Page images
PDF
EPUB

runner of the kingdom of heaven. The Mosaic dispensation could not be always concurrent with the gospel, nor can the gospel be always concurrent with the dispensation of the fulness of times. The glad tidings of the kingdom must cease, when the dispensation of the kingdom begins.

The kingdom of Jesus and of heaven at hand, and drawing near, is the leading fact in the glad tidings of salvation, with which all others must harmonise, or the discord ensues which we hear; and the confusion must reign in all the household of faith, which our eyes behold. The doctrine that the kingdom of heaven has come, and is in this world, mars the beauty and proportions of the gospel. Indeed, it destroys the gospel. It is not news, to preach every sabbath day from age to age, that the kingdom of heaven was set up in this world eighteen hundred years ago. If true, that cannot be news, much less can it be gospel, or good news: but that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and drawing nearer every day, is good news indeed, whether men believe it or not. Satan's kingdom is soon to be destroyed, death itself is shortly to be destroyed, and the curse is to be forever re. moved; this is gospel of joy to every living soul who will believe it. That the Lord Jesus will soon manifest himself in his glorious kingdom, and restore all nature to its pristine loveliness, so that the very brutes shall obtain that they now groan while waiting for, to wit, the adoption of the sons of God, and the redemption of the body,—this is glad tidings of great joy to all people; this is the salvation which all flesh shall behold with gladness; and this is the gospel of Messiah's kingdom, which the Holy Spirit seals with impressive power.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

One may say: "It is a long time, eighteen hundred years, for any thing to be at hand, and still drawing near. It is not possible, with all reverence for the word of God; or if it be possible, I should like to see it explained, that I also may give God the glory. As the heavens are above the earth, so are his ways above our ways; and his thoughts above our thoughts; but when he condescends to speak with men, he uses their language in its common acceptation. And I see no way to explain the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven drawing near for eighteen hundred years, except it may be by understanding a thousand years as one day with the Lord."

Nothing forbids our so understanding it. In this very connection it is that Peter takes occasion to explain the nature of time in the language of heaven. He is speaking of the coming of the Lord, in the end of the world; and of the seeming slackness of the fulfilment of the promise, insomuch that many shall scoff and ask: where is the promise of his coming? when he assures us that "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish; but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up :" it is in this connection the apostle says: "beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing; that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Pet. 3: 8.) Therefore, we have divine authority for applying this heavenly standard of time to the very case in hand, the coming of the Lord in the kingdom of heaven.

Men lean to their own understanding, and measure the power of God by an earthly standard: as the lad from the White mountains, who could not believe that the ocean is salt. Coming to the city, he directly stole away from his employer, and down to the wharf he went, to taste for himself. Until then he would not believe, because he could not conceive where the salt should come from, to make so much brine. The lad did not consider the mighty power of God; but doubted, like the Sadducees concerning the resurrection, because he could not understand how it could possibly be done. And when we say of time, "eighteen hundred years is a long time for the kingdom of glory to be coming;" we do not consider with whom we have to do: and that with the Eternal a few thousand years is a very little while; even as yesterday, or a watch in the night, when it is passed, compared with his everlasting kingdom which is coming.

But in the ordinary use of language, short and long are wholly comparative terms. Their extent depends entirely on their connection in earthly things, as is also true of high and low. A vegetable may be an inch high, and a tree a hundred feet high, and a mountain twenty-five thousand feet high, and the heavens infinitely high. The same word high is properly used in each connection; but the measure varies from one inch to infinity without the least impropriety. It is precisely so with short, or any adverb of time. In connection with the event of an hour, it will extend to minutes; with the events of a year, it will extend to months; with the events of a kingdom, it will extend to centuries; and with heavenly events, it will extend to thousands of years.—If we say America was discovered by Columbus A. D. 1492, and was shortly after settled by the various nations of Europe, we speak of two centuries and more, and yet the word "shortly" misleads no one to think it was effected in a day. The connection of the word with the history of a continent

expands its meaning readily to embrace centuries. Even so in connection with eternal things, and with the kingdom of heaven, its meaning embraces tens of centuries, and boundless years, because the subject with which it is connected is infinite, even the kingdom of heaven.

The

The time of preparation for any thing in this world, is properly said among men, to be a short time, in which they must be diligent, or they will not get ready, for the time is indeed short, and the forthcoming event is at hand. Lord deals plainly with men. The gospel day is the season of preparation for the kingdom of heaven, and he warns us that it is short, in order that we may be diligent in making ready.

Moreover, the kingdom which our Savior preached, was understood by his hearers to be that which supplants the four monarchies foretold by the prophet Daniel : and it is so understood by the commentators now, who teach us that three of those monarchies had passed away, when under the reign of the fourth, the gospel or good news of the next following began to be preached. As wise men, it would have accorded with our judgment to say to Babylon during its rule: "Bethink yourself; the Persian is coming. He will pierce your proud walls; he will enter your brazen gates; he will dwell in your palaces." The Persian came in his time, as the prophet had foretold; and now was his turn to be admonished thus: "Persian, bethink yourself; for the Grecian is coming. Your myriads will fall before him; your empire will yield to his formidable prince, and to his irresistible phalanx; for he must rule over all." The Grecian came and conquered the known world; and in his turn, might well be admonished to bethink himself; for the Roman is coming; to bethink himself and rule with moderation, for his time is short, when his dominion shall be taken away.

And when the Roman was in the height of his power and glory, it was according both with the mercy of the Lord,

and with the common sense of men, to admonish the rulers and people, that the day of the Lord draws nigh. "Bethink yourselves, O Romans; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths strait; for his heavenly host is coming; and who shall abide in that day?"

This is the very thing the Lord has said, and has given in charge to be preached in his name, during the remainder of the fourth empire. Bethink yourselves; for the kingdom of God draws nigh; the kingdom of heaven is at hand.“Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Num. 23: 19.) The time is long, compared with the narrow span of human life; but it is short indeed, compared with the boundless eternity.

LITERAL PROPHECY.

An heir is an expectant. heir, that he looks forward to the possession of an estate, which he has never yet received. The moment he receives the inheritance, he ceases to be an heir; he is then lord of all the estate. The heir is an expectant of an estate, which he has not received, so long as he remains an heir. And when the apostle names the Son of God, as the appointed heir of all things, (Heb. 1: 1, 2,) he signifies that the inheritance is an expectancy, and is not in possession. This at first seems to conflict with such phrases of scripture as this: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Mat. 28: 18.) "As thou hast given him power over all flesh." (John 17: 2.) "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." (Eph. 1: 20, 21.)

It is essential to the state of an

But I apprehend that it is common in the scriptures, as it certainly is among men, to speak of that as done already, which is sure to be done in its season. We say one has an

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »