Like prince, like people: neither have any portion in Christ, nor in his kingdom.

"If the world hate you, you know it hated me, before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15: 18, 19.)

Where is the promise of the gospel, that this world will ever be changed, as in the supposed millennium, and made to love whom now it hates? There is a better world to come, which has the promises. But wo to this world, for it hated Jesus, and slew him; and it rejects the crucified to this day.

"He will reprove the world of sin,-because they believe not on me. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16: 8, 11.)

While this world stands, it must be reproved for the sin of unbelief. Until judgment is executed by the Son of Man, when he will lift up his voice, ("he shall, cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies,") Satan will continue to be the prince of this world. Till then will continue the gospel dispensation, and these words will be true:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament; but the world shall rejoice—and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." In the end of the gospel dispensation, the Lord's people shall see him again, and their sorrow shall be turned into joy: for the triumph of Satan will be over, "this present evil world," that "lieth in wickedness," will come to an end; and the saints will possess the kingdom of the eternal world to come, for an everlasting inheritance. But to the end of this world, its prince and its people will rejoice over those scenes, which make holy men weep and lament; while they pray to the Father of all: Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, as in heaven."

66

This "little while," in the last conversation of our Lord with his disciples, in John 13, 14, 15, and 16 chapters, used to trouble me, as it did his disciples, when they reasoned upon it, and said "A little while, we cannot tell what he saith" and though they obtained satisfaction at last, I could never find, in the word recorded, that which should make the word plain to any ordinary reader; unti! I considered, that the absence, of which he spake, and in view of which they grieved, and to cheer them in the prospect of which, he promised them the comforter, was his ascension to the Father; and not his death. In his crucifixion, they had no comforter but in the absence of which he spake, he sent them the Holy Spirit. Then the "little while and ye shall not see me," was the period of seven weeks, to the ascension: "and again a little while, and ye shall see me," is the period from his ascension to his coming again, in the end of the world. So insignificant is time, in the view of eternity; so short is the period of this world, compared with the life of the world to come!

"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16: 28.) This is the word that seems to have satisfied his disci. ples and it may teach us, that, if we would follow Christ, we must leave the world: having this for the last word of discourse from him, that, "In the world, ye shall have trib. ulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33.)

"He left his starry crown,

"And laid his robes aside;

"On wings of love came down ;

"And wept and bled and died.

"What he endured,

"O who can tell,

To save our souls,

"From death and hell!",

Stennett.

And now multitudes are expecting his kingdom to be extended over this world, and his gospel to continue while the world is all HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. As well may the Ethiop be white, and the leopard change his spots; which in this world can never be. When the Lord comes, he will change not the color of this world only; but the entire conformation, and whole nature throughout. And when he prays, with all his disciples around, for the last time, it is without any view of the supposed millennium in this world, however remote. He takes a contrary view.

"The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world; but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil, (the wicked One.)

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17: 14, 15, 16.) "O righteous Father, the world hath not known. thee." (John 17: 25.)

"this.

When did it ever? or when will it ever? This world is recorded in distinction from that which is to come : present evil world." (Gal. 1: 4.) The beloved John declares that "the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5: 19.) The Lord Jesus exclaims: "O-righteous Father, the world hath not known thee!" Aud all the current of scripture testimony is decidedly toward the condemnation of this world, and of its prince, who is the prince of darkness, and this world is in his darkness: therefore, the wise need not lay up their treasures here; the holy need not expect perfection here; the zealous need not expect the conversion of the world. "The true light shines in the darkness; but the darkness comprehendeth it not." Whenever the world should becorne what some expect, the entire spirit of this last conversation and prayer of our Lord, with his disciples, must be changed; all the tenor of the gospel must undergo a new formation; and the word of God and of his Christ, in respect to this world, would seem to pass away; which heaven and earth shall sooner do.

There are prophecies of the earth, (which like the promises to Abraham, regard the new earth,) that must be fulfilled in glory and it is by mistaking these for promises of this world, as by mistaking the preaching of the kingdom of our Lord, for the kingdom itself,even the church for the kingdom, that men have been led, and are still led, I humbly believe, into an error, palpable as that of the worship of images, and invocation of the blessed virgin, which were universal a few centuries ago.

How easily these views may be strengthened by an ap peal to the Epistles, the inquiring mind will readily perceive. Proof cannot be multiplied to weariness on so great a subject; but the reader will rejoice more in it, to find some portion of this proof for himself, as he peruses the writings of Paul and Peter and James and John; taking this one word only to lead in the search :-" Forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Gal. 6: 14.) Crucifixion is foreign to the expected state of felicity in the world; but it accords with the hope of a believer in the life of the world to come; and with the Lord's final testimony: "In this world, ye shall have tribulation."

"But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world ;" and to as many as follow me, I will give the kingdom of the world to come.

ETERNAL LIFE, OR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

"Arrayed in glorious grace

"Shall their vile bodies shine,

"And every shape, and every face

"Look heavenly, and divine."

For the sake of varying the ground of observation, and of presenting the same truth in a new aspect, I will take brief notice of the doctrine of the Apostles, as expressed by the word LIFE, in the Acts and Epistles.

Jesus is "the Prince of life;" (Acts 3: 15.) whose doc. trine is called "the words of this life;" (Acts 5: 20.) first preached to the Jews only, who at length rejoiced that God hath" also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11: 18.) "For it was necessary, (says our apostle to his brethren in the flesh,) that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13: 46.) “And as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." (v. 48.)

This is the life of which Jesus is Prince, and to which his kingdom has respect, and of which his chosen are heirs, even the same to which he invites them in these heavenly words: "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world:" for in the conclusion of that solemn description of the judgment day, it is written "These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." (Mat. 25 : 46.)

:

Eternal life is that of which the Lord is Prince; and his kingdom of that life was the theme of his discourse, the text of his preaching "who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honor and inmortality, eternal life:" but tribulation and anguish to the contentious and others. (Rom. 2: 6, 7, 8.)

It is perfectly apparent, that the Holy Scriptures make eternal life and the kingdom of heaven, synonymous terms, in both Testaments. It is needless to pursue the investigation, for all the Bible speaks in this strain. "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the