1 Cor. xv. 24-28. In what this delivering up of the kingdom consists, we pretend not to know. This is all the information God has seen meet to communicate on the subject, and while it is our duty to know what God has revealed, we must not presume to be wise above what is written. In whatever it consists, the believer's happiness can never be diminished. The love of Jehovah is eternal, and His saints are made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But this kingdom is limited to the duration of mortality, and therefore to the present state, as Christ reigns only until he hath put death the last enemy under His feet, when He shall deliver up the kingdom. And the establishment of the kingdom being only "nigh at hand," as we have seen, when the indications of Christ's return are seen-its existence must be subsequent to His coming.

SECTION XXV.

THE SUBMISSION DUE TO REVEALED TRUTH, WITH REMARKS ON OBJECTIONS TO THESE DOCTRINES.

HAVING produced from the prophets so much evidence for Christ's premillennial advent and subsequent

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tion as for ever. At Israel's restoration, "they shall dwell," saith the Lord, "in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their children's children, for ever, and my servant THE BELOVED shall be their Prince for ever." Ezek. xxxvii. 25. "And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation. And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even for ever. Mic. vi. 7. Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever." Is. lx. 21. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the city [Jerusalem] shall be built to the Lord, from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner It shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more for ever." Jer. xxxi. 38-40. "But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" Dan. vii. 18. Yet no one will venture to deny that these passages, one and all, refer to the duration of that Millennial kingdom which John represents as continuing for 1000 years.

reign on earth-having shown the literal fulfilment of prophecies already accomplished-having adverted to the views of believers, sanctioned by Christ himselfhaving proved His return to be at the restoration of Israel; at the times of Refreshing and Restitution; and at the destruction of Antichrist, and having shown these to be in perfect harmony with the various predictions concerning concomitant events, it may now be asked if there be any room to doubt the great truth in which all these predictions centre-the return of Christ and His future residence on earth, personally to assume the reins of government? Or can it still be believed, that, with all these distinct prophecies before us, the Redeemer's only residence among men should be a pilgrimage of sorrow and suffering, and that,-instead of reigning in Jerusalem, a few years of ignominy and pain should terminate His immediate relation to our earth? When thoroughly purified and rendered fit for the residence of the Son of God, shall it not rather be again honoured with the presence of Him who once in suffering trod its surface, and for whom it scarce afforded shelter, when as King He shall reign in Zion, and receive the grateful homage of all the kings and princes of the earth?-and that his faithful followers, who, amidst the wickedness with which they were surrounded, have in all ages witnessed for His cause, shall then also be made partakers of His glorious reign, being made kings and priests to God, while harmony shall universally prevail among men?-that then, too, shall the Inferior Animals participate of the temporal blessings flowing from Emmanuel's blood, and the ferocity being removed by which many of them are now characterized, and by which they are rendered formidable to man and destructive of each other, they shall range in peacefulness together, and in happy subserviency to man their lord?-that then the earth itself which has so long witheld her fertility, yielding her fruits only by the sweat of man's brow, being redeemed from the bondage of corruption under which it groans, shall spontaneously yield those fruits which are necessary for food, or which contribute to the comfort of human life?

And surely, if we are among the number of those who have already received the "Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession," (Eph. i. 14,) and if we be rightly exercised, instead of being unwilling to receive this glorious Lord with all the attendant blessings, His coming ought to be an object of delightful contemplation, and every symptom of its near approach should be hailed with thanksgiving. So it was formerly viewed by His disciples and apostles, who "desired to see" this glorious "day of the Son of Man." To it their hopes were continually directed, and its coming and glory are made the great motive to duty by the inspired penmen, and is ever urged upon believers as the period when they shall obtain ample recompense for whatever wrongs they sustain-receive full consolation for any sufferings they are called to endure and enjoy a high reward for all their services of love to the Redeemer. Although the Saviour's return was not to take place for so long a period after the apostolic age, yet the admonitions to the primitive churches are so couched as to convey instruction equally adapted for them and for us "on whom the ends of the world are come." A spirit of watchfulness and waiting was inculcated on them which ought equally to have characterized the Church in all subsequent ages. A salutary uncertainty was left as to the period of Christ's return; and even when the apostle Paul corrected the mistake of the Thessalonian Church when they expected His coming instantly to take place, he still left them in ignorance of the length of time which should previously elapse. Although he informed them that Antichrist must first be revealed, and that his destruction should be effected by the glorious appearance of Christ's coming, they could still form no idea of the duration of this wicked power. Prophetic dates were indeed given to the Church, but it was also predicted that they should not be understood till about the period of their accomplishment, "for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." Dan. xii. 12. It is remarkable, however, that the nearer the Church arri

