182 THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS. My dear Sir, ACTS III. 19-21; ROM. VIII. 19-21. In consequence of the encouragement you have given me to prepare, "if the Lord will," a series of papers on the New Testament evidence to "the restitution of all things" at the next coming of the Lord, I avail myself of your kindness, and send you the first of them for insertion in the Investigator. As in the former papers on the Old Testament two objects were necessarily kept in view, I mean the testimonies of the prophets to both advents, in the following our attention and inquiry will be directed and confined to the second advent only. I propose considering the four Gospels in their canonical order, which will be, perhaps, the simplest plan; and I pray that the anointing of the Holy One may abide in me, and teach me all things needful for this work. a My dear Sir, may a great blessing rest upon your labours! Believe me yours most truly, W. W. P. The Gospel according to St. Matthew, as it stands the first in the canon of the New Testament, so we have reason for believing that it was written about eight years after our Lord's ascension, and the first of the four gospels. The book opens with the genealogy of " Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Two things are here observable: first, that by his reputed father, i. e. by the lawful husband of his mother, he claimed a lineal descent from David in the line of Solomon, and thus was legally David's son, as he was naturally David's Lord. But, secondly, there seems to have been a special purpose in this genealogy being granted to the church, which refers, I conceive, to the Restitution of all things. It formed a part of the scriptural expectation of the seed of Abraham, that Christ, as David's son, should sit on David's throne.c This genealogy proves, that the kingdom of Israel was Christ's by right of inheritance. Christ, though he was not the real son of Joseph, yet was the legal son with greater reason than when a man took a wife, and died, and left no seed, his brother's seed by her were to be looked upon as his, and had the right of inheritance." This genealogy then is a standing evidence to the truth, that to our Jesus this privilege belongs, and that in him alone this scriptural expectation of the Hebrews shall be fulfilled; and then only, when He, "the Lord of hosts, shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously."e Of the name Jesus, (vv. 16, 21,) it may be remarked, that it was the same as Joshua or Jehoshua, both intimating the work of the Lord, the Saviour, in bringing in the people to their promised rest in the one case, the typical rest of Canaan; f in the other, the rest which remaineth to the people of God. Of that name Emmanuel it must not be forgotten, that its full developement can only take place when "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."g In the second chapter we meet c Psa, cxxxII. e Isa. XXIV, 23. a 1 John II. 27. b See Scott's Preface,-H. Horne, vol. II. 11, 12; Jer. xxIII. 5, &c. d Jon. Edwards' Works, 11. 776. f Heb. IV. 8, 9. 8 Rev. XXI. 3; Exek. xxxvii. 27. 66 with the inquiry of the "wise men rit and power of Elias, was a type. The twelfth verse of the chapter refers to the final separation of the elect from the ungodly world, under the figure of dividing the wheat from the chaff; and of the time when this separation shall take place let the Christian church be judge. If she judge according to the Scriptures, she must confess that it will be in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory: k she must own, that it will be "in the end of this age (Ev T σvvTeλetą tov aιwvos 7878) when the Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."1 66 the Passing by our Lord's baptism in the river Jordan, we come to the wilderness temptation, in which there is one fact recorded of so striking a kind, that it must not be passed by in silence. When two of Satan's temptations had failed, to which he had had recourse, he tried a third; and the bait, by which he hoped to allure the Redeemer into sin, is very remarkable.-That Satan is god of this world," by usurpation on his part, and by permission on the Lord's, is clear; for he is styled by Jesus Christ himself, the prince of this world;"m and, by an apostle of the Lord, "the god of this world; though of course we do not forget, that the divine administration is above this, restraining and directing it, as best and most effectually to promote whatsoever God's hand and God's counsel determined before to be done." o It is however remarkable, that Satan should bait his hook with that very thing which of right belongs to Christ as "the second Adam," and upon which he will visibly enter, when, as "the Lord from heaven,' The narrative of John the Baptist's ministry associates with it that coming of Elias to restore all things, which our Lord confirmed; i and of which the coming of this forerunner, crying in the wilderness, in the spih Ezek. xxxvII. 