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ESSAYS
COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
PHI LO-B A SI LI CU S
PHILADELPHIA:
ORRIN ROGERS, 67 SOUTH SECOND STREET.
E. G. Dorsey, Printer.
1842.
ESSAY I.
For behold the kingdom of God is within you. — Luke
17: 21.
The vvhole passage runs thus: "And when he was demanded
of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he
answered tliem and said: The kingdom of God cometh not
with observation; neither shall they say Lo! here; or Lo!
there; for behold the kingdom of God is within you."
Upon this passage Mr. Fry remarks: "I confess after all
that has been written in explanation of this passage, some
difliculty remains. I cannot think with Dr. M'Knight, Christ
meant to correct the mistaken notions of the Pharisees, re-
specting the nature of the Messiah's kingdom — that it was not
to consist of an outward form of government to be erected in
that particular country; because we do not know that in their
conception of the grand outline of the predicted kingdom, they
were mistaken; and notwithstanding what Dr. Campbell has
said in his note, I cannot conceive that in speaking of his
kingdom, as the development of a holy and vital principle in
the hearts of men, he would say to the Pharisees when
addressing them distinct from his disciples; "The kingdom of
God is within you." The translation of "among you," Dr.
Campbell has very properly discountenanced.
"I incline to a much more simple interpretation of the
passage. The Pharisees mean to ask concerning the glorious
kingdom of the Messiah, and our Lord in his answer meets
that question," &c.
Mr. Fry might have added, that the stress of the question
lies upon the word when. The Pharisees could not have
doubted that it was the purpose of God to establish a king-
dom, although they did call in question our Lord's claim to
be the Messiah and the king of that kingdom. If the
question be considered in connexion with our Lord's preach-
ing, and that of his disciples, or with that of John the 13aptist,
it will be seen, that the mere fact of asking the question, was
virtually a denial of the truth of our Lord's doctrine.
John the Baptist began his preaching in the wilderness,
saying: Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,
4 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
{i,yyix.i proxime abest has come nigh)* Matth. 3: 2. Our Lord
himself began preaching the same doctrine, Matth. 4: 15, or
as it is recorded in Mark 1: 15, "The time is fulfilled and
the kingdom of heaven is at hand," {>,yytici has come nigh.)
In Matth. 11: 13, it is said, <'for all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John," that is, the prophets who preceded
John, and the law announced the kingdom of God as future,
but since the days of John the kingdom of God is preached,
iua.y^iki,^iTAt (^th&t is,) is announced as come 7ns:h, (for such was
the tenor of John's preaching, Matth. 3: 2, and of the preach-
ing of Christ and his disciples,) Matth. 4: 17 — 10: 7. Luke 10:
9) and not as a timig futureA The same doctrine was declared
by our Lord when he was accused of casting out devils by
Beelzebub: "But if I, by the finger of God, cast out devils,
then the kingdom of God is come tipon you, a^dnpiucrivi^'' vfA-JL;»
/243-XSWT5I/ ess:/, Matth. 12: 28. Luke 11:20. The twelve dis-
ciples were commanded to preach the same doctrine, that the
kingdom of heaven had come nigh, Matth. 10: 7, and so were
the seventy disciples when they were sent forth, Luke 10: 9.
In an important sense then, the kingdom of God had come
nigh to the Jewish nation, when our Lord entered upon his
public ministry, and began to preach that the kingdom of
heaven had come nigh, or as it is expressed in Luke 11: 20,
had come upon them or reached them, and the Pharisees by
asking whe7i it should come, assumed that it had not already
come, which we have seen, was the great doctrine which our
Lord and his disciples were employed in preaching. The
reader will have no difficulty, it is presumed, in conceding to
us, this position, and we proceed to remark that it furnishes a
clue by which we may determine what portion of our Lord's
reply is to be considered as the answer to the question.
The question was, "zo/iew the kingdom of God should come."
* Dr. Bloomfield remarks upon this verse, that the word xyytm here signifies
instare, for Messiah had not yet appeared, and John was baptizing, {it; tov
ig);ofji.i)iav,') into him who vms coming. When, however, he comes to Matth. 4:
17, this reason fails; for Jesus himself was the preacher. On this verse Dr.
B. says "the address was much the same as that of John the Baptist," (it was
identical — yea, the very words which John used) "and little was said, because
our Lord did not yet choose to publicly announce his Messiahship." By what
text of scripture can it be proved that our Lord said but little when he began
to preach for the reason here suggested? We have only a part of his first dis-
course at Nazareth recorded, as appears by Luke 4: 21, 2'2. The fact is, the
words "repent, for the kingdom'of heaven is at hand,'' mean the same thing,
when uttered by the Lord Jesus as by John the Baptist, his forerunner.
t Probat praestantiam Joannis ministerii prw prophetarum ministerio, quod
illi modo de Christo prophetarunt, id est, rcntumm prsedixerat; Joannes vero
Christum prascntevi mAicdiVh. CartwrighVs Harmumj inloco. Jam, planius
explicat ab effectis cur Joannem ca?teris prcetulerit: scilicet quod illi omnes
de rebus jutims prsedicebant, hie vero rem prcesentem indicavit, etc. Cartw right
ubi sup.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 5
The import of the answer (as we shall endeavour on a future
occasion to shew) is, "you inquire of me ixhen the glorious
kingdom of Messiah will be established, and appear in outward
manifestation. This is a subject upon which you will receive
no information, nor will you discern its approach by any
observation which you can make, either of the efflux of time,
or by any external indication whatever." — In effect our Lord
told them they asked for information which they would not
receive. Even when inquired of by his disciples concerning
his coming, and the outward manifestation of the kingdom of
God, the information was uniformly withheld. At one time
he told them, that of the day and the hour knoweth no man,
no, nor the angels, nor the Son, but the Father only; at
another, he said, it is not for you to know the times or the
seasons which the Father has put in his own power. Mark
13: 32. Acts 1: 7. If then the stress of the question rested
upon the time when the glorious kingdom of the Messiah
should come, — or zohen the Messiah should appear in his king-
dom with great power and glory, and if our Lord intended in
his answer to meet the stress of the question, he would do it
by denying to them the information they asked for. Surely
he would not reveal to his enemies, that which he not only
concealed from his friends, but which he declared that angels
would not be informed of, beforehand.
The answer then consists of two clauses*: viz. "the kingdom
of God Cometh not with observation," "neither shall they say
Lo! here, or Lo! there." — These two remarks answer the
question pointedly, plainly and fully; and having done this, he
adds a reiteration of the great doctrine he had been and still
was employed in preaching, "but indeed the kingdom of God
has already come to you" — for such, it is suggested, is the
meaning of the words translated, "for behold the kingdom of
God is within you." The reasons for this translation will be
given hereafter.
This third clause then is not properly a part of the answer
to the question. The question had respect to the actual out-
ward manifestation of the Messiah's kingdom, and this was a
matter upon wliich all information was denied. In what sense
then, had the kingdom of God come at that time? for if the
Pharisees intended the glorious kingdom of the Messiah, that
kingdom had not come, in the sense of being already established
in manifest glory, nor has it yet come in that sense. Our Lord,
therefore, when he reiterated the doctrine of the ki?]gdom of
God come nigh, must be understood in a sense different from
the intent of the question. Daniel informs us of a kingdom,
which shall be established upon the ruins of the fourth
40*
g ESSAYS ON THE COMING
monarchy, and that kingdom is symbolized by a stone. The
fourth monarchy, as almost all commentators agree, still sub-
sists in its divided state. This future kingdom, represented
by the stone, is the Messiah's glorious kingdom, and was the
subject of the question put by the Pharisees. That kingdom
will not come in a manner which can be observed — but it will
come like the lightning's flash — as our Lord afterwards told
his disciples. Yet this very kingdom had come nigh to that
nation, in such a sense, that it might be taken away from them
if they rejected it. This is proved by Matth. 21: 43. In a
discourse with the chief priests and elders of the people our
Lord quoted Ps. 117: 22, 23, and applied it to himself He
had just foretold his own rejection and crucifixion by the
nation under the parable of the householder and his vineyard,
and then adds "did ye never read the stone that the builders
rejected, the same has become the head of the comer, this is
the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: therefore,
say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall he lakeii from you and
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"
Well then, when Christ preached that the kingdom of God
had come nigh to the Jewish nation, (as he undoubtedly did,
Matth. 4: 17) he must be understood to intend that it had
really and in truth come nigh; otiiervvise it would be impossible
to suppose or say that it might be and would be taken from
them. — Certainly it had really come nigh in some sense, for
so it was announced; and this fact constituted the great dis-
tinction betvveen John's preaching and that of Malachi and the
prophets who preceded him. And there is a sense also in
which this kingdom, which had come nigh to the Jewish
nation, was taken from them, because our Lord expressly
declared it should be taken from them, and given to another
nation; by which other nation we are to understand the mysti-
cal body of Christ — the church of the first born, or the body
of true believers, as Peter teaches, 1st Epist. ch. 2: 9.
What then is this sense? for that is the next inquiry — Did
our Lord mean by kingdom of God, the Gosj)el dispensation,"
or the "Christian Church," "or his spiritual reign," — as it is
sometimes called — "begun in the church on earth and com-
pleted in heaven." The kingdom, in this sense, was not taken
from the Jews and given to another nation in exclusion of
them: On the contrary, the gospel dispensation was opened at
Jerusalem,* and by the express direction of our Lord was
* "It must be observed that this M-as an ancient preros;aiive, granted to the
city by the Almiglity, amoncf many other privileges. This Schantgen illus-
trates from numeroLjs R.abbinieal wiitings .... ''God will bestow no
benefits, blessings or consolations on the Israelites, except from Zion." Dr.
Bloorafield, Jieccns. Si/nvp. on Luke 21: 47. But the kingdom, though first
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 7
offered first of all to the Jews, Luke 24: 47. Acts 13: 46,
Rom. 1: 16—15: 27. Acts 3: 19, 21. The gospel and re-
pentance and remission of sins in the name of Christ has, ever
since the day of Pentecost, been as freely offered to the Jews
as to the Gentiles. It is nothing to the purpose to say that
they will not believe in Christ or receive his gospel. That
only proves, that they exclude themselves; but that they were
invited and urged with great tenderness and earnestness, by
the apostles, to embrace the faith of Christ, is most evident to
every reader of the book of the Acts, and of Paul's epistles.
In fact the first Cliristian church v.'as composed of converted
Jews; and Peter declared (Acts 2: 39) that the promise was to
them and to their children, as well as to those afar off. If then
the kingdom of God, which John the Baptist and our Lord
and his disciples preached to the Jewish nation, as come to them,
or as come nigh, to them be the same kingdom that was taken
from them, it follows, that that kingdom was not the present
dispensation of the gospel, or the Christian church, because
the gospel is proclaimed to them as freely as to the Gentiles,
and the church is as truly open to their admission.
The conclusion then seems to be this, that the kingdom of
God had come nigh to that nation, and was offered to them in
a sense which has not yet been realized on earth, but which
the church is looking forward to, in the millennial state, and
it failed of being realized at that time, in consequence of the
unbelief of the Jews. This is taught in the parable of the
marriage supper: JVIatth. 22: 1-14, "The kingdom of heaven,"
said our Lord, "is like to a certain king, which made a mar-
riage for his son: And sent forth his servants to call them that
were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come: Again,
he sent forth other servants, saying, tell them which are
bidden, behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and
fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: Come unto the
marriage; but they made light of it, and went their ways, one
to his farm and the other to his merchandise," &c.
There can be no doubt that this parable represents the
preaching of the gospel to the Jews, their rejection of it, the
destruction of their city by the Romans, and the subsequent
preacliing of the gospel among the Gentiles. It represents the
kingdom of heaven as a prepared feast or dinner, ready to be
partaken of by the invited guests. Had tlie invitation been
promised to lliem, and preached 10 them, was taken au-oij while iAcij retained,
accordiiif^ to these authors, the prero2:ative of having the pre-ent di.spensation
of the Gospel opened at Jerusalem, Mhich shews that the kingdom which was
taken away, was not the "Gospel kingdom," as it is improperly called, mean-
ing by it, the present dispensation of the gospel.
g ESSAYS ON THE COMING
accepted by the Jews — the marriage would have taken place,
but their rejection of it created a ngw exigency, that, namehj,
of calling in other guests in place of those first hidden, who
were not worthy. This second bidding represents the present
dispensation of the gospel, in which the Gentiles are invited
equally with the Jews. Here then we see the feast, which
was at first designed and offered exclusively to one class of
persons, was taken from them and actually bestowed upon
another class; and thus corresponds with the declaration of our
Lord to the Jews before quoted, "therefore, the kingdom of
God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof."
The nation to whom the kingdom was first offered, was an
elect nation, and the nation upon whom it will actually be con-
ferred, is also an elect nation. To Israel, after the flesh,
God said by Moses, "if ye will obey my voice, indeed, and
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto
me above all people; for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be
unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation," Exod. 19:
5, 6. "To the strangers scattered, &c. elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ," God says by Peter, "ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar (or a purchased)
people," 1 Pet. 1: 1, 2; and 2: S, 9.
This elect nation, upon which the kingdom will ultimately
be conferred, is the mystical body of Christ. It is not yet
completed, and the dinner, though long since prepared, is still
waiting for the complete ingathering of the substituted guests.
Meantime the Jews who rejected the invitation, have involved
themselves in long continued and dreadful national calamities,
which will not cease during the entire period which is repre-
sented by the bidding of other guests, (verse lOfh of Matth. 22.)
Tiiat Christ would have conferred upon the Jewish nation
the kingdom which is in the parable represented by the
marriage, and which he and his disciples, also John the
Baptist preached as come nigh, is evident from Matth. 23: 37.
"Oh Jerusalem," &c. "how often would I have gathered thy
children together," &c. "6//< ye 7vould fiot." Behold, your
house is left unto j-ou desolate; for I say unto you, ye shall
not see me henceforth, till ye say blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord." This passage certainly teaches that
the dispersion of the Jews and destruction of their city, came
through their own fault. See also, Luke 19: 41, 44. God was
faithful to oflTer them the kingdom. — Christ was sincere in
urging them to accept it-r-he wept over their obduracy and
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 9
unbelief, but their infidelity did not nullify or diminish aught
from the faithfulness of God, as Paul declares in reference to
this very particular, in Rom. 3: 3.
The question recurs again: In what sense was the kingdom
of God nigh to the Jewish nation? The answer is, it was
relatively nigh, not absolutely so. The time was fulfilled — the
70 weeks spoken of in Daniel 9: 24, had elapsed.* Nothing
was wanting on the part of God, in order to the actual esta-
blishment of the kingdom in manifest glory. But the Jews
not seeing the glory of Christ, discredited the message. They
wanted, in fact, the heart to receive the kingdom, and wanting
that, every thing was wanting on their part. Speaking after
the manner of men, the second advent of Christ was made
necessary by his rejection at the first advent. The writer is
aware that there are deeper reasons, and very deep and mys-
terious purposes involved in this matter, and these will come
up for consideration presently. Hypothetically, however,
and with a view to a clearer development of the subject, we
may say, that if the nation of the Jews had cordially received
the Lord Jesus Christ, and yielded to him the obedience of
faith, (Rom. 1: 5 — 16: 26) he would have established his king-
dom immediately, — they would have continued to be the elect
and favoured nation, and no other would have been called or
gathered to take their place. We may say also; that the unbe-
lief of the Jews and their rejection of Christ, was instru-
mentally the cause or occasion of postponing the establishment
of that kingdom, or if we may accommodate the popular language
of the church to the idea, if the Jews had closed in nationally
with the offer of Christ, the millennium which we expect
would have commenced at the first advent of Christ, and the
world, instead of the present gospel dispensation, would have
long since enjoyed that blessedness, which the prophets fore-
tell, will be realized in the millennial economy.
But why did not the Jewish nation receive Christ? Turn
to John 6: 44, for the answer. "No one can come to me,"
said our Lord to the Jews, "except the Father which hath
sent me draw him." And whence was this inability? It
arose from the total corruption of human nature. The Jews
rejected Christ and his kingdom, for the same cause that
thousands among the Gentiles now reject him. It was the
* The time here spoken of, is that which, according to the predictions of the
prophets, was to intervene between their days, or between any period assigned
by them, and the appearance of the Messiah. This had been revealed to
Daniel, as consisting of what, in prophetic language, is denominated seventy
weeks, that is, (every week being seven years) four hundred and ninety years,
reckoning from the order issued to rebuild the "temple of Jerusalem."
Bloomfieid, Recens. Sun. on Mark 1: 15.
10 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
purpose of God to allow the Jews to reject and crucify their
king. Nay, this thing was done, as Peter says, (Acts 2: 23)
"hy the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," not
that God had any pleasure in their sinful conduct, (Deut. 5: 29)
but as Paul says, that through their fall and rejection, the offer
of the gospel might be made to the Gentiles, Rom. 11: 11, 12.
It was, in part at least, for the cure of this depravity, that the
method of atonement, by the death of Christ, was designed;
so that the depravity of the Jewish nation (which was no
greater than that of the Gentiles) carried into execution the
very plan which God had designed for its cure.
While, therefore, the kingdom was urged upon the Jewish
nation with the sincerity of tears, (Luke 19: 41, 44,) God
still left them free to reject it. He thus gave the world an
example of what depraved human nature would do under an
economy of law; and the fearful ruin and long continued deso-
lation, which have rested upon that people and their country,
shew us that something more than a national election, to the
benefits of an economy of law, is necessary to secure to fallen
men, the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, to wil: a
personal election unto the obedience of faith. God foresaw
the issue of that economy, and his plans and purposes were
framed with a view to it. Paul says, (Gal. 3: 8) the scripture
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen, preached be-
fore, the gospel unto Abraham, saying, "in thee shall all
nations be blessed." — The permitted fall of the Jewish nation,
was the appointed means of attaining objects of immeasurable
magnitude to the whole human race. Paul calls it the riches
of the world — the riches of the Gentiles — the reconciling of
the world, Rom. 11: 12, 15. When we consider the doc-
trines which rest upon the atonement of Christ, we cannot fail
to see, that there was a divine necessity for his sufferings.
"Ought not Christ" — was it not needful, that Christ should
"suffer these things, and to enter into his glory," Luke 24: 26.)
How then could the Jewish nation accept the kingdom offered
to them by Christ? And if they could not, why was it offered
to them? Herein is a mystery. Paul himself says, the mystery
of godliness (which is great,) consists partly in this, that God
manifest in the flesh, should be preached to the Gentiles, 1
Tim. 3: IG. The Jew cannot understand this mystery with-
out believing in Christ, and the sin of his nation in rejecting
him, and that their fall and judicial blindness, were permitted
of God, both as a punishment to them, and as a means of
extending the benefits of the kingdom of God to the Gentiles.
On the other hand, the Gentile church sees no mystery in
the extension of the gospel to them. They judge, that the
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 1 X
event which has occurred, was primarily and unconditionally-
purposed. Yet God no more decreed the fall of the Jewish
nation, than he did the fall of Adam. As Adam, if he had
stood, would have received the reward of the covenant, under
which he was placed, so the Jews, if they had fulfilled the
condition, upon which the promises were made to them,
(Exod. 19: 5, 6) would have inherited the blessing.* Yet
God foreknew that they would not fulfil them; nay, more,
the depravity of the human heart is so great, that no mere man
since the fall has kept perfectly the commandments of God.
No man can do so, no man can come to Christ without divine
grace. But this fact did not render it any the less proper for
God to deal with the Jews as with moral agents. That he
did so deal with them, is evident, from the fact that he gave
them a law. He made promises to them upon a condition
which he foreknew would be broken by every one of the
people to whom he gave it, and yet upon the basis of the
performance of that condition, or law, he promised to them
the blessings of the kingdom of heaven. The Jews stumbled
at this. *'What advantage then has the Jew? What profit
have we by submitting to the seal of the covenant? Rom. 3: 1.
The apostle replies brief!}' to the inquiry, specifying, however,
only the benefit of being made the depositories of divine
revelation. But he immediately adds, that the unbelief of the
Jews, which lost them this kingdom, was no ground of objec-
tion. The Lord Jesus Christ was faithful and sincere in
offering it to them, and his faithfulness was none the less
because they rejected the offer. ''Shall your unbelief make
the faith (fidelity) of God without effect or nullify it?" Rom.
3: 1, 3. But says the Jew, still objecting, in reply — "God
foresaw all this — he knew, according to your doctrine, that
we should not believe — he knew that we should reject and
crucify him whom you call the Messiah, and he makes
use of this conduct of ours, to magnify and commend in
a more glorious way, his own righteousness. — How then is
it consistent with God's righteousness to take vengeance
on our nation for performing acts which thus minister to
His own glory?" Paul replies, by asserting that such an
argument would deprive the world of a moral governor,
and of a sovereign. God alone can govern the world, and
he must and he will govern it by his own law, and if that
be not deserving of punishment at the hand of God, which is
* If the reader should object to tliis hypothetical wav of presenting the
subject, it may be replied that we have a scriptual warrant for it. Paul
adopted this method in 1 Cor. 2: 8. And the Lord Jesus Christ in efTect does
the same thing in Luke 19: 42, 44. Matth. 23: 37. See also Deut. 5: 20. Fs.
81: 11, 16. Acts 13: 27. Such passages are perfectly consistent with such as
the following, Acts 15: 18—2: 23. Rom. 8: 29, 30.
J2 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
really blame-worthy, if God makes it the means of a greater dis-
play of his glory, it follows, that God must either give up his
right as a judge to condemn and punish the guilty, or the exer-
cise of his power as a sovereign in overruling the wickedness of
men, to the advancement of his glory and the good of his
creatures. God will do neither. He will condemn the vio-
lators of his law, while he overrules their sin to the praise of
his wisdom, his power, and his grace. Such, it is conceived, is
the scope of the first eight verses of the 3d chap, of Rom.
The case may be stated thus: God elected the natural pos-
terity of Abraham and Jacob, as his peculiar people. Like the
rest of our race, they were depraved and rebellious without
exception. He gave them a law to which he annexed the
promise of the kingdom, in case of obedience. The promise
of the kingdom contained, in itself, the glories of the millennial
kingdom — it was indeed that kingdom — it contained in fact,
every thing which God will bestow upon believers at the
resurrection and the glorious epiphany of Christ. Yet so
wicked were the nation, (and we may add, so wicked are all to
whom the gospel is preached) that if left to themselves, not one
would have obeyed or accepted the proffered blessings. What
then was to be done? Ought God to have foreborne to com-
mand, because he knew they would disobey? That would be
to give up his right to govern them. Ought he to have given
simply the command, without annexing the promise of reward,
which he would bestow upon the nation in case of their na-
tional obedience, because he knew they would still disobey,
notwithstanding the allurements of the promise, and thereby
greatly aggravate their guilt? That would not have exhibited
his government in its true character, nor himself in the benign
attribute of his abounding love. The command, without the
promise of reward in case of obedience, would not exhibit
fully the motives which hisgovernment furnishes to obedience.
Nor can it be said, without impiety, that the promise of
reward was not made with the purpose of bestowing it in case
of obedience. Nor could the Jew say that there is any incon-
sistency in asserting, that God fully intended to bestow the
kingdom upon his nation, in case of the performance of the
condition on their part; because, God foreknew that the con-
dition would not be performed. The father of a profligate
family may, with entire sincerity, promise to divide his estate
among them, if they will reform their lives and be obedient
to his authority, though he may at the same time be morally
certain, that the force of their depraved nature and vicious
habits will countervail the motive annexed to his promise, and
he may, in view of that certainty, cotemporaneously purpose to
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 13
bestow his estate upon the poor of the parish. But such a
secondary purpose would be no ground of impeaching the
sincerity of the offer, because the breach of the condition on
their part must precede, in the order of the father's acts, the
execution of the purpose in favour of the poor, and so the loss
would come to them through their fault, and not through the
unfaithfulness of their parent.
It is impossible, however, by human analogies to exemplity
fully the dealings or the purposes of God, but this illustration
may enable the reader to apprehend how it could be, that God
should offer the kingdom at first exclusively to the Jewish
nation, and how it was necessary that the Jews should reject
it, and stumble and fall as a nation, in order to make it possible
to offer the gospel of the kingdom to the Gentiles. This illus-
tration too, may enable us more clearly to explain what the
reader may consider a contradiction, between the different
clauses of our Lord's answer to the Jews, as the writer con-
ceives its import: First, he tells the Pharisees in reply ^to their
question, "Wien the kingdom of God should appear? ' You
ask for information which will not be revealed to angels^or
men; men will know when they see it, but not before; and then
he tells them, that the kingdom of God has already come to
them. That is to say, the kingdom has not come, and yet it
has come; and this is affirmed of the same kingdom, to wit, of
the glorious kingdom of Christ. The carnal Jews could not
understand this to be any thing but a flat contradiction. But
the meaning of our Lord may be paraphrased thus: The time
is fulfilled— the kingdom of God which was promised to your
fathers has come to you. It is ready to be established. But
I know you will not believe me, nor receive the kingdom
which I offer; therefore, although it is freely offered to your
nation, yet it will not now be established, because it is not the
purpose of God at this time to pour out his spirit upon your
nation, and bring you to receive me and my Gospel. More
than this, the spirit will not be given till I be glorified, and I
must suffer many things at your hands, and be rejected of your
nation, before I enter into glory. This will open a new dis-
pensation, the benefits of which will be shared by the Gentiles
as well as the Jews, and under the administration of the Spirit,
elect persons out of all nations will be gathered into one body,
and made a truly holy nation, which will be substituted in your
place. When this nation shall be completed, the kingdom of
God will come, but of the day and of the hour of its comple-
tion, knoweth no man nor angel. This kingdom of God cometh
not with observation; you will have no means of noting its
progress, or its distance from completion, and consequently it
VOL. III. — 41
14 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
will come as a snare upon all that dwell on the earth. Yet if
ye will receive it, that kingdom about which you inquire since
the days of John the Baptist is truly come, and is sincerely
oiferetl, and will fail of its establishment only through thetault
of your nation.
Some suppose that God had no especial reference to the natu-
ral posterity of Abraham, in the promises he made to that peo-
ple of the kingdom of heaven — that when he spoke of the chil-
dren, he did not intend children according to the flesh in any
sense, but that he meant merely that he would raise up to Abra-
ham from among the Gentiles a numerous posterity, who should
be heirs of liis faith. Yet the apostle Paul tells us in Rom.
15: S, that "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for
the truth of God, to confirm the promises unto the fathers."
The Jew on the other hand cannot perceive how the Gentiles
can, in any sense, or in any order, come in for a share of those
promises, (Matt. 3: 9.) In fact, even the apostles did not be-
lieve it, till they saw God actually conferring the gifts of the
Spirit upon tlie Gentiles, without first aggregating them to the
Jewish commonwealth. Acts 15: and 11: 14, IS, and this
error of the Jews, even of some who professed faith in Christ,
was a cause of great trouble in the apostolic churches. Yet
both Jews and Christians err in these particulars. The promises
were first made to Israel according to the flesh, Rom. 9: 4, 5.
