tion of this kingdom is yet future, by a comparison of a passage in the first Epistle to the Corinthians with one in Hebrews. In the former it is declared of Christ, "that all things shall be put under Him:"r in the latter the Apostle notices, "that we see not yet all things put under him:" whence we must conclude, that his kingdom is not yet come. In another part of the same chapter in Corinthians he says, "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; but that we must first have our immortal and incorruptible body."t There are other Scriptures equally tending to show, that the kingdom did not commence at the Ascension; for in the very hour of his ascension Christ was asked by his disciples, if he would at that time restore the kingdom to Israel; and his reply plainly leads to the inference, that it was not to commence at that period; but that they were. to be witnesses of him to the uttermost parts of the earth:" just as in another place he declares, that the Gospel of the kingdom must first be preached in all nations for a testimony unto them. The apostle Paul exhorted the Thessalonians "to walk worthy of God, who had called them to his kingdom and glory;" andto walk, so as that they might be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffered;"w and James speaks of believers, "as being heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him:" all which passages imply, that the kingdom was yet future, when they were ministering. And, finally, the words of Jesus to Pilate (as I apprehend them) completely set this point at rest: "My kingdom is not of this world." Satan is "the prince of this world;" and has a kingdom in it at variance with our Lord's. Which kingdom is now

u Acts i. 6-9. ▾ Matt.

r1 Cor. xv. 27. ⚫ Heb. ii. 8. tvv. 50, 53. xxiv. 14. 1 Thess. ii. 12; 2 Thess. i. 5. * James ii. 5. y John xviii. 36. - Luke xi. 18; John xiv. 30.

In a question of this kind, which concerns the universal Church, the doctrine held in any one individual church cannot be with propriety advanced in the way of argument. As most however who are members of the Church of England admire her, because, among other things, she speaks on many controverted points in the generalized language of Scripture, it may be interesting to such to notice, how, in all her offices, she speaks of the kingdom as future: At BAPTISM the prayer for the neophyte is: "that finally, with the residue of thy Church, he may be an inheritor of thine everlasting kingdom."

At CONFIRMATION the bishop prays: "Defend, O Lord, this thy child, &c. may he daily increase in thy Spirit more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting kingdom."

At the COMMUNION we pray for grace to follow the good example of those departed this life, "that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom."

At MATRIMONY the prayer for the newly married couple is: "Grant them to inherit thine everlasting kingdom."

And in the BURIAL service the prayer is: "That it may please Thee of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect and to hasten thy kingdom:"-a testimony quite decided, as respects the point I am aiming at.

V

set up and must be judged of, not by inquiring into the respective power of the princes of each kingdom; but into the prevalence of the principles of each. No doubt will then remain, that Satan still rules. We know that there is one stronger than the strong man armed, who could at any time put out his power to bruise his adversary under his feet; and even now he proves himself greater in the hearts of his people, than he that is in the world. Yea, when he was on earth, he gave some striking and open indications of his future kingly power; as when he cleansed the temple, ruled the elements, forbad the devils to speak, &c. Nevertheless, the time is not yet arrived when this kingdom is to shine forth in splendour; we still have to wrestle, not only with flesh and blood, "but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places: wherefore (reader) "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to

stand."'a

III. Let us now inquire, at what particular time this kingdom shall appear; which I infer to be at the second advent of the Lord Jesus.

For, first, the Apostle informs us, when describing the order of the resurrection, that those that are Christ's shall at his coming be raised: and then follows the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom. Now there must be some period of time in which the saints shall possess the kingdom and the Lord shall reign. We have seen, that this period cannot be in the present dispensation; and after the advent, which closes this dispensation, is to follow the end,' WHEN HE SHALL HAVE REIGNED. The interval therefore must be between the advent and that resigning of the kingdom unto God, who shall then be all in all. This period I shall call the Millennial dispensation; and endeavour at least to prove, that at the Lord's coming is the manifestation of his kingdom.

Jesus tells us, "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, THEN shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." And further on he adds, "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world." From these Scriptures it is evident, that Jesus will then, (iet the time be when it may,) be personally on the throne of his glory; and that the saints will only then receive the kingdom.

Hebrews i. 6 is, in the original, "And when He bringeth 1 Cor. xv. 23, 24. e Matt. xxv. 31, 34.

a Ephes. vi. 12, 13.

again the first begotten into the world, He saith, and let all the angels of God worship him:"* which refers to his coming a second time into the world.

In St. Luke's gospel the Lord describes the signs which shall terminate the times of the Gentiles, and usher in the coming of the Son of Man with power and great glory; upon which, when they see them come to pass, they are to understand, that their redemption and the kingdom of God are nigh at hand."

The advent and the kingdom are connected together when our Lord first declares to the disciples, that it is the good pleasure of their heavenly Father to give them the kingdom; and then exhorts them to sit so loosely to the things of this world, that they may be as men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding.

That saying of the thief upon the cross is, literally, in the original, "Lord remember me, when thou comest in (not into) thy kingdom."t

Again, the Apostle Paul gives a solemn charge to Timothy, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ; who (he says) shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his kingdom;" thus making the appearing of Christ, the kingdom, and the judgment of quick and dead, to be events all commencing or transpiring at the same period.

