upon his shoulder." What ancient ceremony or custom soever this may allude to, the idea intended is evidently this,that the principal authority in the kingdom here designed shall be vested in Christ. And the general scope of the passage most certainly is, that He will take to Himself and exercise the supreme power and authority which was possessed and exercised by David, in the days of his flesh; and also over the descendants of the same people or nation. We may therefore safely conclude, that the future temporal kingdom of Christ is here primarily intended.

The following words appear fully to confirm this sense:"To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice." To order it," undoubtedly implies, to arrange or bring it into proper order. "To establish it," signifies, to cause the permanent continuance of it in that state. And the nature of that "order" is further expressed and explained in the words, "judgment and justice." The former seems to refer to the manner in which He will execute His offices with respect both to the perfect accuracy of His knowledge and views, and also the punctuality, promptitude, and vigour of the performance of it. This is particularly expressed in Isa. xi. 2, 3, which appears to relate to this subject: "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears."

Whether this be understood as referring immediately to Christ Himself, or, which seems more probable, to some earthly person as His deputy, still the government will be Christ's.

The word "justice" seems to express, not merely the equity of His own conduct, but particularly also the blessed effects of His administration with regard to His subjects, in the universal and uninterrupted practice of unbiased integrity and rectitude in all kinds of intercourse between man and But the reader is requested to consult his own reason, and consider how this can, with any propriety, be applied to any other than the earthly state.

man.

2. In Dan. ii. 31-33, is represented, under the symbols of the different parts of a great image, the four great monarchies which have subsisted from the time in which Nebuchadnezzar had the dream, down to the present.

The application of the head of gold, to the Babylonian

empire; of the breast and arms of silver, to the Medo-Persian; of the belly and thighs of brass, to the Grecian; of the legs of iron, to the former stages of the Roman empire; and of the feet and toes, consisting of a mixture of iron and clay, to the ten kingdoms into which the western part of the Roman empire has been divided-is so generally known, that it is needless to take up the reader's time by an enlargement thereon.

The principal things which relate to the subject before us are contained in ver. 34, 35:- "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

The interpretation of this is given in the 44th verse:-" And in the days of these kings" (or kingdoms) "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms."

The grand point now to be determined is, what is meant by this stone or kingdom? for that they both signify one and the same thing, must appear self-evident to every intelligent reader.

By all writers of celebrity the stone is considered as importing the spiritual kingdom of Christ. But that a very different thing is really intended will, it is hoped, satisfactorily appear, by a careful attention to the following particulars.

First. The time when this kingdom is to be set up.

(1.) It is said, ver. 44, to be, "in the days of these kings," or kingdoms. It is now pretty generally admitted, that the ten kingdoms into which the fourth monarchy was to be divided, are here designed by the Holy Spirit. Now, that the spiritual kingdom of Christ cannot be intended by the stone, will appear most certain and undeniable from this consideration, that this has existed from the time that there has been a real believer or saint in the world. To limit it to the Christian dispensation is very erroneous; for it cannot be rationally doubted, that the Redeemer has been the GREAT KING over His Church, and has reigned in the hearts of His people in all ages.

But even allowing the limitation, and supposing the spiritual

kingdom to begin together with the Christian dispensation, it is equally certain that this was set up some hundreds of before those kingdoms began.

years

(2.) From the series and order of the circumstances spoken of, it is apparent that the latter days of those kingdoms are intended in ver. 44; because the first work of this kingdom, at its very beginning, while yet, as it were, a mere stone, will be to break and consume these kingdoms. Now, that they are not yet broken, in the sense intended in the prophecy, is indisputable; for, whatever be the particular import of that part of the symbol which relates to the iron and clay toes, whether their respective political interests, which have been continually jarring with each other, and never could coalesce; or, as Bishop Newton very candidly admits, governments composed of a mixture of the secular with the ecclesiastical power; or whatever else may be designed; yet it is evident that the things intended by the iron and clay still continue, more or less, in all the ten kingdoms; and antichristian forms of government exist likewise in all the other countries comprehended in the image. But while we continue to see any wicked or antichristian powers reigning in those parts of the globe, without any effectual opposition, we may safely depend upon it the stone has not yet begun its work, and that it is not yet out of the mountain. To suppose that it has continued to exist in the world for nearly eighteen hundred years, and to have done nothing of its peculiar work in all that time, is an absurdity too gross to be admitted.

