SERMON XLVItt: purchased for himself or for them." He offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of men, and thereby, according to the ancient covenant with his Father, he procured a seat of glory and power at his right-hand for himself, and eternal salvation for all his peo- ple. He is risen from the dead, he is possessed of these promised powers, he can vindicate his own honours, and insure grace and glory, and all the blessings of the purchased salvation to all his people. V. Is Christ exalted to the kingdom ? Then " the plots ofall his enemies in earth and hell against his church are but vain de- vices." His enemies must submit to him or perish before him. When God has sent his Son Jesus as king on his holy hill, Zion; Ps. ii. 1 -12. and given him the heathen for his dominion; it is but a vain and fruitless rage, that the princes or people can dis- cover against his kingdom. Let the kings of the earth be wise; let them serve the Lordwithfear, and bow before him, or he shall crush them with a rodof iron, and dash them as a potter's vessel. The church of Christ may rejoice in her lowest estate, having such a Ruler and such a Saviour on high. He will never forget nor forsake her interests, till he has fulfilled all his Father's premises, and made her all-glorious and blessed for ever. I proceed now to the second general head of my subject ; and that is, to consider the pouring down of the Spirit at the exalta- tionof Christ. This was a matter of astonishmentto the Jews, and to the inhabitants of all nationswho were gathered together at the feast. This is generally represented, and withgreat pro- priety, as thenoble donatives whicha conqueror distributes on the day of Isis triumph, or the royal gifts of a king scatteredamong his people at his coronation. Thus it is prophesied in Ps. lxviii. 18. Thus it is recorded in history ; Eph. iv. 8. " He ascended on high, he led captivity captive, he triumphed over the powers of darkness, whichhad led captive the nations of the earth ; he received gifts for men," saith the prophet, " even for the rebel- lious or heathen world, that the Lord God might dwell amongst them as he dwelt of old in Sion." The apostle interprets this verse, that he gave gifts to men, even the gifts of the Holy Spi- rit, to make apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the conversion of sinners, and the edification of the church. These are the glorious blessings, or gifts of the Spirit, which he' received of the Father, and which he shed forth on his disciples, under the visible emblem of tongues of fire. Let it be first ob- served here, that these divine donatives, these influences of the Holy Spirit, are generallydistinguished into gifts and graces; and though in truth they are all really gifts of the Spirit from the grace of au exalted Saviour, yet it is chiefly those new capaci-
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