Exod. 19: 5, 6. The gospel of the kingdom was first preached
to them exclusively as a nation, and as the elect 7mtioji. Our
Lord even forbade his disciples to go into the way of the Gen-
tiles, and so firmly were the apostles persuaded that they ought
to confine their ministry to the Jews, that a divine vision and
the command of the Spirit, were necessary to persuade Peter
to go to the Gentile Cornelius. In this respect the gospel was
enforced upon the Jews by peculiar motives; to no other na-
tion is it offered in its national capacity. It is now preached
to individuals among all nations, but not to the nations as such.
Let us not be misunderstood: What we mean is this: To
no other nation is it promised, that, upon a national and uni-
versal reception of the gospel with the obedience of faith, God
will immediately reveal and establish his kingdom in outward
manifestation upon earth; yet such was the purport of the offer
to the Jewish nation. Christ came (rx/J'/a) to his own* (things,
* The Jews (as Wetstein observes,) were the peculiar people of God, and
the temple of Jerusalem the temple of God, and therefore, also, the inheritance
of the Son of God, (Mnl. 'i: 1,) moreover, Christ's coming had been predicted
by the prophets to thie Jews, was eagerly expected, and John had pointed the
Lord Jesus out to them as the Messiah. Yet they received him not, though
born in Judca, a constant frequenter of the temple, and one who disseminated
instruction throughout the country: nay, his very relations had little or no
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. J5
tingdom) and {ouS-toi,) hrs own (people, subjects) received him
not, John 1: 11. Had they received him he would have made
his abode with them, and exerted his power in the expulsion
of Satan and of sin, and tiie curse from the earth. But his visit
was not without effect for good, to some of that people, Rom.
11: 5, 7, for to as many as did receive him, to them gave lie
power (which he came to confer upon all, and would have con-
ferred upon all, if they would have received him,) to become
sons of God, John 1 : 12. But the promise to them as a tiation,
was lost by their obduracy and unbelief, while individuals,
through the especial grace of God, were drawn to Christ, and
sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, unto the day, when Christ
will return to redeem their bodies from tlie power of the grave,
Luke 21: 28. Eph. 4: 30. Rom. S: 19,23. Thus the re-
sult, as it respected the nation, (notwithstanding the peculiar
promises made to it,) was the same as that which attends the
preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles, to whom it is not
offered in a national capacity — individuals believe, while mul-
titudes reject the gospel of the kingdom, and those who do
believe, receive the spirit of adoption and power to become
the sons of God, while the promise of establishing the kingdom
of God on earth in manifested glory, still depends, so to speak,
upon the national repentance of the Jewish nation. But when
will this be? We know not, it is a secret unrevealed. It is
not for us to know the times and the seasons, upon which the
restoration of the kingdom to Israel, depends, Acts 1: 6, 7.
The Father has reserved these in his own power. But we
know that it will not occur, till the period of mercy allotted to
the Gentiles shall have elapsed, (see Rom. 11: 30, 31, in the
original.) Till then Jerusalem shall be trodden down by her
enemies, and her children shall remain dispersed among all na-
tions, as witnesses for God, of his just judgment against them
for rejecting the kingdom which the Lord Jesus came to esta-
blish over them. But God will at length visit them with his
mercy, for his gifts and calling are without repentance. They
are still beloved for their fathers' sake, Rom. 11: 28, 29. But
now the kingdom of heaven is no longer at hand to them as a
nation, their place is taken away, and their nation is destroyed,
though their race remains, and will be preserved, that it may
be gathered again, when the long suffering and patience of
faith in him. See John 7: 5. Eiithymius refers to Matt. 15: 24. "I am not
sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The expression to. th^t is
elliptical. We must supply ot>irifxa.TcL or S\L[xt.rrai. It denotes "what anyone in-
habits or occupies as his own, or the place of his birth." Bloomfield /?eceMS.
Syno^t. But see Deut. 32: 9—26: 18, 19. Exod. 15; 16—19: 5, 6. 1 Sam.
10: 1. Ps. 135: 4. Is. 43: 21. Jer. 10: 16—51: 19. These places leave no
doubt as to the meaning of this expression.
l() ESSAYS ON THE COMING
God towards Apostate Christendom, shall be exhausted. Then
will he suddenly turn to the dispersed of Israel, and the nation
shall, when gathered again, be born at once, (Isaiah G6: 8,)
and the present dispensation will close. Zion shall then arise
and shine, for her light will then have come, and the glory of
the Lord will have risen upon her, and the kingdom of God
will be established on earth, (Luke 21: 31.)
But this essay is already too long, we shall add only a few
critical remarks upon this portion of the verse, in anticipation
of a more extended examination hereafter. The words trans-
lated "for behold the kingdom of God is within you" are the
lOllOWing: iJ'.v yap « /S«o- tXita nu Biou ivto; vy.m f7Tlv.
Dr. Macknight tells us (after Phavorinus,) that >«/> has some-
times the adversative sense of cTs and should be translated hut,
2jet, or although. He refers to 1 Pet. 4: 15. Mark 7: 28.
Luke 22: 2. "Rom. 10: 3—15: 2, 18. 1 Cor. 10: 29. 2 Cor.
5: 2 — 12: 1. Heb. 12: 20. And such, it is submitted, is the
sense in this place. Certainly if the general view taken of the
Saviour's answer be correct, the word will not admit of any
other than an adversative sense. The word iJou behold, is used
for the sake of emjjhasis. Its office is to add intensity to the
affirmation, or it may be considered as an appeal to the evi-
dence of their senses for ]:)roof of the truth, that "the kingdom
of God was among them." Tliese evidences were his nume-
rous miracles which were of a kind especially appropriate to
his doctrine. AVhether the word be translated behold or i7ideed, is
not important. The phrase ivroc i/um v.tiv is equivalent to i<fS^a-iv
i:p' Cjux; in Luke 11: 20, or to i:p(iu.<riv ivro; vjuuv. In Luke 11: 20,
our Lord said to the Pharisees, "the kingdom of God has come
upon you," "lias arrived at, or by lapse of time has reached
or attained to you." The kingdom of God therefore was
among them; as if he had said "the time is fulfilled," Mark
1: 15 — the kingdom of God is no longer announced as future,
but as come, (not to all nations) but to you, and is within you.
The word you v^m cannot be understood of the hidividuals ad-
dressed; they were unbelievers in the Saviour and his doctrine,
as is proved by their asking the question. They were ad-
dressed as a part of the nation, and the meaning is, the king-
dom of God was rvilhin their nalioti — it had come to them as a
people, and the offer of it was restricted to them, Matt. 10: 5.
"Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles," said our Lord to
his disciples. Hence the peculiar significancy of svtoc uilhin.
The kingdom of God had come — it had reached the world, not
the world at large, but only one nation; nor was it preached, ex-
cept (si'TscTousSvoi/ T4IV UuSaiuv) wlthlu Bud among the Jewish people.*
♦ Tlie only other place in the N. T., where the word «i'to; occurs, is Matt.
23: 30. Cleanse first (to nn; tou ttoth^iov) the vntkin of the cup, that is the inside
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 17
In the next essay this subject will be resumed, and some ob-
servations will be made for the purpose of shewing more
clearly the bearings of it upon other doctrines.
ESSAY II.
For behold the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 17: 21.
In the preceding essay, it was suggested that the kingdom
referred to, in this passage, is the glorious kingdom of the Mes-
siah. It was proven that there is a sense in which the king-
dom of God had come nigh to the Jewish nation, from the
time that John the Baptist began to preach, Matt. 3: 2 — 4: 17
10: 7. Mark 1: 15; or as it is expressed in Luke 11: 20,
the kingdom of God from that time had come upon that nation.
It was also proven, that there is a sense in which the kingdom
of God was taken from the Jews, (Matt. 21: 43,) and that the
present dispensation of the gospel, cannot be the kingdom
which was taken from them, because it was preached after our
of il, and it is used in contrast with (to iKroi) the u-ifhont, or outside of the cup.
It occurs in the following places in the Septuagint, Ps. 38: 3—108: 22. Cant.
3- 10. Mv heart was hot u-il/dn vie, svtoc fxov,— my heart was greatly disturbed
within mc." King Solomon made himself a chariot ..... and its inside, {ivto; m
Tcv ) was carpeted with love. In other places it is used with t-ci, for the mside or
things within, as in Ps. 102: 1. Isaiah IG: 11. Dan. 10: 16; and twice m the
Apocrypha, Eccles. 19: 26. 1 Mac. 4: 48, (and all that is vrithin me, ru erro:
uov, bless his holy name, ra ivragavTov, Eccles. 19: 26; t^ svto? tou cu<,v, 1 Mac.
4: 48.) See Dr. Campbell's note on Luke 17: 21. The word therefore pro-
perly signifies ivithin, and the question is within whaf? The true answer is
within the Jewish nation, which was the elect. But it was not within that
nation in the sense, that it was heartily received, or embraced by the people;
in fact it was not even discerned by the many. But the kingdom of God was
preached within the nation, and nowhere else. It was offered to that nation
exclusively, and in that sen«e it had come to them, was within them, and among
them, andwould have been established had not the nation rejected it. When
the dispensation of the Gospel was opened, the kingdom was no longer vnthin
the Jewish nation, nor was it «'iM/?i any other nation in particular. The king-
dom of God wasno longer nigh (or at hand) to any nation in the sense in which
it had been nigh to the Jews. Cornelius d, Lapide, makes the following gloss,
rcgnum Dei intra vos est, id est in vestra potestate est; si videlicet Christi fidem
et'gratiam amplecti, illique cooperari velitis, quia ut ait Titus in voluntatis
arbitriopositum est accipereregnum Dei. Tcrtio, "regnum Dei intra vos est,"
quia Christus Deus, et re.x hoc regnum prsedicnns et largiens inter vos ver-
satur, &c. He cites Theophylact.
41*
|g ESSAYS ON THE COMING
Lord's ascension as freely to the Jews as to the Gentiles —
nay more, it is clear that in some sense, the Jews still had tlie
priority, Luke 24: 47. Acts 1: 8 — 13: 46. Rom. 1: 16—
15: 27. The kingdom thus taken from them, was that which
was from the first offered to them, but having been rejected it
remains, so to speak, in abeyance, waiting the completion of
another nation, also elect, according to the foreknowledge of
God, and which will be gathered under the administration of the
spirit. Upon this nation the kingdom of God will be con-
ferred, and this is the same kingdom which was rejected by
the nation of Israel according to the flesh.
Those W'ho maintain that our Lord referred by this expres-
sion, to the present dispensation of the Gospel, do in effect ex-
tend this dispensation backward, so as to make it commence
during the Levitical economy; which certainly existed at the
time of this conversation of our Lord with the Pharisees. —
They forget too, that the Holy Spirit, by whose agency this
dispensation is carried on, was not given at the time in ques-
tion; and although some were drawn of the Father to the Lord
Jesus Christ during his personal ministry, (Joha 1: 12 — 6: 44,)
yet the representation which the Scriptures give us of the state
of that people during our Lord's ministry, does not justify the
expression of Dr. Scott, that the kingdom was set up in the
hearts of 7na?iy whom the Pharisees despised. No doubt God
had an elect number among that people, who were afterzcards,
when the Holy Spirit was given, converted to the faith of
Christ — thousands were converted on the day of Pentecost,
Acts 2: 41, and before the destruction of the nation, Acts 21:
20, among whom were a great company of priests, Acts 6: 7,
but the largest number of believers before the ascension is
mentioned in 1 Cor. 15: 6. It is often said that although the
Lord Jesus spake as never man spake, yet his preaching was
much less successful than that of his apostles. The reason is,
the Spirit was not given till Jesus was glorified, John 7: 39,
and it was needful that he should be rejected, and suffer death
before he should enter into his glory, Luke 24: 26. But other
reasons concurred with these, as we shall see presently, touch-
ing the trial God was making of human nature, in the exam-
ple of the Jews.
Nor can it be objected, that what is predicated of the king-
dom of God, in the former clause, (viz: that it cometh not
with observation,) is inapplicable to the glorious kingdom of
Messiah.
Without stopping now to inquire into the meaning of the
phrase (/M«Ta Tru^amgna-ia);) zcith observatio?2, it ma}^ be remarked, that
coming, as it will, at the close of this dispensation, there is no
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. jg
Other possible means of determining its approach, than by de-
noting the progress of the present economy, and the advance-
ment of that spiritual building, which the Holy Ghost is now-
employed in erecting. But who can tell the number of the
elect.^ It is a great multitude, whom no one can number, of
all nations and kindreds of people and tongues, Rev. 7: 9.
Who can tell out of how many generations of the race of the
elect church shall be gathered? The problem involves the de-
tails of the economy of grace, which have not been revealed,
and which perhaps no finite mind could comprehend. Hence
jas we can neither mark the progress, nor see the end of this
work of the spirit, the kingdom, which will suddenly be de-
veloped upon the completion of this work, (of which indeed it
will be the fruit,) will come without observation. None will
have opportunity to say to his fellow, lo! here, or lo! there it
comes, as if it were a material object slowly approachino- from
a distance, but suddenly as a snare shall it fall upon the%vorld
of the ungodly, while in a twinkling, the sleeping dust of the
departed saints shall be reanimated; the living saints be
changed, and both be caught up together, to meet their eternal
king coming in his glory and his kingdom, 2 Tim. 4-1 i
Thess. 4: 15, 17.
But if such be the sense of the first clause, it was needful
to reiterate the doctrine which our Lord had all along preached
to the nation. "But indeed the kingdom of God' has come
to you." Had he replied to them simply, as he did to his
disciples, (in Acts 1: 7) "it is not for you 'to know the times
and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power" or
if he had said, "the day and the hour of the comino- of the
kingdom no man nor angel knoweth, no, nor the Son* but the
Father only" (as in Mark 13: 32), the Pharisees might have
replied, then the preaching of John, and of your own disciples,
that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," or "has come upon
us," may not be true: For if none can know when the king-
dom of God will come, how is it that it is preached as come?
But our Lord guards against such a perversion of his answer-
he meekly and mercifully cut off all grounds of cavil by
adding the clause in question. First, he answers them accord-
ing to the foreseen event, (for their question had respect to
the event,) and then adds in effect, "but yet, my doctrine, and
the doctrine of John is true. The kingdom of God has already
come to you, and though it will fail of being actually esta-
blished, yet it will be through your fault. The kingdom and
all Its glories are now offered to you, and nothing is wanting
but a willingness on your part to receive them."
Before we proceed farther in the discussion, it may be satis-
2Q ESSAYS ON THE COMING
factory to those readers who may think these views novel,
lo consider their bearing upon some of the fundamental doc-
trines of grace. If we are not mistaken, the most timid need
feel no alarm upon this score. But of this, our readers must
judge.
1. Our first remark is this: the views which have been
submitted shew, that the doctrine of the entire depravity of
the human heart is fundamental; perhaps we should say, that
the history of the Jewish nation, and the results of the economy
established over them, proves that doctrine as a fact, beyond
all controversy.
The Jews are an example of what human nature would do —
being left to itself — under an economy of law, just as Adam
is a proof or example of what human nature would do — being
left to itself — in its uncorrupted or unfallen state. Suppose
that God had chosen instead of Abraham, the progenitor of
some Gentile race, and had given him the same institutions,
laws, prophets, prophecies, teachings, &c. — in short, had dealt,
with the individual so selected, and his posterity, just as he has
dealt with the posterity of Abraham — would not the issue
have been the same? Are we Gentiles better than the Jews?
In no wise. When, therefore, God selected Israel and his
posterity for his peculiar people, and gave to them, exclusively,
the law, and the covenants, the service, the promises and the
glory, (Rom. 9: 4») upon the condition of obedience, (Exod.
19: 5,) and passed by all the rest of mankind, so that they
could have no part in them, except by adoption into the com-
monwealth of Israel, He did no wrong to the rest of the
race by this preference. — Any other race, if placed under the
same economy, would have fallen as Israel did. The Jew, it
is true, had the advantage, Rom. 3: 3 — 9: 4, 5, and it was
given for good, but through the depravity of nature, it became
to him the occasion of greater guilt and of a deeper fall; and
the abiding chastisement which rests upon Israel, is what no
Gentile would covet. God foresaw, indeed, the issue; and
from the beginning, planned a dispensation of grace (Gal. 3: 8)
which should be ushered in, when' the dispensation of law should
be proven by actual experiment, (so to speak,) upon a nume-
rous race, to be ineffectual for the salvation of those who were
its subjects. That nothing which was consistent with an
economy of law, was wanting on the part of God, to make the
trial perfect, is proved by Is. 5: 4, (see verses 1 to 7.) Israel,
therefore, is, in one sense, the representative of the human race,
because that people is an exhibition by way of many examples,
of depraved human nature, under a legal economy of the most
favourable kind.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 21
2. The views submitted, supply the reason why the gospel
of the kingdom was at first preached to the Jews exclusively,
and in their national capacity [and thereby also to the Jewish
people individually, John 1: 11, 12]. Israel was the elect
nation, and the promises were made to the nation as such, and
until the kingdom and the blessings of it were rejected by the
voluntary act of the nation, the very faithfulness of God
required that the offer of it should be confined to the Jews.
But since it has been rejected, the gospel of the kingdom is
preached to the Gentiles, not, however, as nations, for no
nation but Israel has the promise of God that he will establish
his kingdom in manifest glory over the whole earth, upon
their national acceptance of it, although we may add, that if
any other nation had succeeded to the place of the Jews in this
respect, the same depravity of nature, if left to itself, would
have rendered the promise abortive. — Hence, the kingdom of
God came nigh to the Jews, in a sense in which it has. not
come nigh to any other nation — it continued to be nigh to the
Jews, even after the ascension of our Lord, while their national
existence continued. Hence, Peter exhorts them to repent,
and urges his exhortation by the motive that God would, upon
their national repentance, send Jesus Christ to them again,
(Acts 3: 19, 20. See the original text.) But when God dis-
persed them among the nations, and gave their city to their
enemies, they could no longer be addressed as a nation, and
the kingdom being put, as it were, in suspense, will continue
to be so, during the period of their dispersion, which will be
commensurate (or nearly so) with their unbelief. The restora-
tion of Israel, therefore, from their cast-off and fallen condition,
is an event fraught with the most glorious results, Rom. 11:
15. Creation will groan while Mount Zion is trodden down
by the Gentiles, and her children continue blind and hardened
and dispersed. But when they shall be gathered again, and
shall call him blessed, whom their fathers pierced and whom
they have so long rejected,* what shall it be, but life from the
* Luke 17: 25. "But first he must {7rci\?,a TrctQuv) suffer many things and
(_a.7roJo>cijuu.<r&>ivat atto t«c ytvi^i Tctt/Txc) be rejected of this generation." This is
not perhaps an example of lu/steron-proteron. The (ttoxko. Trudnv) viany things
may include all that he suffered till he said on the cross "it is finished," and
it liiay inchuie his formal rejection by the nation in the person of their rulers
before Pilate. The remaining clause, "and be rejected of this generation,"
may denote the perseverance of that people in rejecting him down to the day
of Christ's coming. The word aTrccTox, does not, it is true, contain the idea of
a continued or repeated action, but the idea of continuity is contained in the
word (^sysif) generation. As this long continued rejection of the Lord Jesus, is
to precede "the coming of the Son of Man in his day," it maybe a standing sign
while it continues, that he has not come; that is to say — so long as the Jewish
race reject the Lord Jesus, the Son of Man will not have come. And although
others should come, performing signs and wonders so as to deceive the elect, if
22 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
dead! Creation shall be delivered from the bondage of cor-
ruption, and the Israel of God shall be glorified, being re-
deemed from the power of death and the grave, while Israel,
according to the flesh, shall be redeemed from their captivity
among the nations. What glorious things are suspended (if
we may so say) upon the fortunes of God's ancient people!
Is it possible that the curse which has so long rested on the
earth is, in a certain sense, prolonged by the unbelief of the
Jews, and yet the Christian cliurch be so indifferent to their
conversion! What a mystery is involved in this matter!
The church is permitted to lose sight of the relation which
the Jews sustain to the rest of the world, and of the designs of
God in respect to them — to become corrupt in doctrine — per-
secutors of the Jews, and so to fix them more obstinately, if
possible, in their aversion to the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thus the church itself, to become a means of pro-
longing the dominion of Satan and of the curse over the
world! Had the church always possessed a spirit like that of
Paul, and followed the Jews, not with cruelty, but with kind-
ness, who can say that Israel would not long since have been
converted to the faith of the gospel, and the earth have been
renewed before the glorious presence of the Lord Jesus, and
covered as with a mantle of glory.
3. These observations illustrate and enforce the doctrine of
election. Many persons admit the doctrine of the natio?ial
election of the Jews to the privileges of the legal covenant, or
to that of being externally the people and the church of God,
while they reject the doctrine of the unconditional election of
individuals to eternal life, as being consistent, as they suppose,
neither with the goodness nor the justice of God. The radical
error of such persons, consists in the inadequate estimate
which they form of the blessings included in the covenant of
the kingdom which God made with Israel, and which are
briefly mentioned in Exod. 19: 5, (with which compare Matth.
21: 43. 1 Pet. 2: 9. Rev. 1:6—5: 10 — 20: 6.) Did they
entertain right conceptions in this behalf, they would perceive
that their objections apply with equal, if not with greater
force against the doctrine of the national election of Israel.
This covenant, we have shewn, constituted that people condi-
tionally the saved nation, while all others were passed by. It
constituted them a nation of kings and priests — (xs/^xx/cv rem
charam) the cherished and precious thing in the family of God
— in fact the covenant included all those blessings which will
it were possible, yet know for a certainty if the Jews reject Jesus, such won-
der-workers are antichrists and deceivers. This may be the meaning yf the
place.
OP THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 23
be conferred upon the church of the first born, at the advent
of Christ in glory; so that if the nation had been obedient,
they would have become, as it were, the royal family of the
whole creation. If then, such were the privileges to which
the posterity of Jacob was elected, wherein is this doctrine of
a national election more consistent with the objector's views of
the goodness and justice of God, than the doctrine of the per-
sonal election of individuals? The difference does not consist
in the nature of the blessings to which the Jews were elected,
and from which the rest of the race were excluded. The
feast to which the Jews were bidden, (according to the parable
in Malth. 22nd before referred to) is the same which was
reserved for and bestowed upon the company which was
afterwards gathered. Does the objection consist in this, that
the election of individuals is unconditional, whereas that of
the nation of the Jews was upon the condition of obedience?
This was what the nature of the case demanded: Would the
objector have the experiment repeated in the case of every
individual, which had been found to be abortive in respect to
an entire race, continued through many generations under the
most favourable circumstances? That would be to ensure the
universal fall and ultimate ruin of the entire race. Speaking
after the manner of men, the national election of a portion of
the race to the benefits of the covenant of law preceded, in the
order of expedients, the personal election of individuals accord-
ing to the covenant of grace, in order to shew the impossi-
bility (through the depravity of human nature) of salvation by
works of law, (Gal. 3: 21.) The fact therefore of the national
election of the Jews, and the issue of the economy to which
they were elected, proves that nothing short of an uncondi-
tional personal election of grace is adequate to secure the
salvation of any of the race; for it rests upon the demonstrated
insufliciency of a 'conditional election, such as that which God
made of the natural posterity of Israel. When the Jewish
nation fell, God might, if he had chosen to do so, have elected
some other race or nation unconditionally to the benefits of a
covenant of grace, and have passed by all the rest of mankind,
but his wisdom and his goodness chose rather to throw open the
door of salvation to the people of all nations without discrimina-
tion,*and accordingly he directed his apostles to proclaim every-
* This expression needs some explanation. The Rev. Mr. M'Neile re-
marks, that "God has divided his great proceeding with this world into four
steps. I. He took a nation circumcised in his name, and having an elect
people within it, saved by his ;rrace. 2. He has taken a number of nations
(still a sma'l number compared with all mankind) baptized in his name,
having an elect people within Ihem, saved by grace. Here as yet he pauses." It
is a remarkable fact that the gospel has not been permanently e.'-tablished, among
24
ESSAYS ON THE COMING
where the gospel of the kingdom which the Jews had rejected;
yet this proclamation, through the hardness of men's hearts, is
everywhere attended with the same mournful results as among
the Jews, except so far as the Spirit of God inclines the hearts
of men to receive it. Hence, those who believe, are called by
Peter elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctijication of the Spirit unto obedie?ice, and sprinkling
any of the nations !>ituated beyond the limits of the Roman or fourth empire,
predicted by Daniel — or beyond the geographical limits of these nations
which are represented in the great image. We speak not now of the Ameri-
cas, to which the gospel has been carried by emigration from ihe fourth
kingdom, but not established by the conversion of the aboriginal inhabitants.
In fact what we commonly call Christendom, lies within the geographical
limits of the fourth empire, and this proves that God in his sovereign provi-
dence has seen fit to confer upon these i'ew nations, lying within these limits,
the peculiar privileges of the present dispensation. Here He has been making
another trial of depraved human nature upon an election of Gentile nations.
And what do we see? Why, even in the days of the Apostles we discern the
secret workings of iniquity — soon after their days, we see increasing corrup-
tions of the taith — the commencement of a falling away, and finally, open
apostacy. Hitherto, these Gentiles have proved themselves to be no better
than the Jews, and their progress is still downward. The Jews abused the
privileges of an economy of law — the Gentiles have abused the richer blessings
of an economy of grace, and the strivings of the Holy Spirit. The Jews fell
upon the mystical stone, and were broken and dispersed. We still see frag-
ments of their nation scattered among all nations. But a much sorer punish-
ment awaits those apostate Gentiles, who have abused the gospel of grace —
this mystical stone will fall on them and grind them to powder, Malth. 21: 41.
This expression of our Lord refers perhaps to Dan. 2: 34, 35, 44, (See Gen.
49: 24. Micah 2: 13. Isaiah 8: 14, 15.) There may be also an analogy between
the ending of the Jewish and the present Gentile economy in another respect.
The Jewish nation was not destroyed immediately after it was given over to
desolation. The Gentile dispensation was not substituted for the Jewish in a
moment. But while the mass of the nation were permitted to wax worse and
worse, and iniquity to abound, an election or portion of the nation, by succes-
sive and wonderful outpourings of the Spirit were separated from the cor-
rupted mass, and made the ministers of salvation to the Gentiles. These had
extended the gospel almost, if not quite, throughout the Roman empire before
the worship of the synagogue was broken up, by the destruction of the temple
and the nation. Near forty years elapsed between the day of Pentecost and the
fall of the nation. So it may be in the rejection and destruction of apostate
Gentiles at the ending of the economy. A warning note is to be given to
God's people dwelling in mystical Babylon. "Come out of her my people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins and receive of her plagues." While
increasing depravity may characterize the gieat body of society, great and
wonderful revivals of religion may take place. The church will probably
becoine missionary again, (perhaps too, persecution may be permitted in order
to produce that change) and the gospel be published with rapidity and unusual
success among the nations which lie bevond the limits of the fourth propheti-
cal empire; jusi as the gospel was published beyond the limits of Judea and
throughout the whole or nearly the whole of Christendom, a short time pre-
viously to the destruction of the Jewish nation: so that Ihe gospel will be
literally published among all nations for a witness before the end of this
economy, and of the kingdoms of the image shall come. The present is
pre-eminently the age of missions, and in this view of the subject, this fact is
calculated to excite intense interest in the mind of a believer. Every one who
loves the appearing of his Lord, should do what he can to send this gospel to
the nations, kindreds and people among whom it has not yet been published
for a witness.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 25
of the blood of Jesus Christ, (1 Pet. 1: 2.) Still the work
goes on, God is able of the stones to raise up children unto
Abraham. The royal priesthood — the holy nation has long
been a-gathering — it hastens to its completion, and the moment
the last of God's elect shall be born and born again, the king-
dom of God will suddenly be revealed.
