with the trees of life on its banks,-a river, issuing from beneath the throne of God and of the Lamb:-there is no night there; and yet there is no sun-for "the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof:"-there is no Temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it:"-nothing enters it that defileth-and there is no more curse. Of this magnificent and fascinating description, full of all that is grand, and pure, and lovely, and delightful, the words under consideration form a part"the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." It surely is not incumbent on me to settle the question, by which interpreters are divided, whether the entire description relates to the millennial or to the heavenly state of the Church; or, supposing this were ascertained, to determine, in either case, the precise import of this particular portion of it, about which also there is diversity of judgment. I can say no more, than that I have tried, without success, to discern the connexion between the passage and our present subject; and that what I do not understand I am unable to confute. Those who can discover, in this figurative expression of a symbolical prophecy, the authority of civil magistrates to determine the true religion, and the legitimate forms of its service, to establish these by law, and to enforce the maintenance of them by assessments and civil penalties, I must leave in the undisturbed possession of both their premises and their conclusion ;-a conclusion of much the same validity as if, from John's having seen "no Temple " in the heavenly city, we were to deduce the inference, that our places of worship should be swept away, and no accommodation provided for the public service of God!-I fear we shall be much nearer the truth, if we regard the connection subsisting in Ecclesiastical Establishments between the "kings of the earth" and the Church of God, as partaking of that spiritual adultery, which is so prominent a characteristic of the Anti-christian system. In what, indeed, if not in such incongruous alliances, is the spirit of such adulterous connection to be found? I must now briefly notice some of the distinguishing characteristics of the kingdom of Christ, as it stands in contrast with the kingdoms of this world; from which may be made apparent its incapability, according to its primitive constitution, of any kind of incorporation with them. First of all, then, this kingdom was peculiar in the manner of its introduction." The kingdom of God," said Jesus, in answer to a question of the Pharisees respecting the time of its coming," The kingdom of God cometh not with observation," that is, according to the marginal rendering, "with outward show." It came not with the din and tumult of war, or with the pomp and pageantry and imposing splendour of an earthly monarchy. Every thing of this kind would have been out of all congruity with its nature. It came, as our context intimates, with the exhibition and attestation of "truth;" with its mighty but silent energy or the minds of men; with "demonstration of the Spirit and of power." "Behold!" added the Saviour, "the kingdom of God is within you." It is spiritual; it is internal; it is the dominion of the God of love, and peace, and purity, over human hearts. It was peculiar, secondly, in regard to the character and principles, as described by the King himself, of those who should bear office in it, and conduct its affairs.-When there had arisen an unseemly strife among his disciples "which of them should be the greatest," "The kings of the Gentiles," said their Master, "exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." It is remarkable, indeed, how uniformly, and with what vigilant jealousy, he discountenances and puts down every tendency that discovered ye * Luke xvii. 20, 21. Luke xxii. 25-27. itself to an ambitious and worldly spirit, as especially incompatible with the nature of his kingdom, and with the part which they were to act in it, as to his vicegerents, when he had himself sat down on his throne of mediatorial dominion. All is anti-secular; all humble, holy, heavenly; utterly dissociating the kingdom in which they were to exercise their functions from all the politics of this world. It is peculiar, in the third place, in its grand design. -What is that design? what the leading object in view in the establishment of this kingdom? It is nothing at all earthly; nothing relative to this world; nothing terminating on this side eternity. "It is a means," says an able writer, "of a purely spiritual character, having reference to objects as vastly transcending in importance every thing with which the speculations of politicians are conversant, as eternity is longer than time. It has one simple end, to which, as a means, it is perfectly and exclusively adapted; that end is the salvation of the soul. Its perfection consists in its simplicity and universality, while its efficiency depends upon the promised agency of the Spirit of God:-and, as these, its peculiar characteristics, were most strikingly displayed before it had any alliance with wealth or power, when it was employed in defiance of their utmost efforts of opposition, so it is incapable of being aided in its divine achievements; it cannot but be injured, by a combination with secular means of human invention."* A fourth peculiarity consists in the character of its subjects. -What fits a man for being a subject of this kingdom? Nothing local, nothing secular, nothing connected with the temporalities of the present world. The King of Zion himself has solemnly affirmed-" Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”+ Its only genuine subjects, then, are renewed sinners. They are everywhere the same, -in every country under heaven, and amidst all diversities. * Conder on Nonconformity, vol. ii. book 4, page 590. 66 of civil government;-one spiritual community, composed of men of every kindred and tongue and people and nation," who, whatever be their earthly distinctions, are "all one in Christ Jesus;" as citizens of this world, the subjects of various earthly monarchs, but as citizens of the Jerusalem that is above, fellow-subjects of Him alone who “hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." This may be connected with a fifth peculiarity, the bonds of union by which the members of this spiritual community are connected.-These are no geographical boundaries, nor common vernacular language, nor civil institutions and observances. In our context, they appear summed up in one word, "THE TRUTH:"-" Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." And the Evangelist by whom these words are recorded, himself says elsewhere:-“Beloved, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth; and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him:"* and, speaking of one of his friends, he says:-' "whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth, for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever." They are thus united by ties of their own; by a common faith; by common spiritual interests; by common affections and desires centreing on the same spiritual objects; by common fears and common hopes, in which other men have no participation; and by all the mutual spiritual sympathies of the divine life. In the sixth place, the constitution of the primitive Churches was peculiar, bearing no analogy to the kingdoms of this world.—They were societies of spiritual men, each with its own office-bearers, minding its own spiritual concerns, and having no sort of connection with the secular governments of their respective countries. This simplicity of constitution had many excellences. By its entire separation from the * 1 John iii. 18, 19. + 2 John, 1, 2. secularities of earthly administrations, it was admirably fitted for preserving the spirituality, which is the true glory, of the Church. It was not less admirable in its fitness for universality; there being no nation under heaven for which the Gospel was not designed, and no government under heaven with which the formation of these spiritual societies could interfere. And it was further worthy of admiration, in its being so constructed as not to admit of incorporation, so long as it retained its primitive simplicity, with the civil polities of this world. Its very nature prevented such incorporation; so that, before it could take place, a complete alteration was necessary in the whole frame and structure of the original plan. The primitive constitution was thus modelled for the very purpose of keeping asunder what the Lord never meant to be united; and it was necessarily changed by men, to effect the union of what the Lord designed to keep asunder. A seventh distinguishing characteristic of this kingdom, is to be found in the means of its support and advancement. These were not, as in earthly kingdoms, human power or worldly influence, in any of their diverse forms. Those who, to defend or promote the interests of this kingdom, "took the sword," were warned that they should "perish with the sword." * It was not to prosper "by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the living God;" that God, who "chose the weak things of the world to confound the things which were mighty." The word of God-the sword of the Spirit -was the only weapon tolerated in the spiritual wars of the King of Zion. This was the sword which He himself "girded upon his thigh," when, "in meekness, and truth, and righteousness," he rode forth to "subdue the people under him;" and no other was ever used with his authority or appro bation. His conquests are conquests of hearts; and the instruments of effecting them spiritual illumination and persuasion. The same thing is true-and this is another peculiarity-. *Matth. xxvi. 52. |