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THIS WORLD AND THE WORLD TO COME, OR KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

"Glorious things of thee are spoken,

"Zion, city of our God!

"He, whose word cannot be broken,

"Formed thee for his own abode."

In a manuscript on hand, I have next considered the promises as one heavenly arch of uniform and continuous glory and beauty, from Genesis to Revelation; a token of the covenant of God with man, to make restitution of all things, in new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, at the coming of the Son of Man, in the end of "this present evil world:" when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and come forth; "they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5: 29.)

These are the things spoken at sundry times, and in divers manners, unto us by the prophets, as shortly to come to pass; they are also preached unto us by the Son of God in the gospel of his kingdom at hand; so that the prophecies and the gospel harmonise in testimony of the coming and king. dom of the Messiah, which has drawn very near, and will be manifested in the eternal life of the world to come. But I am constrained to leave this gracious bow of promise, the bright token of Jehovah's everlasting covenant, for another opportunity for I am a feeble one, and how can I hold up to your view a glory so perspicuous and magnificent, until through your prayers the Lord strengthen me with his Spirit? "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength: give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name-the Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth king for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace." (Ps. 29.)

In bringing to your notice this apostolic doctrine, I am called to use terms and texts of Scripture, familiar perhaps to you, in senses that I do not understand them: therefore, I need your patience, until we can arrive at a common meaning of doubtful passages. But that you may have a guide to my meaning always before you, observe that I regard the kingdom of heaven, which Christ preached, not as the church, or gospel dispensation; but as the eternal state of the righteous after the end of this word, in the resurrection and judgment day, and in the new heavens and earth, which flesh and blood cannot inherit, which time cannot limit, and which sin, nor pain, nor death can enter; of which eternal state all the prophets foretell, and the gospel publishes the glad tidings, that it is at hand. In this world, all the promises do travail with faith, and they come to the birth together, in the world to come, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, according to these lines of the poet :

"O'er these gloomy hills of darkness,
"Look, my soul ! be still, and gaze:
"All the promises do travail
"With a glorious day of grace:

"Blessed jubilee !

"Let thy glorious morning dawn!"

We know that this world is in darkness, and that the morning of the resurrection is the blessed jubilee of the world

to come.

"The world to come:" what means this word of promise?

Every where in the Scriptures, the future kingdom of heaven is set before the believer in contrast with the present dominion of the prince of this world; and this world is set in contrast with the world to come. To see this in the light of Revelation, I copy the connection of the words, as they occur a few times in the Evangelists.

"Neither in this world, nor in the world to come :" (Mat. 12: 32.) in relation to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

"But he shall receive a hundred fold, now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions: and in the world to come, eternal life." (Mark 10: 30.) "Receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting." (Luke 18: 30.)

"For the children of this world are wiser in their tion, than the children of light." (Luke 16: 8.)

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"The children of this world marry and are given in marriage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (Luke 20: 34, 35, 36.)

The context does not discover what is meant by "that world," only as the above quotation shows it; and the preaching of it in the name of the kingdom of heaven, was the Lord's universal custom. It belongs with the resurrection of the dead; and its inhabitants are identified, as "the children of God," by their "being the children of the resurrection." So that there is a world to come, into which they who are accounted worthy will obtain entrance in the resurrection of the dead, and live on an equality with the angels; and "that world" is the kingdom of heaven.

To obtain "that world," and the resurrection unto eternal life, is the exhortation of the preacher, and is the effort of the believer, and the commandment of the Lord, in the gospel. But, now, the associated efforts of the church, together with the general aim of private Christians, even the hopes of the church, are, to gain this world, for the Lord. The generous spirits of the world, "speak of the world, and the world. heareth them." (1 John 4: 5.) They contemplate the

improvements row making in the world with a high degree of satisfaction, that neither leaves any doubt of a long season of "peace and safety" in this world, before the end comes; nor distrusts the hope of a season of extraordinary felicity on earth, in which the messengers of the king shall no more be despised, while they invite the people to the marriage of his son, nor be ill treated, while they ask in the Lord's name, to render him of the fruits of his vineyard. "Now, behold, all things are ready: come unto the marriage."

However, the people make light of the invitation yet; and go their way, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise; and the rest sometimes spitefully use the messengers to this day. Surely, this is gospel, and during this dispensation, it will continue to be gospel to the end. The tares will grow with the wheat; the bad fish will be taken with the good, in the same net; the good seed will fall, some in the highway, and some in stony places, and some among thorns; and the husbandmen will, as they now do, refuse to render the Lord of the vineyard his fruits in their season; until the end comes. And when that comes, observe, all ye that love the Lord, then comes the separation of the tares from the wheat, the bad fish from among the good, the sheep from the goats; which is the resurrection and judgment, both of the just and of the unjust. Therefore, as wise men, let us place no hope of any lasting joy, or permanent felicity, or even peace, in this world: and expect the coming of the Lord, and the return of the Jews with father Abraham from the dead, to the New Jerusalem, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. For:

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels." (Mat. 16: 26, 27.)

"Wo unto the world, because of offences!" (Mat. 18: 8.)

The scriptures pronounce no blessing on this world, but only on the world to come.

"For all these things do the nations of this world seek af. ter; but rather seek ye the kingdom of God:" (Luke 12: 30, 31.) that is, the world to come.

"For God so loved the world

"For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3: 16, 17.)

But men love darkness still, rather than light; they reject the coming again of the Lord, as they once rejected and slew him; and this is their condemnation, their offence, for which a wo is pronounced against this world. Yet he giveth life. unto the world; he gave his flesh for the life of the world: but the world hateth him, because he testifies that its works. are evil. He testifies of its people; "Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world; I am not of this world." (John 8: 23.)

"He that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal." (John 12: 25.)

"Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12: 31.) This judgment will be executed in the end of this world.

"I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." (John 12: 47.) Not so will be his coming again in the end: of the world.

"The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive." (John 13: 17.) And yet many are expecting a millennium, in which this world will receive the Spirit of truth; in which the foolishness of preaching will become the wisdom of this world; yea, when the preaching of Christ crucified will be no longer a stumbling block to the Jews, or to the Gentiles foolishness.

"For the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in. v. 39.

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