This view of the time of the kingdom will be further cleared I trust, when I come to consider the place or scene of its manifestation, &c. I shall now therefore bring this Essay to a close; first requesting the reader, whilst I recapitulate the sum of the argument, to keep his eye upon Corinthians xv. 24, 28-"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power:"-"When the Son also himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

1. The Kingdom of Christ has evidently a beginning subsequent to the creation of the world, because it is the subject of promise at various periods since. Therefore the unacknowledged sovereignty of God, who ruleth and over-ruleth, cannot be what is intended by the Kingdom of Christ, because that did exist from the beginning: and further, to this sovereignty there will never be an end.

2. The reign and kingdom of Christ cannot be that spiritual dominion, which he exercises in the hearts of his people; whether it relate to this present time, or to a larger measure of Chap. xxiii. 42. 2 Tim. iv. 1.

Matt. xxi. 24-31. e Luke xii. 32-36.

* Not παλιν δε οταν, but οταν δε παλιν, δει.

+ Μνήσθητι με, Κύριε, όταν έλθες ΕΝ τη βασίλεια σε.

it in the Millennium. For first, this spiritual power has been exerted in the hearts of his people from their first acquaintance with him by the Spirit: whereas the kingdom whereof I inquire did not commence, as we have seen, either at the birth or ascension of Christ, but is still future. And, secondly, the rule of Christ is to end; whereas this ruling by the Spirit in his people is never to end. It will be "He in them and they in Him" throughout eternity.

3. And if any would nevertheless insist, that the kingdom is no more than a great revival of religion in the generation which shall live at the Millennium; I would again point to those Scriptures which shew, that the kingdom is introduced by the personal advent of the Lord Jesus, and entreat of them either to prove, that these several passages do not relate to the personal coming of Christ, or to endeavour to reconcile with them their notions of the Millennium.

I shall now notice two or three places of Scripture, which may be objected to this view of the kingdom.

1. The kingdom of heaven is sometimes spoken of as being "at hand"-"nigh"-"even at the doors;" &c. from which some infer, that it must have existed either in our Saviour's time, or soon after. But this is no more than is stated of other events, which we nevertheless believe are even yet to come. For example: "The LORD is at hand"-"the coming of the Lord draweth near"-"the end of all things is at hand." The former places concerning the kingdom, may indeed have some reference to the work of preparation-the introduction of the gospel kingdom; but they may also be explained in that way, in which we are compelled to explain the latter, viz. by concluding that the Holy Ghost would have us speak of these events in such manner, as that we may stand prepared for them and waiting their approach; and not, because we may presume, or even be assured, that the end is not by and by, to divert men's attention from it, by telling them that their only concern is with death.

2. Another objection is grounded upon that Scripture,— "There be some standing here who shall not taste of death, until they see the kingdom of God come with power;" from whence it is concluded that the kingdom must have been set up, and even manifested, before all the persons died, who were then standing in the presence of Jesus. I doubt not but the passage has a direct reference to the glorious manifestation of the kingdom; because St. Matthew calls it "seeing the Son of Man coming in his kingdom"-another proof that the advent

b Matt. iii. 2; iv. 17; x. 7; Mark i. 15, &c. i Phil. iv. 5; Jas. v. 8; Pet. iv. 7. j Mark ix. 1.

k

and kingdom take place together. But attention to the context, and a comparison with it of another Scripture, will shew, that it is not the commencement of the period of glorious manifestation that is meant; but a visible earnest and specimen of it. This saying, in all the three Gospels where it occurs, is immediately followed by the relation, that Jesus, about eight days after (that is, eight days after this saying,-as if to mark its connection with the event narrated,) took Peter, James and John up into a mountain apart, and appeared unto them in glory, together with Moses and Elijah. And this very transaction, St. Peter, who was one of the three, calls the POWER and COMING of our Lord Jesus Christ; the majesty of which (he says) he was an eye witness of, when he was with him in the holy

mount.'

3. The next objection is grounded on the words of Jesus to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." I copy here the opinion of Koppe. He says "In fine, John xviii. 36, I cannot see to signify any thing but this, (which we learn from the whole tenor of the life and doctrines of Jesus,) that the kingdom of Christ would not be like the kingdom of men: that is, especially, it would not be established by human power, nor by the might of human armies. This was the only thing that was required to be stated to the Roman Procurator to deliver him from the fear that Jesus might in any degree assail the authority of the Roman empire. From this place at least no proof can be deduced on either side to determine the nature of that kingdom whose king Jesus acknowledged himself to be; and whether Jesus meant and wished to be understood by the formula 'my kingdom,' only a new religion delivered to men, or a kingdom hereafter to be set up in the new heavens and earth, after the face of the whole earth shall have been entirely changed. And certainly interpreters have no reason to appeal to the words v. 37, 'For this cause was I born, that I might bear witness to the truth,' as a vindication of 'kingdom of God,' signifying the true religion; for the whole of that verse contains just this assertion; that he spoke the truth, in declaring himself a king. My character and my whole office is to be true in all that I speak; wherefore, thou mayest rely upon it, I am a king.""

4. The last Scripture, which I shall now notice as an objection, is the answer given by our Lord, when demanded of the Pharisees, When the kingdom of God should come. "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for behold the kingdom of God is within you."'m

k

Chap. xvi. 28. 12 Pet. 16-18. m Luke xvii. 20. 21.