4. We see a reason why Israel will be preserved as a dis-
tinct people, till the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled.
In one sense those times were already fulfilled when our Lord
began to preach, saying: "The time is fulfilled and the king-
dom of heaven has come nigh, Repent ye and believe in the
good tidings," Mark 1: 15. Daniel, as the reader knows, had
predicted four kingdoms, which were to precede the kingdom
which the God of heaven should set up. The first three of
these kingdoms, viz. the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian and
the Grecian had appeared and been overthrown. The fourth
of these kingdoms, vh. the Roman, had succeeded to universal
power, and was in vigorous existence when John the Baptist
appeared pi-eaching the near approach of the fifth kingdom,
that, namely, which the God of heaven should set up, which
should break in pieces all its predecessors, but should itself
stand forever and never be destroyed, (Dan. 2: 44.) Had the
Jews (who are still the elect nation, Rom. 11: 29, 26, 25, 23.)
received the Lord Messiah, he would have destroyed this
fourth kingdom and established his own on its ruins, Ps. 81:
13, 16— Ps. 2: 8. Matth.23:37. Luke 19: 41-44. But not
to dwell on this idea, we proceed to remark that the fourth or
the Roman monarchy owes its continuance during the last
eighteen centuries, in a certain sense, to the unbelief of the
Jews. In fact, as it has been observed, the present dispensa-
tion owes its origin in the same sense to the same (Rom. 11:
11, &c.) cause. For to recur to the parable of the marriage
in Matth. 22, if the first invited guests (that is the Jews) had
come to the wedding, the occasion for sending out for other
guests (which represents the present dispensation of the gospel
to the Gentiles) would not have arisen. Now, if the unbelief
and the fall of the Jews was necessary, by divine appointment,
to the opening of this dispensation, the continuance of the
same unbelief would seem equally necessary for the con-
tinuance of the dispensation, and we should conclude, therefore,
that when their unbelief ceases nationally, this dispensation
would come to an end. Whether the Jews will be converted
nationally to the faith of Christ during their dispersion, or not
until after they shall have been politically restored to their
own land, is a question upon which we shall not now enter,
(See Deut. 30: 1-5 and Zechariah 12: 10.) But some per-
voL. III. — 42
26 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
sons do not believe that they will be restored. This is the
opinion of the larger part of the Roman Catholic church, and
many Protestants have retained and still hold to the same
opinion; others, who believe that the Jews will be nationally
and politically restored, entertain other opinions, vvliich, upon
examination, it is believed, will be found inconsistent with the
scriptures bearing upon the question. They imagine that
when Judah and Israel shall be restored, they shall take rank
OS a sister nation, with the civilized and Christian nations of
Europe, and will exert upon them and upon the world at large
a powerful religious influence. This is deemed a rational and
sober minded view of the subject. But is it scriptural?
Paul says in 1 Thess. 2:16, "wrath is come upon them (s/c
TEAoc) 1.0 the Old'' — to the end of what? we say of this dispensa-
tion. Our Lord said, (See Luke 21 : 24) Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles shall
be fulfilled. The providence of God has interpreted, in a way
that cannot be misunderstood, what we are to understand by
the treading dozen of Jerusalem. By Gentiles (dvw) we are to
understand Romans, Saracens, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Turks.
Whether Jerusalem is yet to pass under another Gentile
domination we know not, but the common belief of those who
expect an actual restoration of the Jews is, that when the
Turkish power shall be dried up, the Jews will resume their
possession of the land which God gave to their fathers. But
however this may be, the scriptures teach that when the
dispersed of Judah shall be collected, and the outcast Israel shall
return, and both in union emerge into a political power, they
will become again a divineli/ co?istituted hierarchy or theocracy,
such as they always were, after their exodus from Egypt till
their captivity and dispersion — and not a mere body jjolitic,
having a constitution of human invention, — (See Ezek. the
last ten chapters.) Then also, the times of the fourth monar-
chy (which in one sense were long since fulfilled) will cease.
The Lord Jesus Christ will then come again and fulfil upon
the nations all that is written in Ps. 2: 8, 9. This will
mark the commencement of a new economy — that of the
glorious reign of Messiah, or of the kingdom of God come on
earth.
The scriptural expectations of tlie church, therefore, are not
that all Israel will be gathered into the Gentile church (as it is
called) during the present economy; for could that result be
attained consistently with what the scriptures teach, this
economy would be brought to an end by that very event, and
a new and more glorious economy would immediatel}' begin.
The last discourse, which our Lord delivered in the tenrrple,
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 27
he concluded by saying, "ye shall not see me henceforth till
ye say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
This declaration intimates that the Lord's advent shall occur
immediately upon the national conversion of the Jews. (See
Matth. 23: 39, and also Acts 3: 19, 20 in the original.) Still
the duty of Christians is, to carry the gospel to the Jews and
urge it upon them, by all the motives which the scriptures
and their condition and prospects furnish;* so that if possible
they may save some of them. This was what Paul did; for
although he, as the apostle of the Gentiles, might perhaps be
expected and allowed to confine his ministry to the Gentiles,
yet he desired to honour his office, by extending his ministry
to the Jews, if by possibility he might with the blessing of God
save some of them. Yet Paul was not ignorant that blindness
in part had liappened to Israel, until the times of the Gentiles
should be fulfilled, and iheti (not before) all Israel should be
saved, Rom. 11: 13, 25, 2G. There is nothing peculiarly
discouraging in this; for there is the same ground of hope
during this economy of saving some of the Jews, as of saving
some of the Gentiles. Not all among the Gentiles to whom
the gospel is preached, believe. On the contrary, multitudes
reject it, while here and there, one and another, but at most a
few, yield unto Christ the obedience of faith; and experience
shews us that thus much may be expected from preaching the
Gospel among the Jews; and why should a Christian minister
be disiieartened, if he has the same hope of success among
Jews as Gentiles? If lie has any right views of the human
character, he depends not on himself but on the Spirit's
influences, and peradventure God may give him even greater
success with Jews than with Gentiles; for although blinded
and broken off from their own olive tree, they are still beloved
for their father's sake. Yet if such should not be the result,
* Some persons object to this doctrine of the political restoratioti of the
Jews, that it encourages them in their unbelief and rejection of the Gospel of
Christ; but this objection is founded upon a misconception of the doctrine.
We can no more assure the Jew, that he will live till the time when God will
restore the kingdom to Israel, and so be restored to Judea, than we can assure
a Christian that he will live till the day of the Lord's personal advent in
glory, and so escape death. The times and the seasons of these events,
though the same, are not revealed. But our doctrine is, that if the Jew should
die before that time, without faith in Christ, he will die without any well
founded hope of happiness in his future state. And even if he should survive
till the time of his nation's restoration, still he may never reach the land of
his forefathers. Like tho.se who left Egypt, he may in his return fall by the_
way and perish without hope — and theiii again, what is the inheritance of
earthly blessings — such even as in the renewed earth will be enjoyed by
restored Israel, when compared with the glory of the inheritance of believers
in Jesus'?
28 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
his duty is done, vviiile the event is left, as it should be, to the
disposal of God.
5. Tliese views should teach us to be humble and tender
hearted to the Jews. There is a thought connected with a
passage just now cited (Rom. 11: 25), which deserves to be
mentioned, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this
mystery, lest ye should he zcise in your on-?i cojiceits.''' What is the
mystery to which Paul refers? It cannot be the future con-
version of the Jews, for that had been foretold in many places.
That was no secret or mystery. Besides, the motive or reason
which Paul had for communicating the secret, was to prevent
the Gentiles from being wise ifi their own conceits. But the
future conversion of all Israel would be no cause for humilia-
tion to the Gentiles, rather of joy. It would be as life from
the dead to the world. What then was the secret or mystery?
Why, that which he had just hinted at in the former verses,
under the image of breaking ofi^ branches. The Jews had
suflfered this, and would continue in a state of separation from
their own olive tree, until the fulness of the (times of the)
Gentiles should coine in (i. e. elapse), and then all Israel would
be (reingrafted into their own olive tree, that is) saved. Paul
hinted to the Gentiles that they too would at some future time
be broken off. He alludes more directly to the same mystery
afterwards, (in verses 30, 32) where he asserts the alternate
vocation and reprobation of Jews and Gentiles, showing that
the one or the other must be (and each in turn) a striking
example of God's mercy and justice. The infidelity of Israel
gave occasion to their reprobation and the vocation of the
Gentiles, and the ingratitude and infidelity of the Gentiles,
will in like manner give occasion to their reprobation, and to
the return of Israel and the restoration of God's favour to
them.*
Thus God will shut up all in unbelief, in order to shew,
that none can be saved but by his merc}^ But there is this
difference to be observed, when the Jews were cut off from the
mysterious olive tree, in punishment for their rejection of
Christ and his kingdom, the justice of God did not consign
them merely to darkness of mind and hardness of heart, but it
showered upon them floods of temporal evils of all sorts. Yet
* Verse 31 in the authorized English version, is not well rendered. There
is no authority for the transposition of tvn as is done in our translation.
The true sense is fixed by the collocation of this word, and it has been trans-
posed only for the purpose of supporting the theory, that the Jews are to be
converted by means of the Gentiles, which is in opposition to the whole current
of prophecy. In the Vulgate, the proper order of the words is preserved.
Also in the versions of Fabricius, of Montanus and of Erasmus. On the
other hand, Beza tran.sposes this word as the translators of the English version,
have done.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 29
God did not allow these judgments either to consume or to
destroy them, because he has designs of mercy toward them,
which at the appointed time he will execute. On the other
hand, apostate Gentiles have only to expect an irrevocable
reprobation, Paul gives no intimation that the graffs of the
wild olive, if they shall be broken off, shall ever be graffed in
again, Rom. 11: 21, 24; and the prophet Malachi foretells that
the day of the Lord shall burn the proud and them that do
wickedly — that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Mai. 4: 1. Jer. 30: 11, 20, 24.
An old author, who lived in a very dark and corrupt age
of the Christian church, makes the following beautiful and
touching paraphrase upon Rom. 11: 17 — 21. "Oh, Gentile, if
thou seest some of the Jews living estranged from the grace
of Christ and from the faith of the patriarchs, and thyself in
their place, and made a partaker of the faith of the fathers and
of the grace of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, do not despise
them, nor extol thyself, lest peradventure thou lose the grace
that has been given thee freely. But if thou gloriest against
them, who are fallen, be admonished, that thou dost not sustain
the root, but the root sustains thee." As if he had said, "If
thou hast a mind to extol thyself, listen to that which should
make thee humble; thou dost not sustain the root, that is, thou
dost confer nothing upon the holy fathers, who lived before
thee, because thou art saved by their faith, for thou hast
received from them; they have not received from thee. Or
this may be the sense, thou dost not bear the root, that is
Christ, to whom thou hast given nothing of ihine own, but he
bears thee, from whom thou hast received all the good thou
dost possess."
Vs. 19, 20, But thou wilt tell me, 0 Gentile, the branches,
namely, the unbelieving Jews were broken off and cast away,
in order that I, a Gentile, might be engrafted in their place.
Thou sayest rightly. It is so— but consider the rest: the
branches were broken off on account of their unbelief. Be-
cause the Jews would not believe in Christ, they are fallen
into the death of condemnation — they are broken off from the
favour of God, but thou standest by the faith of Christ, riot by
thy own merits, therefore, do not glory, be not high-minded,
be not proud, but fear, lest thou shouldst fall. It is of God's
grace thou art called, not of thy own merits.
Vs. 21, 0 Gentile, consider that if God did not spare the
Jews, who descended from the holy fathers, and in whose
race he took flesh, ^uch more will he not spare thee; if thou,
who art of the wild olive, shall depart from the faith, or shall
become proud and extol thyself by despising the Jew.
42*
30
ESSAYS ON THE COMING
Does the reader envy restored Israel the glory of the
unfulfilled prophecies? Let him consider again the purpose
for which Israel was elected. It w^as, that God might through
them make manifest to the world, that no privileges however
great, no grace or favour however ample, consistent with an
economy of mere law; no promises, no motives however glori-
ous, are adequate to the wants of our fallen natures. To he
made the medium of teaching such a lesson lo the universe, is
an awful distinction. The object required the bestowment of
gifts the most precious, and the promise of the kingdom of
glory as the reward of obedience. Paul enumerates the chief
of their advantages — the adoption, the glor}', the covenants,
the giving of the law, the service, the promises, and add to
these the honour which Christ conferred on their nation, by
taking upon him the seed of Abraham and of David, when he
came to them as their kinsman, their brothei-, their king.
All these great and glorious advantages must be conferred,
while the just and holy purposes of God required that the
nation should be left to the freedom of their will, in order that
by the rejection of them, which was both foreknown and fore-
told, they might shew how powerless they were as motives
upon depraved human nature, although they would thereby
dravv down upon themselves and their posterity the wrath of
Almighty God. Look back upon their history — survey their
present condition: was ever a nation dealt with as Israel hath
been, both in mercy and judgment? They are witnesses for
God of the corruption of the human heart — of his indignation
against sin — of his faithfulness in preserving while he punishes
them — and they will hereafter be witnesses for him that his
gifts and calling are without repentance.
Does the reader still envy the Jews their future pre-emi-
nence among the nations? and does he call it Judaizing to
interpret literally the prophecies which predict their pre-emi-
nence? Let him attend to that which infinitely more concerns
him, — the higher glories of his own vocation. God is now
gathering a church out of all nations, upon whom he will
bestow the higher glories of the kingdom which Israel re-
jected. This church, when it shall be completed, will be a
glorious body, sons of the resurrection, sons of God, sharers
of Messiah's throne, the ministers of his high behests, through-
out all worlds. Their bodies will not be earthly tabernacles,
like those of the dwellers upon earth, even in its renewed
state — but they will be spiritual, glorious, powerful, inde-
structible bodies, yea, conformed to the b(jdy of the glory of
Christ. They shall be the heirs of all things, and be forever
with the Lord: Can hewho hopes to inherit such glories, ertvy
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 3^
restored Israel the pre-eminence among the nations of the
earth, even in its renewed condition? No, rather let the
sun envy the glory of the stars. No saint, when he shall be
made lilie his Lord, and be associated with him in the govern-
ment of his kingdom, will ever covet the glory and blessedness
of restored Israel in the habitable earth to come, {iiy.ouy.im tkv
But as to those who have no part in Christ now, why should
they envy Israel's pre-eminence in the coming dispensation?
Had the world of the ungodly before the flood, and who
perished by it, anything to do with the distinctions which God
saw fit to make among the sons of Noah, and the nations which
have sprung from them? During this present dispensation, all
to whom the Gospel of the kingdom is preached, are invited
to share in higher glories than any which Israel will possess
in the renewed earth. If they reject the invitation as Israel
did, when made by the lips of the Lord Messiah himself, they
cannot expect or hope for any earthly restoration, like that
which remains to a remnant of Israel according to the flesh.
If they shall die before the coming of the Lord, they will have
no part in the first resurrection. If they should survive until
the day of the Lord's appearing, what can they hope for or
expect but everlasting destruction from his presence, and the
glory of his power, when he shall be revealed with his mighty
angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance upon those who obey
not this gospel. (1 Thess. 1 : S, 9. Luke 19: 27.)
Several topics remain, which must be reserved for a future
occasion.
ESSAY III.
'^The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.'"'
It is the common opinion of Christians at the present day,
that the existing dispensation is the final one — that is, it will
not (as it is supposed) end, until the earth shall be destroyed
and the eternal state begins. Hence, it is inferred that if (as
it is admitted) the kingdom of God, here inquired of, is a
kingdom on earth, and in time, it must be the present gospel
dispensation. This opinion, it is contended, is according to
32 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
the analogy of faitli, "The wind bloweth," said our Lord to
Nicodemus, "where it listeth, and thou heare'st the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it
goeth: So is every one that is born of the Spirit," John 3: 8.
It is another common opinion of Christians, that when this
dispensation shall end, Christ will appear and a resurrection
will take place. But at this point arises a difference: the
larger part adopt the opinion, that all the dead, both the
righteous and the wicked, will at that time be raised together,
or nearly so, and after having been judged will enter imme-
diately upon their eternal state. The righteous will ascend
with Christ into heaven, while the wicked will be cast into
hell, and this done, the earth itself will be destroyed. Others,
however, adopt the opinion that at the advent, only the dead
in Christ will be raised, and the living saints being changed,
and united to them, will compose and complete the mystical
body of Christ or the church of the first born. This event,
they believe, will be the epocli of the establishment of a new
and glorious economy on earth called "the kingdom of God,"
or "the kingdom of heaven." It was shewn in a former
essay, that the kingdom of God in this sense, coming at the
close of this dispensation, and as the development of it, would
come 7iol zvith observation, though the precise meaning of the
clause in wliich these words occur was not investigated. Our
object then, was rather to shew how the two vievvs of the
kingdom could be reconciled with what is here affirmed of the
kingdom, than to enter into an inquiry about the nature of the
kingdom itself. Before the inquiry concerning the nature of
the kingdom can he made w\{\\ advantage, it is necessary to
examine the foundations of the opinion just mentioned: viz.
that this dispensation is the last which God designs to esta-
blish on earth. What we propose, therefore, in the present
essay, is to produce some proofs from scripture that the most
glorious of all the economies which God has appointed to take
place upon earth, is yet to come.
The reader will doubtless concede, without argument, that
when our Lord began to preach, the kingdom of heaven had,
in some f-ense, come nigii to the Jewish nation. The proof is
that the Lord Jesus himself said so. See Matth. 4: 17. Mark
1: 14, 15. Luke 11: 20. Matth. 12: 28. This was said pub-
licly to the people, and upon many occasions, during our
Lord's ministry. At a much later period, perhaps we may
say, quite at the close of his public ministry, he told his dis-
ciples, in effect, that the kingdom of God was not nigh, because
he told them it would be nigh only after certain things
occurred which he predicted should come to pass. The pas-
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 33
sage we refer to, is in Luke 21: 31. But how could it be,
that the kingdom of God had come nigh to the nation, at the
beginning of our Lord's ministry, and wa% not nigh at a sub-
sequent period or at the close of it? If the present dispensa-
tion of the gospel be, the kingdom of God referred to, — its
commencement was scarce two months later than the delivery
of the prophecy on the Mount, in which the place just cited
occurs, whereas there was an interval (as is commonly sup-
posed) of near three years and a half, between the beginning of
our Lord's ministry and the day of Pentecost, on which the
Holy Ghost was first given, and the present dispensation
opened. But if the kingdom of God which our Lord began
to preach was afterwards taken from the nation, (and he said it
should be in Matth. 21: 43) as was explained in a former essay,
then we can understand how the kingdom of God might be nigh,
at the beginning of his ministry, (before the nation had been
tried whether they would accept it) a7ul not nigh at the close
of it, when the nation had virtually rejected it. But not to
dwell on this topic, let us examine with some particularity the
passage (in Luke 21: 31) just referred to. The passage runs
thus, "So likewise, ye when ye see these things come to pass,
know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh [iyyv^ io-tiv) at hand."
What were those things? Will the reader turn to the context
of the passage and from it enumerate them in their order?
Beginning at verse 9th, he will find, that nation was to arise
against nation — ver. 10, there were to be earthquakes, famines,
pestilences, fearful sights; (11) the disciples were to be perse-
cuted, apprehended, imprisoned, and brought before kings:
(12) Let us pause here a moment and inquire if any of these
things occurred in the short interval between the delivery of
this prophecy and the day of Pentecost; when the Holy Ghost
was first given. Nobody pretends that they did, and yet
these things were to come to pass before the kingdom of God
would be nigh. The next event foretold, was the siege of
Jerusalem, (ver. 20.) This event did not occur till A. D. 70,
which was about thirty-six or thirty-seven years after the
prophecy was uttered. In ver. 24 we read of the captivity
and dispersion of the Jews, and the subjugation of their city,
to Gentile power, during the times of the Gentiles.* The bur-
* Dr. Bloomfield cites two opinions upon the expression in ver. 21, of "the
times of the Gentiles" — that of Rosenmuller. which is "even until the end of
human things, when nations shall no longer exist," and that of Kuinoel, '-until
the time when they themselves (the nations) shall suffer the punishment of
their impiety and vice," which latter opinion Dr. B. prefers. Yet when he
comes to verse 28, he understands the words (a^oAuTgao-zc t/zav) "your redemp-
tion," to mean redeviption from the Jewish persecution, because (as he says)
after the suppression of the Synedrium, the gospel was far more extensively
propagated. He admits that the apostles, except John, did not live to see this
34 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
then of this verse is not yet wholly fulfilled, although nearly
eighteen centuries have elapsed since it began to be fulfilled.
The prophecy prorffeeds, "and there shall be signs in the sun,
and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress
of nations with perplexity; and the crowning event of all, is
the- appearance of the Son of Man in heaven, coming in a cloud
with power and great glory. At this verse the prophecy pro-
perly terminates, and these are the things which must come to
pass, before the coming of the kingdom of God.
li it should he said, that by these things we must understand
some of these things, the answer is, that would be adding to
the scripture, not expounding it; besides, it would not remove
the difficulty, because we have no evidence that a/??/ of these
things came to pass before the commencement of the present
dispensation. If it should be said (as it sometimes is) that all
utter destruction of the Jewish government. The expression in ver. 31, "the
kingdom of God is nigh," he says, means the general spread of the gospel,
which took place after the destruction of Jerusalem. On Matth. 24: 33, he
says, "this must be understood of the event before spoken: viz. the coming of
the JVlessiah to judge the Jews and establish his kingdom."
The word (a^oALiT,) translated redemption., occurs in Rom. 8: 23, and Eph.
4: 30, where it undoubtedly refers to the resurrection. It is true, that in Heb.
11: 35, it signifies deliverance from the danger of death, but this is not its
proper signification; and when we recollect that the destruction of Jerusalem
did not occur till the year A. D. 70, and that two pagan persecutions occurred
very shortly afterwards, even before the close of ihe first century: viz. one
under Domitian, and another under Trajan, we can hardly believe that
"redemption from persecution," cither by Jews or Pagans was intended.
Why should they be exhorted to rejoice in the prospect of an exchange of per-
secutors? Under Adrian in the beginning of the 2nd century, (A. D. 118)
another persecution occurred, and others followed at short intervals, to the
number, in all, of ten, before the year A. D. 303— Nor is it a fact that the most
remarkable spread of the gospel, occurred after the destruction of Jerusalem.
It was published throughout the Roman empire, and even beyond it, by the
immediate apostles of the Lord. It would be strange indeed, that the imme-
diate successors of the apostles, with fewer gifts, should be more successful
propagators of the gospel, Rom. 15: 19. Gal. 1: 17, 21. James 1: 1. 1 Pet. 1: 1.
2 Cor. 11: 26. The treading down of Jerusalem, Dr. B. admits, will continue
until the time when they themselves will sufi'er the punishment of their
impiety and vice," and this we believe will be, when the time for the destruc-
tion of the nations represented in the great image (Dan. 2) shall have come;
and this, says our Lord, is one of the things which shall come to pass before
the kingdom of God, spoken of in Luke 21: 31, shall come. Dr. Bloomfield
does not notice the expression, "So when ye see these things come to pass."
Nor does he explain how the day of the destruction of Jerusalem came as a
snare upon alt them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Even Dr.
Campbell admits, that "earth" does not mean in this place Judea, (see his note
on ver. 26, where the word also occurs.) The coming of the Son of Man and
the coming of the kingdom God refer to the same event, and both were to
come as a snare upon all thrm that dwell upon the face of the whole earth.
The /all or destruction of Jerusalem, did not come as a snare on the Romans,
and the other nations which they had conquered, though it might have come
as a snare on the Jews who were in Jerusalem. But as more than this is said,
the interpretation which limits this prophecy to the destruction of Jerusalem
cannot be true.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 35
these predictions relate to the destruction of Jerusalem, the
difficulty remains, for certainly the present dispensation com-
menced long before that event. Not only had the gospel been
promulgated throughout the Roman empire, but almost the
whole of the New Testament was written before that event,
and several of the apostles, among whom were James, Peter
and Paul had suflfered martyrdom. If it be said that (ver. 32
proves) these things must have been fulfilled within the life
time of the men then living, the answer is, that this verse
must be interpreted so as to be consistent with the facts of the
case. The facts are, that Jerusalem is still trodden down by
the Gentiles — the times of the Gentiles are not yet fulfilled,
and the Son of Man has not yet appeared in a cloud with
power and great glory. Besides, the word translated generalion,
signifies race in this place, as may be easily proved, and it
was so understood by Jerome, who must be allowed to be a
competent judge of the meaning of the Latin word ge?ieratio.
Waving, however, this question, we proceed to remark, that
those who explain the advent of "the Son of Man in a cloud
with power and great glory," so as to signify his providential
coming to destroy Jerusalem, do not make it sufficiently early
to support their own theory. This has been said already.
They must, therefore, to be consistent, interpret this advent
of the Son of Man, to signify the outpouring of the Spirit on
the day of Pentecost, which did indeed occur at the com-
mencement of this dispensation.* But such an interpretation
* "This spiritual kingdom had its commencement, after our Lord's resur-
rection and ascension, when he sent the Holy Ghost, and propagated the
gospel by miracles throughout the world, (Rosenm.) Whilby, and Kuinoel
and Wetstein on the other hand more accurately, I think, understand the
words of Chri^l's Jird advent, after forty years to the destruction of the Jewish
nation, &c. and, therefore, not only St. John, but many standing there might
see it.'' Bloomfield, Rcccns. Synopt. on Manh. IG-.'iF,. We believe that these
opinions are quite incorrect. Matth. 14: 28 refers, as we suppose, to the
transfiguration: But that it cannot refer to the destruction of Jerusalem is
evident from 2 Thess. 2. This epistle was written about eighteen years
before the destruction of Jerusalem. The Thessalonian Christians were
expecting daily an advent of the Lord, such as may be properly described by
the words (t» i-^ip-Avaa Tm vcigovo-i-M awrov) the brightness of his coming, which
words import the splendour and glory of his personal appearance. Dr. B.
admits that these words are especially suitable to the final advent of Christ to
judgment. Certainly, it cannot be supposed that the Thessalonian church
was absorbed in the manner here described, with the expectation of the sup-
posed advent of Christ at the destruction of Jerusalem, which was many miles
distant from them. If it be conceded then, that ihe Thessalonian church was
at that early day expecting the personal advent of Ciirist to judgment, and if it
be conceded that Paul had reference to the same event, we cannot admit the
supposition, that the Jewish Christian churches (lo whom he refers in 1 Thess.
