shall be gathered in, and the longings of his heart shall be satisfied, and God himself lo k down delighted to see his

"will done on earth even as it is done
in heaven!"
Plymouth.

E. J.

MILLENARIANISM.
No. VII.

will come to an end. It will be merged in the universal kingdom. It will disappear in the fulness of the divine government. But, though ceasing to reign as mediatorial king, Christ will continue to sustain important relations to his redeemed people. He will sit on the throne of his Father for ever. In union with the Father, and possessing all the fulness of the Spirit, and as the visible manifestation of the Invisible One, he will sway his sceptre over all creatures through eternity. If not mediatorial king, he will be supreme sove. reign in the new creation. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it.

IN our last paper we represented the dominion of God as a universal dominion, stretching over creation, and enduring through eternity. The mediatorial kingdom, on the other hand, was exhibited as a temporary and subordinate government, introduced to meet the amergency occasioned by sin, beginning with the first revelation of mercy, and continuing till the consummation of all things. Of this kingdom, the Son of God has been constituted the head. The government of it is upon his shoulders. Virtually, he began his reign on the original institution of this kingdom after the fall, though his formal investment with it did not take place till, after having There are points in this statement finished the work of redemption, he regarding which, we are persuaded, that ascended up on high. Then, the Father few, if any, Millenarians would differ said to him, Sit thou at my right hand, from us. For example, we think it until I make thine enemies thy footstool. would generally be admitted by them All power was given unto him in heaven that the mediatorial kingdom, or kingand on earth. He was made head over dom of grace, came into existence on all things to the church. He took formal the first revelation of mercy, and that possession of that throne of which then, virtually, Christ began to reign David's throne was but a dim and sha- over it. On this point we find Mr. dowy type, and from which he shall sway Birks expressing himself as follows:the sceptre of his rule till all opposition "There is an essential dominion of God has been put down, and every enemy which cannot come, because it is already overthrown, and his people saved with in being. He reigns from everlasting an everlasting salvation. Then cometh to everlasting. . . . . This essential dothe end, when he shall appear again the minion began with the first act of creasecond time, to wind up the affairs of tion, and must endure through eternity. his administration, and deliver up the The Father, the Son, and the Holy kingdom to God, even the Father. His Ghost, being one in power and glory, reign as mediatorial king will then must share this kingdom for ever. ... cease. He assumed this character that The kingdom of God which is still to he might effect the salvation of his come . . . . must denote the kingdom church, and put down every enemy of of redemption. It must be exclusively the divine rule. These purposes hav- the visible and manifest restoration of ing been accomplished, the mediatorial God's authority over a part, or the kingdom-this imperium in imperio- | whole, of the fallen universe.

When we proceed, however, to examine more fully the views of Mr. Birks regarding this kingdom, we soon find that his Millenarianism leads him not only into disagreement with us, but also into inconsistency with himself. We are sorry to say it, but, if we are to characterize the sentiments he has given forth on this subject, we must pronounce them to be in a very high | degree obscure, confused, and contradictory. Putting ourselves under his guidance for information as to the divine government, we get at once into a tangled thicket, in which we can hardly find our way. We look in vain for simplicity, or even consistency, or for any great leading principle to guide us. But this is the result of his Millenarianism.

