of something future, special, and particular; and of such a blessed and glorious nature, as was never really and absolutely accomplished before. And it is likewise to be noted, that the Lord like divine truth, justice, and order, is unchangeable and eternal. He was therefore, ever one and the same Lord God of heaven and earth "from everlasting to everlasting, world without end." He was, is, and shall be, the great, the supreme, the only king, essentially and truly so called: There was a time when this was acknowledged, before "men sought out many inventions, built the Tower of Babel, and made Gods to themselves, which were no Gods." This declination from the one true God, begetting, accompanying, and following, divine rivalship and competition, in the mind of man, was gradual and progressive. So likewise must the recovery and restoration be, of that long lost, glorious, and happy state. That the text was not fulfilled at our Lord's first coming in the flesh, is most essentially evident, without a demonstration. That this, and similar prophecies are now fulfilling, but not fulfilled, is

almost equally evident. But still much more remains to be done, for notwithstanding the wonderful and unprecedented propagation and extension of scripture knowledge which marks and exalts the present age, it is manifest that professing christians are not finally and fully agreed, either in in their judgements or in their lives, to serve and worship the one true and only God. For divine truth is divine truth; it is like its author, simple, one, perfect, and unchangeable. And this truth must be somewhere. And this truth is not yet generally, or universally received; for it is very remarkable, in the verses preceding the text, it is said, "There shall be one day, known to Jehovah, not day, nor night but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." And it is uniformly and everlastingly true, that, "where sin abounds, grace shall much more abound." There is a central point, termination, and completion, of all preceding dispensations to be expected, when it is said, “in those days shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, for it shall break in pieces

and subdue all former kingdoms, but it shall stand for ever." Therefore, there must be a new, final, and eternal dispensation of divine light and love; and the grand essential characteristic thereof, must be the true, full, direct, and universal knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord. "For the knowledge of the Lord" (it is written,) "shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea." So that it shall be revealed to the rational understanding of every christian, imprinted on his heart, and made manifest in his life, speech, and actions, with unequivocal consistency and prevailing uniformity, that "the Lord is king over all the earth, that there is one Lord, and his name One."

But as this expectation, prediction, and promise, descriptive of the christian church in the latter days, does not rest upon this single prophecy, nor upon those few other prophecies already adduced, permit me now to present to your most particular attention, an additional and more copious selection out of the manifold and

* See Dr. Hammond on Revelations, 21.

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numerous variety on the same subject in the oracles of God. The following appear to me to be peculiarly striking, conclusive, and appropriate to our present purpose: viz. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, the Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." And in the Revelations it is said, Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth: and he hath taken to himself his great power, and henceforth he shall reign for ever and ever." And again, "Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints; who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy? Wherefore, all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest." And in another place, "Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,

which accused them before our God day and night." Also in the 11th chapter of this same prophetic book of the New Testament, we read the following sublime and glorious proclamation, "The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, and henceforth, HE shall reign for ever and ever." And in the 85th Psalm, it is spiritually predicted, that, "Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven." Again, in the prophet Isaiah, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Behold I create new heavens, and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: For behold I create Jeru