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ved to the time of the fulfilment of these predictions, the more completely did the hope and desire of His coming die away. And it is also remarkable, that with the decay of the church's belief in this glorious doctrine, did her teachers cease to inculcate His coming as a motive to duty; till at length what the apostles evidently regarded as the most powerful persuasive to holiness, and the most consolatory doctrine to the suffering and bereaved, seemed to have wholly lost its efficacy, and was seldom referred to with this design,

* In the present day there are many who even apply the predictions of the coming of Christ and of the day of the Lord, to the time of death. This, Dr. Hamilton (p. 254,) endeavours to justify. Quoting 1 Thes. v. 1-4, and with it citing 2 Pet. iii. 4, 10, 12, (for what purpose we cannot perceive, unless he means also to apply the passing away of the heavens to the day of death!) he applies them to the decease of "every individual in that and in every succeeding age." The ground on which he takes this application may be made equally applicable to almost every passage predicting the glorious coming of Christ. The apostle says, "But YE, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake YOU as a thief," and from the personal nature of this and other addresses, the Doctor infers that "the day of the Lord" is the day of death. But before adopting such a principle of interpretation, let us observe the consequences of its application. The great apostle of the Gentiles, addressing the church at Corinth concerning the observance of the Lord's Supper, reminds them that Jesus said unto His disciples, "This do YE as oft as TE drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as YE eat this bread, and drink this cup, YE do show the Lord's death TILL HE COME.' 1 Cor. xi. 25, 26. From this would Dr. H. infer that any of the twelve, or any individual of the Corinthian church living when the apostle wrote, and whom he immediately addressed, should continue to show forth the Saviour's death until His Return? Or would he deny that the "YE" applied to the church in all ages "till He come?" Again, was it not the literal advent of Christ to which the same apostle referred when he blessed the Lord that the believing Thessalonians had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to WAIT for his Son FROM HEAVEN"? 1 Thess. i. 9,

10. And, to refer to the passage cited by the Doctor, is it not the day of the literal coming of Christ of which the apostle Peter speaks, when he exhorts those to whom he wrote to be "LOOKING FOR, and HASTING UNTO the Coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved"? 2 Pet. iii. 12. So Paul, again speaking of the resurrection and glorification of the saints at Christ's coming, says, "The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." 1 Thess. iv. 17, and 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. Is there any passage which speaks of the coming of Christ that contains a more direct or personal address than these? Yet, they evidently refer to the Saviour's Personal Return.

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-the hopes of believers in such cases, being directed to the day of their death.

The cause of this departure from apostolic example may, perhaps, on examination, be found in the distance at which systematic theology has latterly placed the Coming of the Lord. The apostles uniformly urged it upon the Church as an event so sudden and unexpected, that believers were not allowed to lose sight of it as an event which might possibly be realized in their own day. Thus, when the apostle would remove the premature apprehensions of the church at Thessalonica he does not say, they had no reason for pertubation, as many centuries must elapse before the coming of Christ. He beseeches them, (2 Thess. ii. 2,) that they "be not SOON shaken in mind or be troubled." But by placing His coming after the Millennium, we render it certain to every one that he must long before have been gathered to his fathers-since 1000 years must assuredly intervene.

ven.

It is a common objection to the doctrine of Christ's personal reign on earth that it is unnecessary, since He can as easily accomplish all His purposes while in heaFar be it from us to say a single word to detract from the omnipotence of Jesus. But our present inquiry is not what He could have done, but what he designs to do. The only means by which a knowledge of this can be obtained is by an examination of the revelation of His will. This we have shown has left no room for speculation on the necessity or expediency of His presence. His word is explicit, and we are not at liberty to doubt the wisdom of His purposes. It is true, that, in the Scriptures of truth, there are many things perplexing and astounding to human reason. The finite mind can ill comprehend the deep things of God. It is but little of His ways that we can know. But the doctrine maintained is perfectly comprehensible, as well as glorifying to the Saviour. The objection of Christ's personal reign being unnecessary, can therefore have no weight against an appeal to the law and to the testimony. Our being unable to see the necessity for any doctrine, or even its being in opposition to our ideas of