2: 14, 15), were expecting as the next advent, the figurative or providential
coming of Christ to destroy Jerusalem. No doubt there was a unity of belief
and expectation upon this subject among the apostles, and consequently the
like unity among their converts. Yet Paul makes no allusion to any such
35 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
would be inconsistent with the doctrine of the personality of
the Holy Spirit, for it maintains, that the advent of the Spirit,
is the advent of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and
great glory, and such a notion, is also utterly repugnant to
John 16: 7 — Our Lord, it is there said, told his disciples, that
if he went not away, the Comforter would not come to them,
but if he went away, he would send the Comforter unto them,
— that is to say, his departure and absence were indispensable
to the advent and presence of the Holy Spirit, Why then, it
may be asked, may we not believe the advent, here spoken of,
to be yet future, and if future, as it is one of the things which
must come to pass before the coming of the kingdom of God,
it would follow that the kingdom of God here spoken of, is
yet future.
If this ])oint should be yielded, but it should be maintained
that the kingdom of God here spoken of, is not on earth, nor
in time, but the commencement of the eternal state; our next
proof shall be taken from the 7th chapter of the book of
Daniel. In this chapter the prophet foretells the rise and fall of
four successive kingdoms under the symbols of four beasts. The
vision was at first briefly interpreted to the prophet (in verses
17, 18) as follows: "These great beasts, which are four, are
four kings (i. e. kingdoms) which shall arise out of the earth, but
the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess
the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." It was the
fourth beast, however, which chiefly amazed the prophet (ver.
15 and 28) and about this he particularly inquired, (ver. 19
advent as these writers suppose. Yet if he had believed that tlie advent
which was next to occur, (would be at the destruction of Jerusalem, when
Christ would destroy the Jewish nation and scatter its inhabitants, among all
nations, and thereby propagate the gospel more extensivel}',) he might simply
have told them,— the personal advent of Christ which you are expecting, is
not impending, for that event will not occur until after another advent, which
will especially afiect the Jewish nation. No doubt, Paul was aware of the
impending destruction of the Jewish nation, 1 Thess. 2: IG. Yet he passes over
that event, and some others which he knew must occur previously to the per-
sonal advent of Christ, and fixes upon the revelation of the man of sin and
son of perdition as the sign, which they were to look for, as the precursor of
the very advent, which the Thessalonian church was expecting, while Jerusa-
lem was still standing. These intervening events, which were brought about
by the providence of God, are not spoken of in the .scriptures, as advents of
Christ. The whole church, whether composed of Jews or Gentiles, was then
looking out for only one, — and that the personal bodily return of Christ in
power and great glory — an event which our Lord foretold would come as a
snare upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth, Luke 21: 3'),
and in which the interest of the Thessalonian church was, as they supposed,
involved as well as that of the churches of Judea. The watchword of all the
churches, which comprised the sum of the Christian hope was, Maran atlia
"Dominus noster venit.'' Our Lord cometh. The figurative advent of the
destruction of Jerusalem, so often spoken of, cannot be proven by any exjilicit
text of scripture.
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 37
to 22.) He was then informed that *'the fourth beast should
be the fourth kingdom on earth," and this, by common consent,
is interpreted to signify the Roman empire. "Ten kingdoms
were to arise out of this fourth kingdom, and afterwards
another, which should be diverse from the rest." These ten
kingdoms are almost universally understood to signify, the
states or kingdoms which arose out of the Roman empire, in
the fifth and sixth centuries, and which continue with some
modifications to the present time. This diverse king or king-
dom is, by most Protestants, interpreted to signify the Papacy:
but by the Papists, it is understood to foretell antichrist,
which, in their opinion, is a power yet to arise, and will
flourish towards the end of time, during three years and a half.
Either of their opinions serves the present purpose, because
according to both the power of this little horn, diverse from
the first, is not yet destroyed. If the reader will now turn to
the 11th verse and the preceding context, he will find it stated
generally, that the beast (viz. this fourth beast) was slain and
his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. This
destruction of the whole beast involved of course the destruc-
tion of the horns and of the little horn. But in verse 26th,
where the explanation is given, tliis destruction is predicated
especially of the little horn, to which the preceding [viz. the
25th) verse wholly applies. "But the judgment shall sit and
take away his dominion, to consume and destroy unto the end,
and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the king-
dom tinder the zuhole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Now
we say, this kingdom which is given to the saints, arises sub-
sequently to the destruction of the little horn, because, in
verses 21 and 22, it is said, that the little horn made was with
the saints, and prevailed against them until the ancient of days
came, and judgment was given to the saints, and the time
came that the saints possessed the kingdom. By turning to
verses 9th, 10th, 11th, it will be seen, that the ancient of days
came at the destruction of the fourth beast. It is to be
observed too, that the kingdom which in verse 27th is said to
be given to the people of the saints, is (in verses 13th and 14th)
said to be given to one like the Son of Man, who came in the
clouds of heaven. It is also called the kingdom of the Most
High in ver. 27. It is, therefore, the kingdom of God as well
as the kingdom of the Son of Man and of his saints. It is
future, because it is not to arise till the destruction of the fourth
beast and of antichrist. It is a kingdom on earth, because it
is under the whole heaven, and because the subjects of it are
VOL. III. — 43
38 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
said (in verse 14th) to be all people, nations and languages
which are earthly distinctions. And it is also the kingdom
referred to in Luke 21: 31, because that kingdom comes nigh
only upon the apjDearance of the Son of Man coming in a cloud
with power and great glory, (compare Luke 21: 31 with Dan.
7: 13, 14.)
For another proof that the present dispensation is not the
final one upon the earth, but that we must look for another,
the reader may be referred to the form of prayer, commonly
called the Lord's prayer:
"Our Father who art {iv tok cygavw) in the heavens* — Hallowed
be thy name — Thy kingdom come — Thy will he done as in heaven
(«c fv eyjAVM referring to that holy, happy place, where God's will
is perfectly done) so on earth, Luke 11: 2. Matth. 6: 10. It
has been observed, that the prayers of inspired men are pro-
phetic of the things they are moved by the Spirit of Christ to
pray for. This opinion seems reasonable; for, we are taught
that in the case of common Christians, the Spirit helpeth their
infirmities, and makes intercession for them, according to the
will of God, Rom. 8: 26, 27. "He helpeth our infirmities,"
says one commentator, "for he teaches us to pray, dictating
to us our petitions," &c. "The Holy Spirit," says another,
"dictates those petitions and excites those desires, which
are according to the Divine purposes." Now if this be so,
can we doubt, that the petitions, dictated by the Saviour him-
self, are according to the Divine will? Does any Christian
require argument to prove, either that the Lord Jesus Christ
knew what is agreeable to the Divine will, or that he would
not dictate petitions of larger import, than the purposes of God
would authorize his followers to hope for and expect? Did
any Christian ever doubt, that in uttering the Lord's prayer,
he was putting up those petitions which are agreeable to the
will of God? Can that man pray in faith, who doubts
whether — rather we should say — who believes that it is not
according to the will of God to grant these petitions? (James
1:4.)
But before we proceed farther, we must notice an opinion
which is maintained by some — perhaps many, and which, if
well founded, would take away this ground of argument. It
Is this; that the Lord's prayer is not strictly adapted to the
New Testament dispensation — that it was delivered while the
Old Testament economy was still in force, and the setting up of
the new prayed for as future. That this form of prayer was given
♦ Not in heaven, as it is in our version. Hereby we address God as Omni-
present, as filling all heavens, — all worlds, and therefore, a^ being present in
this world and with us when we pray, "Our Father who art in the heavens."
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 39
while the 0. T. economy was in force, is undoubtedly true,
but the residue of this statement should be carefully examined
before it is adopted. The kingdom prayed for, was a kingdom
in which the will of God shall be done on earth, as it is heaven.
How is the will of God done in heaven? Has the present
dispensation realized a state of things on earth, even remotely
approaching to the exalted righteousness of heaven? We shall
leave these questions for the reader to answer. The apostle
Peter's expectations were, no doubt, in harmony with the
import of this prayer wlien he said, "Nevertheless we, accord-
ing to his promise," — and may we not add according to this
prayer too — "look for new heavens and" — mark it — "a new
earth, wherein dzvelkth righteousness." Those who maintain
the opinion, that the present dispensation was prayed for, by
the words "Thy kingdom come," (understanding the kingdom
to be really the present dispensation,) find herein a literal ful-
filment of 'the petition,— and understood in this sense, it was
fulfilled in a short time after our Lord's ascension; for then,
this dispensation Uterallq came: But why should not the fol-
lowing petition, also be iitc>rally fulfilled. Be it, for the sake
of argument, that "the kingdom of heaven" or "the kingdom
of God" spiritually, means the Christian Church or the pre-
sent dispensation, so that the foundation of the church, at the
opening of this dispensation, was the literal thing prayed for,
yet some portion of the difficulty remains: we cannot spiritual-
ize the petitions, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
In one sense the will of God is done on earth. Nothing
occurs but by his permission. He causes the wrath of man
and of devils to shew his praise, but the will of God is not
done on earth as it is in heaven, either literally or in any other
sense. But the fact is, the kingdom prayed for, is a kingdom
in which the will of God shall be done perfectly— and when
that kingdom shall be established on earth, the will of God
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Can we hope for or
expect any such state of things? If not, the Saviour would not
have taught his disciples to pray for it. Nay more, unless
God's word does teach that it is his purpose at some time, so
to establish his kingdom, and cause his will so to be done on
earth, we cannot put up this prayer with faith, nothing waver-
ing—nothing doubting, that what we pray for, is agreeable to
the will of God. Such thoughts indulged, would do dishonour
to the blessed name of him who taught us thus to pray.
But the scriptures do not authorize us to expect the literal
fulfilment of these petitions, during the present dispensation-
Many places may be cited to this point, but let the followmg
suffice. In Matth. 13: 24-30, we have the parable of the
40 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
wheat and the tares, or as it is called, (in verse 36th) "the
parable of the tares of the field." The interpretation was
given by our Lord himself, and it is recorded in the same
chap, (verses 37 to 43.) The passage is too long to extract,
but will the reader be pleased to open to the place and read,
first the parable and then the interpretation. In verse 24 he
will find, that "the parable was put forth" as a likeness of the
kingdom of heaven, and it teaches us that as the tares and the
wheat were permitted to grow together until the harvest, so
the children of the kingdom, and the children of the wicked
one will exist together till the end of this world, that is, (if
the reader will consult the original,) of this age or dispensation,
(oi/wo; ver. 40.) Then (and not before) the Son of Man will
send his angels and gather out of his kingdom all things that
offend, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a
furnace of fire, and then shall the righteous shine forth as the
sun ifi the kingdom of their Father, Matth. IS: 41, 43. This
parable teaches that the period which precedes the end of this
(a/avof) dispensation, is characterized by a mixture of evil with
good, and that it is the purpose of God to allow this mixed
condition to exist until the end of it. Until then the will
of God, therefore, will not be done on earth as it is in
heaven. And even if the visible church be the kingdom
of heaven here represented, the church (which is gathered
out of the world and ought to be better than the world)
will continue to be a mixed body, doing God's will imperfectly
at the best. But at the close of this dispensation a new and
more glorious order of things will commence — The Son of
Man will expel from the world, which belongs to him, and is
his kingdom, every evil, every malign influence, every offender
against his righteous law. Satan shall be expelled and con-
fined to the bottomless abyss: and then the righteous shall
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Nothing
is here said of the translation of tiie righteous to some other
orb — rather it would seem that they were in the kingdom of
the Son of Man during the period of mixture, and that the
separation was made b}' gathering out of it the evil, while the
good are allowed to remain. We observe here the same thing
which we noticed in the passage cited from the prophet
Daniel. The same kingdom is called the kingdom of the Son
of Man and tlie kingdom of the Father, and the righteous
shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father,
that is to say, they will be as sons of God in the kingdom of
God, and being sons, they will be conformed to the image of
Christ, that he might be the first born among many brethren,
(Rom. 8: 29.) But it should be observed, that the prayer is not
that the will of God may be done by the church or in the church
OP THE KINGDOM OF GOD. ^j
as it is la heaven. Now, altiiough the church, in one or
another of its forms, has embraced myriads of persons, destitute
of godliness, yet it never has comprised the whole human
family. The petition, however, is, thy will be done ofi earth
(that is by all those who dwell on earth) as it is in heaven.
Those then, who understand these petitions as having respect
to the church, or a dispensation, or order of things which
extends only to a part of the human family, very much abridge
the import of these petitions. Upon the whole then, may we
not conclude; this prayer teaches us to expect that at some
time hereafter, the kingdom of God will be established upon
earth in a more exalted form, than any thing the world has
hitherto witnessed, and that during that kingdom, the will
of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
There are many other passages in the scriptures which
prove the same doctrine. We should perhaps weary the
reader were we to attempt a detailed examination of all of
them. It may not be improper, however, briefly to refer to
a few, and leave it to the reader to investigate them at his
leisure.
In 2 Tim. 4: 1, we find this passage, "I charge thee, there-
fore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead, at his appearing aiid his kingdom."
There can be no doubt, that Paul here refers to a future per-
sonal advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, because he connects
with it, the judgment of the living and the dead. Nor can it
be doubted that the apostle also refers to a future kingdom of
the Lord Jesus Christ, for he connects that with his advent,
and his judgment of the dead and living.
Another passage, which seems decisive of the whole ques-
tion, is recorded in Luke 19: 11-27 — It is the parable of the
nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom
and to return. The nobleman undoubtedly represents the
Lord Jesus Christ — his departure into a far country to receive
a kingdom, denotes our Lord's ascension into heaven — the
return of the nobleman, denotes the second advent of our Lord
or (in the language of 2 Tim. 4: 1, just cited) his appearing in
his kingdom. The parable then goes on to describe two ini-
tiatory acts of government, or of his reign in the kingdom of
God. The scene of the transaction certainly is upon earth,
and the objects which enter into the scene are sublunar}'-
things. In reference to this parable, the Rev. E^dward Gres-
well remarked, "that the difliculty or rather the impossibility
of explaining it satisfactorily and consistently, upon any other
principle than that of a reference to the millenary dispensa-
tion, contributed as much as any thing else, to confirm his own
43*
42 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
belief in the futurity of that dispensation; and in fact, first to
draw his attention seriously to this subject. The difficulty
which was felt by himself, he is persuaded, will be felt by any
other person, who shall attempt to explain the parable, with-
out doing violence to it, and to find a counterpart for it, in any
economy or in reference to any kingdom of Christ whether
past or to come but that." The reader, if he has the oppor-
tunity, will do well to consult that learned writer's exposition
of this parable in vol. 4th (pp. 419 to 514) of his work on the
Parables.
The passage in Heb. 2: 5, is remarkable when considered
in the original, "For unto the angels hath he not put in sub-
jection the world to come, whereof we speak." In verse 14th
of the first chapter, we are taught that during this economy,
the angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for
them who shall be heirs of salvation; but the world to corner is
not put in subjection to them. Now what is this world to
come? Most Christians perhaps — and some who should know
better — would say, heaven is the world to come, which is
here intended — Dr. Scott seems to think, that it includes "the
dispensation of the Messiah and the millennium as connected
with heavenly happiness." "The times of the Messiah began
at the first coming of Christ and will continue till his second
coming," within which period that commentator believes the
millennium will occur, as it appears by other parts of his
commentary. It is difficult to understand Professor Stuart's
commentary on this verse. The words translated zvorld to
come, mean literally the habitable earth to come, tuv oixovjuivxv mv
fxiKKoua-av. These words, he says, are equivalent to o aimv o /uixxm,
that is, (as he interprets) the Christia?i dispensation, the world as
it will be in future. Dr. Owen observes, "that it denotes a
certain state or condition of things in this world," that is on
this globe, "for the apostle does not treat directly of heaven,"
and to call heaven "the world to come," because we are to
go into it, is, says Beza, "rather harsh."
Paul* refers doubtless to a future dispensation to be realized
* Dr. Bloomfield's note is very iinsalisfactor\', the paraphrase, or gloss, which
lie gives, is "the times of the Tew Testament." He adds, they are so termed
in the style of the prophets, who call this dispensation such symbolically,
(Ernesti.) SoDindorf. Doddridge explains it ol' the kingdom of the Messiah,
which extends not only to caith but to heaven. See Whilby and Macknight.
Slade thinks it probable, that the phrase refers to the state of the gospel here
on earth, that being what the apostle is .speaking of, and he refers to Acts 7:
53. Gal. 3: 19.
It is supposed that this epistle was written about the year 61 or C2, and the
world or dispensation to which tliis pas.sage refers, was then future, (/uixxova-av)
and yet the times of the N. T. had been running near 30 years, and the gospel had
been extensively promulgated in the Roman empire. But how the word
v;orld or inhabited earth, can signify a kingdom on earth and in heaven, and
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 43
on this sphere, — he means what Peter does by the nezo earth,
2 Pet. 3: 13, — he means what our Lord did by the (TruKiyyma-tci
Matth. 19: 28), regerieration or new creation, when the Son of
Man shall sit on the throne of his glory, — he means what Peter
did by the (a^TcxxTsts-Tao-sa)? TravTw Acts 3:21) reslitution of all things,
which will take place when the heavens shall no longer
receive (that is, detain) the Lord Jesus Christ. This habita-
ble earth to come — this new earth — this regeneration, and
restitution of all things, will be signalised and made glorious
by the fulfilment of Isaiah 6: 3. *<The whole earth is full of
his glory." That the glory of Christ (at his second advent,
when he shall come with power and great glory, and sit upon
the throne of his glory) is here foretold, will be evident by
comparing the place with John 12: 41, where this passage is
cited, and the glory which Esaias saw, is declared to be the
glory of Christ.
Again the apostle Paul in Eph. 1: 10, refers to a future
economy, which he calls the economy or dispensation of the
fulness of the times. This economy will begin when the
times of the Gentiles are fulfilled — when Jerusalem shall no
longer be trodden down by a hostile power, Luke 21 : 24, —
when God will return, and will build again the tabernacle of
David which is fallen down — and will build again the ruins
thereof and set it up, Acts 15: 16. Amos 9: 11. This Jerusa-
lem, though now trodden down, is yet the city of the great
king, by whicii men are forbidden to swear, as they are by
heaven which is God's throne, Matth. 5: 35.
This future kingdom is also predicted in Rev. 11: 15, 19.
It will be ushered in by the voice of the seventh angel. At
this trump, the mystery of God shall be finished, Rev. 10: 7 —
the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our
Lord — the dead will be raised — the servants of God will be
how the words to come, can signify what is present, it is hard to comprehend.
The difficiilt}' in which the commentators involve the subject, arises from
this: they assume as a settled point, that the present economy is the final one
on earth, and they endeavour to make every text bend to that theory. If they
would admit that this dispensation is only preparatory or introductory to
another, as this and other passages teach, many hard questions would be
solved. But as they will not do this, they are obliged to invent senses for
words which elsewhere they do not bear; and each commentator being guided
by his own view of what is probable, or plausible, or according to the analogy
o"f faith, their interpretations are discordant. Upon the ground of this dis-
cordancy, the Romanists build an argument for the necessity of an infallible
interpreter, and such they claim their church to be. Yet that church in truth,
took the lead in establishing false theories and false interpretation, and is in
fact the first author of them all. Errors of interpretation mav be less multi-
form in that church, but they are not less real nor less remote from the sim-
plicity of this truth; on the contrar}^ many of their errors are certainly much
more gross — and many are even subversive of the essential doctrines of the
gospel.
44 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
rewarded, and the destroyers of the earth will be destroyed,
Rev. 11: IS. Then will be fulfilled the promise made to him
tliat overcometh and keepeth Christ's works to the end — he
shall have power over the nations, &c. (See Rev. 2: 26,
with which compare Rev. 12: 5 and 19: 15. Ps. 2: 8, 9.)
But it is time to conclude this essay, and this we will do by-
recalling for a moment the reader's attention to a thought
expressed in a former paper. It was concerning this future
glorious kingdom, (of the saints — of the Son of Man — of heaven
— of God; for we have seen that each of these expressions are
used to denote the same kingdom,) that the Pharisees inquired.
Ignorant of their own obduracy and blindness, and consequently
having no proper conception of the holiness of tiiat kingdom,
or of tlie incapacity of depraved human nature to enjoy it, they
imagined that when it came to their nation, it would certainly
be established. They had Abraham for their father, and that
was a title which could not be defeated or lost, Matth. 3: 9.
They did not attend, therefore, with candour and care to the
proofs which our Lord gave them of his Messiahship, and con-
sequently were ignorant, that, meek and lowly as he appeared,
He was really the Lord of glory and the Prince of life.
Actuated by the Spirit of worldly politics, they rejected and
crucified him, lest the Romans, to whom they were already
subject, should come and take away their place and nation, not
knowing, and not believing that if they would accept of him
and his kingdom, he would gather and protect them in the
most affectionate manner, while the Roman power, and every
hostile power would have crumbled before him, and been dis-
sipated at his presence, like the chaff of the summer threshing
floor before a mighty wind, (Matth. 23: 37. Luke 19: 41-41.
Ps. 81: 10-15. Dan. 2: 34, 35. Ps. 2: 8, 9.) They had not,
therefore, the least conception that the loss of the glorious
kingdom about which they inquired, depended, in any sense,
upon their acceptance or refusal of the Lord Jesus Christ as
their Messiah. Thus blind and obdurate and unbelieving,
they "demanded rcheii the kingdom of God should come."
The Lord Jesus, knowing the character of the human heart,
and foreseeing full well the event of his ministry among the
Jews, answers them according to the intent of their question
and the foreseen event, and then reiterates the doctrine which
he had taught from the beginning. More than eighteen centuries
have already elapsed since this kingdom was taken from that
nation, and still it remains in abe3'ance, awaiting the termina-
tion of this economy, in which the Holy Spirit will prepare a
people who shall be willing to receive him in the day of his
advent in power and great glory. The Spirit and the bride
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 45
Say come, and let all who love our Lord's appearing say
come — Thy kingdom come. Even so, come Lord Jesus,
come quickly.
ESSAY IV.
<' The kingdom of God cometh not ivith observation.'^
Having proved sufficiently, as we suppose, in the preceding
essay, that the present dispensation is not the final one, but
only preparatory to a dispensation far more glorious, called in
the scriptures "the kingdom of heaven," and "the kingdom of
God," we now proceed to consider what is here affirmed of
it, namely, that it cometh not viilh observation — "non venit
regnum Dei cum observatione."
This expression is a singular one, and suggests the possi-
bility that it may not correctly give the sense of the original text.
Ov>c i^^irai » jia.(7tKuiL Tou Biiu fJiiTA Trct^xTn^Ho-iaic. AVe may affirm of two
material objects, that one comes with or without the other, or
figuratively we may affirm of things not material, that one
comes with or without the other: We may say, Peter and
John came to the sepulchre, but Peter came not with John —
we may say that pestilence does not always come with famine
— that with night cometh sadness, but joy cometh with the
morning, &c. &c., yet it is not in this sense that we can say,
the kingdom of God cometh not with observation. In the
examples given, "wilh,'" has the force of a conjunction, and the
sense is, that the two objects come or come not conjunctively
in the vicinity or company of each other. See Winer's idioms,
//sTtt. But observation, is an act of some agent, while the king-
dom of God is a great and glorious reality, which cannot be
said to come cojijurictively, with that which is not the subject
of an action, but is itself nothing but an action.* Feeling this
* Dr. Campbell thinks the expression "exceedingly awkward, not to say
absurd," and the awkwardness consists in his view chiefly in applying the idea
of "motion to a kingdom, as when mention is made of its coming, approaching,
and the like." Accordingly he translates the expression, "when the (/35ts-/A.«a)
reign of God should (i^x^rsu) commence." But the idea of motion is contained
in the word (e|;t''^="i translated by him) commence, and Dr. C. himself trans-
lates it in (the Lord's prayer), Matth. 6: 10. Luke 11: 2, by the word co7ne,
46 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
difficulty, commentators have sought for a theological sense of
the word observatio, at variance with its meaning in classical
Latin as the only means of overcoming it. One says* the
word is taken for a certain external and terrene splendour
of majest}', or for an illustrious and conspicuous pomp, by
which a thing may be discussed, {Bibliolheca sacra Petri Rava-
nelli.) Another sayst the word observatio, by a frequent He-
braism, by which the abstract is put for the concrete and its
subject, signifies a noted or illustrious and observable thing.
The sense of this passage, he says, J is "The kingdom of God
and Messiah will not come at his first advent, with any
splendid pomp and illustrious and conspicuous majesty, so that
it should necessarily be seen by all, and it should be said, "Lo
here, or Lo there, is his army, his camps, his standards.
Already he hath taken this or that city — here or there states
have taken the oath of allegiance to him," "as political king-
doms and kings usually come," &c. &c., (Mathiae, Flacii,
lllyrici, Clavis, ad verb observ.) Another commentator would
substitute for (cum observutione) "with observation," the words
(ita ut observetur ex externis (sc. circumstantiis) si animus
advertatur) "so that it may be observed, § immely, from ex-
which surely contains the idea of motion, "Thy reign," (not kingdom V'come."
But wherein is it less awkward to ascribe motion to reign than lo Kingdom,
and what is gained by substituting cmnmence for the word "come," in this
place, except, that it covers from the eye of a mere English reader, an objection
which would overturn his criticism on the word /Jao-l This change in the
translation, does indeed fall in very well with the hypothesis, that the present
dispensation of the gospel to the Gentiles is the "kingdom of God" spoken of
ill this passage. Without entering, however, into the question whether /Ssto-
may not mean "reign," it is sufficient to say it may mean "kingdom," and that
i^X-'^^ doe< mean rome, and that come does involve the idea of moiion, and the
expression in question is bj' no means uncommon. The awhKardncss of the
expression, as it appears to the writer, arises from a misconception and mis-
translation of the words /xiTo. tt-j.^'j.'t, — more particularly in conjoining things
unlike in kind, and in applying to both the idea of coming, which cannot be
understood of both in the same sense.
* "Pro externo qnopiam et lerreno majestatis splendore seu illustri et con-
spicua pompa ex qua aliquid possit agnosci."
t "Observatio usitato Hebraisnio quo abstractum pro concreto et ejus
subjecto ponitnr, significat rem noiam ant ilhistrem, ac observabileni."
t Regnum Dei ac Mcschiae non veniet in suo primo adventu cum aliqua
splendida pompa, ac illustri conspicuaque inajeslate, ut ab omnibus conspici
necessario possit, et dicatur "Ecee hie aut ibi ejus exercitus, ejus casira et
vexilla; jam cepit banc aut illam urbem, hie aut ibi civilates jam ei jurave-
runt," sicut politica regna ac regescum illustri superbaque pompa in omnium
oculos incnrrente lurba potentia ac majestate, venire solent.
§ Hardoin paraphrases the expression thus: "Non prtecedet Messiae et Dei
regnum signum aliquod, quod in coelo vel oere observari possit." The ex-
pression //ST* TragiT, he says is used for fAtrx a-yifAn<i-tni (signi datione), and bis
commentary is, "cum signo aliquo, quod observari in coelo possit Malth. 12:
39, usus est eo oh^crvationis verbo Plinius passim multis locis ut lib. 18, sect.
