and ascended to pour it forth abundantly through that channel into the human heart. "All power in heaven and earth" is given him, because he became "obedient to death, even the death of the cross." It is, therefore, that he was highly exalted, and that having "ascended on high, he received gifts for men." The power they needed for this work, was "power from on high," and which he could not give till he was glorified in consequence of his having humbled himself. He obtained the great for his portion, and the strong for his spoil, because he made his soul "a sacrifice for sin ;" and he commissioned and authorised his apostles to go forth and take possession of the inheritance assigned him by his Father 1 "in ancient covenant, and which he had made his own, by purchase since, and overpaid its value in his blood?” 2

Such is, I apprehend, our Lord's declaration, ""Let not your hearts be troubled;" the power of working miracles will still continue among you, believing on me, and ye shall, in consequence of my going to my Father, accomplish far greater things than any interference with the physical laws

of nature.'

Such a statement was very appropriately introduced with a double amen-"verily, verily." However strange the words of our Lord may be, they are always to be firmly credited. They are the words of him who cannot lie. When his declarations seem to us hard to be believed, let us consider who it is that speaks,-how he speaks,-how he confirms his declarations, and let us not be faithless, but believing. His most extraordinary declarations are all fulfilled in due season. What is promise here, has long since become accomplishment. The apostles did the works their Master did; and greater things than any miracles, did he accomplish, is he accomplishing, by their instrumentality. But both in their miracles and in their greater works, it was not they, but Christ who was in them. It was "his

Matth. xxviii. 18. Phil. ii. 6-11. Luke xxiv. 49. Isa. liii. 12.

name, through faith in his name," that healed the diseases of those who were miraculously cured by him. It was through faith in him that the apostles fought the good fight against the powers of darkness, and rescued sinners from the chains of Satan. "Thanks be to God," said the apostle of the Gentiles, "who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place."

§ 2. Manner in which these privileges were to be obtained— Prayer to the Father in the name of the Son.

To strengthen their hope of doing these great things, which they well knew they were in themselves altogether incapable of accomplishing, our Lord informs them that, having gone to his Father, "Whatsoever they should ask in his name, he would do it, that the Father might be glorified in the Son ;" and to impress it the more deeply on them, he repeats the assurance "If ye shall ask any thing in my name,1 I will do it."

These words meet a very natural feeling on the part of the disciples,-But how are we to do these great things? The answer is, 'I will do them in you, and by you; and I, having gone to the Father, will have "all power in heaven and in earth," to employ in fitting you for your work, and making it successful; and your faith in me, without which ye can do nothing (for it is that which unites you to me), must be expressed in prayer to me; and "whatever ye ask in my name, I will do it."

The first thing to be here inquired into is, What is meant by the apostles asking "in the name" of Christ? It is not easy in a few words, to unfold all that is implied in this expression. When the apostles, realising to their own minds their union, their intimate relation to, Jesus Christ as the expiator of their guilt,-their great teacher,—their

"In V. T. adorabant Deum Abrahami, Isaaci, Jacobi; in N. T. invocatur Deus et Pater D.N.I.C."-BENGEL.

supreme Lord,-the mediator between God and them,him who had sent them, as his Father had sent him,asked from the Father, under the influence of Christ's Spirit, what Christ has promised, for the purpose of promoting the interests of his kingdom, the glory of his name, they asked in his name. Now, whatever they thus asked, our Lord assures them HE would do it. The Father, now that the Son has gone to Him, hath committed all judgment, all rule, to him. And in the exercise of this power and authority, he gives them the blessings they need and ask.

It was in this way that they were enabled to do the works which their Master had done, and to do those things which were greater than all miracles. This promise of their Lord, carrying a command in its bosom, was probably present to the minds of the apostles, when they lifted up their voices to God with one accord, and said, "Lord, grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name, in the name, of thy holy child Jesus." And the prayer was answered, when, in the spirit of that prayer, they said to the lame man, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk; he, leaping up, stood, and walked, and leaped, and praised God." "In prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, they made their requests," respecting their high and holy ministry, known to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the result was, "His grace was made sufficient for them: his strength was perfected in their weakness; and Christ "wrought by them to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God;" so that they were enabled "fully to preach the gospel of Christ, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven," manifesting itself to be "the power of God unto salvation," to multitudes believing it.'

1 Acts iv. 29, 30; iii. 6-8. Phil. iv. 6. 2 Cor. xii. 9. Rom. xv. 18, 19.

The promise is an assurance that whatever was necessary, either as to inward influence or outward event, to the fulfilment of their high and holy ministry, and the accomplishment of its inestimably important objects, they should certainly obtain as the answer of believing prayer. "I will do it," says the Saviour, "that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

It is done "that the Father may be glorified." In the economy of salvation the Father sustains the majesty of the Godhead. "That the Father may be glorified," is, then, just equivalent to- that God, the Divinity, may be glorified,' that the infinite power and wisdom, and especially the infinite holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and benignity of Jehovah may be illustrated, in the execution of his purposes and the fulfilment of his promises respecting the salvation of lost men.

And it is done by our Lord, "that the Father may be glorified in the Son." The glory of God is the end of the economy of grace-the agency of the Son is the means of gaining that end; all is of and to God the Father-all is by Christ Jesus, through his mediation, by his atoning sacrifice, his prevailing intercession, his all-powerful Spirit.

God's

What an encouraging thought to the apostles! glory is concerned in our doing these great things, and being

duly qualified to do these great things; and it is put into the hand of our Lord, who knows us so well, who loves us so well, to see that God be thus glorified; and we have only, in faith in his name, to make our requests known, and we are assured that he will "supply all our need according to his glorious riches.'" We admire the great things done by the apostles, and the spirit in which they did them; but we see the secret spring of their great strength. Believing in Christ, in his name, they "asked, nothing wavering," and the faithful Saviour did as he had said, and the Father was glorified in the Son.

The delightful and wondrous assurance is reiterated—“ If

'There is

ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." nothing that I will not do for you, which is necessary to the accomplishment of the great objects of your ministry, if ye ask it in my name.' If you ask, Why does he say the same thing almost in the same words? the answer is, The disciples were "slow of heart to understand and believe" his declaration. "Precept required to be given upon precept; line upon line." Such, I am persuaded, is the primary meaning the direct reference of this wonderful passage. It is a promise to the apostles, that the power of working miracles should be continued with them, and that they should be enabled to accomplish, as his instruments, something far greater than any miracle, in the ordinary sense of the word -diffuse his Gospel-establish his kingdom in the world— and secure an inestimable revenue of glory to God in the salvation of men innumerable,—and that they had nothing to do but to express the earnest desires of their believing minds to him, and he would supply all their need-strengthen them for all their labours-make them more than conquerors over all their enemies-all to the glory of God the Father.

But the passage is full of instruction, and excitement, and consolation, to christian ministers, and to Christians generally, in all countries and in all ages. Christ does not promise his ministers, nor his people generally, that they shall do also the miraculous works he did. His miracles, and those of the apostles, set forth in a plain well-accredited revelation, render this unnecessary; but he does promise, by his word and Spirit, in every age, within and around his people, to do "greater things" than miraculous works by their instrumentality. The church-i. e., the aggregate body of truly christian men and ministers-are working out their own salvation, and the salvation of the world; and they are assured that God in Christ is working in them-by them-according to his good pleasure; and that to obtain fitness for their own individual