This kingdom really began from the to Christ's coming, he adds,—“ In confirst hour when visible fruits of redemp-trast, however, with the times of the tion began to appear. .... The giving gospel, the kingdom of God was not of the law is the date from which the yet begun. The true King was not yet divine economy begins to assume the manifested. His will was not yet fully form of the kingdom of God upon made known. The sanctions of his earth." The views expressed in this law were not fully enforced, but sin passage are, to a considerable extent, and wickedness prevailed even among in harmony with our own. the chosen people. . . . . . Our Lord began his public ministry with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Three doctrines appear to be contained in this announcement. The true King, so long promised, was now come. The will of the King was about to be more fully revealed. The enforcement of that will by righteous judgment was drawing near. Hence, the personal ministry and sufferings of Christ, by which the King manifested his own presence; the preaching of the gospel, in which the will of God was gloriously revealed by the Holy Spirit; and the judgments upon the Jewish nation for their rejection of that gospel, were main steps in the revelation of the kingdom of heaven; and in each of these it might truly be said to come with power. The kingdom itself, however, is still future. For the King, who had appeared for a season, has now withdrawn. . . . The will of God is not yet made known to the greater part of mankind, and very partially even to the church of Christ; while the enforcement of that will by the reward of those that fear God, and the open punishment of the ungodly, is evidently still delayed. The Son of God, when he took on himself our nature, emptied himself of his glory, and ceased for a time to exercise visibly that dominion which he held from the beginning as the Word of God. He made himself of no reputation, and took on himself the form of a servant! When his work of atonement was finished, he ascended on high, and sat down at the right hand of God. He reassumed that eternal dominion which he had laid aside for a little season, and now exercises it amid the praises of heaven. And

It may be proper to observe here that Millenarians are far from being agreed among themselves in their views of Christ's kingdom. According to some of them, it has come; according to others, it has not come. Viewed in the varied lights in which Millenarianism presents it, Christ's kingdom is, and yet it is not, but is still to be! Among anti-Millenarians there is at least consistency and agreement. They all, without exception, so far as we know, regard the kingdom as already in existence, and Christ as already occupying the throne.

But we intend in the present paper to confine ourselves to Mr. Birks; and that we may put our readers in a position to judge for themselves, we shall quote from him rather largely. After referring, in language from which we have just quoted, to the kingdom prior

* Outlines of Unfulfilled Prophecy, pp. 186, 187.

peared? He evidently means, however, that, under the gospel, the kingdom of redemption, which had been in existence long before, advanced to a higher stage; that it came with greater power and fulness. Here, therefore, we are at one with him. We also agree with him, when he speaks of Christ as being "the true King," and when he tells us that in the personal ministry and sufferings of Christ, in the preaching of the gospel, and in the judgments on the Jewish nation, the kingdom "might truly be said to come with power."

After such statements, Mr. Birks'

since he enjoys it in human nature, it is a personal reward of inconceivable dignity. But it is not the kingdom that was promised him by his Father, which has been shown to be a dominion over the fallen universe, and not the worship of the unfallen and holy angels in heaven. Our Lord also exercises all power on earth, as the fulfiller of the divine counsels. . . . But this, too, is the resumption of a glory which he has had from the first, with the sole difference that it is held now in our nature. . . . . Besides the kingdom of divine glory in heaven, and secret providence on earth, our Lord has now a further kingdom begun. This king-readers would be apt to think that he dom is the visible church of Christ. Here the King is still spiritually present by the Holy Spirit. . . . But still, when we compare it with the fulness of the promise, it is more properly an earnest preparation for the kingdom, than its actual advent. . . . . The proper kingdom of Christ must be marked by three characters, which have never yet been exhibited together. There must be the visible presence of the King, a full and clear manifestation of his righteous will, and the public enforcement of his just authority, by the punishment of the rebellious, and the open reward of his faithful servants. This time has not yet arrived, and hence the church has still to offer the prayer, Thy kingdom come." "-pp. 188-191.

