LECTURE VIII.

AND the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.-DAN. vii. 27.

THE subject which these words bring before us is, of course, the Kingdom which the God of Heaven is to set up. And, that we may attain to clear and comprehensive views concerning it, I propose to treat it under the following heads:

I. What are we to understand by this kingdom?
II. The locality of it?

III. The state of the earth, as the seat of this kingdom?

IV. The time and manner of its setting up: and V. The subjects and officers of it: including its greatness and duration.

And in the progress of this examination, I shall ask you, brethren, to hear me patiently; to scan, narrowly, the proofs submitted to you; and then, form your conclusions in the light of the word of God. I have nothing more to ask. My duty is done, when you all the counsel of

I have fully made known to

God concerning it. You are responsible for your

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REQUIREMENTS OF PROPHECY

reception of it. Each one of you must answer for yourself. What others hold, or teach or deny, will be no plea for you. God's truth, as you receive it or reject it, is to tell on your own spiritual growth; and be the measure of your eternal state. If it is not the truth of God which I proclaim; mine will be a fearful account. And if it is, and you reject it; no less fearful will be yours. Let us come, then, to this great theme, in an humble and prayerful spirit. Let us, simply, desire to know, what the truth concerning it is; and then, with whole-hearted earnestness, follow wherever it leads us.

1. What are we to understand by this kingdom? Now, I submit to you, that it would be quite impossible for any man to entertain a moment's doubt concerning this question; were he to be guided simply by the course of the prophetic narrative. He would see, that the prophet foretold the rise and fall of four, distinct and literal, kingdoms, of universal dominion. He would see, I mean, that they were real kings; holding sway over real people; dwelling in real and literal lands. He would see, that the first was to be subverted by the second; that the second would be overturned by the third; and that the third was to go down before the power of the fourth. He would see, moreover, that this was to be broken into ten separate kingdoms: in the midst of which another-diverse from all the rest-was to arise; and before which, three of the first ten, were to be plucked up by the roots. He would then, find, that these kingdoms, so broken, were to exist even until the time of the end.

All these requirements of the prophecy, he would

AS TO THIS KINGDOM.

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find minutely and fully carried out in the book of history. Not one is wanting. In the simple literality of absolute facts, all received an absolute fulfilment. When, therefore, he read, in the same prophecy, that, at an appointed time, the God of heaven was to set up a kingdom, which was to break in pieces all other kingdoms; fill the whole earth, and last for ever; could he doubt as to what was meant by that kingdom? Could he fail to understand, I mean, that it was to be an absolute and literal kingdom. The first four were so. One after another they rose; literal kingdoms on the earth's surface. Each despoiled the one going before it, of its power; and gained a mightier dominion. Can the fifth be aught else than an absolute and literal kingdom too? No. He could not come to any other conclusion. From the prophetic narrative, no other conclusion could be formed. If language requires anything, and justifies anything, as a deduction from it, the language of this prophecy requires and justifies this. Guided by it, this conclusion is inevitable. It is plain reasoning; from which, as it seems to me, no man can get away.

But then, it is quite certain, that other conclusions have been formed. How is this? What account shall we give of it? Simply this. Other passages have been appealed to, in support of the idea, that the kingdom of God, is simply a spiritual kingdom.

Is, then, the Bible a book whose teachings in one part, can be arrayed against those in another? No. Nothing can possibly be further from the truth. The Bible is one. Its teachings are one. It is one, in the great scheme which it unfolds. And I desire

here, brethren, to affirm this principle, That no interpretation can be accepted as the true one, which does not build upon, and unite, all the passages which bear upon a given theme. To this test, let every doctrine be brought. Nothing but the truth can sustain it. And nothing, which sustains it, can fail to be truth. A key may pass through many wards of a lock. Yet, if there is but one which it cannot pass, you say, at once, It is not the key for that lock. You gain nothing by the wards which it passes. It does not reach the bolt. You open not the door by means of it. So, a principle of interpretation may pass through the wards of many passages. But the single one, which opposes it, shows its true character. It is not the key to the truth. The true doctrine of the word, like the bolt of the lock, moves not before it. The door of the truth opens not. The treasures within, are shut up from you. You do not reach them. They are, to you, as though they were not. It may be an interpretation supported by great names. This single test is decisive against it. Come whence it may-support it who will-it is false. one part contradicts, or fails other parts. They all agree. It is one, as the light of day is one. When you decompose a sunbeam, some men might say, "These colours are very beautiful. But you can never unite them in one." You would smile at the man's ignorance, as, with a lens, you collected all the several rays together, and said; "See how these different colours unite, to reproduce the light!"

No

God's book is one.
to harmonize with, all

Now, just what the lens does, to the different

SPIRITUAL KINGDOM, WHAT?

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coloured rays, which make up the sun's light; a true principle of interpretation does, to the different parts of the word of God. It unites them all, in the sunlight of God's truth.

But it will be asked, Are there not passages which speak of the kingdom of God, as a spiritual kingdom? Of course, there are. It would be a sad and dreary thing, for the believer, were it not so.

But, then, this is And, ruling in the

By a spiritual kingdom, we understand the entire subjection of man's spirit to the will of God. It is a reign in the hearts of His people. And who can doubt, that the Bible teaches this? not all. Man's spirit is not man. hearts of His people, is not the full idea of the kingdom of God. The redemption, wrought out by Jesus Christ, takes in the whole man. Body and soul alike, are to share it. It is to be a perfected redemption; i. e., a redemption, taking in the entire being of those who share it. No part of their nature is to be shut out from it. Who, without the deepest pain, could contemplate the thought, that the body, the companion of the spirit, through all life's pilgrimage, should be severed from it at death; to be re-united no more? The body, thus "fearfully and wonderfully made," and bearing at first, the impress of the image of God; is not destined to destruction. I read the pledge of its entire and glorious renovation, in the humanity of Him, who was, "God, manifest in the flesh." It is a wondrous display of God's wisdom and power and skill. Sin has invaded it. It has marred its fair proportions. And blunted its powers; and spread through all its wondrous mechanism, the