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in chariots and on horses, they and their princes: and this city shall remain for ever." This promise is repeated, Jer. xx. iv. This throne of David is again alluded to, but with no reference to our present subject, Jer. xxii. 2; xxix. 16; xxxvi. 30. Such is a full induction of all the allusions in the Old Testament to the "throne of David," bearing on the covenant concerning David and his seed as sitting on that throne.

In the New Testament, Luke, chap. i. 32, an angel announces, that the son promised Mary "shall be called the son of the highest, that the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and that he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Such are the prophecies and promises concerning the throne of David, in the Old and New Testaments.

But it is proper here to inquire,—Did, or did not, the Lord Jesus Christ obtain a throne in heaven, on his ascension, and if so, what throne is it? We propose the question for the sake of form, and to give to our minds a proper direction, rather than as insinuating any doubt as to the fact of his coronation. It will be, I presume, admitted by every Bible student, that the Lord Jesus Christ, "born to be a king," but not on earth, did, on entering the heavens, ascend to a throne, a crown, and a kingdom.-Let us turn over again the leaves of the Old Testament prophecies.

David foretold that his son would be a king and sit upon his throne, not on earth, but in the heavens. Psalm 2d-"Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth array themselves, (Herod and Pontius Pilate-Cesar's representatives and vicegerents,) and the princes take counsel together against Jehovah and his ANOINTED; saying, let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.-He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, Jehovah will deride them. Then will he speak to them in his wrath and humble them in his fury— yet have I set my king upon my holy mountain, Zion.-Ask of me and I will give them the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a sceptre of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel," &c.

We have here the authority of the whole Jerusalem church, with all its spiritual gifts for interpreting this passage and for applying it to Jesus as Jehovah's anointed king in the heavenly Zion, the proper antitype of the city and the throne of David. Despite of Cesar in his representatives-Herod and Pontius Pilate-Jehovah placed his king upon the holy hill of Zion.-And who is this king

but David's son and David's sovereign! Now, according to the angelic annunciation, (Luke 1, 32,) did not Jehovah, the God of Israel, at this time give to him the throne of his father David?!

But we have other documents in the Jewish writings as explicit, and, perhaps more direct and striking than even these. What diligent student of the official grandeur of the Lord Jesus does not ponder with delight upon the 110th Psalm?

“Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Jehovah shall send the sceptre of thy strength from Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing (volunteers) in the day of thy power—(gubernatorial authority.) In the beauty of holiness from (more than) the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth. Jehovah hath sworn and will not repent,-thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. The Lord at thy right hand shall crush kings in the day of his wrath.-He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies. He shall crush the heads over many countries"-or the sovereigns of great nations. Was not Melchisedec a priest upon a throne, and is not our high priest of that order; now king of kings, as well as priest of the most High God?

Nay, we are constrained to admit that Jesus is now constituted Lord of all. Peter, on Pentecost, assured the fleshly Israel that God had anointed or made Jesus supreme over all. And Paul also indicates the same when he says, (Hebrews 8, 1.) "We have such an high priest who is seated on the right hand of the majesty in the heavens." Even so speaks the Lord Jesus of himself. He went from earth in quest of a kingdom and a throne, and found one, for he says "As I have overcome and am set down with my Father on his throne, so he that overcometh shall sit down with me on my throne." In all the visions of our ascended Lord, he appears invested with regal glory, "a prince and saviour," exalted to a throne and a kingdom, having "all authority in heaven and on earth,-Lord of Lords and King of Kings."

With this induction of all the passages that speak of the throne of David, and all that is said of the anointing or coronation of the Lord Jesus, can any one find a vestige of authority for the assumption that Jesus Christ will descend from the throne of God in the heavens, to sit upon any thing called a throne of David, in the literal Jerusalem; and thus, in the form of a man, reign as a prince and priest over one nation and people, for any national, temporal, or spiritual purpose!

But the emphasis recently laid upon this assumption, is such as to call for a still farther exposition of its baseless character. From the passages quoted we note the significant fact, that the throne of David is once and again said to be "established forever." Now, that it continued till the birth of "David's son and Lord,” would certainly be implied in the fact that it was "established forever." That "the sceptre should not depart from Judah till Shiloh come," I need scarcely say, is relied on by the so called Christian world universally, as a strong proof of the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth: for till he came that throne or sceptre of Judah ceased not. But after his death, Jerusalem and the nation fell into ruins; and, according to Hosea, they have ever since been "without a king and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without a pillar, and without an image, and without Teraphim."-Hosea 3, 4. Now, unless Jesus be king, and the throne of David be raised to heaven, how can it be said that the throne of David was established forever! For eighteen hundred years that throne has fallen down and been without a king, unless in the person of Jesus of Nazareth!!

Still there is a stronger argument, or, at least, one more explicit, than even this. It is as flat a negation of this neophite assumption as I can imagine. It is that cited from Isaiah, 33, 17-"For thus saith Jehovah, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel." I own it may be translated "There shall not be cut off a man from David before me," i. e. He will always have a representative. Now, according to the oracle, so explicit, so definite, and so intelligible, David's son and David's Lord reigns upon his throne, as his royal representative.