05." Cornelius a Lapide, another Jesuit, gives the following: "Regnum Dei
et Messiae non veniet cum prrovio apparalu, nee cum pompa externa militum,
equorum, curruum, ut ex ilia ip&um observare et certo praescire possitis, Sicut
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 47
ternal circumstances if the mind attend to them," (Munthe's
Observationes Philologicae.) Dr. Scott thinks the import of
the expression is this, "be conspicuous by outward splendour
and magnificent displays, like the triumphs of conquerors or
the coronation of kings and emperors." Others prefer the
marginal reading as being a more just rendering of the words
(fxiTu Trugurit^nTim;) ciwi observalionc, which is "with outward
show," viz. "the gospel dispensation is not ushered in with
pomp and splendour." Cartwright (Harm, in loco) observes
upon this place, that "the question was doubtless put in
mockery; for as Christ was continually discoursing concern-
ing the kingdom of God at hand, while there was no change
of external state among the Jews, wicked and malicious men
thought it a plausible pretext of vexing him. Therefore, as if
he were vainly prating and trifling about the kingdom of God,
they inquire of him tauntingly, when at length this kingdom
of God was to come. The Pharisees thought (and even to
this day the Jews are in the same error), the kingdom of the
Messiah would be carnal, like that of other kings, and they
thought Messiah would come with royal splendour and would
dwell in royal state either in Jerusalem or Samaria, (where the
royal palaces formerly were,) and that from his court, he
would give laws to all nations, and by his prudence and power
would cause all, who should acknowledge him as king, to
dwell securely and happily, under their own vine and fig-tree.
But Christ by his answer, shews that the kingdom of God
would not be (visible) a-far off', as if conspicuous in pomp:
and, therefore, they were greatly deceived, who were looking
for the kingdom of God with eyes of flesh, which is in no
respect carnal or earthly, since it is nothing else but the
interior and spiritual renovation of the mind; because he
teaches from the nature of the kingdom itself, that those act
perversely who look hither and thither, in order that they
may observe visible marks, as if he had said, "The renewal of
the church, which God has promised, is to be looked for
within, because by quickening his own elect into celestial
newness, he erects his kingdom in them: and thus he obliquely
reproves the sottishness of the Pharisees, who aspired after
regem certo adesse scitis, dum videtis prEevium ejus comitatinn, cum quali
vos regnum Messiae venturum piitatis, et jam quasi proximurn observatis.
Non poterit observari, ait glossa, quia non est coiporale ut putatis, sed
spirituale, quod jam, incepit. Cluocirca Cbristus venit sine pompa pauper et
humilis ut ostenderet regnum suum esse spirituale et divinuni, non corporale
et mundanum .... Non dicent: Ecce in Jerusalem est ihronus regalis
Christi: Ecce ibi regnat in magnificentia quasi alter Salomon: quia nonChristus
regnat in throne corporali sed in anima spirituali, dum illam per gratiam
suam regit et flectit ad omne bonum sicque earn dirigit ad legnum coeleste.''
48 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
nothing, except that which was terrestrial and perishing.
Yet it is to be observed, that Christ spoke only of the begin-
nings of the kingdom of God, because now we are beginning
to be made anew in spirit, according to the image of God, in
order that afterwards the entire renovation of us, and of the
whole world, may follow each in the proper time; concerning
which Paul discourses largely, Rom. 8: 23." Afterwards (on
the next verse) this author adds, "The scope, therefore, of the
answer of Christ, in this place, was to teach his disciples that
the kingdom of God was not to be restored at present with
external felicity and glory, but in spirit and faith, and that too
with the greatest affliction and severest temptations of the
citizens of this kingdom," &c. But there is no end to the
opinions of commentators on this passage, "congeruntur autem
variai interpretationes in eum," said Illyricus two centuries
ago, and they are not less various now than they were then.
But this variety and discordance of opinions, is a strong proof
that none of them has hit upon the true meaning of the pas-
sage. Many objections may be urged against these interpreta-
tions, but it is not our purpose to do more than merely
mention some of them. 1. These authors ascribe to the word
observation, a sense which it no where else has; in fact, the
sense is invented for this place. 2. The answer of our Lord
so interpreted, does not meet the stress of the question. The
Pharisees inquired ivhen {ttoti) the kingdom of God should
come, not {?ra,;) how or i?i what manner it should come. Now,
why should the Saviour avoid giving a direct answer to the
question, in the sense in which it was proposed to him?
Surely not for lack of wisdom; it would be impious to suppose
so — nor would he evade the question, by answering one that
was not put to him, because the actual question was one which
should not have been asked. In such a case our Lord would
have refused to give the information called for, and such it is
believed, was the purport of the answer. 3. This interpreta-
tion assumes, that the present dispensation of the gospel among
the heathen or Gentiles, is tlie kingdom of God. and that no
future dispensation on earth is to be expected. This opinion
it is believed, is not scriptural, for reasons given in a former
essay.
4. If the kingdom of God referred to in this passage, is that
reign or dispensation which shall be ushered in at the second
advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, with power and great glory,
it will come with external splendour of majesty — it will be a
noted, illustrious and observable thing — it will be conspicuous
by outward splendour and magnificent displays, compared
with which the pomp and the triumph of conquerors, and the
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 49
coronation of kings and emperors, are but as the light of a
glow-worm to the splendour of the meridian sun. The inter-
pretations opposed, resting as they do upon this assumption,
to wit, that the present dispensation is the final one, and, there-
fore, is the kingdom of God intended in this passage, will be
disproved, if it can be shewn that the present dispensation is
not final, but preparatory to the kingdom God, spoken of in
this passage. In the last essay this question was considered,
and some proofs were submitted to the reader which were
deemed decisive, although but a small part of the evidence
was produced. But waving further objections, we desire the
reader to consider the following suggestions.
The word (^a§stT»gKcr/f) translated observation, does not bear
that meaning precisely, nor does it bear any of the meanings
which, by interpreters, are given to the word observatio. In
fact it has some varieties or shades of meaning quite different
from those of the words by which it is rendered. It occurs in
the N. T. only in this place and only a few times in classical
Greek. Commonly it is rendered observatio, vaticinatio, aiigu-
rium. But the kindred words T^gsa and Tra^aTJigs* occur fre-
quently. The word Txgs* signifies to observe or watch a
visible object with the eye, Matth. 27: 36, 54—28: 4. Figu-
ratively it may signify to confine as in a prison, Acts 12: 5, 6.
Jude 6. 2 Pet. 2: 4, or to keep laid up, or to reserve for 'a
future time, 1 Pet. 1: 4, also to obey or keep* a command,
Matth. 19: 17. The word ^stgarxgsa) means to watch a thing
from a proximate position — or metaphorically, to watch closely,
narrowly, or with malicious intentions, Mark 3: 2. Luke 6: 7
— 14: 1 — 20: 20. Acts 9: 24. The word Trct^-^n^sa, also has the
general meaning of (puKu^a-ai to watch, to observe narrowly, or
attentively, or closely, from which we have the word •^vha.M
custody, keeping guard, a watch, or fourth part of the niglit,
(vigilia, exciibalio, quarta pars noctis.) "For a thousand years
in thy sight, are as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch
in the night, [<pvKctx.;iivvtj>trt.) Ps. (89: 4 in Ixx.) 90: 4. In
Luke 2: 8, we have the expression {<puxaa-7cvnr ^vkclkx; watching
watches), keeping zvatcli. See Luke 12: 38. Mark 13: 35.
May not the word 7ru^u.'riig^>,a-i; have a signification corresponding
with that of <piJX^K.>i, which, from signifying the act of icatching,
during a certain interval, comes to signify the interval itself.''
Both these nouns contain the abstract primary sense of the
verbs from which they are derived, and both the verbs signify
pretty much the same idea, and if <f)yAa;c« may be used to signity
* The word cpuKcia<rai is also used by Paul in the same sense, "For neither
they themselves vojuov <^uksLa-s-ov<riv keep the law, Gal. 6: 13. See also Acts 16:
4—21: 24. Rom. 2: 2G.
VOL. III. — 44
50 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
a stated interval or period, why may not 7r<tgar>i^>,a-i; have the
same signification? But if it be objected that the evangelist
would have used <pukaKii, if such had been his meaning, the
answer is obvious: The word <pvKaM» is by inveterate usage
confined to a short interval, and that a portion of the night.
It is, therefore, altogether inappropriate to express a period
upon the expanded chronology of prophecy, which has to do
with dispensations or ages. Taking that largeness of view,
which the Holy Spirit takes, when he calls a thousand years
a watch in the night, we may call (as Paul does in Rom. 13:
12) the whole period of the world's existence since the fall
and the curse, the night, and we may look forward to the
coming kingdom of God as the approaching day, "The night is
far spent, the day is at hand," &c. Elegantly, therefore, may
this word (Trag^tTx^iis-K) be used to signify a watch or a stated
interval, in this larger night of the world's apostacy, and of
God's displeasure towards it. It has not been restricted by
usage to any particular interval, and would, therefore, be
suitable (if such were the intention) to mark any determinate
period, however large, upon the scheme of the ages, or dispen-
sations which God has appointed and arranged, Heb. 1: 2.
Eph. 2: 7. In confirmation of this suggestion it may be
observed that the word 7r-j.gsLT>i^ia> is used (in Gal. 4: 10) to
express the solemn and religious manner in which the Jews
kept their festivals, and other solemn periods — "Ye observe
(7r=(g:tT;ig1/cr6s) days, and months, and times and years." These
solemn periods came after stated intervals, which were all
marked upon the Jewish calendar. But how could it be
known when these solemn occasions arrived? Only by dcr
noting the efllux of time from one festival to another. How,
for example, would the year of jubilee be known, but by
noting the efflux of years from the last year of jubilee; and
how could it be known precisely when any year was complete,
but by noting the efflux of months or days from its beginning?
It is upon the interval, therefore, that the mind must be fixed,
— the efflux of that, must be watched and noted, otherwise the
time of its expiring will not be known. B}^ an easy and
natural figure, the word expressing the act of watching (<^t/?.«crj-*v)
through a stated interval, may be used to express the interval
itself, (as <^vKa)i>, vigilia,) and such, it is suggested, may be the
figurative sense of the word 7r5tgaT);g«o-« in this place. But if
such be the meaning of the word, the preposition (^cst*) should
not be translated "with" but after. It may be objected, how-
ever, that fj.iTA when followed by a genitive is translated with,
whereas when it signifies after, it is followed by a noun in the
accusative, relating to time, as in Matth. 27: 63. "After {/^^c)
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 51
three days, I will rise again," Matth. 1: 12, "after (//st*) the
carrying away of Babylon." But ^sra is not uniformly trans-
lated zvilh when followed by a genitive. Thus we have the
phrase in classical Greek, ^sT'ow^ovT^vTav, "brevi post hasce res
tempore," shorlly after these things were doiie. In this expres-
sion oKiycv really qualifies /.tsra — (paulo post) and tcvtw is really
governed by /uira. thus qualified. Or we may consider the
expression under consideration elliptical, (and this is perhaps
the just view of it,) and supply the word km^ov or x^''^'"^ ^^ ^
word of similar meaning. The kingdom of God cometh not
after (/uita Kai^cv Tra.^u.'ngijTia);) SL seusoii, period, slated i7iterval of
(watching) observation, as your years of jubilee do, &c.
It may be added, this word is also used by Diodorus Siculus
in connexion with objects or events which naturally occur at
stated intervals, which must have been ascertained by the
careful observation and notation of time: such as the rising of
the Nile, and the rising of fixed stars, at Tm aa-T^m u^x'^torarat
TTsL^j.'TH^-na-ii;, pa. 6, D. , ix. voKKm Xi''^'^'' "^"^ ^agiT«g>;o-sa)C vagA Tot; AiyuTTTloic
ctv^yiy^niuium;, pa. 23, C. If this word then, be proper to denote
the action, of giving and continuing the attention through a
fixed interval, it may, consistently with the laws of language,
be used to signify the interval itself. This is proved incontesti-
bly by the use of the kindred words <?uxax;», vigilia, watch, to
signify the fourth part of the night. If the reader should
hesitate to give his assent to these suggestions, we would ask
him to consider whether the meanings commonly given to the
word observatioTi in this place, are not more unnatural, and far
fetched? Open the commentators, and write down in order
the various meanings they give to this word. Observation
means "an external and terrene splendour of majesty," "an
illustrious conspicuous pomp," "a noted or illustrious and
observable thing," "conspicuousness by outward splendour
and display," "outward show." But these meanings cannot
be extracted from the word, and as a further proof of it, the
reader may be challenged to produce another place, either in
sacred or secular literature where any critic has attempted to
force any one of these meanings either upon the word 5rag*T»g»s-;c
or observatio.* Without being tenacious, therefore, of the
* "Michaelis says, there is no classical example of this word (^rctgaT.), but
Kypke has produced three, from Plutarch, Antoninus and Longinus, to which
Bishop Marsh adds a fourth from Arrian. The sense prevailing in those
passages is attention, observation, which does not seem suitable here. I there-
fore prefer the interpretation of others: nametij, splendour, po7}ip, which faUs
under observation, or by its appearance particularly strikes the senses,"
BloomfielcVs Crit. Dig. in loco. The interpretation which Dr. Bloomfield
prefers is, by his own shewing, conjectural. It is not the classical sense, and
this is the only place in the IS'. T. where the word occurs. But Dr. Bloom-
field understands the phrase "Kingdom of God," in the Jewish sense, for the
52 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
meaning suggested in this essay, it appears to be much less
objectionable than those which are commonly preferred.
What then are we to understand by this expression, "The
kingdom of God cometh not with observation." By the
kingdom of God, we are to understand the glorious kingdom
which God will establish on earth under the reign of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This kingdom cometh not after a known, stated
interval, like the festivals, to which the Pharisees were so
much accustomed — it cometh not like the year of jubilee,
(which was typical of Messiah's kingdom,) the approach of
which could be accurately noted: — it cometh not like the
morning, whose approach may be determined by the efflux of
the successive watches of the night: It cometh not after a set
time, a revealed interval which can be observed. The answer
thus understood, denies the information which the Pharisees
demanded, and this we should expect, if the inquiry related to
the glorious kingdom of Messiah.
It is an objection to the common interpretation, that it
makes our Lord's reply to the question tautologous. The
kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall
they say Lo here! or Lo there! The kingdom of God being
spiritual, and the work of the spirit on the hearts of men not
being the subject of ocular inspection, its nature forbids that it
should be announced by one to another, saying Lo here! or
Lo there! This is pretty much the same idea as that derived
bv the common interpretation from the words "without obser-
vation"— But this expression was added to make the answer
full and perfect. It means, that it will not come in such a
way as to be a sign of its own approach, so that men may say
of it, Lo! here it comes! Lo! there it comes! If the kingdom
were to come like a visible object; if for example, it were to
approach as a cloud borne onward (even with the rapidity of a
tempest) from the horizon, men would have some, though brief,
premonition of its approach. But the sign of the coming of
the Son of Man, zvill be the Son of Man in heaven, Matth. 24:
30. The kingdom will come as the lightning which in an
instant, too brief to be noted before it is gone, shoots athwart
the heaven, and is seen by one observer as soon as by another,
and before either can say to the other, Lo here! or Lo there!
appearance and manifestalion of King Messiah, where it occurs in the ques-
tion, and indeed we can hardly suppose the Pharisees could put the question
in any other sense. But the plirase "kingdom of God," in the answer of our
Lord, he evidently understands in what is called the gospel sense — that is, in a
sense which seems suitable to the present dispensation. But the writer
believes that the Lord Jesus did not speak of this present dispensation, but of
his future glorious reign as Messiah. The sense of the word (^agotr.) whiph
has been contended for, has at least analogy to support it.
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 53
The two expressions then taken together, amount to this;
that by no possible means could the Pharisees get any previous
information as to the time of the actual coming of Messiah's
glorious kingdom; neither by watching the efflux of time, nor
by watching external objects. Not by the former means,
because the interval upon which its coming depends is not
revealed, and never will be, till the kingdom actually comes
in open manifestation — Not by watching external objects,
because the manner of its manifestation will altogether preclude
the possibility of such premonitions or notices.
It has been already suggested, that the remaining expression
in our Lord's reply is not, properly speaking, an answer to
the question proposed to him, but is in fact, a reiteration of the
great doctrine with which he commenced his public ministry.
It was suggested also, that the expression may be translated
so as to give it an adversative sense, which was called for by
the denial "that the kingdom of God had come," implied in pro-
pounding the question to which our Lord replied with so
much meekness, adding — "But indeed the kingdom of God
has come to you."
Yet if the reader should, after all, reject this explanation of
the expression (^stu Tragarx^xs-sa)!:, cum observalio7ie) "cometh not
with observation," it would not follow that he ought also to
understand by the "kingdom of God," the present gospel dis-
pensation: For there is another sense (as has been shewn
already) in which the glorious kingdom of Messiah cometh
not with observation, because it cometh at the conclusion of this
economy, the progress of which cannot be observed. It
cometh not (ita ut observetur externis circumstantiis si animus
advertatur) "in such manner that it may be observed by
external circumstances," because this economy furnishes no
circumstances which can denote its own approach towards
completion, and consequently, not any circumstances which
denote the approach of the kingdom of God, which will imme-
diately succeed this economy. And assuming (what we think
we have proved) that the kingdom intended in this passage, is
the future glorious kingdom of Messiah, this explanation of the
words, (if it be not their very sense,) is according to the truth
of the case. For consider this: had our Lord in framing- his
answer looked exclusively to men, he would have replied, the
kingdom of God would never come. He might have said to
the Pharisees "God has already brought this kingdom nigh,
and has freely and atfectionately offered it to your nation.
But your nation will not accept it. As far, therefore, as it
depends upon the will of your nation, it will never come.
But it is God's purpose in a little time, to offer this kingdom
44*
54 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
to the Gentiles, yet they are by nature like yourselves, and
they too, if left to themselves, will reject it also: When then
will this kingdom come? Never; if its coming is to depend
on the spontaneous acceptance of depraved men. It is God's
purpose, however, to establish an economy of grace, which
shall be carried on by the Holy Spirit, and in the meantime I
shall return to the Father, and the kingdom will be removed
from you. Large numbers will be constrained by the Holy
Spirit's influence, freely to embrace the offer of the kingdom,
and as the work of the Spirit advances, the kingdom, which
is now only relatively nigh to your nation, will draw absolutely
nigh to the world; so that when 1 come again in this kingdom
which I now offer, I shall find a people prepared by the
Holy Spirit, and made willing to receive me in that day
of my coming in power, Ps. 110: 3. And when this economy
of grace shall be fulfilled, by the accomplishment of the num-
ber of another elect nation, which shall so be prepared and
made willing by the Holy Spirit to receive me, then the
kingdom of God shall come. But if you will not accept the
kingdom, it is not for you to inquire when the kingdom will
come, nor upon whom God will bestow it."
Certainly the Saviour, in framing his. answer, had a tacit
respect to the economy of grace, which was about to be esta-
blished. The common opinion is that he actually spoke of it
under the name of the kingdom of God. The belief of the
writer is, however, that he tacitly referred to it as a means to
an end, which end was the kingdom of God, about which the
Pharisees inquired, and of which only he spoke. He made
no open allusion to the call of the Gentiles. The details of this
economy he never revealed. They were unknown to the
apostles. They are of course equally unknown to us. They
knew not the times nor the seasons appointed in reference
to this economy. They did not know but that God would
gather the elect nation out of the generation of men then alive,
or out of that and the next, or out of that and the next two, or
next ten, or next fifty. God did not reveal to them his pur-
pose in that behalf, nor did he reveal the number of his elect,
nor the times in which, nor the extent to which, his Spirit
should operate on the hearts of men in constraining them
freely to yield to Christ the obedience of faith. Evidently,
therefore, it was vain to inquire about the time of the coming
of the kingdom of God, as though its approach could be cal-
culated, by the effluxes of a chronological period, or be dis-
cerned by the progress of the economy of grace, of which it
will be, so to speak, the matured fruit.
The sum of what has been said upon this passage of scrip-
OP THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 55
lure, may be briefly staled thus: The kingdom about which
the Pharisees inquired, and to which our Lord had respect
in his answer, was the kingdom which at first was preached
by John the Baptist — and afterwards by our Lord himself
and by his disciples. It was the same which our Lord, near
the close of his public ministry among the Jews, declared
should be taken from them and given to another nation bring-
ing forth the fruits thereof. That kingdom was not the
Christian church, or the present economy of the gospel, in
which the Jews have equal but no greater privileges than the
Gentiles, but it was the glorious kingdom of the Messiah,
which will not be established upon the earth till the second
advent of the Son of Man in power and great glory. Of this
glorious and yet future kingdom, our Lord affirmed that it
Cometh not with observation, that is, it cometh not at the close
of a revealed interval, the effluxes of which can be observed,
neither will it draw nigh by gradual and visible approaches,
and thus become a sign of its own coming, so that one can
point it out to another — saying Lo here it comes, or Lo there:
The interval which actually existed between the time when
this question was put, and the time of the actual manifestation
of the kingdom of God, was the little portion which remained
of his own personal ministry, and the present dispensation.
But the length of this dispensation is not given, — we only
know that it will continue until the church of the first born,
or the mystical body shall be completed, under the adminis-
tration of the Spirit. Of course, as we cannot know how long
this dispensation is to continue, we cannot know, by the time
elapsed since its commencement, how far we are from the end
of it, and as we cannot discern the work of the Spirit, and are
not informed what numbers it will embrace, nor to how many
generations it will extend, we cannot know either how much
the Spirit has accomplished, nor how much of his work
remains. The last clause of the answer is not directly called
for by the question, but it was added on account of the denial
of his principal doctrine, which was implied by the question.
It is in fact a reiteration of the doctrine, which he at first
began to preach, and the expression, as we have shown, should
be translated, "but indeed the kingdom of God is come to
you," or "is come among you."
Some of the bearings of the doctrine contended for, in this
and the preceding essays, have already been adverted to. In
the first place, it was said, that it illustrates and enforces the
doctrine of the depravity of the human heart, and the doctrine
of election — that it explains why our Lord's ministry was
confined to the Jewish nation, and why the kingdom was
56 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
offered to that people exclusively in the first instance; that it
furnishes a reason why Israel has been preserved thus far as a
distinct people, and will be so preserved until the advent of
Christ in power and glory; and it serves to teach us humility
and to be tender hearted towards God's ancient covenant
people. There are several other points of doctrine upon
which the discussion has an important bearing. Some of these
will be briefly mentioned.
1. The opinion that none but temporal rewards were pro-
mised to the Jews under the Levitical economy is not well
founded. They were promised the blessings of Messiah's
kingdom — the very kingdom now preached among the Gen-
tiles, and which contained all those blessings which are now
urged upon the Gentiles as well as Jews, as motives to accept
it; and which kingdom, since it was rejected by the Jews,
will not be manifested until the second advent. The parable
of the marriage, under the imagery of oxen and fatlings, and
other things proper to a feast, represents the blessings which,
at first, were offered to the Jews, and afterwards to Jews
and Gentiles, indiscriminately. There is no change in the
good things prepared. The change is in the persons designed
to partake of them. A further proof may be cited from 1 Pet.
2: 9, where he quotes Exod. 1 9: 6, and applies it to Christians —
"Ye are — a royal priesthood — a holy nation," &c. (iiuathitcv n^iri-jjuct,
iSvo; i-yiov. See Ixx. Ex. 19: 6,) shewing that Christians are
substituted for the Jewish nation, to whom it was promised
originally upon condition of obedience, that they should be-
come ''the royal priesthood and holy nation." And the
apostle here probably alludes not only to Exod. 19: 6, but to
the words of our Lord recorded in Matth. 21: 42, 43, as the
reader may perceive by comparing these two verses with 1
Pet. 2: 8, 9. Besides, the blessing of being made kings and
priests unto God, which is the idea of a royal priesthood, is
several times mentioned in the Revelation as the rewards
which the saints will receive, Rev. 1: 6 — 5: 10 — 20: 6.
2. We see a reason for the uncertain duration of the present
economy, and are enabled better to understand why the early
Christians were impressed with a belief of the nearness of
Christ's second advent. If these views are correct, we are
not authorized by the scriptures to say, that a thousand years
or any other period must elapse before the coming of the
kingdom of God. But this subject requires a more extended
discussion than would be proper in this place. It will form
the subject of another essay.
3. Tliis doctrine also shews that the world holds its present
condition by the sufferance of God. The time of the fourth
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 57
kingdom was fulfilled when Christ came preaching the king-
dom of God— the times of that kingdom have been prolonged
in consequence (so to speak) of the unfaithfulness of Israel.
Their unfaithfulness (speaking after the manner of men)
created a new exigency, and required a new dispensation, m
order to give opportunity to gather another elect nation, {viz.
the church,) from among the heathen. It is, therefore, for the
sake of this church that the day of God's wrath is yet deferred
— As it was for Lot's sake, Sodom was spared during a little
space, (Gen. 19: 22,) so it is for the sake of his elect, that
God now restrains his wrath against the world. This is dis-
tinctly taught in Luke IS: 1-S, which belongs to the context
of the passage we have considered, and 2 Pet. 3: 9, 15, when
rightly understood.
4. These views also furnish a means of forming a correct
estimate of state-established religions. The gospel of the
kingdom was preached to the Jews as a nalion. Their state
being a theocracy, their religion was their law. They were
called upon nationally to accept of Christ and his kingdom,
which had come nigh to them. But since the fall and disper-
sion of that nation, the gospel has been preached to individuals
among all nations, but not to nations as such/^ The Gentiles,
therefore, are not called upon to establish the gospel by lavv,
but individuals (composing the nations) to whom the gospel is
sent, are called upon to embrace Christ and come out from
among the ungodly, by whom they are surrounded, and be a
peculiar people unto God. Those who shall believe will be
gathered out of the nations, and, like the newly invited guests,
in the parable of the marriage, will form a new community,
which shall take the place originally offered to the Jewish
nation. Besides, as the times of the Gentiles are prolonged
by the mere forbearance of God, and as the apostate nations
of Christendom themselves shall be violently destroyed, as
the enemies of Christ, when the church shall be completed,
to unite the church to the secular governments of the earth, is
the same thing as to unite it to powers hostile to it, and hostile
to Christ the Head of the church. The union must therefore
cease, before the Lord comes to destroy the nations, or the
churches allied with them must fall in a common ruin. Thus
much is intimated by the symbol of the fourth empire. The
* The same thought is expressed in Warburton's Julian, Book I. chap. I—
"that religion which elsewere, has only particulars for its subjects, had here
(i. e. among the Jews while they subsisted as a body politic,) a nation or
community, and what elsewhere, as far as concerns the Divine origin of
religion is a private matter, was here a public." This author, however,
accounts for the fact, in a manner quite diiferent from that suggested in this
essay.
58 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
little horn which was diverse from the rest, being a part of
the beast, and being in union with the other horns, was
destroyed by the same judgment which destroyed the body
and the other horns of the beast. Dan. 7th chap. However
much states or nations may have been benefitted by the esta-
blishment of religion by law, the church itself, has always
suffered from the union, being corrupted thereby; and this
effect upon tlie church, besides causing positive mischiefs of
enormous magnitude to the nations of Christendom, has de-
prived them of the salutary influence which an uncorrupted
church would have exerted.*
5. This explanation of the place we have been considering,
enables us better to understand the preaching of our Lord to
the Jews. He was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of
God, to coiifirm the promises unto the Fathers, Rom. 15: 8.
