shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Matt. xix. 28. The throne of Messiah, and the thrones of his apostles, and the hundred fold rewards of his suffering disciples, alike belong to the one coming kingdom of God in the earth on which they suffered together, and shall together reign, and shall "inherit everlasting life." This is the spirit of prophecy; this is the analogy of faith; this is the kingdom of God which we preach, and for which we pray.

THE ERROR OF THIS WORLD'S HOPE.

Our Lord asked the Jews concerning Christ, "If David call him Lord, how then is he his son?" Matt. xxii. 45. They could not answer. The chosen twelve erred in common with all their countrymen. The twelve took his advent of suffering for his advent of glory, until the agony of the cross broke their heart, without correcting their delusion. For even after his resurrection they were expecting that he would "at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel." Acts i. 6. Christians need not adopt error, though the Jews cling to it, looking not for a redemption from sin and death, but from the Gentile yoke, and from their national dispersion. They are still looking for MesIsiah to come in this world for the exaltation of their race to supreme dominion. Some ten years after the descent of the tongues of fire at Pentecost, Peter, against his will, was sent with the Gospel to Cornelius and the Gentiles. The church in Jerusalem called Peter to answer for his dereliction from the customs of their fathers. Peter's defence before the council of Jerusalem settled the faith of the church, though it did not prevent the apostle from relapsing somewhat into the common error, for which St. Paul publicly reproved him at Antioch. Nor does it now prevent apostles and elders from turning the faith of the glorious Gospel of God into the hope of a church victory under Jewish administration over this world lying under the sceptre of the king of terrors. Job xviii. 14; Rom v. 17.

Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bond woman and her son. The natural children can never inherit with the children of God which are the children of the resurrection. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."

THE COMING FROM THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER.

Therefore, this five-starred constellation of heavenly glory, "Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool," beams among the holy promises with refulgent light, giving assurance that the same Jesus which came "down from the Father of lights," and was made man, and dwelt among us, the same Jesus which was received up again into heaven, "and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him," "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts i. 11), when all his enemies are made his footstool.

"It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is Jehovah, we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isa. xxv. 9. Then will come to pass the saying which is written: "Jehovah reigneth, let the earth rejoice." Ps. xcvii. 1. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise" (Hab. iii. 3)—that earth promised to Abraham and his "seed, which is Christ;" that earth pledged to David for the seat of his throne; that earth of which the Lord promises, saying: "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession;" even that new earth of the prophet Isaiah and the Apocalypse for which we pray, saying: "Our Father, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth."

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ERROR.

How it comes to pass, then, that in our day the churches generally have cast off the hope of Messiah's kingdom from this earth into the vasty heavens, the reader may well inquire. The fact is

evident that "the glad tidings of the kingdom of God" which Jesus "went through every city and village preaching and showing, and the twelve with him" (Luke iii. 1), are now everywhere taken to be glad tidings of the existing embryo state of things in all Christendom, as if this were the kingdom of God of which Jesus went about preaching the joyful news. Springing up in the great apostasy, the error has obtained acceptance unchallenged, until the public mind, from the Sunday-school children to the learned commentators, of all denominations, by a large majority, take the view that the church in this world, either visible or invisible, is that kingdom preached everywhere by our Lord and his apostles at hand, and moreover that when the thousand years' reign expires, his kingdom will belong to earth no longer, but be transferred to remote heavens. So that the doctrine of our blessed Lord's return in glory for ever to reign over the earth which he redeemed with his blood is now set much at naught; as it is written: "Yea, they despised the pleasant land (, arets), they believed not his word" (Ps. cvi. 24), and even many learned in the full blaze of Gospel light and of Christ's coming and kingdom are indulging fancies of heaven among the starry constellations of the dark night, more than in the regenerate and glorified earth. Shameful to say and painful to contemplate, this is nevertheless true. The dragon's power is not yet crushed, neither are Emmanuel's enemies made his footstool; they shall be, and that which is written shall come to pass, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. ii. 10.

Such is the letter of the holy oracles, and such is its interpretation of the Messianic prophecies according to the proportion of faith. And this "testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," warming to the heart of the humble believer.

CHAPTER VII.

THE WORLD.

The face of creation. The chief priests on John Baptist. The world in apostasy and rebellion. Worlds past, present and future. The coming change of worlds. The forgery. On this earth in substance, not another. Zion the royal city. Right theories enlighten mysteries. A fixed place adds assurance to the promise. Mysteries of the Word. One calling of God to all mankind. The mystery of Christ, and of the Gentiles. The rewards of faith belong not to time. "All this is to be - changed." "You can prove anything by Scripture."

THE world is the face of creation and the face of this earth with all its people. It has its own prince-" the prince of this world;" its own laws and customs-the laws of the flesh and the custom of walking by sight till the end. The world is the "sinful kingdom," under the temporal dominion of an usurper in rebellion against God. The prince of this world came into possession of his dominion by a lie, the essence of which is the flattering promise of obtaining present enjoyment, together with godlike powers, liberties and advantages, by violating the commandment of God. "Surely, the serpent is still whispering, surely, ye shall not die; for God knows in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened with delight; and ye shall be as gods." Mankind readily believe that it is good, in view of some present gain of glory, power or pleasure, to close their eyes on the future inheritance, and quietly to violate the law of eternal life. From the beginning this has been the serpent's victory over the human race, and according to the Scriptures, it will continue till "the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Rom. xvi. 20. "No man liveth and sinneth not," neither does any man fail of the wages of sin, which is death.

The enmity of the world is evident on every hand, but most of all in that the dying race will not come to God for eternal life; the world which the Son of God in pity came to save, and suffered death to redeem from the destroyer's hand, yet rejects the Saviour. Sensible men, for the sake of the brief enjoyments of time, follow their enemy and God's enemy, Apollyon, the destroyer. The rulers of this world, instead of receiving the Christ of God, rejected him, and condemned and executed him as a criminal. The world loves and honors those who flatter it, who bow to its laws, customs and fashions, however they contravene the law of God, and it does not love the Saviour who rejected its honors, neither does it love them that, abjuring its customs, walk in Jesus' steps. Therefore the Lord in parting warned his disciples, saying: "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John xvi. 33.

The world increases in all learning, knowledge, riches and appearances of wisdom, in all physical enjoyments and delights, and in a vast variety of conveniences and elegances, insomuch that many sober people think that in the rapid course of time the world will come at length to be a heavenly place indeed. It is so even now in general esteem, if one has enough of Baal or of Mammon to control its affairs or to enjoy its pleasures. Nevertheless the temper and character, the heart and spirit of the world, is ever the same as of old-disobedience to the law of supreme love to God, and hostile to the law requiring thee to love thy neighbor as thyself. thyself. The world admits the excellency of the law, but follows its own customs, as the nations of old made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places. 2 Kings xvii. 29, 41.

THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS ON JOHN BAPTIST.

"There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you." 2 Pet. ii. 1. Such preach the gospel, while holding the Scriptures, as the chief