wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6: 22, 23.) "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (Jam. 1: 12.) This is that crown of which Paul speaks, in connexion with the coming of the Lord in his kingdom, at the resurrection of the dead: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Tim. 4: 8.) Peter calls it a crown of glory: "And when the chief shepherd shall appear, (that is, come again,) ye shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away." (1 Pet. 5: 4.) This is the very thing the young man sought for: "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Keep the commandments if you will enter into life, was the reply. I have, he said, "what lack I yet?" But the answer made him go away sad, "for he had great possessions." Then said Jesus : "A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 19: 13.) And when his disciples expressed their amazement, he repeated the word; but comforted them; saying: "ye that have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel: and every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Mat. 19: 28, 29.) This eternal life was the thing the rich young man desired to know how he might inherit; and the Lord both tells how, and also where, even in the kingdom of heaven; and also when "the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory." Many words cannot make this matter plainer: the kingdom of heaven, preached by our Lord, is not the church, nor is it the gospel dispensation; but it is the throne of Immanuel's glory, in the resurrection of the dead, to eternal life, in the world to come. UNBELIEF, THE SIN OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST. The hope of the kingdom of heaven in this world is so material to this world, and the belief that it is in the world is to the Laodicean church so very dear, that were they convinced of the error, it would not be easy to change their mind, their habit of thinking and speaking, of praying and hoping. Happily it requires no change of their laboring, so far as they labor for the glory of God, unto eternal life. The world will not be convinced that is, the world will never consent to surrender to the law and administration of the Prince of Life and of Peace, until the end of the world suddenly overtakes its inhabitants. The world will never believe, that JESUS, the crucified, is coming in any time short of a thousand years to destroy the blasphemers; never. So far from it, the longer he in mercy delays, the less will the world expect him, and the more will it harden itself, to the end of time. This is the plain doctrine of the whole word of God, and the particular doctrine of the book of Revelation, with the exception of only the twentieth chapter, which I am sure is very rashly interpreted by the many commentators in this age, who make it the nucleus of the whole scheme of prophecy, and the centre of the system. Certain that the world will never surrender the hope of the kingdom of heaven,-the supposed possession of the inheritance of which it obtained, when it slew Jesus, the rightful heir; I am little encouraged to expect an easy victory over the unbelief of the church. Though convinced with the Bible in hand, the conviction must be quite against the will of the multitude. "A man convinced against his will This is a sentiment-though partaking but little of the style of inspiration, that has the force of known truth. The nominal church is much like the young man in the gospel, seeking after the kingdom of heaven, and carefully fulfilling all known duty, carefully obeying the commandments of God; but withal it" has great possessions," and far greater expectations, in this world; and it cannot part with these, except with a pang, such as seized on the heart of the young man, whom the Lord instructed unto his heavenly kingdom. He went away sorrowful. It must be so with those who have permanent funds, and cherished institutions, and large expectations in this world. Their heart is in these things, for the Lord's sake; and they cannot see how it should be necessary to part with all for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. I do not condemn them; but I praise God for his word; that "with God all things are possible," and so the rich may be saved, while the poor have the gospel preached to them; for their heart is empty enough to receive it: "the deceitfulness of riches" does not in them choke the word, and render it unfruitful. Many, however, of all classes, will be glad, when they hear the cry: "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!" And they will arise, and trim their lamps, and go forth to meet him. 6 THE KINGDOM OF THE CHURCH IS ROME'S DELUSION. Here I rest the argument, for the present, in support of the kingdom of heaven for the future life, to take up some of the grounds on which the common belief rests in the scripture for support. The Pope does not pretend to rule this kingdom of the church for Peter, without some scripture authority and so the kingdom itself does not pretend to be in this world, without some show of scripture to sustain it. The Pope improves upon the common belief, the universal belief, that the kingdom of heaven is the church in this world, by devoutly believing that he is its king. This, Protestants agree to brand for the highest presumption, without suspect. ing, that by allowing and believing the kingdom of heaven to be in this world, they furnish an empty throne in this world for some man of sin to occupy; and they supply the Pope with the very keys of the kingdom, to prostrate all under their stroke; inasmuch as they acknowledge the power of Peter's keys in this world, and yet have no Pope of their own, to dispute with him of Rome for their possession. In this way the keys are carelessly left in his hands, to wield at will; and like Hercules he has used them, to send multitudes to death. Were the kingdom of heaven in this world, what forbids that a mortal should be vicegerent of it? And if no other claims the high trust, who shall dispute for it with the Pope? If Peter truly received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, some successor of Peter should have them: and it may well be the Pope, seeing that no other important personage has ever made successful claim to them. These are thoughts too wide of my object to be pursued here. They are investigated elsewhere, and they will bear study, and I think reward it too. It is written : "He shall make war with the saints, and prevail against them." This is a wonder; but their error has often been, by contending with him, ou his own false ground, that the kingdom of heav. en is here which the moment they acknowledge, his mouth, that speaks great words, exclaims in a voice of majesty and thunder : "Who is king on earth, but I?" and before they have time to recover, he receives their amazing obeisance, or they receive the weight of his keys: and the very ground they stand upon trembles under their feet. In any event they are beaten, they are discomfited, they are shamefully handled; and they have no defence ready, except it be hard names and the remembrance of his scandalous faults. But these thrown up in his face only harden him, and bring a reproach on all. "How then?" 66 "I am a republican, Mr. Bishop: I acknowledge no kingdom in the church, but a congregation only. The kingdom of heaven, of whose keys Peter has the promise, is not the church, is not the gospel dispensation, is not any sort of a dominion in this world: but it is a future state in the world to come; and how can you, or any mortal, be vicegerent over the future state? It is imposssible. And for the matter of the keys, no record is made of Peter's having received them, any more than of Paul's having received his crown. It is not pos sible that he ever received them; for they belong with Paul's crown of righteousness, to the future state; and neither the crown nor the keys of that world are possessed in this world; or ever were, or ever will be. Therefore, you cannot have them. You are greatly deceived, neighbor. "It is true, you did not get up the deception. Ages long gone by did that; and you have received it of them, as you have your education and learning. The time has been one of great ignorance, you know; and we are led to hope that the Holy Spirit speaks to the Romans, as well as the Athenians, when he says: The times of this ignorance God winked at but now he commands all men every where to |