personal reign? Nor "the Church of the First Born," the children of the first resurrection, for they are the princes; but the subjects of the kingdom are the nations who then exist in the flesh, that is the converted heathen, the remnant saved from apostate Christendom, and the restored Jewish nation, which in that day is to have the pre-eminence over all other nations, and subordinate to Christ and the saints of the first resurrection is to rule over the rest of the world. This pre-eminence of the Jews is clearly foretold in the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, and Zechariah. (See especially Zech. viii. 20-23, and Zech. xiv. 16, 17.)

Such, my brethren, is the reign of Christ, as the Son of Man; and it is right that he should thus reign in the glories of his humanity. It is right that Satan, the vile usurper "the God of this world"-" the prince of the power of the air"-should be cast out, the earth delivered from the curse, and restored to its original splendor. It is right that the Lord from heaven, the man Christ Jesus, the second Adam should thus regain the empire, that was lost by the first, and in Jerusalem and Mount Zion, on the very spot where Herod and Pontius Pilate were

Israel, who cuts off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and whose dominion extendeth from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth, (Zech. ix. 9, 10,) with the lowly Jesus of Nazareth. From not noticing this prophetic mode of writing, we are often in danger of falling into a similar error with the Jews, who were unable to see the fulfilment of any prophecies in the Messiah, because all that was said of him did not come to pass in the term of his natural life."-Sirr on the First Resurrection, pp. 101, 102; Philadelphia edition, 1842.

Bickersteth in his Practical Guide, chap. xvii. p. 201, gives substantially the same view as that contained in the above extract from Sirr. Bickersteth however is of opinion, (chap. xiii. p. 144,) that the Holy City descends after the close of the thousand years, but Begg seems to think that this city is on the earth during the thousand years. So thought Tertullian.- See the quotation from Tertullian in Part II. Lecture VII.

arrayed against him, should vindicate the ways of God to man, and coming with all his saints in the glory of his Father and of the holy angels, "convert the scene of his humiliation into the theatre of his triumph."

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. Glorious is the destiny of "the Church of the First Born,"—the bride of our Lord Jesus Christ. "We shall reign on the earth:" (Rev. v. 10.) and it is right that we should. It is right that as Messiah is the King, so his bride should be the queen, and sitting on his throne should reign with him the Empress of the world. (Rev. ii. 26, 27; Rev. iii. 21; Dan. vii. 27.)

These are deep mysteries. No wonder they are not relished by those who love to drink from broken cisterns; but oh, what refreshment and strength do they afford to those who draw water with joy from the wells of salvation. The personal reign of our Lord Jesus Christ at his second coming to judge the quick and the dead, is peculiarly offensive to the cold, formal, heartless professor, to the worldly, the avaricious, and the sensual; for it crosses them in the pursuit of their cherished objects, and dashes to the earth and grinds to powder the images of their idolatry. But how transporting the thought to those who love his appearing, and are looking with St. Paul for the crown of their rejoicing. Well may we shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Glory to God in the highest! Soon the advent will be here, soon the first resurrection,-soon the age of millennial blessedness, and the reign of Christ with his glorified saints, then pass away the thousand years, then comes a short-lived apostacy, but vain is the assault of Satan and his confederate hosts against the beloved city,then follow the general resurrection and the final judgment, then death, the last enemy, is destroyed,—then cometh the end, the Lord Jesus Christ looks forth on the

wide universe of God,--the righteous have been gathered into the mansions of the blessed,-the wicked consigned to their everlasting prison-house, the earth regenerated,* disenthralled, and delivered from the curse, not a spot nor a stain upon his unlimited empire,--he has gained a signal victory over all the rebellious, and checked forever the ravages of sin,--he sees that his commission is fulfilled, he has finished the work that was given him to do,-he resigns the mediatorial sceptre,—he delivers up the kingdomt to God even the Father, (1 Cor. xv. 24,) to receive it again, as we think, in a new and more glorious dispensation, that he may reign with the ransomed of the Lord forever and ever.

Now is the time for gaining high rank in the kingdom! Who would not struggle for a share in its glories? Who would not fix his ambition on the highest pinnacle of its splendors? Warriors of Immanuel, take unto yourselves the whole armor of God, and fight manfully the good fight of faith. Your warfare will soon be over, for the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of his redeemed, are at hand. Afflicted and despised one of the earth, thou meek and lowly of heart, cast on the waters of trouble, a poor and widowed, and desolate thing, "rejoice and be exceeding glad," for deliverance is near. The day of the marriage feast is rapidly approaching,-the great God our Savior is to be thine husband, he is now preparing for the wedding, soon will he return, methinks I hear in the distance the sound of his chariot wheels,-glory to God,

*The physical regeneration of the earth, at least the commencement of this work-whatever may be thought with regard to its completion-is premillennial. (See Part II. Lecture IV.)

The Rev. Hugh McNeile, and the Rev. John Cox, are of opinion, that the kingdom which Christ delivers up, is the providential kingdom at the beginning of the Millennium, and not the mediatorial kingdom at its close, and this perhaps is the correct explanation. See Part II. Lecture III.

thy beloved is coming, and for all thy trials and all thy sufferings he will place around thy brow a crown radiant with immortality. "Even so, Come Lord Jesus, ". "Come quickly." (Rev. xxii. 20.) Now, "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things; and blessed be his glorious name forever,-and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen." (Ps. lxxii. 18, 19.)

ADDENDUM.

CHRIST THE LEGAL DESCENDANT OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH.

Since the printing of Part I. Lecture III., on the Popular objections of Infidelity, (see pp. 44, 45,) I have met with the following valuable remarks of President Edwards, on the genealogy of our Savior as given by St. Matthew., This profound and eloquent divine observes, that Christ was "thus legally descended from the kings of Judah, though he was not naturally descended from them. He was both legally and naturally descended from David. He was naturally descended from Nathan, the son of David; for Mary his mother was of the posterity of David by Nathan, as may be seen in Luke's genealogy: (Luke iii. 23--38) but Joseph, the reputed and legal father of Christ, was naturally descended from Solomon and his successors, as we have an account in Matthew's genealogy. Jesus Christ, though he was not the begotten son of Joseph, yet by the law and constitution of the Jews, was Joseph's lawful heir; for he was the lawful son of Joseph's lawful wife, conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary, while she was Joseph's legally espoused wife. The Holy Ghost raised up seed unto Joseph. A person by the law of Moses might be the legal son and heir of another whose own begotten son he was not; as sometimes a man was