XXXVI. HEIR.

'God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.'

Heb. i. 1, 2.

'WE can scarcely conceive,' says Dr. Clarke, 'any thing more dignified than the opening of this epistle: the sentiments are exceedingly elevated, and the language harmony itself. The infinite God is at once produced to view, not in any of those attributes which are essential to the Divine nature; but in the manifestations of his love to the world, by giving a revelation of his will relative to the salvation of mankind; and thus preparing the way, through a long train of years, for the introduction of that most glorious Being, his own Son. This Son, in the fullness" of time, was manifested in the flesh, that he might complete all vision and prophecy, supply all that was wanting to perfect the great scheme of revelation, for the instruction of the world; and then die to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself.'

Jesus is thus styled in one more instance, and that in a parable, Matt. xxi. 33.

Frequent allusion is made in the sacred writings to the vast inheritance of this heir. Ages before his birth, the Father said to him, 'Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the

uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.'* Long had this heir been promised. Age after age wore slowly away. Patriarchs and prophets looked forward with the eye of faith to the glorious period. At length, a messenger appeared fresh from the throne of God, announcing the birth of the heir. He appeared, and 'took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham.' And he commenced his great work of gathering up his vast inheritance. And the husbandmen to whom the vineyard had been let, said, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and they cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.' Such was the fate of God's heir. But the same power that sent him raised him from the dead. Ultimately, he will succeed in bringing home to the Great Father all his vast possessions, and when all are brought in, he will say, Here am I and the whole inheritance which thou didst give unto me. Receive, O Father, thy children, purified from all sin, and redeemed from all iniquity. 'Look, my Father, through the wide extended universe, for thou beholdest all thy works in every situation with the utmost ease, see, there is not one rebellious creature to be found! Where sin once reigned and abounded, grace now reigns and abounds much more. All confusion and disorder are destroyed; the whole creation exhibits one great scene of peace, harmony, and divine order.'

But it is said that we are heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ.' The same cheering sentiment is

expressed in the Apostle's letter to the church at Galatia: 'And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.'* The same glorious and all-absorbing truth is again presented in the epistle to the church at Corinth: 'Therefore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's.'t

A greater truth was never presented to the human mind than is contained in these passages. From them, we may gather some idea of our immense possessions. Not only heirs of God, but joint heirs with Christ! Speaking of believers, a writer breaks forth in the following eloquent strain:-They are heirs of God, they do inherit God himself. Their Father is their portion; man leaves his heirs what he has, God gives his heirs what he is. He which gives them the inheritance is the inheritance itself, which he gives them, by being not only heir to him, but heirs of him; they have an interest in all his attributes. His wisdom is theirs to guide and direct them. His power is theirs to sustain and preserve them; theirs to relieve and succor them! O happy and blessed privilege of God's adopted ones! They are not only heirs of heaven, but heirs of God himself! They have him for their portion and exceeding great reward. They are heirs with Christ; as Christ is God's heir, so are

* Gal. iv. 6, 7.

† 1 Cor. iii. 21-23.

they heirs with Christ. Christ is God's heir by nature, as he is the Son of God by nature; whatever is God's is his, and they are heirs with Christ. They are members of him, and shall be heirs with him, 1 Cor. iii. ult. All is yours, and ye are Christ's, Eph. i. 11. In him we have obtained an inheritance; we are the heirs in his right. O blessed Jesus! How endearing are our obligations to thee! All that we have is from thee, by thee, and in thee! We are chosen in thee, justified by thee, sanctified through thee, and shall be glorified with thee.'* How glorious! A joint heir with the great Redeemer! A part of his inheritance, and yet an heir with him! How mysterious, and yet how plain is the great plan of redemption! 'He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?' As we proceed in our labor, glory on glory beams upon the soul. A writer remarks, that this heirship is the most extraordinary of all: it is not an heirship of any tangible possession, either in heaven or earth; it is not to possess a part, or even the whole, of either it is to possess Him who made all things-not God's works, but God himself: heirs of GOD through Christ.'

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How happy is the lot of the believer! He may not only claim God as his Father, but he may even call himself his heir. He may look to Jesus and claim heirship even with him! What vast, what boundless

* Expository Notes upon the New Testament. By WILLIAM BURKITT, M. A. New Haven, 1794.

All having our share in this glorious inheritance, though Jesus, as the eldest brother, hath a double portion.-WHITBY.

Rom. viii. 32.

possessions lie before him. The 'heir of all things' has gone home. He has entered upon the enjoyment of the blessings that flow from his Father's throne. We are his inheritance, and must follow. And we may even now by faith enter upon our great possessions. Finally, we shall be with him, and he with us, for God has promised us the inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us.'