too self-righteous and worldly, too high-minded and vain-glorious, to behold his real glory. The hour, therefore, for the open and manifested assumption of royal power was deferred. There was first to be a full test of his claims in his whole course on earth, and then a lengthened season of grace and forbearance to the rebels before its full exercise.

His life on earth was that of a King in veiled glory. Flashes of light and majesty ever and anon shone from him as of a King, and kept appearing from time to time. When, as a King, he banished the leprosy, telling the poor leper, "I will, be thou clean," the leprosy at once obeyed him, and fled at his command. But he immediately charged the leper, "See, thou tell no man." When they would have come by force to make him a King, he departed again unto a mountain himself alone, secluding himself from them. When Peter owned him as the King Messiah, saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," he again charged his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. When they beheld his glory on Mount Tabor, as it will shine forth in his kingdom,-as they came down from the mountain Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead."

He absolutely declined as yet acting as ruler; when one of the company said unto him, "Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me;" He replied, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?' His time was not yet come; his glory as king was yet veiled. He was a king among rebels; he was proving his claims by spotless obedience to the law of God; accomplishing miracles of mercy; fulfilling all prophecies; manifesting, in all the actions of his holy and heavenly life, Divine power and grace. Thus the witnesses of what he did were compelled, like Nicodemus, to say, “No man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him;" or were obliged, like the officers sent to arrest him, to testify, "Never man spake like this man;" or, constrained like the Centurion and they that were watching his crucifixion to say, "Truly, this was the Son of God."

At last, to give a sign to Israel of the fulfilling prophecies, "Hosannah to the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," and that in Zechariah, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon the colt, the foal of an ass," he thus entered, seated on the colt of an ass, into the city of Jerusalem, and was welcomed by much people with the acclamation,

"Hosannah, blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." Yet, even his own disciples, we are told, understood not at first, but "when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him." (John xii. 12—16.)

man.

But, however for a moment they thus welcomed him, soon the multitude were led by the priests to cry out, "Away with him, crucify him." Thus he was not openly acknowledged or invested with his kingly office either by God or To atone for our guilt, other parts of his great works of redemption had to be accomplished. To be our forerunner and pattern, there were the sufferings to be endured before the reign. His special work in his life on earth was rather first to be OUR PROPHET, teaching us by his heavenly discourses and his most instructive parables, and giving us the promise of his Holy Spirit to guide us unto all truth. And then at his death he became OUR PRIEST, offering the most stupendous sacrifice that could be offered unto God, even himself. For Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. "Such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, and undefiled, separate from sinners, and

made higher than the heavens, who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the people : for this he did once, when he offered up himself." Thus his offices as prophet and priest were manifested in his life, but that of King, though his kingly glory could not but frequently shine forth amidst his humiliation, was not then, and has not yet been specially manifested.

Let us next consider,

2. THE SEASON OF EXALTATION AND FORBEARANCE.

By the resurrection from the dead, our Lord was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness." He ascended up into heaven in the sight of his disciples; they were assured by the angels he was taken up into heaven. David had predicted this when he foretold, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool." There he was seated both Lord and Christ, to be a Prince to rule over the earth, to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins.

In this season of exaltation and forbearance, let us notice,

1. His open enthronement in heaven. Apostle sets this before us when he says,

The

"Him

hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour." So God commanded the Apostles "to preach to the people that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead." We have a glowing description of this in the Epistle to the Ephesians, where the Apostle Paul speaks of the working of the mighty power of God which he wrought in Christ, when "he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and 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, and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church." St. Peter exults in the same truth in connexion with the resurrection of Christ, adding, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Oh! blessed truth! He who loved us unto death is thus enthroned in heaven on the highest seat of dominion and glory, "able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him."

2. His dominion of secret providence is now directing everything in heaven. and earth. Nothing can be more express than his own words when he sent forth his Apostles, "All