reflect whether it is probable that all these promises, clear as they seem, and literally as prophecy has hitherto been fulfilled, do not in reality imply, and afford evidence of the truth of Christ's personal reign on earth during the Millennium.

SECTION XVII.

VIEWS OF BELIEVERS IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE CONCERNING THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.

To those who oppose the above views of the Messiah's reign, it ought certainly to appear a singular omission that there should not be found in all the Epistles of the inspired apostles, nor in the writings of the Evangelists, the slightest reference to a period of such unparalelled purity and peace as the Old Testament Prophecies every where represent as still to be enjoyed upon the earth. Yet, in the New Testament, so interwoven are the intimations of the Coming of the Lord and the Resurrection of the saints with all reference to the Millennium, that if these events are placed after that happy time, then undeniably it contains not the most distant al lusion to it. If Paul refers to the Millennium as the period when the sons of Abraham shall be again graffed into their own olive, "and so all Israel shall be saved," it is when "The Deliverer shall come out of Zion." Rom. xi. 26. If Peter alludes to the Millennium as "the Times of Refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and "the Times of the Restitution of all things," he asserts that then the Lord" shall send Jesus Christ." Acts iii. 17, 20. If the same apostle refers to the Millennium when the "promise" of God uttered by Isaiah should be fulfilled, of "new heavens and a new earth," when Jerusalem shall be created a joy, and her people a rejoicing; still with these new heavens, and this new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness," our views are again directed to "the coming of the day of God," which "day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." 2 Pet. iii. 10-13.

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If our Lord himself points to the restoration of Israel at the Millennium when he calls upon the Jews then to "look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh," it is when the signs preceding His "Coming in a cloud," begin to come to pass. Luke xxi. 27, 28. Or if he alludes to the Millennial "Kingdom" which the God of heaven shall set up at the destruction of Antichrist, when "the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the Most High;" still this "kingdom of God is nigh at hand," only when the indications of His Return are observable. Dan. vii. 27. Luke xxi. 27-31. Or if Paul speaks of the destruction of the Man of sin, which shall immediately precede the Millennium, he asserts that him shall the Lord "destroy with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. ii. 8. Does the same apostle again allude to the change upon the Inferior creation at the Millennial period, as the removal of a burden they have been made to endure?-still the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.... waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body."* If such predictions really contain allusions to the Millennium, so also are they intimately connected with the Saviour's Return, and resurrection of His saints. But if these do not contain allusions to the Millennium, then are there no references to it in either the Gospels or Epistles. And can it be believed that these should be wholly destitute of a glory which all the older prophets have announced, and of which prophetic Bards have sung in strains of highest rapture-the contemplation of which sustained them while pourtraying the dismal scenes which had to intervene-to picture forth which, images the most splendid have been employed-whose distant prospect cheered the heart of many an aged pilgrim, and its certain bequest to a much-loved offspring soothed his dying hour? It is altogether incredible,

These passages are here brought together merely for the purpose of showing their connections. All of them will afterwards be more particularly examined, and their evidence be more fully elicited, when Individually made the subject of future consideration.

that themes which wakened every holy harp, and prospects which were held out to the faith of believers from earliest time, as the consolation of a suffering church, should have been either unprized or unnecessary at a period so much nearer its commencement. There is no room to question, no reason to doubt, that they both saw and rejoiced in the coming glory. With the Return of that Master for whom they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and in testimony to whose Messiahship they cheerfully laid down their lives, they beheld the realization of the Church's hopes, and the establishment of the predicted "kingdom." They knew that the heavens had received their Lord only "until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began;" for unto them was "made known the mystery of God's will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fulness of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth." Acts iii. 21. Eph. i. 9, 10. To his Return, then, was their faith continually directed, and for this they vehemently longed. The bright visions of futurity had neither been withdrawn, nor had they lost their interest, but were all to be realized in the glorious day of their returning Lord.

This view may be shown to be in perfect accordance with the declarations of the Saviour and his apostles. It has been already seen that the prophets hold out the prospect of One who shall redeem Israel from all the evils to which they have been exposed-from bondage as well as from sin. They expatiate with delight, and in the loftiest language, on the dignity of his person, the power he shall possess, the homage he shall receive, and the extent and happiness of his kingdom. And whatever interpretation we may choose to put upon such predictions, it is known to all, that at the period of our Lord's incarnation, the Jews were in expectation of a glorious Deliverer, who should then restore them to independence, and reign over them in Zion. With the great majority, this mistake had a twofold origin.

They were unwilling to receive a suffering Messiahand they applied to their times predictions which had no reference unto them. They were ignorant of their need of a mediator, and they desired an immediate fulfilment of prophecies which related, as we have seen, to a period after they should have been dispersed "into all nations." This last mistake, however, was not peculiar to those by whom he was rejected, but was entertained by His disciples, and even by His apostles, till the very last hour of his abode among them. Their receiving Him in his humility, as the promised Messiah, did not lead them to a renunciation of their hopes that he would yet take to him his great power and reign. The angel who had been sent to the blessed virgin with the glad tidings of his birth, assured her that "the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke i. 32. Notwithstanding, therefore, of his present humility, they still looked for the establishment of his kingdom; and when, on one occasion, He was nigh to Jerusalem, and "they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," the Saviour spake a parable to correct their mistake. Luke xix. 11. This parable of "a certain Nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom and to return," while it proves their error with respect to the time of Christ's establishing his kingdom of glory, left them every reason to conclude that they were perfectly right in the substance of their expectations the fulfilment of all the promises made in their favour by the prophets, when unto them "shall it come, even the first dominion: the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem;" and when "the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." The establishment of that kingdom which they thought "should immediately appear" the Saviour gave them reason to expect when he shall "return," having obtained the kingdom he has gone to receive. It deserves to be noticed, also, that the case of a nobleman, going into a far country, intrusting his servants with money, that they may testify their

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love by a right occupation of his property in the interval, and returning after he has received a kingdom, suggests an idea of subsequent continued residence, which ill comports with the views generally entertained of Christ's coming merely for the purpose of pronouncing sentence upon all. The parable distinctly intimates. that, after a certain time, the Saviour will return to the possession of that Millennial kingdom which the circumstances show believers at that time expected. Nor did the crucifixion of our blessed Lord destroy the hopes of his disciples, founded, as they were on that sure word of Prophecy" to which the Church now gives so little heed. While he lay in the sealed tomb, indeed, these hopes might seem almost annihilated; and, uncertain whether He were not still within Death's dark domain, the two who journeyed towards Emmaus, in the sorrow of their hearts could only say, "We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel." (Luke xxvi. 21.) But no sooner were their agitated bosoms calmed by the assurance of their Lord's resurrection, than the divine promises concerning the erection of his Kingdom recurred to their recollection. The tidings that He lived again at once testified the acceptance of His sacrifice, and proved beyond a doubt, that, in Him, Heaven's most glorious prophecies might yet be accomplished. Their faith in the truth of God's word now remained unshaken; and again they confidently trusted that the Messiah should fulfil all that the prophets had foretold concerning Him. They questioned not the certainty of the divine predictions, although they were ignorant of the period of their accomplishment. Thus, immediately before Christ's ascension to heaven, and after he had been with them forty daysspeaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God"-their last question to him was, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Acts i. 3, 6. Nor did the Saviour reprove them for cherishing expectations of a nature inconsistent with his design, as he did on occasions when this was really the case, and as might certainly have been expected had their views been as erroneous as many suppose. On

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