Being a minister of the circumcision, his ministry fell within
the period allotted for the duration of the Levitical economy,
and was confined to the Jewish people — and the object of iiis
mission, being to confirm the promises unto the fathers, (or the
promises made unto the fathers,) it of necessity included the
offer of tlie kingdom, which was the great promise in which
all others centred. The miracles which he performed, proved
him to be the Messiah, and to be invested with the right to
confer the kingdom upon the nation and establish it over
them, if they would receive him. And most of his public
acts and declarations, had respect to the office of preaching
this kingdom. But while he laboured assiduously and with
the most affectionate solicitude to prevail upon the nation to
receive him and his kingdom, he knew from the beginning
what would be the result of his ministry, both to the Jewish
nation and to the world at large, and many of his declarations
proceed upon the assumption of the foreseen event. The
passage we have been considering contains an example of both
kinds. Having the event of his ministry in view, he told
the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God cometh not with obser-
vation," and then he adds, "the kingdom of God has come."
♦ Such texts as Lsaiali 49: 23—52: 15— GO: 3, 10, 11, IG— 02: 2. Ps. 72: 9, 10,
11—138: 4. Rev. 21: 21, 2G, are unfulfilled prophecy. They are descriptive of
the condition of thing.s in the "world to come," — the millennial dispensation or
the yet future kingdonr of God. Yet Cornelius a Lapide, (in 2 Thess. 2: 4,)
when speaking of the honour shewn to the chief pontiff of the Roman
church (justifying it) says, "Denique hunc honorcin et reverenliam, Ecclesia?
in suo capite Pontifice a rcgibus esse deferendum, prcedixit Isaias, cap. 49:
23." "And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and queens thy nursing
mothers, they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth and
lick up the dust of thy feet.'' Those Protestants who agree in^assigning these
prophecies to the present dispensation, give a great handle to the Romanists:
for surely if any church has received such honours, or is likely to receive such
honours as these from the kings of the earth, it is the Roman church.
OF THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 59
The last expression he added by virtue of his office as a
preacher of the kingdom, and virtually it was a renewed offer
of that kingdom. Many passages may be cited in which the
Lord predicts his own sufferings and death, (Matth. 20: 17,
20 — 21: 33,41, John 12: 32, 34,) sometimes in plain language,
sometimes by way of parable. Now how can such passages
be reconciled with the opinion, that Christ came in the flesh
to offer and to establish his glorious kingdom over Israel?
The answer which the foregoing discussion suggests is, that
the offers of the kingdom were made in fulfilment of the pro-
mise which God had made to the fathers of that nation. He
did not dispense himself (if we may so speak) from making
the offer on the ground of the foreseen rejection of the king-
dom by the nation: While on the other hand, the predictions
which Christ made of his own sufferings, and death, and those
passages which purport that he came to suffer, proceed upon
the ground of the foreseen infidelity of the nation. We may
take the same distinction, in respect to many of the prophecies
of the Old Testament, but the subject is too large to be de-
veloped in this place.
There was a necessity that Christ should suffer, before he
should enter into his glory. In fact we cannot conceive, how
the promises could have been performed to the fathers and the
pious dead of that nation, without a resurrection. Nor can
we see how there could be a resurrection, except Christ had
died and had become the first fruits, (1 Cor. 15: 23.) May
we not say then, it was not more certain that numbers of the
pious of former generations of that nation had died, than that
the generation to whom the Lord Jesus Christ went, would
reject him? Does not Peter say as much in Acts 2: 23?
"Him being delivered by the delerminate counsel and fore-
knowledge of God, 5^6 have taken, and laith wicked hafids have
crucified and slain." See John 3: 14. Yet for all that, Christ
offered the kingdom to the Jewish nation, just as though it
were not certain they would reject it, while the nation, though
it was certain they would reject it, were guilty in doing so,
and drew down upon themselves the severe and long con-
tinued judgments of God. On the other hand: when advert-
ing to the issue and event of his ministry among the Jews,
and its consequences to them as a nation, as well as to the
world, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of these as equally within
the design of his incarnation, and as the very means which the
infinite wisdom of God had provided for the extirpation of
sin, and the renovation of the world and its restoration to the
forfeited favour of God. See note A. at the-end of this essay.
G. If these views are agreeable to the scriptures, they prove
QQ ESSAYS ON THE COMING
that the great salvation offered to us in the gospel of the king-
dom of Jesus Christ our Lord, will not be attained by the
whole human family. We have seen that this gospel was, at
the first, confined to one nation. Had that nation accepted it,
they would have become the saved nation, and the sole in-
heritors of the blessings of the kingdom, while upon the
kingdoms represented by the image, (see Dan. 2,) would have
fallen the severe judgments of God. But Israel, according to
the flesh, as a nation, rejected the kingdom, and thereby lost
it, and while some received Christ, and received from liim
power to become sons of God, John 1: 12, multitudes died
in their sins, of whom we can entertain less hope, than of the
heathens who never despised so great privileges, Matth. 12: 41,
42_22: 13to 36— 11: 20, 23. Luke 10: 13, 16. Rom. 9: 27 —
11:2,4. 1 Thess. 2: 14, 16. Rev. 7: 3, 9. But the nation having
rejected the kingdom, a new dispensation was opened for the
gathering of a people who, through the influences of the Holy
Spirit, shall be made willing to receive Christ and his kingdom,
when he shall come again. This substituted people are called
in Gal. 6:16, "the Israel of God." The word Israel, is a
name of national distinction, and can never be understood to
signify the whole human race. Yet none but the Israel of
God will inherit this kingdom, for they only will inherit the
promise made to Israel, according to the flesh in Exod. 19: 5,
6, viz. that they shall be a peculiar people, which certainly
implies that there will be other people who shall have no part
in these privileges.
7. Finally, we may observe a difference between the rejec-
tion of the Lord Jesus and his kingdom, by the Jews as a
nation, when he came to them personally, and the rejection of
him and his kingdom by sinners under this economy of the
Spirit. The voluntary, and guilty rejection of the Lord Jesus
by the Jewish nation, was an event which lay in the train of
means appointed for the redemption and salvation of the lost
race of Adam. No nation ever before or since were placed
in such a position, or under such momentous responsibilities,
as were the Jews of that generation to whom the kingdom
was (not prophesied of, as future, but) preached as come.
While the Jews sinned awfully in crucifying the Lord of
Glory, his sufferings and death caused by that sin, were an
ample provision for its atonement and pardon. Our blessed
Lord while on the cross prayed for them, "Father forgive
them for they know not what they do." And this may help
to explain why the sins they committed against the person of
the Son of Man, could be forgiven, while the sins wliich they
afterwards committed against the Holy Ghost, could not be
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 61
foro-iven. But the rejection of Christ by sinners now, (during
thl? dispensation of the Holy Spirit,) does not lie in thetrat7i
of means, leading to the atonement. If Christ be rejected
now, it is not followed by an act of atonement; and though
from the identity of its nature, with the sin of the Jews, who
rejected him in person, it is called by the apostle (Heb. 6: b)
crucifying him afresh, yet God has provided no way in vvhich
it can be pardoned. It does not effect that which atones for it.
There remaineth not to us, (if we crucify the Lord afresh, as
there remained to the Jews who rejected him in the flesh, aiid
delivered him to the Gentiles,) a (8.^;a) sacrifice for the sin,
but the next great event (since the death, resurrection and
ascension of our Lord) in God's arrangement, is a teartu
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation at the second
advent of the Lord, when he shall come without sin unto the
salvation of those who look for him and to establish his king-
dom on the ruins of every hostile power.
NOTE A, TO PAGE 59.
In order to appreciate this remark, the reader should separate (at least
in his own mind) under distinct heads, the piMic and the private teachings
and acUngs of the Lord Jesus. There is a marked distmclion between these
different portions of the gospels. To the multitudes he spoke m parables,
an^SLJu a parable spa1<eL not unto them, Matth. 13: 34 but when alone
S his disci Jles he expounded all things unto them, Mark 4: 34. Luke 8:
10 To his disciples in private, he predicted his own rejection and crucifixion
n plain terms, Luke 18: 31, 34-9: 2'2, but to the people in public he announced
he event bv ak allegorv, John 2: 19. The destruction of Jerusalem and of the
emple and the dispersion of the Jews, he foretold to his disc-iples privately,
wUh -reat minuteness, at the close of his public ministry in the prophecy on
SMcun,7Matth.2i: Mark 13. Luke 21,) but the same event he had fore-
told to the people publicly only by parables, or in general terms^ MaUh. 21: 33,
43-22-7-23:38. Luke 13: 35-20: 16- 19: 43, 44. When Peter m private
confessed him to be the Christ of God, the Lord strictly charged them to tell
no man that thing,Luke 9: 21. Mark 8: 30. Even son.e of his miracles which
were done privately he did not allow to be published, Mark ■-^^-^■J^'
Luke 8- 5G. The transfiguration was a miraculous display pi the glory ot
Christ, which only three of the disciples were allowed to witness, and the}^
were strictly enjoined not to tell any one of it, till the Son of Man should be
risen f om he dead, Mark 9: 9. Matth. 17: 9. See Luke 9: 36. Compare also
[ire instruction which was privately S'^en to N.codeinus concermng the
kingdom of God, with the answer given to the Pharisees in Luke 1/. 20 21
whfch we have been considering, or with any public i"st"'ction which he
Tave concerning the kingdom of Heaven. In the conversation with Nicode-
mnl Christ said that which, by necessary implication, deprived that nation of
the very kingdom he went about publicly preaching. "Except a man be
born a-ain he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man be born of
wier and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." The nation must
VOL. III. — 45
62
ESSAYS ON THE COMING
be newly created before they could enter the kingdom he was preaching. He
declared to this Pharisee his own rejection and crucifixion by applying to
himself the type of the serpent, which Moses lifted up, John 3: 14. In vain do
we search for declarations as plain as these on these subjects in his public
ministration. Another remarkable instance, is the conversation with the
woman of Samaria. This was properly a private or (if we may so say) extra-
official teaching. The reader may perhaps require a proof of this. II so,
let him recollect that Christ was the minister of the circumcision, Rom. 15: 8,
He forebade his disciples to enter any city of the Samaritans — he coniined
them to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matth. 10: 5, 6. He declared he
was not sent, save only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matth. 15: 24.
Of course his office as a minister of tlie circumcision did not call him into
Samaria, and hence John takes cares to tell us, that he did not go there except
by a sort of necessity. He must needs go through it, John 4: 4. Of course
what he said to this woman, was not in the official character of the minister
of the circumcision, but was a private instruction, given by the way on his
journey from Judea to Galilee. Yet in this private extra-official teaching, he
declares plainly that the temple worship at Jerusalem would soon cease,
and a period (*|a) or economy would ensue in which spiritual worship would
be rendered fo God acceptably in other places besides Jerusalem or Samaria.
Now what we wish the reader to remark is this, that in the various private
instructions of our Lord, he gives much more distinct intimations of the issue
of the Jewish economy, and much clearer intimations of the future, than he
did in his public official teaching in the temple, and elsewhere to the scribes,
pharisees, lawyers and the multitudes. The reader is desired to search the
four gospels, and see whether the fact is not so. How then is it to be
accounted fori — and how do the views expressed in these essays, help to
explain this factl Why thus: The Lord Jesus went officially to that
nation, and offered to them the promised kingdom. He exhibited sufficient
proofs of his Messiahship, to convince the nation of his rightful claim to that
character, if their hearts had been right — and proofs sufficient to fix upon the
nation guilt in rejecting him. Bat they were not such proofs as would com-
mand the assent of the mind against the inclination of the heart. Now, it is
easy to conceive, that the Lord Jesus Christ could have made such exhibitions
of his glory and his power, as would have stifled the suggestions of their evil
hearts, and secured an outward national acceptance of his person, without a
renewal of their natures, but without which they could not see or enter his
kingdom. Take for example, the transfiguration. Had the Lord Jesus been
transfigured in Jerusalem, at a great festival, upon the pinnacle of the temple,
what would not its effect have been upon the minds of people and rulers'?
Yet it was not sufficient to get the assent of their minds; the renewal of their
hearts was necessar)% The miracles, therefore, as well as the public instruc-
tions of the Lord Jesus, were not arbitrarily given or performed, but all were
divinely appointed — the kind of instruction, as well as the quantity of it — and
the kind of miracles, as well as their number — and all of them suited to
the end designed. Our Lord declared explicitly of his public teaching, that
he said nothing of himself, and did nothing of himself, but all as he was
directed by the Father, John 8: 28—7: 17— that his works were sufficient
to convince them of sin, because they were such as no other man ever did,
John 15: 22, 24. They were such as were especially appropriate to prove
him, not merely a teacher sent from God, as Nicodemus acknowleged him to
be, (John 3: 2,) but the Messiah, that prophet king whom they expected, John 6:
14, 15. The appropriateness of his miracles to prove him not merely a pro-
phet or teacher come from God, may be inferred from the answer to John,
when he sent to inquire, "art thou (o ie_x^,u^^o^) the coming one" the Messiah,
"or should we expect anotlier.'' The answer is a reference to his miracles;
the import of the answer was, that he was the Messiah, Matth. 11: 3, 6. Yet if
these miracles might as well be expected from any other prophet or teacher
come from God, as from Messiah, liow could John determine from these mira-
cles whether he was the Messiah or not] While, therefore, the public
teaching and miracles of Christ, were given according to the Divine purpose,
and in such measure as would fix guilt upon the nation in rejecting Christ,
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 63
and were limited to that measure and end, his private instructions to his
disciples and to others, who approached him with a teachable Spirit, extended
to matters which, if we may so express it, were not appropriate to his official
relations to the nation as such. The place we have undertaken to explain,
when compared with the instruction given to Nicodemus, alibrds an illustra-
tion ot what we mean. The Pharisees asked our Lord a question concerning
the ti7}ie of the coming of the kingdom of God. He does not enter into a dis-
course concerning its nature, or the preparation of heart, which are requisite
to enter the kingdom. He tells them nothing concerning his crucifixion or of
his being lifted up; but answers their question fully and plainly, as we have
seen. Yet he adds, (still in his character of a public teacher,) "But indeed the
kingdom of God has come to you." It may be supposed that the verses follow-
ing this answer, are at variance with this suggestion, inasmuch as they enter
with some detail in the events which were soon to follow. But although re-
corded by Luke, as if this instruction to the disciples followed immediately up'on
the answer to the Pharisees, we are not obliged to suppose that it was uttered in
their presence or hearing. In fact, the instruction is so similar to that which
was given privately to the disciples or some of them on the Mount of Olives, it
seems hardly probable, that the portion of the 17th chapter which follows verse
21, (and proceeding as far as the 8th verse of the 18th chapter,) was delivered
publicly or in the hearing of any but the disciples. Indeed Luke records it as
said to the disciples, (see 17: 22,) not as said to the Pharisees. We have
another observation: The most striking peculiarity of the gospel of John, in
the view of the writer is, that it contains in a far greater proportion than the
other gospels, these private instructions of our Lord. In the first four chapters
but little is recorded of his public teaching, and nothing of that nature occurs
after the 50th verse of the l-2th chapter. It is commonly supposed this gospel
was written about the year 86 or 94 — it is sufficient for the present purpose to
say, it was written the last of all, and after the gospel had been extensively
promulgated throughout the Roman empire. It was written at a time when,
by the demonstrations of the Spirit, no one could be at a loss to understand
what (Nicodemus found it impossible to conceive) our Lord meant by the new
birth — the birth of water and of Spirit — it was written after the temple tvor-
ship had ceased, and the (&>§«) period or dispensation of Spiritual worship had
commenced among the nations, according to the prediction of the Lord to the
woman of Samaria. The Comforter had come, and his office and power were
understood and felt in his operations, not within the limits of Judea alone,
but wherever the gospel had been carried, John 15: 8. Now these more private
matters of instruction, had a stronger — a plainer and a more important bear-
ing on the Gentile economy, than any which were contained in his public
official discourses to the Jevvish people, and hence the chief reason perhaps
for writing this gospel. It was important that Christians, who saw these
wonderful works of the Spirit, and their bearing upon the world at large,
should know that they had been distinctly foretold by our Lord during his
personal ministry. The public preaching of Jesus to the Jews as a people,
belonged not to the present economy, but to the Levitical. Being exclusively
addressed to Jews, the Gentiles became interested in it subsequently, and only
incidentally, as in many other things pertaining to the Levitical dispensation.
For example when He began to preach, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom
of God is at hand, repent ye and believe the gospel," he announced an event,
and urged a duty with which that nation was chiefly concerned. Had the
nation, as such, believed the gospel, and received the kingdom, they would
have continued to be, as we have shewn, the elect nation; Gentiles could not
have shared in the blessings which he then oflfered exclusively to the Jews.
Let us not be misunderstood. We do not deny, but rather affirm, that in our
Lord's public teaching, many truths are stated, which as much concern the
Gentiles as they did the Jews to whom they were privio^rihj addressed. Thus
when he tells the Jews, "no man can come to me except the Father which
hath sent me draw him," he announces a universal truth, as interesting to us
Gentiles as it was to the Jews. As originally used and applied (John 6: 44
and context) in a public discourse to the Jews, it intimated that they could not
repent and receive the gospel and the kingdom, which he was then engaged
Q4 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
in preaching, without Divine assistance, and therefore they would lose that
kingdom, unless the Father interposed and inclined the nation as such to
receive him. Events have shewn (and the scriptures predicted them) that it
was not the purpose of God thus to interpose in behalf of that nation; but to
leave them to themselves; to let them stumble and fail, in order that he might
open a new economy in which Gentiles should share with Jews. Yet observe
how much more minute is the instruction on this head to Nicodenius, and
how much more plainly he refers to this present economy in his private con-
versation with a stranger (Luke 17: 18) in Samaria, than he does in his
public discourses to the Jews. The fact, that in these private discourses our
Lord more frequently anticipates the issue of his public ministrations to that
nation — that he lifts the veil more frequently, and shews more clearly to
private inquirers, coming events, as well as the nature of the new dispensation
which was to follow his ascension, as well as the means by which it would be
carried on, give a peculiar value to these private discourses, owing to their
appropriateness to the present dispensation; and this fact supplies perhaps, as
has been suggested, one of the chief motives for writing the gospel of John.
But we shall not pursue these observations any farther. What has been said,
may serve as hints to classify the contents of the gospels, with reference to
their bearing respectively on the ministry of the circumcision and the dispen-
sation of the Spirit. They may also serve to point out the chief distinction
between the gospels and the Epistles of the N. T. We conclude this diffusive
note, by recalling the reader's attention to the point which these observations
were intended to illustrate, viz: that the doctrine advocated in these essays,
enables us better to understand the preaching of our Lord to the Jews. His
public official teaching and preaching of the kingdom to the Jeicish nation as
such, urging their acceptance of it, and of him as their JVlessiah, and of his
miracles which were wrought for the purpose of inclining the nation to close
in with his offer, had reference primarily to an object which failed, and which
he foresaw would fail. Yet the failure was not so distinctly announced by
him in his public discourses, as it was in his private intercourse with his disci-
ples^and others, nor was it publicly announced even in parables, till near the
close of his ministry. Whereas privately that event was told by our Lord at
least inferentially from the beginning of his ministry, John 3: 14, 3, 5.
ESSAY V.
" The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.^^
Tindal, the author of the infidel work called "Christianity
as Old as the Creation," makes the following remarks upon
the prophecies. "As to the prophecies in the Old Testament
I must confess my ignorance, that I do not understand them
As to those prophecies, if they may he so called,
in the New Testament, relating to the second coming of
Christ and the end of the world, the best interpreters and
commentators own the apostles themselves were grossly mis-
taken, there scarce being an epistle but where they foretell
that those times they wrote in were lempora novissima (the
last times), and the then age the last age, and those days the
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 65
last days, and that the end of the*\vorld was nigh, and the
coming of Christ at hand, as is plain, among other texts, from
1 Cor. 10: 11. Rom. 13: 11, 12. Heb. 9: 26. James 5: 7, 8.
1 John 2: 18. 2 Pet. 3: 12, 13; and they do not assert this as
a mere matter of speculation, but build motives and arguments
upon it to excite people to the practice of piety and all good
works." He then cites the following passages as examples
and proofs of these positions, Phil. 4: 5. Heb. 10: 24, 25. 1
Pet. 4: 7, 8. 1 Cor. 7: 29. 2 Pet. 3: 11, 12. 1 Tim. 6: 13, 14.
1 Cor. 11: 26. 1 Thess. 4: 15, 16, 17. In another place this
author limits or qualifies the saying of our Lord (Matth. 24:
36) that, "of that day and that hour, knoweth no man, no not
the angels of Heaven, but my Father only;" by the assertion
in verse 33d, that "this generation shall not pass away till all
those things be fulfilled," so that he would have us to under-
stand 0U& Lord as saying that, though the day and the hour of
his advent was unknown, yet it would be within the life-time
of the men then living. From the whole he infers that "if
most of the apostles upon what motives soever were mistaken
in a matter of this consequence, how can we be absolutely
certain that any one of them may not be mistaken in any
other matter? If they were not inspired in what they said in
their writings, concerning the then coming of Christ, how
could they be inspired in those arguments they build on a
foundation, far from being so? If they thought their times
were the last, no direction they gave could be intended to
reach further than their own limes."
This is an insidious argument, but it rests upon a false
interpretation of the scriptures. No deist can, consistently
with his own principles, deny that God has a right to deter-
mine how far and in what way he will reveal himself and his
purposes to men. None can believe for a moment, that a
Being of infinite attributes — the God whom we adore — is
under an obligation to make known to men in their present
state, all His purposes. To receive such knowledge, would
require an infinite expansion of the human faculties, and in
fact, the exaltation of man in knowledge infinitely above the
highest order of finite beings. Nor can any reasonable mind
believe, that God is under obligation to reveal to men such
and so many of his purposes as they can comprehend. The
deist must admit that God in these and all other respects, is
rio-htfully a sovereign — and that he may give or withhold, as
seemeth good to bim. Such at least is the character which
the holy scriptures ascribe to God, and that is all that we need
assume in reply to an argument which rests upon the allegation
45*
66
ESSAYS ON THE COMING
that the scriptures do noPcontain a full declaration of all that
God, in his providence, has accomplished.
Now the scriptures teach us, that God has purposed that the
Lord Jesus Christ shall at sojne time return to this earth. Thus
much is revealed beforehand. They also teach that the time
of his second coming, though purposed immutably, shall never
be revealed to angels or men, except by the event itself, Matth.
24: 36. Mark 13: 32. Luke 21: 34. Acts 1: 7. The first of
these revelations furnishes the ground of a rational and confi-
dent expectation of the event, while the second, forbids every
man from saying or believing, that it may not occur in his own
life-time. Now these were the revelations which were given
to the apostles, and this (generally stated) was the mode in
which (as it appears to some persons) they applied them. A
prophet is no more than any other man, in respect to things
which God does not reveal to him: but as believers, having
immortal interests depending on these truths, the apostles
would be justified in using the revelations actually made, as
motives for their own conduct, and to influence the conduct of
others. They could not be said to be mistaken in their cha-
racter of prophets, because they did not foreknow things not
revealed to them, nor can they with justice be said to have
been mistaken as men, or as Christian teachers, because they
inferred from the absolute uncertainty of the time of the
coming of an absolutely certain event, that it might come to
pass in their life-time. For let it be supposed that any of the
apostles had been inspired to declare, that the second coming
of Christ would not occur till after the lapse of many (10, 20
or 30) centuries, such a revelation would so far forth put the
times and the seasons out of the power exclusively of the
Father, which it was his purpose, in the most absolute way, to
retain exclusively within his power. For the doctrine is, that
neither men nor angels shall be inspired to tell when the
event shall 7iot be, any more than to declare when it shall be,
but for aught that either can know, it may be indefinitely
near. Let it be admitted then, that the conclusion from these
two doctrines is just and rational; that for any thing the apos-
tles could certainly know, the second advent of Christ might
have taken place in their life-time, and we have a motive of
the greatest power in producing personal vigilance and holi-
ness. For the possibility (judged of according to sound
reason) is of infinite moment to the individual.
But this is not stating the argument in its full force. It
must be admitted, that a teacher sent of God, to instruct men,
is bound to declare the message with which he is charged.
Now if it should be found that the Lord Jesus Christ himself,
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 5-7
urged this ignorance oi men of the time of his second coming as
a motive to personal watchfulness, and if he sent the apostles
to teach mankind the same doctrines, which he had taught
them, and urge those doctrines by the same motives, surely
their obedience to their master in executing their commission,
cannot be alleged as a proof, that they were grossly mistaken
in regard to the time of the second coming of Christ, (Matth.
28: 20.) While, therefore, it is conceded that the apostles
constantly appealed to the second coming of Christ, not as a
*'mere speculation, but to build motives and arguments upon
it to excite the people to the practice of piety and all good
works," we deny that they were grossly mistake?!, or that they
reasoned fallaciously, or deceived others, or did that which
was at all inconsistent with their claim to be inspired teachers.
The event does not prove that they were mistaken, for they
never taught that the day of Christ would certainly come in
their life-time. They did but derive motives from an event
designedly left in absolute uncertainty by the spirit of God,
for the very use which they made of it; — nay more, they did
but imitate the example and obey the express commands of the
Lord Jesus Christ, (Matth. 24: 48, 51. Luke IS: 8 — 21: 35.)
Let us suppose for a moment, that the ministers of the gospel
of the nineteenth century, were one and all to preach the same
doctrine which this infidel writer saj's the apostles taught, and
that, "not as a speculation, but to build motives and arguments
upon it, to excite people to piety and all good works," might
not the men who shall live in the twentieth century of ihis
present dispensation, with equal reason, charge them with
being grossly mistaken? But this question itself assumes
what no man or angel knows; for who, of the generation now
on earth, knows with certainty that God will continue this
present dispensation, or the world in its present condition, yet
another century? Who can say how long he will restrain
his wrath against the abominations of wicked men? Who can
say how long it will be, before he shall have accomplished the
number of his elect? Who can say that the advent will be
delayed a day.or an hour after the last of God's elect shall be
born and born again? Under the Old Testament economy,
the chosen people of God had divine assurance that their
nation should be preserved until the coming of the Messiah.
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver
from between his feet, until Shiloh come," Gen. 49: 10. The
same promise was involved in the words of Isaiah to Ahaz,
Isa. 7: 1, 16. Rezin, the king of Syria, and Pekah, king of
Israel, were besieging Jerusalem. The prophet was com-
manded to bid Ahaz to take courage, for the design of these
^§ ESSAYS ON THE COMING
confederates should not succeed: Ahaz doubted, and to remove
the doubt, he was commanded to ask a sign. He refused to
do so. The prophet replied, the Lord himself shall give you
a sign: "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and
shall call his name Immanuel," a promise which was not ful-
filled till nearly seven hundred years afterwards, by which, it
was manifest that the house of David should not be destroyed,
or Jerusalem come under the power of Damascus, before the
birth of the Messiah. Ahaz, therefore, had nothing to fear
from the besieging enemies, either for Jerusalem or the house
of David, inasmuch as the Messiah was to arise from that
house. Hence this promise was a sign, (or rather a certain
proof,) that those enemies should not prevail. Ahaz did not
indeed know how long it would be until the birth of the
Messiah; but afterwards during the captivity, the angel Ga-
briel was commissioned to inform Daniel of the times deter-
mined for that purpose, Dan. 9: 24. These promises involved
the continuance of this (sr;^»^* tsu xoo-^ou) order of things, until
the seed should come, who should bruise the serpent's head.