This passage is rather long, but it seems right to make room for it. To our minds it is a perfect chaos of obscurity and contradiction. We must, however, find a way through it. When Mr. Birks then says, speaking of the times prior to Christ's coming, that then, "in contrast with the times of the gospel, the kingdom of God was not begun;" he writes, to say the least, with an appearance of inconsistency with his former statements. How could "this kingdom really begin when visible fruits of redemption began to appear," and yet not be begun for thousands of years after they had ap

6

has been exhibiting to them Christ in his kingdom. If the true King has been manifested, if, as the result of this, his will has been more fully revealed, and enforced by righteous judgments, and if his kingdom, therefore, may "truly be said to have come with power;" why, surely, we have Christ already in his kingdom! Not at all,' replies Mr. Birks; though "this kingdom really began when visible fruits of redemption first appeared; though the true King has been manifested, and his will revealed and enforced; and though his kingdom may “truly be said to have come with power;"— yet, it has not come at all! In spite of all this, "the kingdom itself is still future!"" Thus, according to this writer, the kingdom has come, and yet it has not come! It has come with power, but is not yet in existence! It was in being, but it has ceased from being, and is still to be! Like the mysterious beast of the Apocalypse, it was, and is not, and yet is!

This, however, is but a sample of the confusion and contradiction into which Mr. Birks leads his readers. As we proceed, we soon find "confusion worse confounded." Passing over for a little the reasons which he assigns for this kingdom, which has come with power, being still future, we are informed in the next paragraph that Christ has a kingdom after all. "When his work

of atonement was finished," says Mr. | anything be added to that which alBirks, "he ascended on high... and ready includes in it everything? Can reassumed that eternal dominion which a whole be made greater by having one he had laid aside for a little season." of its parts added to it? Could a Now this eternal dominion can be no Sovereign, ruling over his kingdom, other than that "essential dominion of have his kingdom enlarged by receivGod," of which he speaks in a pre- ing a portion of it to be joined to the ceding page, and of which he says, whole? To be consistent, therefore, Mr. "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Birks must maintain that the Son of Ghost, being one in power and glory, God, after having laid aside his eternal must share this kingdom for ever." dominion for a little season, that he But this "essential dominion of God," might accomplish the work of redempas Mr. Birks himself affirms, stretches tion, and again reassumed it—must lay over creation, as well as through eter- it aside a second time, that he may nity. There is nothing that is not receive the kingdom promised him by included in it. It ruleth over all. The the Father! So that, on this hypo"dominion which Christ held from the thesis, Christ, twice over, lays aside beginning as the Word of God," and his eternal dominion, before he receives which he "ceased to exercise visibly," his "proper kingdom!"—the kingdom when he emptied himself of his glory, which, at the close of the thousand did not consist merely in "the worship years, he is to "deliver up to God, of the unfallen and holy angels in even the Father." We leave Mr. heaven." We are surprised that Mr. Birks, if he can, to reconcile this with Birks should so represent it. But here scripture, and pass from this part of he again contradicts himself, for he our subject with the remark, that tells us only two pages before, in a surely that hypothesis must be a false sentence just quoted, that the Son, in one, which thus leads its supporters to union with the Father, and the Holy represent the Son of God as first laying Ghost, "must share this kingdom (the aside his eternal dominion for a little essential and universal dominion) for season, that he might accomplish the ever. Now this "essential dominion" work of redemption; then reassuming must include in it "a dominion over it; then again laying it aside that he the fallen universe." Mr. Birks would may receive his proper kingdom; and surely not affirm that the fallen uni- then, after the lapse of a thousand verse is not included in the dominion years, delivering up this proper kingof God. This would be to contradict dom, that he may resume his eternal both scripture and himself. If, there- dominion again! We shall not occupy fore, Christ, when he ascended up on our space in showing the inconsistency high," reassumed that eternal domi- of this hypothesis with Scripture. The nion, which he had laid aside for a bare statement of it surely is sufficient little season," even "that dominion for its refutation. We refer, therewhich he held from the beginning as fore, but to one passage. The Father the word of God," he must have reas-raised him from the dead, and set him sumed universal dominion. But if he already possesses universal dominion, how can he receive any addition to it? How can he receive the kingdom which (Mr. Birks says) was promised him by his Father, and which has been shown (?) to be a dominion over the fallen universe?" If he has universal dominion, he has already this "dominion over the fallen universe."

Can

at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all-Eph. i. 20-23. Christ's exaltation