but when in their enthusiasm they were crying out "blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord," the pharisees begged Christ to rebuke them; and again in Acts iv, after the notable miracle performed by Peter on the lame man, the priests were grieved that the apostles taught the people, and desired them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. And as in the New, so throughout the Old Testament, we see the opposition of the priesthood to the people becoming acquainted with the truth. Jeremiah, v, 31, says "the prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means." "The priests said not where is the Lord, and they that handle the law know me not" (Jeremiah, ii, 8). Ezekiel, xxii, 26, speaking of Jerusalem, says "her priests have violated my law, and have profaned my holy temple; they have devoured souls." Zephaniah says, " Her prophets are light and treacherous persons, and her priests have polluted the sanctuary." Malachi accuses the priests of despising the Lord of Hosts; and Jeremiah, xiv. 14, cries, "the prophets prophecy lies in my name, they prophecy unto you a false vision, a thing of nought, and the deceit of the heart; and again (xxiii, 16-17), they speak a vision of their own heart, and not of the mouth of the Lord." And Jehovah cries out in indignant reproof, "But if they had stood in my counsels, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil ways, and from the evil of their doings." "In the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly" (Jeremiah xxiii, 20—22). And in Psalms, lxxxi, 13-16, Jehovah cries again, "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways, then should their time have endured for ever," &c. And in Joel, ii, 12-14, are found the same gracious promises of love if his people had but listened to his words and so also in Malachi, iii, 10; Matthew, xxiii, 37. The inference I wish to draw from these Scriptural passages is the painful analogy that exists between the priesthood at the time of Christ's first advent, and the priesthood preceding his second advent. In the first instance, the Jewish rulers, who were all priests, would not acknowledge Christ in his humility, though had he appeared, as in their carnal minds they desired and wished, viz., that of a mighty king, who would overthrow all their enemies and re-instate them in their independent nationality, restore all their territorial possessions as in the days of Solomon; and who

would sit upon the throne of David to order it and establish it with justice from henceforth and for ever (Isaiah, ix, 7), they might have received him, but not in the sprit of love. of deep contrition, and of self-accusation, but from motives of governmental supremacy, and worldly aggrandisement; in short the Jews as a nation were at that time unfitted to have Christ to reign over them; when next he comes it will be in judgment, to execute His strange act, and to slay all those who would not have him to rule over them (Luke, xix, 27). And are not the teachers of this day,'those who sit in Moses's seat, guilty of denying to this generation the glory of Christ's sovereignty over the earth.

They acknowledge the humility, cross, and passion of the Saviour, but refuse to admit the glory that should follow. Christ came in our flesh to redeem this fair world accursed through Adam's fall, and having redeemed and purchased it with the price of his sacred blood, they refuse to ratify the work. And in fact, are guilty of committing the same unbelief as the Jews at Christ's first coming, but with far greater culpability, as the New Testament, which the Jews had not, bear throughout such clear and decisive testimony to Christ's reign on earth during the millennium.

DEUTERONOMY, XXXII, 8, 9.

"When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel, for the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."

The division of the earth was in the days of Peleg (Genesis, x, 25), who lived several generations, some 300 years before the birth of Abraham, yet we see that in dividing the land among the several natious, Jehovah reserved the land of Canaan for the inhabitants of the people whom he had fore-ordained as the chosen race (see Acts, 18-26; Amos, 3-2). Israel was dear to the Lord before the world was formed, and the nations were to be both placed and governed in relation to Israel. And in the primary established of the several races of mankind, all of which was arranged in the mind of God long before creation, God's most prominent thought was to make everything subordinate

to the pre-eminence of his chosen people, and nothing could more strongly examplify the power, influence, and dominion the Israelites were to possess over all surrounding nations.

The fulness of these blessings, determined in the mind of the Creator from all eternity, have not yet been realised. Abraham, of the seed of Peleg, from the furthest regions of Messopotamia, steeped in the idolatrous customs of the people amongst whom he was living was selected by God as the channel of his mercy and goodness to the descendants of this chosen vessel (Genesis, xii, 7; xiii, 14-17; xv, 18-21; xvii, 8) and in xxii, 18, the blessings promised to Abraham were not only to his seed but to all the nations of the earth, and the promise through sure, for the gifts of God are without repentance, is still unaccomplished. Under Joshua only a tithe of the possessions allotted to the Israelites in Genesis, xv, 18-21, were secured; and even under Solomon the full extent of territory, the greatest they ever possessed, fell short of God's promise, and it is only during the Messianic rule of the millennium that complete fruition of territorial and national grandeur will be acquired.

