It would appear that in that happy world, the different visions with which they are favoured, are figuratively designed the living fountains to which Messiah leads them, and the pastures in which they feed. If at times he appears as the lion of the tribe of Judah, this assures them in the most convincing manner of his having fought and over

If sitting on a white cloud, and thrusting his sickle into the earth, this, while it fills them with joy, sets before them the certainty of numbers, who being turned unto righteousness, shall come to join their assembly. If he appears as the Lamb that has been slain, this prompts the enraptured song, “thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." If having on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, this announces to them his supreme dominion over all the plans of men, and that while they are executing their pleasure, he will divert their exertions to run in the channel of his own designs: "the wrath of man he will make to praise him, and the remainder of wrath he will restrain: but to sec him enthroned in that glory in which he is to appear at the last day, will not be given till the time of the restitution of all things." This is clear from the promise which he made to his disciples, just before his ascension. "I will come again and receive you unto myself;" a promise which yet waits for its accomplishment.

In

In Paradise his people are in the state of expectants, as well as those who are inhabitants of earth; and well they may, for they have yet much to receive, and much to behold.

If the apostle John, while on earth, was fully sensible that what he saw of Christ, after his ascension, was only through the medium of vision, and confessing his ignorance of what his future appearance would be, yet firmly expecting that his essential presence was far to transcend anyvision, much more they who are in Paradise, who, whatever happiness they may receive from his visional appearance, entertain the most lively expectation of seeing him as he is-unveiled, and of being then made like him. The events of this glorious period are emphatically termed salvation. "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without a sin offering for salvation ;”* i. e. in order to accomplish it. On that day such a flood of glory will burst upon the view, as no state could support, but the glorified state. It is an eternal weight of glory. Yet to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord, during the interval between death and the resurrection, al

*Tois auton apekdechomenois correspond exactly to KoveJehovah, expectants of Jehovah. both the verbs, he will appear, and they expect, tend to one point, eis soterian. The first, ut salutem perficeret: the second ut salutem assequerentur. Heb. ix. 28.

кк

though

though but in vision, infinitely transcends any situation on earth. They now rest from their labours are out of the reach of every enemy-are sealed, and in a state of preparation for exertions, nobler and more glorious, in a higher sphere.

7

CHAPTER

CHAPTER XV.

The House over which Messiah presides.

And Moses verily was faithful in all'his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after, but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are. Heb. iii. 5, 6.

THEN Solomon the prophet said, how beautiful

is the house of the sanctuary of Jehovah, which is built by my hands of the wood of cedar, but fairer is the house of the sanctuary which is to be built in the days of King Messiah. Chaldee Paraph. Song, i. 17.

This house is the church of God, partly as it exists here, and partly, although vastly superior in number in the invisible state. Its component parts are the souls and bodies of men. In this building, a variety of workmen have been, and are employed according to its different economies, through the different ages. This, from its very commencement, Christ, as a son, presides over. From the first of time, he had the ordering of it, as to its plan and mode of execution; so that whatever prosphet arose to speak of its manifold and diversified glories, was moved to it by the spirit of Messiah. "The spirit of Christ," says Peter, "which was in them testifying before

hand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

The promise of this house was made in a particular manner, and with particular circumstances to King David. It was promised that one of his sons should build a house to the name of the Lord, of which the first image or subordinate event might seem to be fulfilled in Solomon; but it comes with such adjuncts, as plainly to shew that the second, or more remote event, must be understood, and that" a greater than Solomon is here." It was such a kingdom as David was to witness after he had slept with his Fathers; "And thine house," says Jehovah, " and thy kingdom, shall be established (Le-Olam) through the hidden period, before thee." The duration of this kingdom struck David, and put him into a pleasing commotion, and he terms it a great while to The Chaldee paraphrase on this is remarkable, and runs in this manner: "Thou hast spoken concerning the house of thy servant, as it extends into the future age." In the parallel passage in the book of Chronicles, the language is still more striking, and leads us to think that St. Paul had his eye on it when he spoke of the second Adam being the Lord from heaven. “Thou hast," says David, "regarded thy servant according to the dispensation of that Man who is from above," (Ha-Adam ham-mcalah) that is, this house and kingdom

come.