21, 22. i Mal. Iv. 5; Matt. xvII. 10-12, 1 Matt. XIII, 40-42. m John XII. 31. n 2 Cor. IV. 4. 28. k Matt. XIX. o Acts IV. 28. he shall next be revealed with many diadems, and the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and Satan shall be cast out of his inheritance. The rejection of this offer on the part of Jesus was followed by the retreat of the enemy, "and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." There was a mystery in the Saviour's connexion with Nazareth; for this connexion bound him, as it were, to the ten tribes. In Nazareth he was miraculously conceived, in Bethelem he was born, and in Nazareth he was brought up. Sampson and John Baptist were both Nazarites, and, as such, types of our Jesus. To accomplish this type he was "Jesus of Nazareth." And when he shall appear to reunite under himself the two kingdoms, which from the days of Rehoboam the son of Solomon have been twain, then the ten tribes will find that they, as well as the house of David, have a local interest in the eventful story of their Messiah as "God manifest in the flesh :" that, as the house of David have the priority of claim, because he was, as touching his manhood, "of the house and lineage of David," and was born in the city of Bethlehem where David was; yet in Nazareth, one of their cities, the seed of the woman was taken into personal union with the Godhead of the eternal Word; in that city he passed the days of his youth; from that he fulfilled the type of the Nazarite, according to the Scriptures of the prophets; and from that the very title was derived, which was designed to affix opprobrium upon him on the cross, but which was coupled with the attestation to his kingly character: in which character, when he shall be revealed at the latter day, Ephraim and Judah shall rejoice together in Him as the king of Israel, as truly as the king of the Jews. It is a remarkable circumstance that Jeremiah prophesies of his miraculous conception in one of the cities of Israel, just as his birth is predicted in Bethlehem. Let the Reader study attentively Jer. xxxi. 20—22, and he will see the truth of this remark. When John Baptist commenced his ministry in the wilderness of Judea, he said, 66 Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." q When "Jesus began to preach,” he said, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." r And shortly after we read, that he "went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom."s-What is this kingdom of heaven? From these passages it is clearly some kingdom connected with the preaching of the gospel; and the existing state of things in the earth, from the time of which St. Matthew speaks to this hour, will help to shew what we are to understand by "the kingdom of heaven." Satan has been, and still is, the permitted "god of this world," who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience. This necessarily implies that he has a kingdom. But his kingdom cannot subsist with Christ's; for the two principalities are as naturally and necessarily opposed as light and darkness: as the one advances the other must retreat. The prophet Daniel tells us of a kingdom, which the God of heaven shall set up, which shall never be destroyed; but which shall break in pieces and consume all those earthly kingdoms which had been represented in Nebuchadnezzar's vision. The extent P Rev. XI. 15; Heb. 11. 8, 9; Rev. xx. 1, 2. IV. 17. S v. 23. q Chap. 11. 1, 2. r Chap. of this kingdom was revealed to the same beloved servant of God; that it should be under the whole heaven, and therefore over the whole earth. To the same fact David testifies in Psalms 11. 6, 8; LXXII. 8; and LXXXIX. 27. The fair inference, therefore, from the existing state of things, is that the kingdom of heaven will only fully come, when Satan's kingdom shall be destroyed; that the preaching of the gospel is the preparatory means for bringing it in, for which cause it is called "the gospel of the kingdom;" and as long as the circumstances of the world require this gospel to be preached, so long we may be assured the kingdom of heaven, or of God, is not fully come. This kingdom, in its state of infancy, may be said to have commenced in the days of Christ, his transfiguration being an eminent manifestation of it: when the law and the prophets, in the persons of Moses and Elias, combined to testify to his future glory; and when God the Father, by a voice from heaven, confirmed this testimony. In every act of power and dominion over the creature, which was put forth by Jesus Christ whilst he travailed in sorrow amongst men, we find an earnest of his future dominion; and when he was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead," a confirmation of these expectations concerning him was given. The kingdom of heaven therefore was at hand, when the Baptist preached, and when our Lord confirmed his testimony, because the new dispensation of the gospel, then about to be