TYPE, AND PROMISE OF. 189 The cattle rested. The land rested. Throughout the year, there was, neither sowing of seed, nor reaping of grain. God had sent abundance through all their borders; and every man sat, in quiet, beneath his own vine and fig-tree. Everything told of peace and prosperity. Everything spoke of a nation fearing God; and blessed in His service. This was its design. And what was this Sabbatic year—what is our weekly Sabbath; but a type of that rest—i. e., Sabbath-keeping; "which remains for the people of God?" St. Peter calls it "the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken, by the mouth of all His holy prophets, since the world began." Acts iii. 21. I pray you, examine that text. What is restitution? Just bringing things back to their first estate. It is nothing else. Whatever was the state of "all things," at first; will be their state again. If it is not, there is no restitution. It must reach to man; and he will be restored. It must reach the earth; and it will be restored. It must reach the inhabitants of the earth; and they will be restored. If all this is not done; there is no restitution. Holiness alone, will not repair the ruins of the fall. Were every man a saint; that would not pluck the venom from the serpent's fang; nor restrain the tempest in its wrath; nor bid the earthquake cease; nor put back the hand of sickness; nor turn aside the power of death. The constitution of the material universe must be altered. It must be brought back to its first estate. And that is restitution. And that is God's promise. It is not left to inferIt has been the burden of every prophet He ence. has sent into the world. He has spoken it, "by all the prophets, which have been, since the world began.” It is linked in with Christ's second coming. It is the glorious result of that coming. As such, the Scriptures call it, "the blessed hope." As such, it has ever been, the pole-star to the Church. And, towards it, the eye of the believer has turned; with a trembling intensity of interest, that nothing could arrest or subdue. "Enoch, the seventh from Adam," beheld it. He caught its earliest beams, as it rose, bright and clear, above the storm-tossed ocean, on which that Church was called to go forth. Jacob saw it, on his dying bed; as he told of Him, unto whom, the gathering of His people should be. Moses saw it; and the prophets. The man of Uz beheld it, beaming with resplendent light. His faith realized the view. "In his flesh," he saw his God, as He stood, in the latter day, on the earth. David touched his harp, with rapturous exultation; as visions of His coming glory rose up before him. Isaiah calls up every image of grandeur; and pours forth his most entrancing strains, as he portrays the splendour of His reign. Jeremiah tells of His everlasting covenant. Ezekiel saw Him tread the earth again. Daniel tells of the majesty of His throne; and beheld all nations serving and obeying Him. Zechariah saw Him come with all His saints. While Malachi exclaims: "Behold, He shall suddenly come to His temple!" Every prophet strikes his harp to the strain of this "blessed hope;" and adds his tribute to the glories of that. day, that shall usher in "the restitution of all things!" And well may it be termed "the blessed hope!" It is so in itself. It is so, in its influences. It is so in all its results, to the people of God; and to all the works of His hands. It is fearful, only to the enemies of our Lord. It is distasteful, only, to those who have no clear realization of a saving interest in its blessings. And the Christian needs its strong support. Doubts are springing up within him. And trials and difficulties of unnumbered forms, await him. And earth offers him no abiding home; no enduring bliss. He is called, moreover, to a ceaseless warfare with the sinful nature which he bears about; and with the enemies that surround him. And from this warfare, "there is no discharge," while life endures. But, amidst it all, he has the Saviour's legacy of His promised return, to cheer him. "I will come to you," falls upon his soul, refreshingly, as the evening dew, upon the drooping flower. His graces revive beneath its influence. Amidst the warfare of earth, it is his privilege to take his stand beneath the outspread banner of the truth of God. And, as its folds wave out before his eye; he delights to look up, and find it rich with the promises of His coming-radiant with the light that beams upon it from above; and bearing all over its ample surface, "the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!"* * How beautifully-with what calm and quiet assurance-Watts speaks of this in one of his hymns: "The gospel bears our spirits up, While we expect that glorious hope, Well, brethren, is it a blessed hope to you? To make it so, you must have a clear and scriptural assurance, that Jesus is your Saviour. It will not do, to trust to a vague, and misty and undefined idea about it. The issues at stake here, are everlasting issues. It behoves you to be very clear and very sure about them; to see to it, that they rest upon a foundation strong enough to sustain eternal interests. Neglect here; a mistake here; endangers everything; destroys everything. See to it that your hope will stand the test. Be sure. Have it very clearly defined before you. Every hope is operative, in proporThere will be some, who will shrink tion as it is so. 1 It is, of all others, the event There will be others, who, as He appears in glory, will look up and say, "Lo, this is our God. We have waited for Him. He will come and save us!" Men and brethren, to which class do you and I belong? LECTURE XI. AND I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given unto Him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.—Dan. vii. 13-14. THE subject, which these words call us to consider, is the time and manner of setting up the kingdom of the God of heaven. And you perceive, that the text very clearly points out the time. It is, at the coming of the Son of Man. It is, when He shall come near to the Ancient of days, that there shall be "given unto Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people and nations and languages should serve Him." In other words, it is when His elect church shall be gathered and glorified, and presented "faultless, before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy;" that this declaration shall be fulfilled; and the "nations given unto Him for an inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession." It is then, that all His banded. enemies shall be destroyed; and Satan bound; and all things that offend, be gathered out of His kingdom. |