ghly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above
every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. ii.
8-11).

But for the successful setting up of "The Kingdom of Heaven" two
things were still needed. First, the overthrow of the enemies of
Messiah's Kingdom; and secondly, the gift of the Holy Ghost, to induce
men to be willing to submit themselves to the spiritual rule of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently when the King had ascended the Throne,
and all mankind had been given Him as His subjects, He was "from
henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool" (Ps. cx.
1; Heb. x. 13). All who are set against "The Kingdom of Heaven" must
in the end be subdued before Him. And no doubt the wicked amongst men
who oppose His rule will, if they turn not, be included amongst these
enemies. And yet we must never forget that these belong really to the
number of those who were given to Him as His subjects. This is one of
the mysteries of the Gospel, that "whilst we were yet sinners Christ
died for us" (Rom. v. 8), and "when we were enemies we were reconciled
to God by the death of His Son" (Rom. v. 10); so that we are assured
that the King in His loving mercy would have the wicked not "under His
footstool," but amongst the sharers of His glory. But there are other
enemies which will certainly be subdued in God's own time; and they
are the spiritual powers of evil which are hindering men from being
His subjects. He will "put down all rule and all authority and power"
(1 Cor. xv. 24) arrayed against Him; even "the principalities and
powers and rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephes. vi. 12), by
which His subjects are assailed. "For He must reign till He hath put
all enemies under His feet" (1 Cor. xv. 25).

But the destruction of His foes is not the only, nor the chief result
of His Ascension. When the King ascended the Throne of "The Kingdom of
Heaven," "He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men" (Eph. iv.
8), even the gifts by which men might be brought to submit themselves
to His spiritual rule, and be saved by Him. And inasmuch as only the
Holy Ghost can change the heart, and make men such as He had described
His subjects to be, He had previously explained to His Apostles that
there was one gift on which all future success depended, the gift of
"the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost" (S. John xiv. 26). And He had
assu