power, Acts vi. 8. According to our faith, is our incorporation with that strength and power, which is indeed almighty; and according to a christian's incorporation with this, is his derived almightiness. By faith the walls of Jericho fell-it was faith that made those worthies such almighty ones. As the soul rests upon the Almighty, so is it almighty. I would ye would study nothing else but faith; all you have is in it. Every age calls to peculiar service, this age calls for almighty christians. Ye see the way to it, blessed are ye, if ye find it. This blessedness I will speak of in a word or two, and close up this point.

An almighty christian is a Mordecai; one set upon the king's horse, clothed with royal apparel, and a Haman holding his bridle. It is a man over all, in God. It is one clothed with the sun, having the moon under his feet. It is a christian with one foot on the earth, and another on the sea; trampling under foot corrupt doctrines, corrupt advantages, all that is unworthy of Christ, and will not go along with the soul to his everlasting home.

An almighty christian is one that moves in the highest sphere, as near the heaven of heavens as may be. It is one that waits for Christ from heaven, more than for heaven from Christ. It is an eagle, the king of birds for sight and strength; he can look to the end of what God says and does, and stand it out expecting that end-he can look to a Canaan under a frown; behold life in death.

An almighty christian can venture all upon an invisible God; bind up all in one visible word. He can give an Isaac to the dead, expect an Isaac from the dead, believe that truth shall never die, whoever dies or lives. An almighty christian can live

and die with an almighty Saviour. Christ alone is enough; Christ alone is all. Christ in poverty, is riches. Christ in death, is life; he is in spirit still according to him that he loves, and not according to what befalls him that he loves. He is in affection according to the person of Christ, the employment of Christ, and not according to the things that attend him. My beloved is thus and thus, and therefore beloved. This christian is Christ's liveliest emblem. Look on me, saith Gideon, and do likewise. So doth he look on Christ, and what Christ says he says; what Christ does he. does; let all the world say and do what they will. He can be baptized with the baptism wherewith Christ was baptized, though a bloody baptism.

An almighty soul on earth-what will this soul be in heaven? One strengthened with all might, is one prepared for all glory. Who can number the dust of Jacob, or tell the fourth part of Israel?" Who can number the jewels of this christian's crown? or tell the fourth part of them; "Thine is the kingdom, power and glory," &c. Power and glory go in a chain with mutual respect; as the one is, so the other. Look how much of Christ here, so much of glory with him hereafter. As Christ is in any soul, so he will be glorious in that soul. So far as he reveals himself in any soul, so far he abides and will for ever abide, and challenge honour fit for such a vast being, when he comes home. He now lives obscurely, but he will live in state, according to his revenue and seat; here is all power, here must be all glory, here are wide spacious rooms; they must have hangings suitable. I AM ALL, in this all I must have state answerable. Christ glorifies himself in us, as he reveals himself in us.

It is often hinted, when much is enjoyed, what it will end in at the appearing of Christ; it will best speak itself then.

I can speak no more of it now.

SERMON III.

STRENGTHENED

COLOSSIANS I. 11.

[WITH ALL MIGHT] ACCORDING TO HIS GLO

RIOUS POWER, UNTO ALL PATIENCE AND LONG-SUFFERING WITH JOYFULNESS.

"ALL MIGHT." Divine power works gradually in a christian. Some have little, some much, some all might. There was, it may be, but little strength in these christians, it may be much, but surely not all might. Whatever there was, the apostle saw room enough within for more; occasion enough without in the world for more, for much more, for all that might be had; and therefore so prayed-" Strengthened with all might," &c.

There are heavenly places in Christ; some lower, some higher, some highest of all, and yet all heavenly and holy. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 6.

The expression denotes a gradual working of divine power, according to which we are raised and wrought to a similitude with Christ in holiness, less or more. The highest extension of power from Christ makes the highest heavenly place in him ; that is, the greatest similitude to him in purity and felicity.

Our heaven here is a growing heaven; our kingdom a growing kingdom: we go from glory to glory, from strength to strength; from a little grain to a great tree; from babes to strong men ; from smoking to flaming; and so ascend up in that flame to a fixed glory, an abiding mansion; to a glory that shall admit of no ebbing or flowing, of no intension or remission, of no graduality respecting the subject.

So

Divine power works according to order; Christ comes in state into the little world; line upon line, precept upon precept, power upon power, until all be overpowered, and the little world wholly his. The sun comes in state into the great world; it is not up at the meridian as soon as it appears in our horizon; it rises and rises, higher and higher, and so fills the great world with glory by degrees. does the Sun of righteousness in the little world in man. He is not at a meridian height in any man's heart presently, but gradually. By greater and greater revelations of power and strength he rises to the revelation of all power that the soul is capable of. He dwells and then walks. "I will dwell in you, and walk in you," saith the Lord. He takes up a dwelling, and then makes long and stately walks. He makes known power, and then great power, and raises it in revealing it till it rises to exceeding great power; "That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe," Eph. i. 19.

Divine power works in grace as it works in nature; it is Christ's own comparison. Divine power works in nature gradually, by steps and degrees, to perfect natural things. "The earth bringeth forth fruit of herself," saith Christ; "first the blade, then

the ear, after that the full corn in the ear;" and then immediately the sickle is put in, “because the harvest is ripe," Mark iv. 28. So does divine power work in grace, for this is the scope of the similitude, by degrees, not all at once; and in like manner a christian rises to bud, to blade, to ear, and to full corn. When all might is revealed, the corn is full; the state of a christian is come to his maturity; he will not be long now ere he be gathered and housed in heaven.

Divine power works in man according to what God intends by man. As men are designed to God's service, so God designs his power to their service, to work in and about them. Divine power is God's immediate agent; man a mediate.

Power

is in the hand of God, man in the hand of power, and held up by it, lower or higher as his work is. "Whereunto I also labour,' saith the apostle, speaking of his ministerial work, "striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily,” Col. i. 29. God had a mighty deal of work to do for the apostle, and his power wrought in him mightily. He wrought without, as God wrought within; he stirred as stirred-striving according to his working, &c. Power is necessitated to work gradually, office and condition doth so change and vary in this world. With an eye to this the apostle prayed; he apprehended these christians set out for great hardship and service, and so he sets upon God to raise power and force answerably for their aid— "Strengthened with all might," &c.

One or two things observe for the right understanding of this point. Divine power, where it works lowest in any christian, works above the ruining power of sin. "Greater is He that is in you