppose. Disappointment, shame, and everlasting punishment is their portion. The people they assail have their habitation in a rock. This pledge we have already, that all who have formerly risen up in enmity to the kingdom of Christ are dead, gone, perished under his feet, and have left their work undone; as far from accomplishment as the first day they undertook it. The same shall be the lot of those that are, and those that follow, to the end of the world. And when they have all done their utmost, then shall the end be; then shall all their misery be completed, the joy of the saints filled, and the glory of Christ everlastingly exalted. Oh! joyful prospect to the oppressed righteous; all the Nimrods of the earth, that have opposed the kingdom of Christ, lying in shame and misery, with their necks under the footstool of his feet! And the like prospect may they take of what is to come; they may by faith see Babylon fallen, the whole conspiracy that is in the world against them and their

Lord disappointed, and all his enemies that shall arise, even to the consummation of all things, brought to ruin! He will not fail to put forth his power in the appointed season; he will bruise them all with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. His glory and honor require it should be so. Here they reproach, blaspheme, despise, and persecute him. But shall they escape and go free? Shall they always prosper? What then would he do to his great name? The glory of Christ indispensably requires that there be a season, a day appointed for the eternal ruin of all his stubborn adversaries. His enemies deserve it to the utmost: so that his justice, as well as his glory, his interest, and people, is concerned in their destruction. And thus whilst God is righteous, and the sceptre of Christ's kingdom a sceptre of righteousness, themselves call aloud for their own destruction.

VERSE 14.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

$15-25. (11.)

$1. Connexion of the argument. §2--5. The words explained. $6,7. Observations $8-14 (1.) Why God uses the ministry of angels. For what special ends. $22. Additional observations.

§1. THE apostle, having proved the pre-eminence of the Son, as mediator of the New Testament, above all the angels, from attributes of honor and glory that are ascribed to him in the scriptures, that he may not appear to argue merely in a negative manner from what is not said concerning them, adds, in this last verse, such a description of their natures and office, or work and employment, as shew, that indeed no such thing can be rightly affirmed concerned them, as he hath before

manifested to be spoken and recorded concerning the Son.

§2. As to their nature, they are (TvEvpala) spiritual substances; not qualities or natural faculties, as the Sadducees imagined: and as to their offices, they are (tvevpala heilspyına) ministering spirits. So are they termed, Psalm ciii, 21; "Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts: (Sept. Meilepys avls) ye ministers of his that do his pleasure." Now what kind of office or ministry it is that is ascribed to them, the word itself (n) partly declares, as it signifies to minister, principally about holy things; and it is performed with honor and ease, as opposed to another word (y) which is, "to minister with labor and burden." And hence it is, that the church and they make up but one family; Eph. iv, 15; and in it they are all fellow-servants with them that keep the testimony of Jesus, Rev. xxii, 9. The description of this superior part of the family of God is given us, Dan. vii, 10, "Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;" Rev. v, 11. So concerning the lower part of it, Deut. xviii, 5. God chose the priests and Levites to minister in the name of the Lord.

§3. As to the execution of their office, they are ministering spirits, (iç dianoviav añoolerhoμeva) "sent out unto a ministry;" sent out, that is, they are daily so, continually so; the word denoting the present time, which is perpetual. They stand before the presence of God, and are sent forth, sometimes these, sometimes others, but always those that are sufficient for the destined work. And their work is expressed by two words, which comprise the whole ministry of the church, (axocion) apostleship, and (Sianova) laboring ministry; and therein the harmony subsisting between both parts

of the family is still preserved. And as in the service of the church, the ministers thereof do not minister to men, but to the Lord in the behalf of men, Acts xiii, 2; so is it with these spirits also, they are sent out to minister for the good of men, but properly, it is the Lord to whom they minister: his servants they are, not ours, Psalm ciii, 21; rather they are our fellow-servants. As all the servants of a king, though otherwise they greatly differ, agree in this, that they are all servants to the same person.

§4. Their ministry is restricted to the special object of their work and employment; it is "for them that shall be heirs of salvation;" for them, for their sakes, for their good, in their behalf, who shall inherit salvation. Heirs they are at present, and hereafter shall inherit, or actually obtain salvation, by virtue of their heirship. This privilege, amongst others innumerable and inexpressibly great, we have by our adoption; being admitted into the family of God, those blessed angels have us under their constant care. It is true, that the ministry of angels is not always absolutely restrained to the church, for they are employed also in the government of the world; yet be it observed, notwithstanding, that even this is ultimately for the church.

$5. But it may be objected, that this their ministry will not clearly evince their inferiority and subordination to Christ, seeing he himself also was sent for the good of them who shall inherit salvation, and is thus called, "the apostle of our profession." But the difference between him and them, in their being "sent," is so great and manifest, that his superiority and preeminence are not in the least impeached. He was sent by his own previous choice and condescension; they are so, in pursuit of the state and condition of their He was sent to minister, in the form of a

creation.