But one fact is not seen by those neophytes who assume so much on this subject. It is this, that David's throne was originally the throne of God, and David was but his representative. Jehovah himself was king of Israel, and when Israel repudiated him, he gave them in his anger what they sought, i. e. "a king like other nations," but he would merely deputize him and authorize him by an unction in his name, thereby constituting him "the Lord's anointed." This is the mystery which none of these theological adventurers have yet been taught.*

*I would refer all doubtful minds to the reperusal and reconsideration of the call and consecration of Saul and David.-Let them read with care 1 Samuel, 8th, 9th, and 10th chapters, in which they will find the call, consecration, and inspiration of Saul, as the Lord's anointed. Then let them read 1 Samuel, 18th chapter, in which are the same significant preliminaries to the call of David, and the same solemn accompaniment of his consecration as the vicary or vicegerent of Jehovah. The Kings of Judah SERIES III.-VOL. VI. 25*

The kings of Europe and the Pope are yet hugging a kindred delusion. They suppose that the Pope's Chrism is the holy oil; and that the kings of Europe are severally the Lord's anointed.-A few lessons to priests and modern kings, and even to his grace of Canterbury, on this subject, might do them no harm. But as certainly as Aaron was God's high priest, alone and exclusively, so David and his sons were God's only anointed kings, and just as exclusively and alone, as Jesus of Nazareth is his only begotten son and heir of the throne in the heavens-therefore with literal and exact truth after his resurrection, he said, all sacerdotal, political, regal, and divine authority, in heaven and earth, were his, and only his, and his forever. God reigned on earth in the persons of Judah's kings on David's throne. But after the Jews said,-"This is the heir, come let us kill him and seize the inheritance," he translated the throne of David to heaven and placed his son upon it, and there it will continue as the seat of the Lord Jesus Christ till all his enemies fall before him.

And here we shall pause for the present.

A. C.

NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES.

BROTHER CAMPBELL:

CHURCH IN BOSTON.

REVERE HOUSE, BOSTON, February 11th, 1849.

I reached here on the 3d instant, and have had the pleasure of worshipping with a small band of disciples, meeting in room No. 8, in the Hall over the Boylston Market, in Washington street, for two Lord's days. They number about twenty, which is an increase of some five since I met with them last July; and the brothers Berry, who are the most prominent men among them, seem to be much encouraged at their prospects in view of all the circumstances around them. They seem to be untiring in their efforts to advance the cause here as far as practicable.

On the Lord's day they meet thrice: at 11, at 3 and at 7 o'clock, and there are some five or six brethren who give evidence of more than usual reading and intelligence in the Scriptures. You will find a Bible in the hands of all the family, and when one reads or speaks you will see them attentive to the subject, which I greatly admire and which would surely be greatly beneficial to all the churches. They are poor, as regards the goods of this

were as much in need of inspiration in order to sit upon the throne of God, as were the Apostles of Christ, to give them authority. But when they became wicked the spirit of God forsook them, and this circumstance called for prophets to instruct, reform and admonish them. Hence, prophets became a necessary appendage to the kings who acted for God.

These are matters not properly weighed nor understood in all their amplitude, by many who choose both to preach and write on such lofty themes.

life, and yet they pay some two hundred dollars per year for the rent of their room and other expenses.

One of the brother Berrys is a printer and piano maker, and in conjunc tion with brother Gaskill, of Salem, he intends publishing a monthly sheet* at 50 cents per year, in order to publish the first and practicable principles of Christianity among their neighbors. They hope to do something by that means, in giving a better and more extended knowledge of our teaching than they can do in any other way. Brother Gaskill is said to be a sensible and worthy evangelist, and being in the habit of vending books, they think it can be thrown into many families.

The brethren desire that all Disciples visiting Boston would give them their aid when among them, and therefore, desire their place of meeting to be known through the Harbinger. If you can spare room for this brief notice of them, give it a passport through the Millennial Harbinger, and very much oblige them and your friend. On the third Lord's day of the present month I hope to meet with the Disciples in Philadelphia, on my way homewards. Wishing you health and peace,

BROTHER CAMPBELL:

I am yours as ever,

GEORGE W. ELLEY. FRANKLIN, KY., January 11th, 1848.

Dear Sir:-Since I wrote to you I immersed one person near Allensville, and two near Russelsville, who became members of the church at Social Grove. J. CALAHAN.

BROTHER CAMPBELL:

PLEASANT GROVE, January 17th, 1849.

Dear Sir: We commenced the year in worship at my own house, with my family and neighbors. We had a full meeting, and four persons were induced, through grace, to bow to the king immortal, three of whom I immersed the following day, for the remission of their sins. All of them youths in the morning of their days, praised the Lord! I likewise immers

ed two young ladies near Hamersville, Brown county, Ohio, on the last Wednesday in last month. They had all the appearance of being noble soldiers for Christ our Immanuel; and on last Lord's day, the second Lord's day of this month, I immersed one at Neville, for all of which we give thanks to the Father of mercies, and God of all our comforts.

BELOVED BROTHER CAMPBELL:

JOHN T. POWELL.

BATON ROUGE, February, 1849.

Since I left this city I returned to my family, now with my son-in-law, near Princeton, and left again for Port Gibson, some 5 weeks past. We had a delightful meeting at that point and at Grand Gulf. Our labors resulted in seven valuable additions, to the great gratification of the brotherhood. The sects there are well drilled in the lesson of keeping off as far as possible. From thence I made my way here again, and the results of our labors thus far are 16 valuable additions, making 57 in all.

J. T. JOHNSON.

*We have received the first number of this periodical called "The Gospel Advocate." The 2d number will not be published till the 1st of May. Terms.-To single subscribers 50 cents. To any person paying for four copies, it will be sent gratis. Remittances of money to be directed to T. V. Berry, 252 Washington street, Boston, Mass. Letters pertaining to the Editorial department must be sent to D. Owen Gaskill, Salem, Mass.

W. K. P.

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