So since the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the cove-
nant of God in Christ alone, which prolongs the present order
of things. God has made no covenant with the world, that
he will spare it a day. He is not slack concerning his pro-
mise as some men count slackness, 2 Pet. 3:9. So far from it,
he continually restrains his wrath against it for the sake of his
elect — such is the meaning of 2 Pet. 3: 9, (See Oecumenius
cited by Macknight,) and of Luke 18: 7. The covenant of
God, that Christ shall see of the travail of his soul and be
satisfied, must be fulfilled. Time must, therefore, be given
that all those given to Christ should be brought to repentance
under the administration of the Spirit. In other words, as
before the coming of Christ, the house of David must be pre-
served till the promised seed should come; so now, since the
coming of Christ, the present order of things must be pre-
served, not because God is well pleased with it, but because
the mystical body of Christ must be completed — just as Sodom
was spared a short space, not for Sodom's sake, but for the
sake of Lot, to whom the angel said, "Haste thee, escape
thither, (to Zoar,) for I can do nothing till thou be come
thither," Gen. 19: 22. Now if it be true that the number
given to Christ is no where revealed, nor the number of
generations out of which they are to be gathered, revealed,
could the apostles know that the exigencies of the covenant
of grace might not be satisfied out of their own generation.''
Could any Christian of any subsequent age, assuredly know,
that the mystical body of Christ would require a larger nutn-
ber than it was the purpose of God to call from his own
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. QQ
generation? Can any man, now alive, be assured that ten
centuries and more are still requisite to this end, seeing that it
depends on the secret purpose of God? In this sense — as was
observed in a former essay — the kingdom of God cometh not
with observation. This spiritual building is concealed from
the eyes of men. They cannot discern its progress, so as to
mark its approximation towards (or rather how much it lacks
of) completion. Yet they know that it has long been in pro-
gress, that it is now in progress, that it is every day drawing
nearer to its completion. But when it will be completed, or
after what interval it will be comj)leted, was not revealed to
the apostles, nor has it been revealed to us, although the Pro-
vidence of God has made us, who now live, certain of many
things of which all former ages were ignorant. But to re-
sume. It is profanely absurd to argue that a true prophet
must be omniscient. No deist can, without renouncing all
reason, deny that God can inspire a man certainly to foretell
OTie single event without more. The Bible itself purports to
be a revelation, which has been made in many parts, (Heb. 1:
],) and no Christian supposes that any prophet was inspired to
foretell more than the part committed to him.
But waving these general considerations, the reader is re-
quested to consider attentively the instructions and exhorta-
tions of the Lord Jesus Christ upon this point. The following
passages may be selected, Matth. 24: 36. Mark 13: 32. Acts
1: 7. (Comp. Dan. 12: S, 9.) Matth. 25: 6. Luke 17: 26, &c.
—21: 34, 35. (Comp. 1 Thess. 5: 2,3.) It is remarkable
that (according to Mark 13: 32) our Lord declared that the
Son knoweth not the day of his second advent. This passage
has been perverted by the Socinians. Our Lord declared that
he taught nothing except what was committed to him by his
Father to teach. In his office of prophet, he did not transcend
his commission, any more than did any of the holy men of
old, who spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God.
This passage, therefore, means only that it was not an event
which was committed to him in his prophetic character to
reveal. It remained in the Father's power. Acts 1: 7. Our
Lord, therefore, in perfect consistency urged on his imme-
diate disciples and his disciples of every age since, the duty
of personal watchfulness, for that event which certainly would
come, and which (for ought that men could ever know) might
come in their day — an event which would come suddenly and
unexpectedly upon those who should witness its awful splen-
dour and glories. His example in this respect, had the force
of a precept to his apostles.*
* David Levi, a learned Jew, speaking of thuse Christian writers who
70 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
There is a point of instruction in Luke 12: 41, which is not
commonly noticed. Our Lord had been enforcing on the
disciples, the duty of watchfulness, ''Let your loins be girded,
and your lights burning, (alluding, perhaps, to the night of the
exodus from Egypt, Exod. 12: 11, 42,) and ye yourselves as
men that wait for their Lord, &c. Blessed are those servants
whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching, &c.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or in the ihxrd watch,
and find them so, blessed are those servants," &c. But Peter
said. Lord speakest thou this parable u7ito us or even unto all.
The object of Peter was to obtain a discriminating answer.
Dost thou mean by servants us, the apostles, or dost thou
intend others. The question involved the time of the second
advent, a point upon which (as has been said) our Lord never
gave any information by which even an approximation could
be made to it. Had our Lord said that this parable was
applicable to them exclusive!}/ of others, they would have
inferred that his coming would take place in their life-time;
had he said it did not apply to them personally, but to others,
they would have inferred that tlie advent of vvhich he spoke,
would not occur in their life-time. But this event was not to
be revealed within these limits or any other. He replies, by
asking a question, which he does answer, and which contained
all the information which Peter needed. "Who then is that
faithful and wise steward, &c., he is that blessed servant whom
his Lord when he cometh, (?>.6w coming, or at his coming, be
that when it may,) shall find so doing." This answer
acknowledge that the prophecies concerning the Messiah are to be understood
in their most literal, obvious sense, says that "they cannot produce one single,
clear, unequivocal prophecy from the Old Testament which foretells a two-
fold coming of one and the same person as the Messiah: and that too, at the
distance of such a number of years as have already elapsed from the sup-
posed period of his being upon earth," Levi's Dissert., vol. i. p. 1-0. To the
first part of this observation, it may be replied, that the scriptures of the O. T.
do in several places plainly intimate a twofold advent of one and the same
person, as Messiah — an advent, vamch/, of meekness and humility, (as in Is.
42: 1-8,) at which he should be rejected and cut oft", (Is. 55. Dan. 0: 26,) and an
advent of glory and power, when he will destroy his enemies, Is, 42: 13, et seq.
Dan. 7: 13, 14. To the second part of this observation, it may be replied, that
if the scriptures of the O. T. did, in fact, reveal two distinct advents of the
Messiah, separated by an interval (also defined and revealed) of 1800 years or
more, they would not be in accordance with the representations of the New
Testament, which represents the advent always as near, ("Maran-atha Domi-
nus noster vcnit tessera est ecclesia-, summam spei Christianoe, his verbis,
comprehendens.") This observation of Levi proves that one of his objections
against the gospel, is founded upon a misconception of what it teaches, and
like that of Tindal's before mentioned, was suggested to him by Christian
writers. If it were possible to divest the scriptures of the false glosses with
which they have been invested by those who profess to receive them, and to
present them in the simplicity of their truths, infidelity would be deprived of
many of its strongest arguments.
OP THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 71
furnished a motive for watchfulness to Peter, and at the same
time withheld that information, which the purpose of God has
studiously concealed. The appositeness of this reply displays,
Divine Wisdom. It is one of those nice congruities which
commonly escape our notice, and which shows that no artifice
could ever have contrived the history or the instructions con-
tained in the gospel.
After the resurrection, our Lord intimated to Peter ob-
scurely, that he should suffer death before the second coming
of Christ, (John 21: 18,) "When thou wast young, thou
girdedst thyself," &c. John, who wrote his gospel long after
Peter's death, interpreted the expression, "This he said, sig-
nifying by what death," &c. John 21: 19. But in regard to
John, when Peter inquired as to his end, our Lord replied
hypothetlcally, affirming nothing inconsistent with the event
of his surviving until the return of his Lord. The disciples
converted (it seems) this hypothetical expression, "i/" I will
that he remain till I come," into an assertion that he should
remain; yet, says John, *'Jesus said not, he shall not die, but if
I will that he tarry till I come," &c. Now it cannot be sup-
posed thlit the brethren expected that John would live 1800
years or more on earth, as we know must have been the fact,
if the promise had been that he should survive until the
second advent of Christ. Rather, they must have supposed
that the second advent would take place within a period
which, at the utmost, should not greatly exceed the ordinary
period of the life of a man. Had they foreseen, what we may
now look back upon, it is not probable that they would have
committed the mistake, which the Evangelist here corrects.
The Hoi}'' Spirit saw fit to record with precision,* both the
* John wrote his gospel (according to the opinion of the ancients), at a very
advanced age, after his return from Patmos to Ephesus. If this opinion be
correct, as it undoubtedly is, it was written long after the destruction of
Jerusalem by Titus. Yet John takes pains to correct this mistake at that late
day, lest after his death, it might be made use of by ignorant or malicious
men, to the prejudice of the truth. But if the coming intended was a Pro-
vidential coming to destroy Jerusalem, (as some have supposed,) why should he
take pains to correct this saying of the brethren, which (according to that
hypothesis) had been proved by events to be according to the truth'? Still
more absurd is the opinion which was once, and perhaps is now, entertained
by many, that this apostle did not die at all; for if such was to be the fact,
why should John say that "Jesus said not unto him he shall not die.'' If it
was the Saviour's purpose that John should not die, either by violence or by a
natural death, the brethren spread abroad a true saying, and whether it could
be gathered from the Saviour's words or not, would not be likely to do harm.
The only natural explanation is that above given, "Jesus spoke of his coming
under the condition of its possible nearness." This was his manner of refer-
ring to it. Even when he represents this dispensation by the absence of a
man travelling into a far country, and returning after a long tivic, (as in
Matth. 25: 14, 19,) the events prefigured all fall within the period of a r/ia7i's
life, and even less; for a long journey, requiring a long absence, considered
J2 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
words of our Lord, and the erroneous interpretation which
was put upon them by the brethren. So that this passage is
not only a proof of the belief of the first Christians, but another
example of the indefiniteness in which the time of the second
advent is left, as has been already stated.
Both Peter (2 Eph. 1: 13) and Paul, (2 Tim. 4: G,) towards
the close of their career, were informed of their demise, yet
Paul, at a previous time (in 2 Cor. 5: 2) spoke of the event, of
his being clothed upon without being unclothed, (Comp. 1
Thess. 4: 17. Phil. 3: 21,) as an object of hope, and perhaps
even of expectation, though without any assurance of its
certainty.*
If the foregoing observations are well founded, they dis-
prove the allegations of infidels that the apostles were mistaken.
God has revealed such truths as his infinite wisdom saw best
adapted to the scheme of redemption. To deny that his
prophets and apostles were inspired, because they were igno-
rant of those tilings, which God has declared he will not
reveal, is in effect to deny God's right to establish sucli a
scheme as is contained in the Bible. To deny that the apos-
tles ''might build motives and arguments," such as our reason
relatively tc the ordinary course of luunan employments, would be satisfied by
supposing it to occupy a few years. Well then, if the reader will admit that
our Lord still continued to speak of his return as an event possibly near, the
intimation that John might possibly live till he should come, by no means
involved the idea that he would survive what they might have considered
a ripe old age. And as they could predict neither the day of the Lord's
coming, nor the day of John's death, nor know that either was remote, they
had no reason to say, nor could they say, the latter event must occur before the
former. Events, however, have made the matter clear, and Providence has
revealed many things to us which prophecy did not foretell to the first
Christians.
* Dr. Bloomfield remarks on I Cor. 15: 52 (and we shall be changed,) "the
apostle here (as often) uses a. /uiiTA'r;^>ifjfXTnrjucg and speaks not in his own
person, but in theirs." He then adds in a note, "considering the frequency of
this figure, I think Doddridge was right in not admitting the inference so
often drawn from hence, and unwarily conceded by Grotios and Rosenmuller,
that the apostle expected he should live till the day of judgment." No doubt
this was conceding too much. The apostle had no confident expectation,
although he knew that as the day of Christ's advent was absolutely uncertain,
such an event might be, for aught he knew. On 1 Thess. 4: 15, Dr. B. after
referring to the annotation of Dr. Benson, gives as his own judgment, that
although the words "tee who are alive," &c. do not imply that he should live
until the last day — the day of the Lord's advent — yet that he thought it possi-
ble the last day was so near at hand, that some then living might see it, and
having no certain information he expresses himself indefinitely. And surely
(to use the words of Doddridge), "an ignorance on this point, was by no means
inconsistent with a knowledge of vhatcrcr was necessary to the preaching of
the gospel." He then refers to Mark 13: 32 and 1 Cor. 15: 51. If this con-
cession be not too much, it follows that Paul was not expecting a Spiritual
millennium, previously to the advent of Christ, and indced;the description
which he gives in the 2 Thess. 2 chap, of the future, until the day of Christ,
which he must be supposed to have written by inspiration, is inconsistent, with
any such expectation. See Appendix to this essay.
OP THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 73
approves and sees to be just, upon revealed truths, <'in order
to excite men to piety and good works," when they are bound
to do so, both by the precept and example of Christ, is in
effect, to deny that God may exact obedience. To say that
God deceives men, by exhibiting a partial view of his pur-
poses, so as to lead them to inferences, which he will not
verify, is not only blasphemous, but denies to him his
sovereign right, to give or to withhold at his pleasure. If the
ground of such a denial or objection consists in the constitution
of man as a rational being, Paul has given the answer, by the
question, "shall the thing formed, say unto him that formed
it, why hast thou made me thus.'"' If the stress of it, be rested
on the partial revelation of God's purposes, it comes in direct
conflict with the relation which must ever exist between
creatures and their Creator; and the objection will eternally
exist; for God will forever be infinite in all his attributes,
and his purposes past finding out, and all creatures will be but
as the small dust of the balance before Him.
These observations also show, that the system of popery,
morally speaking, could not have been established, except
upon the virtual or practical denial of this very doctrine,
which is alleged by infidels in disproof of the inspiration of
the apostles: and it is remarkable that Chillingworth has drawn
an argument from the doctrine of the millenaries against the
infallibility of the Roman Catholic church. It is well worth
while for the reader to refer to it, (see his works, Additional
Discourse V.) Chillingworth might have given a wider scope
to his conclusion; for this doctrine, as will presently be shewn,
concludes as strongly against, not only the whole exterior, but
the entire spirit of the system of popery. Hence it is, that
while most Romanists have treated the doctrine as a heresy,
others feeling their traditions must fail, if Papias, I'renaeus,
Justin Martyr, TertuUian, Lactantius and their cotemporaries
should be denounced as heretics, endeavour to escape the
dilemma, by taking a distinction between what these fathers
have said in the name of the church, and have delivered as the
doctrine of the church, and what they choose to consider their
personal opinions and conjectures. Some of them trace the
doctrine to certain passages in the Apocalypse, which they
suppose these fathers misinterpreted; while others affirm, that
they borrowed it from Plato. The answer given by Chilling-
worth to this mode of getting over the difficulty is conclusive.
The fact, however, that all the fathers, whose writings have
come down to us, previous to Origen, and some who were
cotemporary and subsequent to him, believed this doctrine
cannot be disproved. The question then, which is submitted
VOL. III. — 46
74 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
to the reader, is this: ''Is it possible that the apostles, or any-
other body of pious Christians, who seriously believed that
their Lord and Master might return during their life time,
and who ardently desired, and earnestly hoped, and even ex-
pected in some degree, that He xoould so return, could have
busied their hearts and minds about the pomps and vanities of
popery? Is it supposable even, that they could have coveted
secular power, splendid forms of worship, extended ecclesiasti-
cal jurisdiction? Let the reader take a cursory glance at the
voluminous codes of canon law — note the variety of its sub-
jects— its refined and artificial distinctions, and all those provi-
sions which look to perpetuity; and then ask himself, "Could
such things as these, engross the minds of men who seriously
believed this doctrine." I^ook again at the episcopal palaces
and cathedrals, whose foundations were laid deep, and strong,
and with manifest design to survive the effect of ages — Look
also at their rich endowments and funded revenues; ample
enough to send the gospel into all nations, if they had been so
employed — are not these things so many practical denials of
the doctrine in question?*
* The evil influence of this departure from the faith once delivered to the
saints, is not confined to the Papal church. We may see it not only in the
purest of the Protestant churches, but in the families of truly pious Christians.
If every pious head of a family lived continually under the influence of the
blessed hope of the glorious appearing of the Saviour in his own time, we
should not see the children of the church so much like the children of those
who do not profess godliness. Consider what would be the conduct of a
man, who really believed his Lord might come before his death, and translate
him, as the apostle teaches the saints will be, who shall live at the coming of
our Lord. Examine the details of human employment, desire, and expecta-
tion, and put the question upon each particular; what would be the influence
of ihis doctrine upon such a man in respect to it"! Would he be greedy of
wealthl Would he amass it by oppression or extortion? Would he hoard it"?
Would \\e entail his estates'? Would he covet worldly distinctions'? Would
he over-estimate present easel Would he be indifferent to the immediate
conversion of his children and near relatives'? Would he say to himself,
they are young, there is time enough yet to labour with them; my Lord
will certainly delay his coming not only till they have grown old, but
for centuries after ihey are deadi Then consider again, what effect the
conversation, conduct, hopes, expectations, employments and plans of such
a parent would have upon the education and the character of his chil-
dren. Is a child trained in the way he should go, who reads in every thing
about him, the sentiment, "My Lord delayeth his coming," "My Lord cer-
tainly will not come for a thousand years yet." In fact, most children (those
even of pious parents) are educatetl upon the principle, or the assumed cer-
tainty, that all things will continue as they are and have been, for a long time
to come. Nay, even the operations of the church for the promotion of piety,
are often founded on the same idea. How often it is, that money is given with
the direction to fund the principal, while the interest only shall be expended in
the promotion of some pious object. Do not such directions say plainly, my
Lord delayeth his coming for a long time to comel Hence it is that the chil-
dren of religious teachers, from whom the world naturally expects the best
examples of religious training, engage almost, if not quite as often as others
do, and with as great ardour, in the pursuit of gain and worldly honour. This
js one of the effects of that falling away, predicted by Paul, which is not con-
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 75
The first Christians sold their possessions, Acts 2: 45. They
believed, it is true, that Jerusalem, the place where their
possessions were, would soon be destroyed. But Christians
who lived in other parts of the Roman empire, though they
knew not that the day of Christ would certainly come m their
time, yet not knowing that it would not come in their life
time, and believing that it was not remote, certainly would
lightly esteem those things which the papal power has always
been chiefly solicitous to gain and perpetuate to itself. The
man who can say in imitation of his Lord and Master, "My
kingdom is not of this world," and who also believes it possible,
his Lord may appear after a brief interval, and confer upon
him a crown of righteousness, and make him a king and priest
unto God, is incapable of imbibing the spirit of the papacy.
There cannot be much doubt that one of the earliest corrup-
tions of the primitive faith, was the belief that the apostles
were mistaken in reference to this subject, or what in effect
amounts to the same thing, that they must be understood as
speaking mystically or of a spiritual and not of a personal
coming. this single change in the belief of Christians,
formed, as it were, a broad basis upon which the towering
hierarchy of that church was builded. Ungodly men, allured
by ambition, and who desired nothing less than the coming of
Christ, got influence in the church, and they constructed a
system, every part almost of which, speaks in language not to
be misunderstood, "My Lord delayeth his coming." They dis-
regarded what Paul said, (with reference even to the domestic
relation of marriage, and with a view to dissuade from an
over-estimate of any thing which pertained merely to the
present condition of things.) "The fashion of the world
passeth away," and also our Lord's injunction, "watch, for ye
know not when the Son of Man cometh." They forget too,
another saying of our Lord. "This gospel shall be preached
fined to any communion, and it is that very thing, which prepare? the church
as well as the world for the surprise, with which the great day \vill burst upon
them Those who consider this doctrine as carnal and earthly in its ten-
dencies, could scarcely make a greater mistake. The fact is, U is too un-
earthly, too spiritual to be received and lived by, as if it were true, \vithout
more grace than is given to most. It is not only a grief, but the cause ol many
distressing doubts and fears to some who do hope they cordially receive this
doctrine, that their lives accord so little with their belief and their hopes
But one cause of their short comings (though it is no excuse) is, that the great
body of those who profess faith in Christ, live by the contrary rule, practical y
savin- "My Lord delayeth his coming." The thought will doubtless occur to
some that'those who have hitherto thus judged, have, as events have shewii,
iud-e'd rightly. But it should be remembered, they judged blindly, (see Mark
13- 35 36?) and who can say that the effects of the error may not be felt in the
unseen state. One thing we know, that all scripture is profitable, and that no
error in divine things is entirely harmless, though one error may cause more
detriment than another.
76 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
among all nations for a witness, and then shall the end be" —
that is, there is to be no perpetuity or continuance after the
universal promulgation of the gospel witness.
A jurisdiction, therefore, really oecumenical would be su-
perseded the moment it became such. God has, however, for
inscrutable reasons, permitted the change of the church at an
early period, from a missionary to a sedentary character, to
become the means of delaying the end. While the church
was missionary, and intent upon executing the command, "Go
ye into all the world," &c. Christians were not solicitous about
forms, ceremonies, splendid places of worship, &c. — the tent
or the open field, a private house, were the places of their
labour. But when the church became sedentary — an establish-
ment leaning on the arm of political power, she busied herself
chiefly about building lofty cathedrals, and devising splendid
ceremonies, and then the gospel ceased to spread, and large
nations have ever since been left in darkness.
At the period of the reformation, the grosser corruptions of
popery were, by most of the Protestant bodies, immediately
cast off, and the principal doctrines of grace were vindicated
from much error which had been mixed with them. Yet,
some things of papal origin, pertaining to doctrine, as well as
discipline, were left untouched. The consequence has been,
that the effects of the great apostacy predicted by Paul in 2
Thess. 2 ch., are in some measure felt even by the purest of
the Protestant churches. Luther, however, did not hold the
views which are now so generally entertained relative to the
millennium. In his Table Talk, ch. 2, may be found the
following remarkable sentiment. "I hope the last day of
Judgment is not far off. I verily persuade myself it will not
be absent full three hundred years longer." Of course this
reformer was not looking forward to a spiritual millennium to
precede the second coming of Christ. But in Faber's Sacred
Calendar of Prophecy, it is reckoned that the millennium will
commence in the year A. D. 1865 — that it will end in A. D.
2865, but the second advent of Christ, the literal resurrection
and the day of judgment, (which he reckons a literal day,) is
postponed until the year A. D. 3200.
If these views of Faber are correct, it follows that without
any new revelation, the present generation is able certainly to
know and positively to determine, that which none of the apos-
tles or apostolical men, or their immediate converts, appear to
have known or taught, and the reader has seen what use
infidels make of this opinion. But we must hasten to a con-
clusion. The infidel writer referred to, is correct in his
assertion, as to the frequency with which the apostles refer to
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 77
the second coming of Christ. Paul's Epistles contain at least
thirty-three plain instances of such reference, if not more.
James refers to the same event, once; Peter seven times;
John twice in his first epistle, and several times in the
Revelations. Jude refers to it also in his short epistle. He
is correct too, in saying they used it as a motive to a Godly
life. In fact, they urge the doctrine as a motive ''to modera-
tion and sobriety, against censorious judgment, to ministerial
diligence and faithfulness — to patience and forbearance — to
watchfulness — to spiritual mindedness — to general obedience
and holiness — to mortification of earthly lusts — to brotherly
love — to love to Christ." But his assertion that they were
mistaken, is without foundation, for they taught that the time
of the second coming of our Lord is so absolutely indefinite,
that no man can certainly know that it may not occur in his
life time; although it may be true, that from general signs
(Matth. 24: 3-27. 2 Tim. 3: 1. Luke 21: 29, 3L 2 Thess. 2:
3) or aspects of the times, the men of any past age might have
concluded, that the day was not impending as it were over their
heads, (and thus much may we know,) yet they could not
know, that events might not, in the providence of God, be so
rapidly hastened, as to bring the advent within the compass
of the age in which they lived. This doctrine cannot be dis-
proved by any infidel, and the apostles made only that use of
it, which reason and the example and express command of our
Lord required.
In reply, however, to this answer, the infidel alleges that
the conduct of the major part of the Christian church, at least
from the age of Constantino, has contradicted this view; for
practically the church has said that the apostles were mistaken,
and the recourse of many Christians to a spiritual or mystical
sense, will never persuade the infidel to surrender that which he
perceives to be the real sense. This reply is a sort oi argume?itum
ad hominem, and it is the only argument which remains to the
infidel. He cannot say that the event has disproved the doc-
trine, for the doctrine contains nothing contrary to the event,
but it is perfectly consistent with it. Nor does the lapse of
time prove that motives to Christian conduct could not con-
sistently with reason be derived from the ignorance men have
always been under, of the time of the event; because, the
argument, if it proves any thing, increases in force with the
lapse of time, and according to it, the men of this century,
have much stronger reasons for believing that the second
coming of our Lord will not take place, during this century,
than the Christians of the first century had for believing that
it would not take place in their age, and yet we are much
46*
78 ESSAYS ON THE COMING, &c.
nearer to it than they were: and those who shall live at the
end of 1000 years from this time, should the present condition
of things continue so long — nay, the very last generation of
men previously to the second coming of Christ, (whether it be
this, the next, the fiftieth or any other more remote,) will
have the strongest reason of all men, (so far as mere lapse of
time can be a reason,) for believing that Christ will not come
to them in judgment, at the very moment, when the eternal
king shall open the clouds in terrible majesty: men are very
prone to reason thus; and Peter informs us, that the men of
the last times will reason thus, (2 Pet. 2: 3.) And our Lord
describes the last generation of men as being in eager pursuit
of the concerns of this life, just as if the dispensation were but
begun, (Luke 17: 26-30 — 21: 35.) But such reasoning in-
volves the denial of God's government over the world, because
it, in effect, denies that he will ever put an end to this condi-
tion of things, and summon the living and the dead to the
judgment-seat of Christ. Infidels do indeed deny this doc-
trine, but they cannot disprove the truth of it by their alleged
inconsistencies of the scriptures, with themselves or with
God's providence. We see too that popery and deism are
only diflferent forms of unbelief — the one being a formal, and
the other a virtual or practical denial of God's truth. The
deist says, the Lord Jesus Christ will never come — the
founders of the papacy say he will come, but not for many,
many ages. They did not believe the apostles' doctrine in the
literal sense, althougli it is impossible to understand it in any
other sense. The only reason which they could possibly
give, was that the event proved that the apostles and their
immediate converts (if they had foreseen the event) would
have had no reason to expect its occurrence in their life time.
They sought out therefore a sense, which, while it allowed
them to presume upon the forbearance of God, as though he
had covenanted to spare the abominations of this world for-
ever, in truth imputed to the apostles, the gross mistake, which
infidelity lays to their charge.
Had the churcli, however, persevered in the belief of the
apostles, the gospel, humanly speaking, would long since have
been preached in all the world for a witness, and many who
now live, might have been born in that dispensation, with
which Satan will not be allowed to interfere.
APPENDIX TO ESSAY V.
The second chapter of the 2nd Epist. to the Thessalonians,
when properly considered, has a very important bearing upon
the subject of this essay. It shews that the prevailing opinion
of a spiritual millennium before the advent of Christ, was
unknown to that church and even to the apostle Paul. It is
proposed in this note to submit a few hints to the reader, with
a view to direct his attention to the bearings of that chapter
upon the subject discussed.
The Epistle, it is supposed, was written about the year A.
