secondly, the spirit of Christianity; thirdly, the letter of Christianity, including the precepts and example of Jesus, together with the writings and acts of his disciples; and fourthly, the opinions and practice of the primitive Christians, with regard to war, for the three centuries immediately succeeding the death of our Lord. The prophecies relating to Jesus declare that the prevailing features of his character shall be humility, meekness, forgiveness, endurance, and mercy; while universal and lasting peace shall form the principal quality of his kingdom. "And it shall come to pass in the last days (in the days of Christendom*) that the mountain of the Lord's house (his Christian kingdom) shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it; and many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people, ("work conviction in many people," according to Bishop Lowth's translation:) and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not * See "Discourses on the Millennium." By the Rev. David Bogue. lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."* The prophet Micah repeats exactly the same prediction, and adds, "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”† This last passage calls to mind the words of Zechariah: "In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." The "last days," mentioned by Isaiah, are the days of the Messiah, according to the interpretation of the Jews; while all Christian commentators are unanimous in referring the prophecy to the Christian dispensation. Could language be stronger? The fruits of agriculture shall be substituted for the ravages of war; plenty shall smile, where desolation frowned; warlike weapons shall be converted into instruments of industry-to nourish, not to take away life; the very art of destroying shall no longer be remembered, but peace, blessed peace, shall scatter happiness, security, and prosperity to every nation on the face of the earth. This picture, so opposed to the preconceived notions and habits of men, naturally makes them exclaim against its reality; but the prophet Micah, foreseeing their incredulity, has declared that peace would triumph-" for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." * Isaiah ii. 2-4. + Micah iv. 1-4. Zech. iii. 10. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.”* Thus David, rapt in the spirit of prophecy, exclaims, "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire." And speaking of the results of Christianity in directing the human passions, "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain; and mercy shall be built up for ever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens; justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted."+ : "The people that walked in darkness have seen * Zechariah ix. 9, 10. † Psalm xlvi. 9; lxxvi. 10; and lxxxix. 2, 14-16. a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end."* "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: . . With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."+ "In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. All kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. Men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed."‡ "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play *Isa. ix. 2, 6, 7. : on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."* Behold the universal harmony of God's creation, promised as a fruit of that blessed religion whose herald is "The Prince of Peace." A little child shall tame the wolf, the leopard, and the lion, for Omnipotence will be its shield. Man, creation's lord, shall give the example of peacefulness, which is to be followed by the whole race of inferior animals. The promise of tranquillity as the result of a victory over human passions, is faithfully expressed by the change in beasts from ferocity to gentleness; but the following words mark even more strongly the connection: "And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever." "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth."+ "Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. There is no peace, saith my Isa. xi. 5-9; and see words to the same effect, Isa. lxv. 25; and Ezekiel xxxiv. 25 to 31; Hosea ii. 18; Habakkuk ii. 14. † Isaiah lii. 7, 10. |