Jesus is the sum and substance of the Sacred Volume. Jesus is the Sun, placed in the centre of this system of grace and mercy; around whom, all his ransomed ones, move in willing obedience; from whom, they all derive their light and warmth; to whom, they are all attracted, by the powerful influence of his Spirit. But as in the natural, so in the spiritual system, there is a counter-tendency. If left for one moment to themselves, these ransomed ones would fly far off from the centre. Nothing keeps them in the path of holiness, but the attractive influence of the Sun of Righteousness. How experimentally true are the words of the poet : "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love- How glorious, how happy, will that period be, when the law in the members shall no longer war against the law of the mind;" when only one influence will be exerted, the influence of holy love, ever drawing the heart nearer and nearer to Jesus, the source and centre of felicity. This blessedness is now, in part, experienced by the true believer. It shall be more delightfully enjoyed in the reign of the millennium. But the fulness of this bliss is reserved for the heavenly state. Is it not strange, that creatures, born for immortality, should be so indifferent to joys like these? Why is it so? The Bible tells us because of unbelief. We are blinded by the God of this world. We are sunk in earth-born cares and pleasures. worms of the earth, we creep out of our holes, and crawl on the dust; when, like the eagle, we should be soaring upwards, till the earth disappear from our view. Like Alas! how fallen are we! Sin has marred the image of our God, in which man was originally created, and now we bear the image of the evil one; we are a compound of brute and devil. Most unwelcome truth this, to the pride of the natural man. We would fain exalt ourselves to the highest pitch of excellence; at the very time, when the truth of God proclaims our guilt and misery: "He that committeth sin, is of the devil."* "Vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt."+ Let us, then, rejoice, that "salvation is of the Lord," that he desireth not the death of a sinner;§ that he has "so loved the world, as to give his onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Yes! let us rejoice, that the reign of darkness shall not always continue; for as sin hath reigned unto death, so grace shall reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.** This reign of grace is now progressing; for Jesus has all power in heaven and in earth.++ But his kingdom is opposed by wicked men and evil spirits. His people are now in an enemy's country. They have to buckle on their armour, to take their weapons, and to fight under the banners of the Captain of their salvation. Without the pale of his Church, are millions of Heathens and Mahomedans, who set themselves against the faithful soldiers of the Redeemer. Within his Church, are formalists, and hypocrites, who darken the truth, who despise the saints of the Most High; who belie their baptismal engagements, and who virtually unite with, and strengthen the hands of the infidel and the profane. How precious is the book of God, which unfolds to us a brighter scene than this. Jesus, indeed, even now reigns in the hearts of his people. But, as yet they are only a little flock. Oh how painful is the view of the present state of the world. Take, * 1 John iii. 8. § Ezek. xviii. 32. + Job xi. 12. John iii. 16. ++ Matt. xxviii. 18. Jonah ii. 9. for example, one single large town, composed of one hundred thousand souls. As we walk in the streets, crowds of immortal beings press us on every side. Can we, in charity, hope that one in every twenty, is truly a child of God, a member of Christ ?-not a nominal, but a real Christian? Happy, indeed, were it so. We cannot read the hearts of men, but we can read their lives. Does the great mass of our population live as Christians should live? as those should live, who have been admitted by baptism into the Church of Christ? Alas! no, the world reigns in the hearts of thousands. The chains of worldly pleasure, profit, and power are thrown around their affections, and make them willing slaves to the God of this world. Oh! how much should the true believer be engaged in prayer for the outpouring of the Spirit; and in multiplied exertions, to stem the torrent of iniquity, and to promote the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. Three things are perceivable in Prophecy. I. The prosperity of the Church, in its enlargement, holiness, and glory. II. The outpouring of the Spirit, as the great means for promoting this state of earthly blessedness. III. The spirit of prayer, which is promised, and shall be imparted, as the dawn of this predicted felicity. The prophet Ezekiel,* in his description of the temple, which may refer to the millennial reign, beautifully describes the living water, issuing from the altar, emblematical of the Holy Spirit flowing to us, through the atonement of the Son of God. On either side of this river, which deepened as it flowed, so rich and full is the grace of God our Saviour, "were very many trees," full of fruit, "whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed;" showing, how every spiritual blessing grows on the banks of this celestial stream, which makes glad the city of God. # Chap. xlvii. The streamlet, which at first was ancle deep, increased as it flowed, till it became a mighty river, in which a man might swim.* How descriptive this of the Messiah's kingdom, which he himself compared, in its beginning, to the mustard-seed,† which, though the smallest of all seeds, grows to be the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds lodge in the branches of it. "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." The stone, which Nebuchadnezzar saw in vision, cut out without hands, and which became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, is the kingdom of the Messiah; the reign of Jesus shall be co-eval with eternity. Every one who is taught of God, will feel the necessity of the Holy Spirit's influence; will rejoice in the promise that it shall be imparted; will acknowledge the duty of seeking for it; and will use the means for its attainment. O! that the dew of divine grace may descend upon the souls of all who labour to promote this happy reign of righteousness, till they arrive at that blessed abode where they shall have no need to say, "drop from above."§ This truth is clear from divine revelation, that nothing but misery and desolation will overspread the earth," until the Spirit be poured out from on high." Then "the wilderness shall be a fruitful field,"|| showing the happy change in the Gentile world, and among all who know not God, whether Jews or Christians; and "the fruitful field," those cultivated parts of the earth where the gospel is planted, "shall be counted for a forest," at once, permanent and useful, for "judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever. * Ezek. xlvii. 3, 5. Dan. ii. 34, 35. See Matt. xiii. 31, 32. § Herbert. Isa. xxxii. 15-18. Isa. xxxii. 15. Who would not pray in the words which Jesus hath taught us: "Thy kingdom come."* Oh! that our hearts may unite with the inspired Apostle: "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”† "The only wise God and our Saviour," has connected the means with the end. As of this, so of every other spiritual gift and grace, the Lord will be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. To obtain this blessing, how fervent was Isaiah : "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof, as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God."+ How blessed would be the result, did ministers and people thus unite in prayer, and endeavour to advance the glory of the Church, and the salvation of the world. To animate us to this delightful exercise, this concert of prayer, how gracious is the promise of Jehovah: "Behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth....I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people......And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer: and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." This blessedness will, then, be preceded by the united, believing, fervent, unceasing prayers of the Church. But how abundant is the grace of God! "Before they call, I will answer: and whiles they are yet speaking, I will hear," is the voice of Him * 'Matt. vi. 10.; Luke xi. 2. Isa. lxii. 1-3. + Rev. xxii. 20. § Isa. lxv. 17-25. |