D. 52. This was about eighteen years before the destruction
of Jerusalem by Titus. The Thessalonians, or some of them,
says Dr. Paley, had conceived the opinion, that the coming of
Christ was to take place instantly,* and it was this erroneous
impression the apostle designed to correct in this second
chapter. But many things were to occur before the day of
Christ, each of which would have been a sufficient assurance
that the da}^ they were expecting was not absolutely impend-
ing. If the reader will turn to our Lord's prophecy on the
Mount, he will find that several notable things must take
place, before the Son of Man would appear in the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory. Jerusalem must be
encompassed by armies, and be taken and utterly destroyed,
and the Jews must be carried captive into all nations, and
Jerusalem must be trodden down by Gentiles, till the times of
the Gentiles should be fulfilled, Luke 21: 20, 24,27. Ob-
viously then the apostle might (on the authority of this pro-
phecy) have said to the church he was addressing: "Let no one
deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except"
Jerusalem be first encompassed by armies, and be taken and
destroyed, and its inhabitants be carried captive into all
nations, and Jerusalem be trodden down by Gentiles, until the
times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. In fi\ct, in the previous
epistle the apostle referred very pointedly to this approacliing
calamity. Speaking of the Jews he says, "Who both killed
the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted
us: and they please not God, and are contrary to all menj for-
* (jti ivirrmiv nempe hoc anno, (says Grotius,) fviTTux-iv hie clicitur de re
prtesenti ut Rom. 8: 38. 1 Cor. 3: 22. Gal. 1: 4. Heb. 9: 9.
80 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
bidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved,
to fill up their sin alvvay, but wrath (t^Sas-s cTs j;r' awTou? hc tsao? with
which expression compare Luke 11: 20. Matth. 12: 28) hath
reached them — (has arrived at them,) to the end." that is, to
continue-until the end. It cannot be reasonably doubted that
the apostle here refers to the judgments which the Saviour
predicted, would come upon the Jews, in his prophecy on the
Mount. The Thessalonians, however, did not understand
him, or did not duly consider this expression. Dr. Paley
supposes that the passage in the first epistle, which they mis-
interpreted, was in the 4th chap. 15th-17th verses, and 5th
chap. 4th verse. However this may be, the standing of
Jerusalem, in a state of apparent peace and safety, and the
existence of the Jews as a community, would have been a sure
sign that the day of Christ was not impending, and, as they
supposed, just ready to break upon them. Why then did he not
fix upon that as a sign? It may be answered perhaps, that
Jerusalem was at a great distance, and its standing and freedom
from hostile invasion, would not be so proper a sign to give a
Gentile church, as some other, which would come more im-
mediately under their inspection. This may be true: but as the
writings of the apostles were designed for the instruction of
the whole church in all time, till the end, there was a pro-
priety in fixing upon some sign, which would survive that
generation, inasmuch as the event has shewn (although it was
not known beforehand) that the day of Christ was many
generations distant from them. Had the apostle fixed upon
the standing of Jerusalem as the sign, it would have been
sufficient to correct the error of the Thessalonian church for a
time, but the sign would have ceased when that city fell. If
he had selected the dispersion of the Jews among all nations,
and assured them that this event must not only take place, but
the Jews be gathered again into a community before the day
of Christ would be revealed, the sign would have served even
until now; yet we do not know that this sign would meet the
exigencies of the future, or if it would, perhaps it would not
have met all the designs which the Holy Spirit had in direct-
ing the apostle to fix upon the revelation of the man of sin as
a sign. The scriptures plainly teach that the Jewish people
will be restored. But the time of their restoration is not
revealed. On the contrary, it is involved in the same uncer-
tainty as the time of the advent. This appears by Acts 1: 6,
7, "Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel."
And he said, "It is not for you to know the times and the
seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." It
appears, however, that the Jews will not regain possession of
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. gj
their ancient city till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,
Luke 21: 24; and the expiry of the times of the Gentiles
will be followed speedily by the advent. Hence the redemp-
tion of the natural posterity of Israel from their present
captivity will take place during the interval, which we have
reason to believe will be brief, although it may comprehend
within its limits a generation, or the ordinary period of human
life, or even a longer time. It has occurred to the writer, that the
redemption spoken of by our Lord in Luke 21: 28, applies as
well to the redemption of the Jews from their present captivity
and dispersion, as to the redemption of those who believe in
Jesus. The Lord foretells the signs which will ensue, on the
expiry of the times of the Gentiles, (vs. 25, 26.) There
shall be signs in the sun, in the moon, in the stars; on the
earth, distress of nations, sea and waves roaring; mens' hearts
failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which
are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken. These agitating and distressing times, may continue
during a period of considerable duration, but when these things
begin to come to pass, (says our Lord,) then look up, lift up
your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." Now the
persons actually addressed were his disciples, but they were
also Jews. They had a strong attachment to their nation.
This is evident from the inquiry they addressed the Lord just
before his ascension. "Lord wilt thou at this time, restore the
kingdom to Israel?" The disciples, therefore, may be con-
sidered in a twofold character — as Christians, and constituting
the Christian church, and as Jews. And the words cannot
be confined to them personally, for they have long since
departed this life, but the words seem to be addressed to men
livitig in the Jlesh, and therefore they are proper to be under-
stood as addressed to them in a representative character. As
the disciples sustained the twofold character of Jews outwardly
and Jews inwardly — of the natural Israel and of the Israel of
God — the idea suggested is, that these words may have a two-
fold application, as if the Lord had said: When these things
begin to come to pass, let not only all who believe in me, but
all the captive children of Israel look up and lift up their
heads, for their redemption draweth nigh. Believers shall be
redeemed from the power of the grave, and from their bodies
of sin and death, and raised to immortal life and glory — and
Israel shall be redeemed from their bondage among the nations,
and their city shall be trodden down no more by their ene-
mies. This interpretation is merely suggested: It is not in-
sisted upon; because whether it be the true sense or not, other
scriptures teach, that the restoration of Israel will take place
82 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
about the time of the expiring of the times of the Gentiles, and
the coming of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and
great glory. But to return to our subject:
If this view be correct, then the apostle might have fixed
upon the continuing dispersion of the Jews, after the destruc-
tion of their city, as a sign that the day of Christ was not
impending. Perhaps, however, as the dispersion of the Jew-
ish people was to precede the revelation of the man of sin,
so their restoration must precede his destruction; but if this be
so, the interval of these events will, it is supposed, be brief,
and therefore the church may reasonably look out for the
day of Christ as very near, as soon as Israel shall be restored
to the land of their fathers. What reason then can there be,
why the Holy Spirit should direct the apostle to fix upon the
approaching revelation of the man of sin as a sign, rather than
the approaching dispersion of the Jews, and their continuance
in that state? It is the common opinion of the ancients, and
of most moderns, that the impediment to the revelation of the
man of sin, mentioned in the 6th verse, was the Roman empire.
The apostle does not plainly declare what he means, but he
refers that church to what they already knew, probably by
oral instruction from him. Chrysostom assigns as the reason
of this obscurity, that the apostle did not wish to ofiend or
give umbrage to the government, by speaking too openly and
freely of the downfall of the empire. It was a topic not at all
likely to be popular with the higher powers, and at a much later
day, Jerome says he had provoked hostility by speaking too
plainly of these things. And it should be remembered too,
that as this let or hindrance was soon to be removed, it might
be safely committed to tradition, and the memory of it was, in
fact, preserved until the fall of the empire, which took place
near the end of the 5th century. There was then this dif-
ference between the signs. The destruction of Jerusalem and
the dispersion of the Jews were soon to occur, whereas the
empire of Rome would continue at least four centuries longer
than Jerusalem. The church, therefore, by being directed to
look for the revelation of the man of sin, was directed to look
to the more distant event. The non-appearance of the man of
sin served the church as a sign, that the day of Christ was not
impending during four centuries and more. Whereas the
standing of Jerusalem and the existence of the Jews as a body
politic, would have scarcely served a single generation. This
may indeed be one reason why the Spirit directed the apostle
to point the church to the coming of antichrist, or the man of
sin, as an event to precede the advent they were expecting.
But there was probably another reason, viz. to shew the
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. §3
character of the time or times that were to ensue until the
time of the end. The representation which this chapter gives
of the future, is altogether inconsistent with the common
hypothesis of a spiritual millennium, before the coming of
Christ. The picture the apostle draws, is dark; not a beam of
light does he see, till he sees the brightness of the Lord's
coming. Let the reader study this chapter with a view to this
remark, "Let no one deceive you," he says, "The day of
Christ which you are expecting is not impending." Why?
What assurance does he give? Does he say there must first
come a millennium of blessedness and purity, throughout the
whole earth? On the contrary, he says, that day will not
come, except the aposlacy (« cf^ca-Ta^U) first come — the apostacy
— something specific, not simply a falling away. But call it a
falling away: Of what? not of the world, for that was already
very far fallen away from God, and events have shewn that
thus far the mass of the nations have not been brought nearer.
The falling away predicted then, was of the church. So that
the church instead of being the means of converting the world,
was itself to fall away. Again: the man of sin must be
revealed before the day of Christ, and the son of perdition.
Next we have a description of the awful wickedness of that
antichristian power. The apostle gives us no intimation of
any check or restraint put upon it; on the contrary, what he
says, is applicable only to a predominating power, whose
wicked will the followers of Christ are unable successfully to
oppose. This power he says had not appeared — and the
apostacy had not yet begun. But the mystery of iniquity was
at work in the apostle's day, which in due time would issue in
apostacy, and the revelation of the man of sin, and son of per-
dition. Augustin (Civitat. Dei lib. 20, § 19) remarks, "Some
understand the words, and now ye know what wilhholdeth, and the
words, mystery of iniquity doth already zcork, of wicked and hypo-
critical persons in the church, till they come to such a number as
to make a great people for antichrist, and that this is the mystery
of iniquity, because it is as yet a secret." Whatever be the
meaning precisely of these words, it is enough for the present
purpose to say, that they predict increasing wickedness, and
not the advancement of the church in holiness. The apostle
then declares that the man of sin, whom he calls that wicked,
will subsist, after he shall have been once revealed, until the
Lord's coming, because he declares he shall be destroyed by
the brightness of the Lord's coming. Now this cannot mean,
as some suppose, a spiritual coming which shall destroy this
wicked power, by converting it into a holy power, because in
all fair reasoning we must suppose that if the Thessalonians
84 ESSAYS ON THE COMING
were expecting the personal advent of Christ, immediately to
occur, and that the apostle was writing with a view to correct
their mistake by shewing them, that a certain power which
had not then appeared, must appear before the day of Christ,
(because it must be destroyed by the appearing of Christ,) he
must be understood as writing of the same sort of coming as
they were expecting. Still more absurd would it be to explain
the coming here spoken of, as a figure, signifying the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem by the Roman armies, because such an
expectation would not be likely to trouble a Gentile church,
many hundred miles distant from that place. Besides this,
even the Jewish Christians, who were more immediately con-
cerned with the fortunes of Jerusalem, had no reason to
believe its destruction was distant, and it is not to be sup-
posed, this apostle would have assured them that it was. 1
Thess. 2: 16. So that if the destruction of that city xoas a
coming, in any scriptural sense, it was to be expected as near.
Where then is there any thing in the whole of this chapter,
(which we have seen extends from the apostles' day to the
coming of Christ in power and great glory, at the end of this
dispensation,) lo favour the idea of a spiritual millennium,
such as the larger part of the Protestant church of the present
day expects? Instead of the triumph of the church, the apos-
tle writes of its apostacy — instead of perfect or increasing
holiness and purity in the church in his day, he says iniquity
is at work secretly, (in a mystery,) — instead of the extinction
of this leaven; the man of sin, the son of perdition, or that
wicked, was soon to appear — instead of the destruction of the
man of sin by the church, with the blessing of God or the
ordinary means of grace, or even the keeping of him in check,
he was to oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God
or is worshipped, so that he should sit as God in the temple of
God, (i. e. in the church itself,) showing himself that he is
God. The coming of this antichristian power, was to be after
the working of Satan with all power and signs, and lying
wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
them that perish. So great would be the wickedness of these
persons, that God would give them over to strong delusion —
leave them to judicial blindness, that they should believe a lie,
that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness. Add to this, not a word is
said concerning the conversion of all nations, and bringing them
into the bosom of the church, and if that had been predicted,
the description which is given of the subsequent apostacy of
the church, shews that only more nations — all nations, in fact,
would thereby become abusers of this gospel of the grace- of
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 85
God, and so bring down upon them a more awful condemna-
tion. Let the reader then examine the picture which this
chapter gives of the future, and, if he can, find a place for a
spiritual millennium, between the apostles' day and the day
of the destruction of the man of sin, by the brightness of the
Lord's coming. If there is to be a millennium of peace and
blessedness throughout the whole earth before tbe coming of
Christ, is it not very remarkable that the apostle was not
directed by the Holy Spirit to make mention of it? If the
design was to give the church a sign that would endure to the
end — or to give as a sign, the description of that state of things
which should immediately precede the end, why did not the
apostle assure the Thessalonian church that their fears wore all
groundless, because that day would not come except there be
a thousand years of universal blessedness first? And if the
object were not to furnish the church with a continuing sign
down to the very day of the advent — the fact, that a thousand
years must elapse previously to the day of Christ, (no matter
whether they would begin to run sooner or later,) would have
been all sufficient to correct the mistake of the individuals to
whom the epistle was first addressed. If the apostle had so
plain a way as this, to assure that church, and the church in all
times since, that the day of Christ was remote from them, and
remote at least a thousand years from all who should not live to
see the commencement of this blessed period, why did he write
in an obscure way — hinting what he meant, rather than plainly
declaring it, for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary offence
to the higher powers, as has been plausibly suggested, or for
any other purpose whatever? If the reader will carefully con-
sider this chapter, he will, it is believed, be compelled either
to admit the doctrine of the premillennial advent, or he must
explain how a state of universal purity and blessedness, (con-
responding with the descriptions which the prophets give us
of the millennium,) can co-exist with the apostacy and the
prevalence of the power of the man of sin, or finally he must
prove that the brightness of the Lord's coming, which will
destroy the man of sin, or that wicked, is not his personal
advent in power and great glory. The second branch of this
alternative, will be passed without observation, but upon the
last, although it has been already referred to incidentally, the
reader's attention is requested to a few additional observations.
The expectation of the Thessalonians, whatever it may have
been, was of a nature to shake and trouble their minds, (see
verse 2nd.) The word translated shaken, is a metaphor taken
from the sea, which being agitated by storms and tempests is
tossed to and fro. The same word is used in Matth. 11: 7, to
VOL. III. — 47
gg ESSAYS ON THE COMING
denote the shaking of a reed under the power of the wind.
The word translated troubled, imports such perturbation as
ariseth from the relation of something terrible. It is a metaphor,
says Leigh, (Crit. Sac.) from soldiers frighted by a sudden
alarm. It occurs in Matth. 24: 6. Now would such agitation,
such trouble as this, be excited by the expectation either of a
figurative or providential coming, for the destruction of a distant
city, or of a figurative coming to destroy the man of sin, or the
apostate church by converting it to a state of holiness, or of
any other figurative or spiritual coming whatever? The com-
mon expectation of the church now a days is, that the millen-
nium -will break upon the world like the light, gently and
gradually, not to destroy but to cheer and bless it. Even by
the most ungodly, its approach would be hailed not with
terror, or with that sort of agitation and trouble which the
Thessalonians appear to have experienced, but as, at the worst,
an event which would do them no harm. This then, proves
that the church immediately addressed, were not expecting
any such figurative coming. But how can the introduction of
the millennium, according to the common hypothesis, be called a
coming of the Lord at all? The church at present are rather
expecting a coming of the Holy Spirit, in new and wonderful
manifestation of power. Yet the coming of the Spirit, in any
way, cannot be the coming of Christ. If it could be, then the
mission of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, was a
coming of Christ. But the Lord Jesus had just before said to
his disciples, *'if I go not away, the Comforter will not come,
but if 1 depart I will send him unto you," John 16: 7. So
then there are these two difficulties in the way of the supposi-
tion, that the man of sin will be destroyed by a spiritual or
figurative coming to convert, and not destroy, viz. such a
coming would be rather another coming of the Holy Spirit,
and not a coming of the Lord; and secondly, if it could be
considered a coming of Christ, there was nothing in its nature
to agitate or disturb the minds of Christians.
Again the apostle must be considered as referring in this
place to the same coming that he had spoken of in the first
epistle, (see chaps. 1: 10 — 2: 19 — 3: 13 — 4: 16, 17 — 5: 23, 3,
4, and in the first chapter of the 2nd epistle, verses 7, S, 9,
10,) and also to that same coming which agitated and disturbed
the minds of that church. If the reader will consult the places
referred to, he will have no doubt that the apostle's mind was
fixed intently upon the personal advent of the Lord, Another
difficulty then in the way of the hypothesis opposed, is that of
shewing from the epistle itself a satisfactory reason why the
apostle should in this eighth verse refer to a spiritual or figurative
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. §7
coming, and not to his personal advent in power and great
glory. And this difficulty will be greatly increased, if the
expression in the original be carefully considered, (t» im<fiAviij,
Tn; Tr^t-gova-a; dUTcu,) which, according to Benson, is especially
suitable to the final advent of Christ to judgment. With
these observations this part of the subject is dismissed. But a
few words must be added upon another topic, lest the reader
should suppose that the discussion in this note or appendix, is
at variance with the views advanced in the essay.
The apostle endeavours in this chapter, to remove the mis-
taken apprehension of the Thessalonian church, that the day of
Christ was impe7iding, not to prove that it was remote; or that
it could not occur within the period of a life time. If the opinion
be correct, that the impediment in the way of the revelation of
the man of sin, to which he referred, was the Roman empire,
the event has shewn, that it was at a considerable distance.
Yet the time of the downfall of that power was not revealed,
and it existed (as do the existing governments of the earth)
only by the forbearance of God. Its time was fulfilled — the
time for establishing the kingdom of God on its ruins had
already come, and, as we have seen, the lengthening of its time
was occasioned, in some sense, by the infidelity of the Jews.
The apostles and the first Christians were not informed how
long God would spare that guilty power. All these things,
therefore, might have been brought to pass within a brief
space. Yet for all that, they might discern by the signs of the
times, that the day was not actually impending, and thus much
may we know at this late day. It was important to correct
this error, as it exerted a hurtful influence upon the necessary
and proper concerns of life. It influenced many, as we have
reason to believe, to neglect their secular duties. It was a sort
o( de7iial of the faith, because it was a perversion of the faith:
The doctrine was, as we have seen, that the day of the Lord's
advent is not revealed — that it might, for aught that was known,
have come during the life time of the first Christians, (or in the
time of any of their successors) not that it would certainly so
come. Hence those who assumed, as did the Thessalonians,
the certainty of the Lord's advent immediately, committed an
error which was inconsistent with the scriptures, and so was in
eflfect a denial of the faith, and those who (acting upon so
erroneous and presumptuous an assumption) neglected to pro-
vide the necessary means of supporting in comfort their own,
especially those of their own house, (as perhaps some
did, under the influence of this error,) were worse than an
unbeliever — thai is, the effects of this false faith upon the
moral and relative duties of life, were worse than the effects of
gg ESSAYS ON THE COMING
unbelief in the doctrine as it is really taught, 1 Tim. 5:8. It
was on the ground of the proneness of Christians thus to
pervert this doctrine that we find such exhortations as the
following: "Be not slothful in business," Rom. 12: 11. The
different expectations of the future, which the greater part of
professing Christians of the present day entertain, calls rather
for ministerial exhortations of the opposite kind: Often it is
hard to discover a difference between Christians and worldly
men, in the activity and eagerness with which they engage in
the aflQiirs of civil and social life. But let the church return
again to the ancient faith — let the doctrine be cordially re-
ceived, "the day of the Lord is at hand," and it will be found
to produce the same effects now as it did then — this world
would then appear as nothing — its most momentous concerns
as trifles — its business as a weariness in the expectation of the
shortly expected advent. The infirmity of the flesh would
need the aid of a counteracting influence, and hence this
exhortation, "Be not slothful in business, but fervent (•^iovra
boiling) in spirit serving the Lord" — an exhortation which can
only be understood in the light of this doctrine. There is
another passage which should be mentioned in this connexion,
for the light which this subject casts upon it. The passage
occurs in this same epistle to the Thessalonians, chap. 3: 10.
"For when we were among you, this we commanded you, that
if any would not work, neither should he eat." It is supposed
by some, that the apostle intends in this place to appoint a
pimishment, proper to be inflicted upon those who would not
work. An objection to this view of the passage is, that the
church can exercise only spiritual power, which we do not
perceive to be adequate to the execution of such a sentence. It
is rather an authoritative appeal to the recusant himself, who is
supposed to refuse to work under the expectation of the imme-
diate appearance of Christ, in which event his labour would be
useless. As if he had said, "If any one acting under the delusive
expectation that the day of Christ is impending, refuses to labour
and thereby provide his own bread, saying that the day of
Christ is so near that there is no longer occasion to work, then
to be consistent, such a one should not eat; for if the day of
the Lord is so near as to dispense him from the obligation to
labour for his support, then he will not hunger. But if his
animal nature shall crave and require food to sustain it before
that day shall come, then he should labour to procure it. And
the apostle enforces this argument by a command and exhorta-
tion, that such should laljour with quietness (for this was a
Christian duty) and eat their own bread, because there was,
as he had proved to them, in the 2nd chapter, need to labour
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 89
yet, and patiently wait for the day of Ciirist which would not
come, until after the predicted apostacy of the church should
occur, and the man of sin be revealed. Such may be the
meaning of these passages. If there are insurmountable ob-
jections to the interpretation, they do not occur to the writer.
Still he wishes the reader to receive it rather as a suggestion,
than as a point clearly established.
It has been suggested in the course of these observations,
that the Jews are to be restored previously to the advent. It
may be objected, that if an event so stupendous as this, must
be accomplished previously to that day. Christians cannot
watch as though they really expected it would occur soon.
But the same objection might have been made by the first
Christians, on the ground that the destruction of Jerusalem and
then of Rome must precede the advent of Christ. How could
the destruction of such mighty powers be accomplished in a
brief space? But the reader must continually bear in mind,
that the present condition of things continues only by the
sufferance of God, and he can hasten the end in the appointed
way so as to fulfil all things in the kingdom of God within
the brief period of human life. And as to the restoration of
the Jews — if we suppose that it will precede the judgments
which will usher in the kingdom of God — it may be brought
to pass suddenly and in some wonderful way. If the stork
knovveth her appointed times, and the turtle, and the crane,
and the swallow observe the time of their coming, is it in-
credible, that God should simultaneously and so efficaciously
affect the minds of that people, that they shall arise as one
man, and at the same season set their faces to return? There
are expressions in the prophecies which indicate that their
restoration shall not only be suddenly accomplished, but that
it shall be so universal that even the sick and the infirm shall
not be left behind. And undoubtedly it will be accomplished
under circumstances which will not be entirely subject to the
observation of any one person, so that he can mark the pro-
gress of it, or say how far it may be at any time from comple-
tion. Still if we could not explain how these things may con-
sist, nor how we should watch for an event which will not take
place till after the restoration of the Jews, the duty would
remain, because such is the command: and the interest of the
Christian in the performance of this duty would also remain,
for as a snare will that day come upon all them that dwell on
the face of the whole earth.
91
The following propositions respecting the advent, ai*e added
to fill a page which would otherwise be vacant. They are no
part of the foregoing essays, but are taken from the appendix
of a small tract on "The Pre-millennial Personal Advent of
Christ, by a Spiritual Watchman," and are said to be from the
pen of Mr. Cuninghame.
PROPOSITIONS RESPECTING THE ADVENT.
I. From Luke xxi. 25 — 27, it appears that Christ comes just
while the heavens are shaking previous to the passing away
thereof. The same is evident from Matt. xxiv. 29, 30, and
Mark xiii. 24 — 26. The three evangelists use the word
c-AKiuBntrcvrat as marking the moment of the advent.
II. From Rev. vi. 14, 15, it appears, that when the heaven
passes away (a7rs;:^*/!;!r9«, departed) the Lord is already come. The
language of verses 15 and 16 is simply the description of the
identical mourning of all the tribes of the earth, foretold in
Matt. xxiv. 30; but this mourning is not till Christ comes,
which is a further confirmation of the former proposition.
III. From 1 Thes. iv. 17, it is manifest that our Lord's first
advent is in the air, and that there his saints meet him.
IV. From Zech. xiv. it is manifest, that subsequently to our
Lord's first appearance in the air he descends to the surface of
this earth; though what interval of time passes between these
events is unrevealed.
V. The appearance in the passages in Matthew, Mark and
Luke, already quoted, is the first appearance of our Lord in
the air, since it is previous to the gathering of his elect.
VI. Rev. xiv. 14, must, for a like reason, refer to our Lord's
appearance in the air.
VII. From Matt, xxv, 1 — 10, we learn that the first event
after our Lord's appearance in the air, and the gathering of
the elect, is the marriage.
VIII. In Rev. xix. 7, it is said, the marriage of the Lamb is
come. But by Prop. VII. it is established, that the marriage
is after the appearance in the air; therefore. Rev. xix. 7, re-
lates to a point in time subsequent to the appearance of the
Lord in the air.
IX. The appearance in Rev. xix. 14, is subsequent to the
marriage, therefore our Lord now is seen followed by his
saints, the armies which are in heaven. This appearance
seems to be identified with that in Zech. xii. 10. — xiv. 4 — 5.
X. From Matt. xxiv. 35 — 40, compared with Luke xvii. 26
— 30, and xxi. 34 — 36, it is apparent that tliough, as already
92
seen in Prop. I., the advent shall be in a time of alarm, and
shaking of the powers in the heavens, it shall yet be in a day
of peace and carnal enjoyment.
Corollarij. — Therefore the events we have lately seen, seem
rather to be the signs of the approaching hurricane, than the
hurricane itself.
The foregoing propositions were drawn up in answer to the
objections of a friend, that we are not yet to expect the advent,
because the events in Dan. xi. 44, 45, must^rs^ happen; and I
added an ai'gument, that if (as I believe) the standing up of
Michael, Dan. xii., be the same event as that in Zech. xiv. 4,
then the events in Dan. xi. 44, 45, shall not precede, but
follow, the advent in the air.
I have since arrived at some further conclusions, which are
embodied in the form of Propositions: —
XI. At the first sound of the seventh trumpet, the proclama-
tion of the kingdom takes place in heaven — Rev. xi. 17, (mark
the i/iaa-tXiVfet;.)
XII. The proclamation, in xviii. 2, announces not the actual,
hut approachi?7g fall of Babylon; for, from ver. 4, it appears
that the judgment is not yet executed, and that before she falls,
God's people, the elect, must come out of her. But the elect
are not gathered till Christ comes, and his coming must conse-
quently precede the judgment on Babylon.
XIII. As soon as she falls, there is, in Rev. xix. 1 — 6, a
second proclamation of the kingdom, the counterpart of the
former one, (the word is «,5^cr;Asy5-s,) and as the first was in
heaven, announcing the accession to the kingdom, so I infer
that the one in xix. 1 — 6, is on earth or in the air, and deter-
mines the moment of the investiture in the kingdom, when our
Lord adds to the c-ts^^vsc the J'/aefx^aTst ^om«, and this is imme-
diately followed by the marriage.
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