Such is a brief and imperfect outline of the substance of these requests. They desire the reign of knowledge, purity, freedom, and peace. The extinction of all jealousies, discord, and animosity, among the disciples of Christ. Happy, happy world, when this blessed event shall arrive. We are to limit no time, but to pray, and wait, and labour, for its advancement. "O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad."* II. ON WHAT GROUNDS ARE WE ENCOURAGED TO PRESENT THEM AND TO EXPECT THEIR FULFILMENT? Let us specify five. First. The positive assurance of Jehovah. He has engaged that Messiah shall reign over all nations. "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Thus testifieth the Psalmist in another place. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I have made thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." So also: "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed." Hence, when Pilate interrogated him at the bar of judgment, "Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." || * Psalm liii. 6. Psalm lxxi. 17. Psalm ii. 8, 9. Psalm cx. 1—3. Secondly. The expectations of Messiah himself confirm it. It is written of him-that " for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame." But what joy was this? It was the benevolent delight of doing good, of saving souls, of "destroying the works of the devil, for which purpose he was manifested." Thus he foretels the large reward: " And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. And this he spake, signifying what death he should die."* So also He commanded his brethren to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." They were to "preach repentance and remission of sins unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Does not this show his expectations and designs? Is it possible for language to be more decisive? And can the Son of God be disappointed? Thirdly. The promised supply of divine influence ensures it. What is the language of Scripture on this head? The time would fail me to mention the tenth part of those predictions which are recorded in the pages of the sacred writings of the copious effusion of the spirit of grace. Its abundance is compared to a river and a flood which will sweep away every obstruction in its course. "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground." "Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness." "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." "The mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters." In the New Testament the same promises are repeated. The Saviour assured his sorrowful brethren, that it was "expedient for them that he should go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I * John xii. 32, 33. will send him unto you." Likewise," He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you." And throughout the history of the primitive churches, whenever the apostles were instrumental of doing good, they mentioned it as in perfect accordance with the Christian dispensation. Fourthly. The commanded duty of prayer, for its universal establishment, demonstrates the certainty of the fact. Thus, in the text, we are directed to pray for this delightful event, before we ask for our daily bread. The apostle, writing to the Thessalonian converts, addressed them in this wise: Finally brethren pray for us; that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you." Christians have been always expecting the more perfect development of the purposes of grace in answer to prayer. Surely they cannot have all been deceived in this respect! The saints above are also described as rejoicing because "the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." John, who was indulged with the most rapturous visions of the celestial world, tells us, that he “beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."* Afterwards" the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." These were the joys of the redeemed at the triumphs of their Lord. Finally. The recorded achievements of this reign, authorize our expectations of complete and everlasting victory. "The fact that the gospel has been successful, becomes the pledge of its future and greater success. In the infancy of its existence, its Author was crucified, its disciples were scattered, its enemies were to be found everywhere, its friends nowhere; and yet it survived, and was extensively propagated. In a more recent period, its doctrines were perverted, its authority nullified, and its testimony hidden in an unknown tongue: while it was rendered unspeakably odious by being made subservient to temporal policy, and hood-winked superstition: and yet it burst the bonds by which it was imprisoned and degraded, and arose in its original purity to judge and condemn its adversaries. In our own times Christianity has been subjected to different and severer tests. She has been assailed with all the refinements of wit and argument -the sciences, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and philosophy, have been impannelled against her; yea, all her pretensions have been exposed to the strictest inquisition. And it would be saying too little to assert, that she has suffered nothing from the ordeal. She has gained much. Her adversaries have been met by a host of men, whose works are a tower of strength and beauty in our land; and art and science, when profoundly understood and correctly applied, have only afforded fresh evidence of her truth. And is it presumption to conclude, that religion, which has triumphed over such forbidding circumstances and potent obstacles, shall still succeed? Every movement it has already made, aids its present progress, and every step of its present success will give still increasing facility and acceleration to its further advancement, till, like the sun to which it is compared, it shall ascend far above the mists and clouds and darkness which shrouded its early course, and shall shine forth in universal influence, and receive universal homage."* In confirmation of the same truth, I quote the similar testimony of one of the most eloquent of the ancient fathers: "You mow us down, but we spring up again under the scythe. Our patience in suffering recommends the religion by which it is inspired; awakens the curiosity of men to examine its pretensions; and it requires only candid investigation to impress the unshaken conviction that it is indeed of God. The gospel has found its way into your palaces, your senate, and your army. To extirpate Christianity, you must depopulate whole provinces that own the supremacy of Rome, and reign over deserts." To this conclusive testimony nothing needs be added. It only remains that I state, III. A FEW CONSIDERATIONS TO INDUCE YOU TO PRESENT WITH FERVOUR THE PETITIONS BEFORE US. We have seen the beneficial tendency of the gospel to promote peace, harmony, and love. We have also considered some of the evidences by which we are assured of its final triumphs: have we not, therefore, many powerful inducements to present these requests, at the divine footstool? Common benevolence requires it. Is there a boon so great-a blessing so valuable-as the recovery of sinners from ignorance and vice, to the purity and knowledge of God? You would look with unmingled abhorence on the wretched parent who would make no anxious and persevering search after his helpless child, that had wandered away, and lost his home! But is not the soul of more value than the body.? And what is the moral condition of man according to this book? He is a sheep strayed from * See Sermon by the Rev. A. Reed, in the " Monthly Lectures on the Evidences of Christianity." |