shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him."

There will be a personal, bodily, and visible advent of the Son of God; but that will be at the end of the world, and just before the general judgment, as these expressions are commonly understood. His first personal advent was when he came into the world to die for our sins; his second, and only other personal advent, will be, as just stated, at the last day. Consider here the import of this passage at the end of the 9th chapter to the Hebrews: "Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation." This passage is as decisive of the question as possible. The first appearance here spoken of was unquestionably a bodily appearance; so therefore, to preserve the consistency of the words, must be the second appearance; but this second appearance is connected with the day of judgment, from which it is obvious that no other appearance of the same kind can take place between the incarnation of Christ and his coming to judgment, for if there did, then his coming to judgment would be his third, and not his second coming. As to the fancy which supposes the judgment to be the period of a thousand years, and which perverts so much of the Word of God, by applying most of its fine descriptions of heaven to earth, it proves the extravagance into which men may fall, when they give loose reins to wild schemes of interpretation. The second bodily coming of the Son of man will be for eternal, and not for temporal purposes. When he comes again personally, it will be, not to dwell with his people on earth, but " to receive them to himself, that where he is, there they may be also," even in his Father's house above. Mark well how Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians,* describes the circumstances and the effect of our Lord's personal coming: "We who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord," that is, the generation of believers who shall be living on earth at that time, "shall not prevent," anticipate, or get before" them that are asleep," that is, shall not be changed before the bodies of the departed saints are raised. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of * 1 Thess. iv. 15.

the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain," after undergoing a change, we, the saints then alive —observe here, what is said; is it that they shall remain and dwell with Christ and the risen saints on the earth? no -"shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

From this it follows, that the reign of Christ on earth during the millennium will not be a visible, personal, and earthly reign, but an invisible, spiritual, and religious reign. "The Lord God will (thus) give unto him the throne of his father David."-" Unto the Son of man there shall be given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Christ's kingdom is an everlasting kingdomtherefore it exists now; it exists in all his people; he reigns at this moment over all who believe in his name, reigns over their hearts by his grace, and over their lives by his precepts. He reigns now without being personally and visibly present; and so will he reign during the millennium, only much more extensively and completely. The spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom is one of the fundamental principles of revelation. If we depart from this, we fall virtually into the same carnal notions which blinded the unbelieving Jews, and even impeded for a time the spirituality of the disciples. Let us hold the reply which our Lord made to the question when the kingdom of God should come, to be applicable universally, "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."

Secondly, but much more briefly, you should learn, from this passage, the necessity of having the kingdom of God within you, that is, the necessity of sincere, inward, vital religion. The kingdom of God is among you, in all its divinely appointed ordinances; it is actually within some of you in its saving and sanctifying efficacy; and it must thus be within you all, if you are to reap any advantage from it. If you refuse to submit to this reign, you must be borne down and destroyed by it. This King will say at last, "Those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." "Kiss the Son," then," lest he be angry, and ye perish from the

way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Be not contented with the form without the power of godliness-with having a name to live when you are dead. The name and profession of religion are necessary, but nothing short of the reality of it will be of any avail. Seek, then, to become the real subjects of God's kingdom. Seek restoration to his favour through faith in the righteousness of his Son, and to his image by the regenerating influences of his Spirit. Let him sit on the throne of your hearts, and study to honour him in your life and conversation. Pray that he would send the rod of his strength out of Zion, rule over you, and make you willing in the day of his power.

Thirdly, We may find in this passage a warning to ourselves as a nation. Our case may justly be considered as furnishing a parallel to that of the Jews, as in privileges so in sinfulness. Our nation is especially marked, as here stated, in regard to the engrossing business, cares, and pleasures of the world. General history proves great luxury to have been the forerunner and cause of national judgments and ruin. May God avert from us such a fate, and turn us from what is so likely to entail it! Let us beware, lest he who spared not the natural branches, spare not us, who are only ingrafted on that stock. When his judgments are abroad in the earth let us learn righteousness. Let us repent, and turn ourselves from all our transgressions; so iniquity shall not be our ruin.

Lastly, Let us carefully mark how instructively the greater part of this passage is calculated to lead forward our thoughts to the great day of judgment. The illustration from the deluge is obviously intended and calculated to have this effect. The earth, it is true, will never again be overflowed with water; "but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men." The illustration from Sodom and Gomorrah is so intended and calculated; for "they are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." And the destruction of Jerusalem is so intended and calculated; for it is a shadow, or type, of the still more awful destruction of the ungodly at the last day. The best interpreters consider the two subjects of the destruction of Jerusalem and the general judgment as interwoven in the 50th Psalm, and still more plainly in the 24th chapter of Matthew. Let

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Christ's coming to the destruction of Jerusalem, which has certainly taken place, be to us a proof of the certainty of his coming to judgment; and let the tremendous circumstances of the former event be viewed by us as a type of the still more tremendous circumstances of the latter. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also who pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."- "The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." His coming will be to men unexpected, even as that of a thief in the night. As to us, it may be nearer than we suppose, though, most likely, it is yet, strictly speaking, at a great distance. But there is another event equally decisive of our state, the event of our death, for, as the tree falls, so it shall lie;" and that event cannot be far off from any of us, while to some of us it may be just at hand. Surely, we ought to be prepared for that event. "Be ye also ready," saith Christ, "for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." Let us study to live in a state of preparation for death, by living a life of faith, holiness, and watchfulness. Let us take heed to ourselves, "lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon us unawares." The antediluvians, and the inhabitants of Sodom, are not charged here (however justly many of them might have been so) with gross crimes, and yet they perished; therefore, let us beware, not only of heinous sins, but of being engrossed with the business and cares of life. Let us remember Lot's wife, that we may avoid her tardiness, and hankering after the world. Let us not delay, but flee instantly for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel. Let us neither turn back, nor desire to turn back. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Let us think of the separation which will take place between the nearest connexions by death and judgment, when, in more senses than one, one shall be taken, and another left; and let us seek to be united to those whom we love by a tie of grace which will be acknowledged in the world of spirits.

Let us feel persuaded that we cannot possibly escape if we be found under the guilt and power of sin; for "wheresoever the carcass is, thither will the eagles be gathered together;" wherever the unpardoned and impenitent sinner is, there will the vengeance of God find him out. At the same time, let us feel equally persuaded that, as in the destruction of Jerusalem of old, so all who belong to Christ will be safe in the day of judgment, and for ever. "Gather my saints together unto me," saith the Lord, "those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; for God is judge himself." Lord, grant that we may be all prepared for that tremendous day; and when we hear the voice of Him who testifieth these things, saying, "Surely, I come quickly," may we be ready joyfully to exclaim, "Amen, Even so come, Lord Jesus!"