power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations." John the Baptist had openly declared this, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." (John iii. 35.) This dominion was assured to our Lord as the fruit of his redemption. "For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living." (Rom. xiv. 9.) He is the great Lord and Head of the human race. In the language of the address of our beautiful Coronation Service to our Queen, "Remember that the whole world is subject to the power and empire of Christ our Redeemer. For he is the Prince of the kings of the earth, King of kings and Lord of lords; so that no man can reign happily, who derives not his authority from him, and directs not all his actions according to his laws." That there is a glorious personal king, our Lord Christ, really reigning over all, is a subject we are apt to lose sight of, and therefore the Apostle says, "But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God." (1 Cor. xi. 3.) We have an illustration of this in the dominion of Pharaoh, the monarch of Egypt. "He said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no

man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou." This is represented to us in that beautiful vision of the fifth of Revelation, of the Lamb in the midst of the throne, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth, taking the sealed book, and receiving the worship of all the redeemed and all the angelic hosts of heaven. Then it is said, "Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." Everything that is now taking place in our world, is under the unseen but constant control and direction of our Lord Jesus Christ: all his enemies are in his hands, all events at his disposal; the Lord reigneth. "The Lord is king, be the people never so impatient, he sitteth between the cherubims, be the earth never so unquiet." Every stormy scene, every awakening judgment, every alarming providence, is guided and overruled to the good of his chosen people, and the final consummation, in his happy and

universal kingdom, of his own gracious, wise, and glorious purposes.

3. His special headship over the Church in all this, must farther be noticed. This Church is infinitely dear to him. It is "the body of Christ, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” "He is Head over all things to the Church.” There is a special and close union and relationship between Christ and all his people. "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." His kingdom is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God." Hence, while all belongs to the Christian, whether things present or things to come, all are yours, it is added, "and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." All that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, acknowledge him their Lord and ours. There is an intimate, constant, spiritual presence of Jesus with his people now. "Lo, I am with you always, to the end of the world." And there is a willing obedience of his people to him. He is the Lord of the house, and believers are the house. "Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we,

if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." He is the husband of his Church, and the pattern of all tender and faithful love. For husbands are to love their wives, "even as Christ, the Head of the Church, loved the Church, and gave himself for it." Thus clear is it that our Lord has a special Headship and gracious rule over his Church. This Headship is exercised for the continual increase of his Church. He goes forth conquering and to conquer. "He must increase. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end." Everything is hastening on its final triumph; and in the meanwhile, the royal priesthood to reign over the earth is gathering from every age and from every land. Each nation, each tongue, each clime, is giving its tribute. All the mighty superstitions of the earth,-Popery and Mahomedanism, Budhism, Brahminism, and idolatry in all its forms, but illustrate the necessity, and, as in a dark background, serve to exhibit more brightly the coming glories of Christ and his kingdom.*

* An original and striking work, with much valuable thought, by the Rev. F. D. Maurice, “The Religions of the World, and their Relations to Christianity," shows how false religions attempt to meet a want the Gospel alone, while it sanctifies and blesses for ever, truly meets. I could have wished for more of the strong scriptural statements of

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There is yet farther, in this present season of Christ's exaltation, a exaltation, a special forbearance towards the disobedient. Not that he wholly, even in this dispensation, passes by the transgressions of the wicked. There are partial judgments when wickedness is great; but there is not the full assumption of royal power in the strict exercise of judgment. The Apostle Peter distinctly sets this before us,-" The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Wicked men abuse this day of grace, this accepted time. They despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance." Satan, the prince of this world, though weakened and spoiled of much of his usurped dominion, has not yet his power fully cast out and destroyed. There is a progressive advance in the kingdom of Christ; there are steps of redemption, but forbearance is the main feature of the present dispensation. And, oh! how fearfully and awfully it is abused! The message of sinners in reply to the Gospel in

the dreadful evils of all false religions in this work; but I feel assured it will give much thought that will be useful and valuable in Christian missions.