and ever.

And the four-and-twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged: and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."

The manifestation of this kingly power and glory of Christ is again described in chap. xix. 11th to 16th verses. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself: and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called THE WORD OF GOD. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean; and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God; and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

The blood upon his vesture, let it here be remarked, is not his own blood, but that of his impenitent foes, now united to oppose his authority and his reign. The blood issues not as once from "Emmanuel's veins," but from the wine-press of Almighty wrath. The dreadful vintage is come, and the winepress flows with blood. I cannot but here beg the reader to connect with this prophecy of John, that remarkable declaration of Isaiah, (ch. Ixiii. 1-4.) Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorioas in his apparel; travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." In this delineation we mark the solemnity of a terrible justice. It is no longer the meek manifestation of the slain Lamb inviting sinners to believe and live, but the fearful manifestation of retributive justice exacting its full demand. It is the wrath of the Lamb-the recoil of abused patience, and the reaction of insulted mercy. But do we inquire the result of this glorious manifestation to the faithful servants of the Redeemer? We

are told by the apostle John, (Rev. xx. end of 4th verse,) "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

I find a striking comment upon this apocalyptic vision in the work of the writer already quoted. Our Lord comes with the splendour of Him to whom all power was given both in heaven and earth.' He had three names. The first is one 'that no man knew,' a name beyond human conception, his heavenly name. The second, The WORD OF GOD,' his name as the Mediator, his scriptural name. The third, 'King of kings, and Lord of lords, his name as the conqueror of the idolatrous religion, and sovereign of the world, his earthly name."-Croly, p. 272.

I would recall to the mind of the reader the words already cited in Matt. xxi. 44, in which passage the Messiah is compared to the foundation stone which God had laid in Zion. "And whosoever shall fall upon this STONE shall be broken, but on whomsoever IT shall fall, it will grind him to powder." How evident here the twofold condition of this mysterious STONE-its depressed and its exalted condition. In its first condition it lies upon the earth uncomely, unwrought, neglected, unnoticed, save as "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." But at length it is elevated-elevated by no human hands. It is raised above the low valley of its humiliation; and being now propelled at once by unerring skill, and by irresistible force, it descends to crush every antagonist power. It smites, as we have seen, the colossal IMAGE, and shivers the giant limbs to dust and ruin. In this state it corresponds with the same kingdom as exhibiting the lightning flash of terror and of glory. Thus entirely do these two representations illustrate and confirm each other. In connexion with this twofold condition of the kingdom of Christ, I would refer the reader to the remark of our divine Lord to Pilate, in John xviii. 36-"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but Now (vv) is my kingdom not from hence. (T.) Is there not an implied contrast in this remark between his depressed and exalted conditions, as the Son of man? At that time Satan was "the prince of this world," and Christ "was despised and rejected of men; but when Satan shall be cast out," then Christ will have the government of the world. In the "NEW EARTH, wherein dwelleth righteousness," "the kingdoms of THIS WORLD" will have "BECOME the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ." (Rev. xi. 15.) At that time his kingdom will be

66 εντεύθεν.3

CHAPTER VI.

The Reign of the Glorified Saints.

Having placed before the notice of the Christian reader some of those passages of scripture which appear to me to bear most directly upon the personal reign of Christ on earth, I come now to examine the records of scripture upon a point closely connected with it, the association of the chosen saints of God with the glory and power of that kingdom. The two subjects are so interwoven, whether in emblems or in express assurances, that they cannot fairly be separated; and whatever be the character of Christ's kingdom, that must be the character of the kingdom of the saints. If his kingdom be exclusively spiritual, then must their dominion be the dominion of their principles; and their glory the glory of uniting with the vast brotherhood of the redeemed in the allegiance of the heart to the authority of God. If, on the other hand, the kingdom of Christ be likewise visible and personal, then must their reign be likewise visible and personal.

Let us direct our attention, in the first place, to some prophetic intimations selected from the writers of the Old Testa

ment.

The 149th Psalm, ver. 5, contains the following words: "Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand: to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written. This honour have all the saints." Again, (Ps. xlix. 14.) "Like sheep they, (that is the wicked,) like sheep they are laid in the grave: death shall feed on them. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall consume in the grave, from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for he shall receive me."

Let us next refer to the second vision of Daniel, which we have already examined in respect to the kingdom of Christ, but which foretells likewise the dominion of the righteous. (Dan. vii. 21.) "And I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the

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Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Ver. 27.) And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." I have already remarked that the kingdom of the Son of God must be of the same kind with the kingdoms subverted; and that consequently this kingdom will be visible and personal. I here draw a similar inference in reference to the dominion of the saints. They will surely reign, not through the mere prevalence of principles, which they shall approve; but by a visible power and glory which they shall possess.

I beg the reader, in the next place, to recur to the 14th chapter of Zechariah, ver. 5; a passage which we have already considered in its connexion with the kingdom of the Messiah; but it identifies with his coming, the coming of the saints of God. (Zech. xiv. 4.) "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives." (Ver. 5, at the end.) "And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."

One other citation shall terminate the passages from the Old Testament. The prophet Malachi thus writes: (Mal. iv. 2, 3;) "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

We come now to the consideration of the language of our Lord himself, in reference to the glory of his saints. (Matt. v. 5.) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matt. xix. 27, 28;) a passage already quoted with reference to the throne of Christ, but which refers also to the throne of the righteous. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me,-in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory,-ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. xxiv. 46, 47.) "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods." (Matt. xxv. 21.) "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." (Ver. 34.) "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 foundation of the world." (Luke xii. 32.) "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's

good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke xix. 17.) "And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." (Luke xxii. 29.) "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Let us next advert to the language of the Apostles. I refer, in the first instance, to 1 Cor. vi. 1. "Dare any of you, haying a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?"

(2 Tim. iv. 1.) "I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." And in reference to his own share in that glorious kingdom, he adds in v. 7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day." And, to evince the interest which all the saints. have in that same kingdom, he adds of this crown to be given to himself: "and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Again, in the Epistle of Jude, (v. 14:) "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, (that is, of impious men,) saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds."

We now come to the yet more emphatic language of the Apocalypse: (Rev. i. 5, 6.) "Jesus Christ-the Prince of the kings of the earth-who hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father."

(Rev. ii. 26.) "And he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers."

(Rev. iii. 21.) "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne."

(Rev. v. 9.) "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and