mised kingdom of the Messiah.*

Great injury,

I think, has been done to the cause of truth, by their identification by the religious community. It has thrown the most serious obstacle in the way of a fair examination of those passages which relate to the time of the general judgment, and of a just understanding of those numerous ones describing, or referring to the glorious kingdom and reign of the Prince Immanuel. But he

seems to fail, in not considering that the finaljudgment and settling of the affairs of this world, will take place at the time anti-Christ is to be destroyed; or that the kingdom of the Redeemer, when once (at that time) established on earth, › will be eternal, but only "unlimited," (as he repeatedly remarks,) while the persons who compose it will not be immortal, but "mortal men, inhabiting houses of clay." Had he recognized the judgment of the great day in that place, and the endless perpetuity of the Messiah's kingdom to follow it, and the subjects of that kingdom as possessing immortality, he would have fairly opened the way for an harmonious view of the Scriptures relating to all the important points involved in the subject.

*Why should they be considered as being the same? The manner in which they are spoken of is perfectly dissimilar. The Apocalyptic Millennium is limited, and that in the most express manner.* In verse after verse of the chapter in which it is mentioned, it is said to be only for one thousand years. On the contrary, in numerous passages, the kingdom and reign of the Messiah on earth, are spo-, ken of, and that in language plain, and not easily misunderstood, as being endless.

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST'S OWN PROPER KINGDOM.

THE idea seems to have prevailed, that the mediatorial rule of our Savior is to continue during his glorious reign in the earth, in its state of peace, rest and holiness. But is not this to mistake, in some measure, the nature of his reign, as well as to leave an opening for a great misconception in regard to the duration of his kingdom? Two forms of government are spoken of in the Scripture, as pertaining to the Redeemer: one as a delegated power, for effecting certain temporary purposes, and of course temporary in its own existence; the other, an absolute reign in his own proper kingdom, which is to be assigned him, and to be an everlasting dominion. The first, undoubtedly, is that of which he speaks : Mat. 28: 18-"All power is given unto me, in heaven, and in earth," and which is described by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15: 24-28: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy shall be destroyed, death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith,

All things are put under him, it is manifest that he, is excepted, who did put all things under him.

And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also be subject unto Him who did put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

We are taught he is to exercise this delegated power, while personally seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavens, whereunto he ascended after his resurrection, and where he will remain until the work he has been commissioned to execute shall be completed. "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."-Psalms 110: 1. "But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool."--Heb. 10: 12, 13. And what, while there, is he "expecting" but the reception of his own proper kingdom, the everlasting dominion of the whole earth, when all enmity shall have been subdued, all evil removed from it, and all restored, renewed to perfectness in every respect? That such a kingdom is to be given him, is shown most clearly from many declarations of the Scriptures. In reference to it himself, by parable, he says: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return," &c. The Evangelist who records these words of our Lord, says he spake the parable, "because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear."-Luke 19: 11, 12. Announcing the birth of the Messiah, the angel adds: "He shall

be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”—Luke 1 : 32, 33. "Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."-Isaiah 9: 7. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."-Rev. 11: 15.

So clearly apparent is it, that Christ's delegated mediatorial administration is to terminate, and to be succeeded by his perpetual, endless reign, over a kingdom assigned him as his own, forever and ever. And when will he lay aside the one, to be invested with the other? Plainly, when the world's probation shall have come to an end, its final judgment shall be executed, all its evil destroyed or removed, and the earth and heavens restored to their primitive goodness, excellence and glory! "And he shall send Jesus Christ," said the Apostle Peter, in his exhortation to the Jews, after our Lord's ascension, "who was before preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began."

Let us here repeat some of these assurances which "God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets," and notice the clearness, fullness and harmony with which they foreshow the proper and everlasting kingdom of our Savior, having for its territory this whole earth, purified by fire, remoulded to its Eden state, and for its subjects, all the righteous that shall have ever lived upon it, raised to immortality; and its establishment being immediately preceded by the destruction of Anti-Christ, the termination of the wicked and evil state of the world, by the judg ment of Heaven, and by the final destination of all mankind, as determined by the "judgment of the great day." Though we have before adverted to some of the following passages, we may here insert them in full. "I beheld," says Daniel, "till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousand thousands ministered unto him; and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened."-Daniel 7: 9, 10. And again, (verse 13, 14)-"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 him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and lan