Secondly. The nature of its work. It is a generally received opinion, that the spiritual kingdom of Christ has been smiting those kingdoms from the first promulgation of the gospel, and that it will continue to smite them more and more powerfully, till the end predicted is produced.

But what has the spiritual kingdom of Christ, or the preaching of the gospel, to do with, or how is it concerned in, breaking and consuming temporal kingdoms? Its nature is altogether different from theirs. It has existed in the midst of them, without interfering in the least degree with their temporal concerns. It is perfectly evident, that the breaking spoken of by Daniel, ver. 35, signifies a rapid and total destruction of the temporal power of those dominions, and not the gradual change made by the preaching of the gospel. "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces TOGETHER, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them." How this can possibly be

reconciled with the peaceful nature and operation of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, rests with the judicious to determine. Thirdly. Consider the immediate effect that is to follow the breaking those kingdoms. Daniel informs us, that "the stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." The evident import of this is, that the kingdom which the God of heaven will set up, will exercise the supreme temporal power over all the nations of the globe. But it is perfectly certain that this has never been realised.

From these documents it clearly and necessarily follows(1.) That the breaking intended in this passage never yet has taken place.

(2.) That the spiritual kingdom of Christ cannot be designated by the stone, or kingdom which the God of heaven will set up. (3.) That the kingdom designed is a temporal one, which will exercise the supreme authority over those countries, the former power of which was broken by it at its first beginning. (4.) That the time of setting up this kingdom is yet future. The rational inference from the whole is, that the future temporal kingdom of Christ is the thing really intended. Another part of prophecy which relates to the same subject, and which will throw much additional light on it, is—

3. Dan. vii. In the former part of this chapter, under the symbols of four different beasts, the same empires were again exhibited in a vision to Daniel; in which the latter ages of the Roman empire, and, particularly, the rise and destruction of the Papacy, are most strikingly delineated. But the following parts only concern us at present.

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Ver. 14, "And there was given him" (the Messiah) dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him." Again, ver. 27, "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

It is presumed, no doubt will be entertained that the kingdom spoken of in this chapter is the very same with that in chap. ii., which we have just noticed. And it is no less clear from the verses last quoted, that a temporal kingdom is intended. This idea will be further corroborated by the following observations

(1.) It is the sovereign authority over those countries, the power of which was before possessed respectively by the four symbolical beasts. And what can this power be other than

temporal?

(2.) It is described in ver. 14, as a "dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him." Now let any man ask his own reason, What distinct people, nations, languages, exist in the spiritual or eternal world? Or what dominion or kingdom, besides a temporal one, can possibly agree with this description?

(3.) It is further described in ver. 27, as a "kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven."

The language here is so peculiarly determinate, as fully to warrant the following positive assertion, that if this phraseology does not necessarily limit its application to a state that is earthly or human, then words can have no certain or proper meaning at all.

The person to whom this kingdom is to be given is described in ver. 13, as "one like the Son of man.' This has been allowed by both the Jewish and Christian Churches to belong exclusively to the Messiah. From the whole, therefore, it is evident that the kingdom intended by the Holy Spirit in those descriptions, is no other than the future temporal kingdom of Christ.

It may, perhaps, be needful to give a hint respecting "the people of the saints of the Most High," to whom, under the Messiah, this kingdom will be given. Sufficient proof will be found in the following parts of this treatise that the seed of Jacob then in the body, after their renovation, will be the people for whom this honour is designed.

4. Zech. xiv. 9, "And the Lord shall be king over ALL THE EARTH."

Whoever properly considers the peculiar significancy of these words, must allow that it cannot refer to His government, as it respects His general providence; for that has existed and acted unceasingly since the creation-consequently, could not be the subject of a prediction. Nor will His spiritual dominion in the hearts of mankind, when holiness shall become universal, convey an adequate idea of its meaning. That this is naturally implied is readily granted; but certainly its proper import is, that He will literally exercise the sovereign power as King and Legislator over all the nations of the globe, in a manner altogether unknown in any former period of time.

5. Luke i. 32, 33, "And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever."

These words contain the immediate declaration of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary, in announcing the great things which the Lord was about to do for her.