God made Israel the centre of his earthly government, in conformity with his will that they should be the paramount nation of the world, and had it not been for the gross sins and idolatries of the people, would in the days of Joshua have secured to them these great and mighty privileges, but even with the limited extent of their possessions in the land of Canaan, the acquisition of this land, small as it was, has from its political and stragetical position, roused the hostile and interested ambition of all the surrounding nations, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, has each in its turn contended for its possession, and the history of these several nations just, as far as they have been in connection with Israel, is recorded in Sacred Writ.

Nothing that bears on the mighty struggles for supremacy which have convulsed the world at different periods of creation is thought worthy of record in the Bible except in some way or other it influenced the affairs of Israel, and it is a point of deep consideration that much of the history of these great nations would have been entirely lost to posterity, were it not for the mention the Bible makes of them in their dealings with this despised race. Many important and interesting facts concerning the ancient history of the various races and dynasties of nations no longer in

existence, many dark mysteries shadowed forth in dim traditions would have been irredeemably lost or only vaguely guessed at had not the scriptural records become evidence to their truth and existence. Modern research has laid bare from among the storied vaults of Egypt and Assyria full corroboration, if needed, to the relations existing between Israel and these nations: Mizraim and Ashur are only known through Jewish records; and excavated tombs bring to light fresh and continued testimonies to the truth conveyed in the sacred book. This, though unneeded to the believing Christian, should arouse and stimulate the scoffer to search the Scriptures.

JOHN XVIII, 33-37.

"My kingdom is not of this world," was the reply of our Lord when asked by Pilate whether or not he was king of the Jews. Jesus does not deny that He is a king; for he adds, "Thou sayest, for I am a king; to this end was I born, and to this end I come into the world." "But now is my kingdom not from hence."

All believers in the Bible believe, I presume, in a millennium, but differ materially as to the nature of that dispensation. The prevailing opinion among those who spiritualize the Scriptures is that Christ does not return to this earth till the final judgment, and that the millennium is brought about by an almost universal knowledge of the Scriptures, spread abroad by missionary labours, by the gradual improvement of man, occasioned by the growth of knowledge, by good laws and government, by the extinction of wars, diminution or crime, the elevation of virtue, and the exaltation of every moral and religious sentiment. It is not my object here to point out the fallacy of these views, but simply to indicate by a few passages from the Scriptures that Christ's kingdom is of this world; that he personally reigns on this earth, and that the kingdom or millennial age is not introduced by any of the means enumerated above; but that it comes suddenly upon the world, when men are least expecting it, and when wickedness reigns triumphant on the earth. With regard to the signification of the term world," if we refer to John, xv, 19, we find the Lord dis

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tinctly tells his disciples that the world hateth them because they are NOT of the world. In both instances "cosmos" is employed, so it stands to reason that if Christ's kingdom is not of this world, neither were the disciples. If the sense is that Christ's kingdom was not on this earth, then the disciples were not literally on this earth. If it be true that the disciples were not "of the world" (John, vii, 16), yet remained in the world (xvii, 11), it is also true that the kingdom is not of this world, and yet shall be in it" it is not now of this world," it differs in every respect as regards its economy, end, object, principles of government, from any kingdom or monarchy, such as the world understands by these terms, that ever existed on the face of the globe. İt shall, nevertheless, be on this earth, as over and over again declared and announced in the sacred writings; but not till the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in, and that moment has not been revealed to us. We are to watch and pray, and have our lamps supplied with oil, for we know not the day, nor yet the hour (Matthew, xxv, 1-13).

We know, however, thus far, that when Infidelity shall ride rough-shod through Christendom, when men shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1st Timothy, iv, 1), having the outward form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2nd Timothy, iii, 5), when man's schemes for regenerating the world shall have signally failed; when, instead of watching and waiting, men shall be feasting and drinking, and, lulled into a fearful security by Satan, shall be crying "peace, peace," then shall the Son of Man, as in the days of Noah, appear suddenly with myriads of His saints in flaming fire to take vengeance on those who know not the Gospel, and would not have Christ to reign over them. In the days of Christ's humility, when he came to save them that were lost. He was rejected, mocked and crucified, and when he comes again in great glory and honour to be invested with the kingdom given him by the Ancient of Days (Daniel vii, 13, 14). He comes in judgment to bring to pass his work. His strange work, His act, His strange act (Isaiah xxviii, 21), and will consume the wicked one and his followers with the breath of his mouth, and the appearing of His coming (2nd Thessalonians, ii, 8).