introduced, was the infant state of that kingdom. "" Two apparent contradictions may here be adduced, which not only justify my view of this subject, but which must appear to be contradictions still, unless this, or a similar view, be adopted. When our Lord preached repentance, as we have just seen, he gave this as the reason to quicken men to the work, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. When he was going up to Jerusalem for the last passover, he spake a parable, because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." The parable was that of the nobleman and his ten servants; the object of which was to teach them, that, though the nobleman's kingdom should at some time certainly appear, it should not appear then; in other words, that it was not at hand. Before this event occurred, this nobleman had to go into a far country, during which absence his servants were to occupy the different places assigned them, with a view to the final recompense of reward, until he came. But, inasmuch as the preaching of the gospel is the preliminary step to prepare for the nobleman's return, Christ said that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. As we proceed with this history we meet next with the sermon on the mount, opening with nine beatitudes which our Lord pronounced upon as many different conditions of heart or state. In three cases the kingdom of heaven, or a reward in heaven, is promised as the recompense which shall be given; and must therefore be viewed in one or both of the two aspects of that kingdom which have just been set forth. The promise of the 5th verse is of so peculiar a character, that I must call the reader's attention to it more particularly." Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Men may employ all their u Luke XIX. 11-27. ingenuity to get away from the plain meaning of these words, but it must be in vain. The passage naturally reminds us of the corresponding promise and blessing in Psalm xxxvII. 11-" But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." In these two passages every word has weight, and the very form of expression appears to have been selected to cut off all retreat from the conclusions of truth. The leading characteristic of the persons here described is that which distinguished our Lord Jesus Christ, whilst ministering among men ;"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, &c." w The tense of the verb is future, and the word "inherit," proves that the blessing promised is a blessing not in possession. The inheritance moreover is "the earth." In viewing the writings of the prophets, with reference to this subject, we found in Zeph. 111. 12"I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord."x It was then observed that the difficulties of this passage were removed by Dr. Homes' translation: "I will cause to remain in thee a people that is humble and meek, or poor in spirit, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord." This will be the generation of them in the flesh that fear God at the time spoken of by the prophet; for these shall be left. I will leave in the midst of thee, &c. shews that they must be already there, or they could not be left. But our Lord did not confine the promised blessing to the meek of one generation, he stated it generally. It belongs therefore to every generation. But what has become of the meek" of w Matt, XI. 29. past generations? Have they received the inheritance ?—No. And where are they?-Numbered amongst the dead. The promised inheritance therefore can only be bestowed after their resurrection. And this inheritance is none other than that foretold by Daniel the prophet, to which we have before referred: When "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."y The existence of the earth after the resurrection of the meek, and the possession of it by them as an inheritance, are conclusions from which there is no escape, if this passage be honestly viewed. The next passage to which attention will be directed (chap. vI. 9, 10,) tends to confirm the foregoing expositions. Here the great Prophet of the church is teaching the members of that church, how to pray. He gives them seven petitions to bring before their Father in heaven; and, as it might be expected, commences with that, which is the principal end of all the revealed purposes of God with which we are acquainted: I mean the manifestation of the divine glory. But, if the first petition contain the subject of principal importance, the next we should conclude would not be greatly inferior. And what is the next? Thy kingdom come." And the third is like unto it: "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." With regard to the former of these, it has evidently a prospective application ; or the Lord would not have permitted his church to fall into that very error in the use of this prayer, against which he was guarding her by teaching the same. He had said, When ye pray use not vain repeti 66 |