ring all to future things, he looked for a holy, heavenly country, wherein no Canaanite should dwell, and "a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

This better country, which Abraham desired, is plainly the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; and the city, which from the promises he looked for, which hath foundations, is plainly the holy city, new Jerusalem, which, prepared in the heavens, shall descend out of heaven from God, having twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones-having the tabernacle of God, and the glory of God, the glory of the holy of holies, unveiled; and in which God will dwell with men, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and it is added, referring to the promise to Abraham, and be their God.

Thus it appears, Abraham, being not weak in faith, looked for the same things for which we now look, according to the promises, viz., new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; and that great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Also, "Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise," dwelt in tents, "and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth "-their days "few and evil."

to a proverb? Or should any say it was fulfilled to him in heaven; we again ask, Is that the land in which he was a stranger? God promised a land to Abraham for a possession, in which, to the day of his death, he had none inheritance, no, not so much as to set his foot on. Let God be true.

And when we look forward, we find their seed after them making the same confession before God. "I am," says David, a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were."

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Thus they continued from generation to generation, distinguished from other people, by trials, distresses, wants, persecutions, captivities, and dispersions; rather than by possessions, inheritance, and rest in the earth.

But their faith failed not. David, though he confessed himself a stranger and a sojourner, as all his fathers were, exhorted his brethren to be "mindful always of his covenant, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac: and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance.'

Some, indeed, of that chosen race, not so strong in faith, at least in some dark hours, were greatly perplexed to find an interpretation to the promises to Abraham and to his seed, that they should inherit the land and dwell therein forever: even Isaiah once uttered this complaint, "The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary."

But God continued to confirm the faith of his people, by the fullest and most express declarations, that the righteous should inherit the earth, and be blessed upon the earth; even when they were poor and destitute-greatly oppressed, and in want of almost all the comforts, and even the necessaries of life-pilgrims and strangers ཐཾ 'ཛྫཱ

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still-and still the God of truth repeating over and over his promise, that they should inherit the earth. The thirty-seventh Psalm is very remarkable-" -"For evil-doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth." 66 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him, for he seeth that his day is coming. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be forever." "The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth." "The seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever." "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the earth: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."

The wicked have been, and still are, the possessors of the world; but "the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." "Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver;" for they shall inherit the earth.

It is evident that David got hold of this clue to the promises of a future state of the world reserved for the righteous, and that he often had in view such a new state of the creation; particularly

in the eighth Psalm, which the apostle to the Hebrews applies to "the world to come, whereof we speak :" contemplating which, the sweet Psalmist breaks out in this pleasing rapture" 0 Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little łower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet."

Now in the second chapter of the Hebrews we have this passage introduced thus" For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him."

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Therefore we are to understand David, when he says, thou hast put all things under the son of man-in actual subjection "under his feet "-as speaking, not of the present world, but of the world to come. Which world to come must be a new state of the visible creation; for this world to

come, which is put in actual subjection under the Son of Man, David particularly describes as the visible heavens and earth; and, after describing the heavens of the world to come, by the wellknown marks of the natural heavens-the moon and the stars; and the earth, by its natural history -sheep and oxen, the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea; he concludes as he begun, "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"

In this constructive manner we find the promise of new heavens and a new earth, from the first opening of the revelation of God: and thus said Peter, Acts iii. 21: The times of restitution of all things, "God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began."

But Isaiah, who, from the clearness and openness of his visions, has been called the first evangelist, or the gospel prophet, spake of this glorious state-the restitution of all things-as it is spoken of in the New Testament, by the name of new heavens and a new earth, Isaiah lxv. 17, 18, 19: "For behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be you glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying." And again, Isa. lxvi. 22, 23, 24: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and