CHAPTER VIII.

THE TWO HORIZONS.

PAGE

Trinity Church, Little Queen st., London. Horizons of the earth, and of the Bible. The sensible in sight, the rational in faith of Christ. The natural Israel restored from Babylon not promised another return in this world. Objections from Jer. xxxi., Ezek. xxxvii., and Rom. xi. Both the sensible and rational returns of Israel are true, but in different worlds. Prophecies contrary to the restoration of Israel of the flesh. Harmony of the two horizons, and of the two testaments. The second advent and the millennium, by Bishop McIlvaine. Literal fulfillment of the prophecies. Open-air preachers and John MacGregor, Esq., "Christian World "....... 159

CHAPTER IX.

THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.

The kingdom historic and prophetic. The historic and temporal kingdom. The prophetic and eternal kingdom. Views of Jews and followers. Views of the great denominations. The historic eyeglass of the prophetic kingdom. The true Israel. The earth their inheritance. Jerusalem and the church in apostasy not forsaken of the Lord. The visible churches in apostasy. A nation born in a day. The signs mistaken for things signified. Israel's Saviour and King....

CHAPTER X.

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL.

First mis

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Conflict of opinion. Touching appeal. Statement of the case. apprehension. Second misapprehension. Hinge of the question. Hangs on Jeremiah. The voice in Ramah. The misapprehensions concluded. First point to be established. Conclusion of first point. Second point. Identity of the restoration and the resurrection. Sum of the matter...... 202

PREFACE.

THIS work was prepared seven years ago. Without strength then to bring it forth, I began another of like doctrine in pamphlet form, which in four years grew to be the volume entitled "The Gospel of the Kingdom," and was published January, 1870. While that work sought the acquaintance of the learned, "The History of the Image of the Cross" was prepared, and taken to London, where I spent seven months comparing with the learned the teachings of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Favored with many highly interesting opportunities, I was feeling my ground, very slowly and among strangers, without any decisive result for six months. In this way, however, I learned that two great obstacles, and only two, stood and opposed the doctrine of the Gospel of the Kingdom. This was an important and satisfactory result. I became satisfied further that the first obstacle must fall of itself if the second could be removed. Therefore for the rest of my stay I turned my whole attention exclusively to the Jewish question, with success. For the two obstacles are,

I. The popular belief that this world is on the highway to glory, where in due time it will arrive in the full consummation of the covenant promises relating to earth.

II. The evangelical belief of the Lord's personal and soon coming in his kingdom, together with the national restoration of the Jews to Palestine and the propagation of the human race in the flesh for a thousand years or more.

These two beliefs, contrary each to the other and to Scripture, divide the earnest mind of British Christians, while a multitude hover in the air between the two, uncertain of the future.

If this work succeeds in showing the Jews' restoration to be "the hope of Israel," according to Moses and Paul and the prophets, "not

in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual," that restoration remains alone to Jesus and the resurrection, with "new heavens and a new earth." Then, so far from being an obstacle, the promised restoration of Israel becomes a support, to the doctrine of "the Gospel of the Kingdom," and at the same time an ally mighty to pull down the stronghold of the first obstacle. For, when the covenant promises to Israel and the Jews are seen to belong only to the seed of promise in the regenerate earth with New Jerusalem, no holy promises are left to sustain the hopes of this world's coming to glory. The seed of faith with the new earth absorbs them all.

For opportunity happily to test these views among experienced judges, I am much indebted to the reverend secretaries of the London and of the British societies "for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews," besides other personal and indulgent friends. The appreciation, moreover, with which the learned American public receive "The Gospel of the Kingdom," having already absorbed the first edition, and the very prompt and liberal subscriptions made beforehand for the publication of the present work, "Faith of Abraham and of Christ," together fill my heart with a sense of lively gratitude for the blessings vouchsafed to these humble efforts to sow the seed which is the word of the living God. In due time it springs up, we know not how, and with the sunshine and the rain from heaven, "that which fell on good ground bringeth forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some an hundred fold," to the glory and praise of the ever-blessed Lord of the harvest. H. D. W.

AMERICAN MILLENNIAL ASSOCIATION, Boston, Mass., 200 copies.

INTRODUCTION.

SCHEME OF DIVINE DISPENSATIONS.

A PREVIOUS Work entitled "Gospel of the Kingdom" of God more fully sets forth the Scripture doctrine exhibited in the eye of faith, seen under the grand cycle of Divine dispensations on our title page. Now, with a few plain propositions, I proceed to illustrate the same doctrine by the faith of Abraham and of our Lord Jesus Christ his promised seed, in whom, according to the Pleiades of holy promise, "shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xii. 3; xviii. 18; xxii. 18; xxvi. 4; xxviii. 14; Acts iii. 25; Gal. iii. 8.

I. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," rs, arets, with all things therein very good, and gave to man the dominion of the earth and of every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. i. 28, 31.

II. Man by disobedience fell with the ground itself, p, Adame, under the curse of sin, the dominion of death and the bondage of Satan and of corruption. Gen. iii. 17-19. (Adame, not the arets, fell.)

III. The promise of a seed of the woman to crush the serpent's head and to ransom creation from its bondage was given in Eden, and was by faith received till the old world perished in the flood. Gen. iii. 15; Heb. xi. 4, 5.

IV. Abraham was called out from among the idolatrous descendants of Noah, with the promise of the earth, p, arets, for an inheritance of everlasting possession and a "seed which is Christ," in whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Gal. iii. 8, 16. These promises to Abraham, renewed unto Isaac and Jacob and unto us, as many as believe, were confirmed with an holy oath, that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. Ps. cv. 9, 10, 11; Heb. vi. 18.

V. These promises given to our fathers of the faith were renewed to the twelve tribes of Israel at Horeb, and again on the plains of Moab before entering the land of promise. Through succeeding ages they are likewise renewed to every child of Adam who accepts the covenant by faith in Jesus Christ. He is our Surety, both for keeping the covenant and for the fulfillment of its precious promises to all believers. Ex. xx.; Heb. vii. 22; 2 Cor. i. 20; Deut. v. 3.

VI. The promise of the Seed of the woman to crush the serpent's head, and of the Seed of Abraham to bless all nations, is renewed in the Psalms by the promise to Christ, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth, thy possession." Ps. ii. 7; Acts xiii. 33, 34.

for

VII. It is promised in David, saying, "I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever." 2 Sam. vii. 12, 13. "His throne as the days of heaven; his throne as the sun before me." Ps. lxxxix. 29, 36. "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, p. His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed." Ps. lxxii. 8, 17; Isa. ix. 7.

VIII. The prophets delight to speak the praises and to foretell the coming of this promised King to reign on the earth, saying: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Isa. ix. 6. "And this is his name whereby he shall be called: The Lord our Righteousness." Jer. xxiii. 6. "With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth." Isa. xi. 1, 4. For earth here, and for "land" everywhere quoted in this work from the Old Testament, the original word is , arets.

,אָרֶץ

That this promised Seed, Saviour and King is one and the same person, that the earth, p, is his promised realm, and the Israel of promise shall be his people, and all nations his wide domain for ever, no words can make plainer. Neither the Seed of the woman, nor the patriarchs, neither Moses, David nor the prophets, have yet possessed the earth for ever. But, according to promise, they must have