THE question will no doubt be asked, are these glorious prophecies to have no other accomplishment than that which was seen in the days of the Apostles, or which has since been seen in the church on earth? Such a question however can alone proceed from darkness regarding the scriptural idea of the kingdom or church of God. All these prophecies have, as we have said, one fulfilment, viz.-" In that day,"-even the day of Christ. When did that day begin, and when shall it end? It began 66 from the womb of the morning," when the King of Zion was exalted to his throne: prefigured by what was said of old, of the typical prince of peace-"then sat Solomon on the throne of the Lord as king, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him," It continues during the time that he reigns in the midst of his enemies over his new creation, (see Psalm viii.) the whole family of Israel in heaven and on earth, and

extends over that glorious thousand years reign of the saints, as kings and priests with Him upoa the earth, when " He shall gather together in one, all the children of God who are scattered abroad." It is therefore I apprehend an error, and as we shall see one much calculated to darken the word of God, to speak of two separate fulfilments of the Old Testament prophecies, or to say that their fulfilment must not be looked for till Jesus comes again. The good things promised to the fathers has been fulfilled to us their children, though it shall not be understood to its full extent "how great that goodness is," (Ps. xxxi. 19.) till his people see eye to eye and face to face. It is the good pleasure of the King of the kingdom that we should see these prophecies fulfilled in the day of small things, ere that kingdom and glory be revealed, in which it shall be confessed -"there hath failed nought of any good thing which the Lord hath

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spoken unto the house of Israel; all hath come to pass." Glorious things are indeed spoken of Zion as she shall then appear, and to see all that glory has been the stay and support of the church of God in every age but let us beware of laying down any rule or principle of interpretation but that which the apostles of the Lord were endued with power to announce, when "Jehovah said unto Adonai, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." And to keep in mind the view of the kingdom of God, or of heaven which they there gave is of equal importance in reading the New Testament Scriptures as the Old. John came preaching" the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; and Joseph of Arimathea "waited for the kingdom of God." John was the greatest prophet who had been born of women, yet "he that was least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than he." The force and meaning of these expressions, as well as of most of the parables of our Lord, in which he likened the kingdom of heaven" to a merchant man-a grain of mustard seed-to leaven hid in mealto ten virgins, &c.-can only be understood by what I have endeavoured to impress. We see that a darkness prevailed as to the nature of this kingdom among the Jews at our Lord's first coming; and if we be found deferring and putting off the fulfilment of the prophecies till the Lord's second coming, it must proceed from some similar blindness to that of Martha, when she sail, "I know that my brother shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus, in his answer, directs her to the true nature of his kingdom, just as we often find him saying to the Jews,-"The hour is coming and now is,"—a saying it may be noticed which removes all ambi

guity from that petition in the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples, "Thy kingdom come." I shall only further observe here, that the manner of speaking of the kingdom of God, against which I have been endeavouring to record a caution, leads imperceptibly to alterations in quoting various portions of scripture. How often, for example, do we see the apostles declaration of the gospel in 1 Cor. xv. 2.-"By which ye are saved if ye keep in memory," &c., improperly changed to "we shall be saved"; forgetting that the Father" hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." Col i. 13. It also darkens that communion which the Church on earth has with the redeemed company within the vail, where the former are allowed to join in the ascription of praise, “Unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins, and who hath made (not shall make) us kings and priests to God, even his Father," Compare Rev. i. 5 and 6, with ch. v. 9 and 10. This view of the subject is no doubt one calculated to produce "great searching of heart," and much conviction on the part of all who have professed to name the name of Christ, and to be subjects of his kingdom in this world; but the removal of such a ground of conviction is just one of the dangerous consequences of that mode of interpretation, the unscriptural nature of which I have been endeavouring to establish.

Having now, I trust sufficiently cleared the way, by explanation of my own views, for bringing to the test of Scripture some of those Spirits which are abroad in the present day, in connection with the important subject under consideration,-it will I thiuk be seen that my object is in no sense a party

one; inasmuch as I shall have occasion to express dissatisfaction with the use of the prophecies by writers, with the general scope of whose doctrine I may be prepared to agree, as well as with others, betwixt whose views and my own there is little accordance on almost any religious topic. And first in order let me refer shortly to a few remarks in your April number from the pen of your female correspondent," Isabella," on "Messiah's kingdom"; in doing which I shall endeavour not to lose sight of that gentle consideration to which, both from her sex and youth I concur with you in thinking her well entitled. To what I may call your correspondent's prefatory observations, I can offer no objection whatever. It is when she comes to explain the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, by reference to Luke viii. 20.,-"The kingdom of God is within you," that she appears to me to darken counsel. Fully impressed with the truth of the apostles words, that "The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," and that it is not in word, but in power." I must still, on looking to our Lord's words in Luke xviii., and to the whole context of the passage, express my opinion that these words have no reference whatever to what your correspondent calls the empire established in the "hearts or affections" of christians. Much learning has been wasted in the critical discussion of this passage, as to whether it should be rendered "the kingdom of God is within you," or as in the margin of our bibles, "among you." I say wasted; for although the words are allowed to remain in the text, "within you," the meaning, I apprehend, when viewed in its context, is evidently the same as "among you." Whom

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was the Lord addressing? Pharisees, who had asked him when the kingdom of God should come; and to whom he answereth, "The kingdom of God cometh not with ohservation, (or outward show.) Neither shall they say lo here! or lo there! for "behold the kingdom of God is within you." Can it be supposed for a moment that Jesus meant to say, his kingdom was established in the hearts and affections of these Pharisees? Some commentators attempt to get quit of this difficulty by saying that the you is general, referring as it were to the world, or to all that heareth. But I am pretty sure, Sir, that neither you nor your female correspondent "have so learned Christ." The kingdom of God was among these Pharisees, but it was indeed without observation or outward show. "There standeth one among you whom ye know not," said the Baptist. So here, the meek and lowly king of the kingdom stood among them "as a root out of a dry ground," surrounded by the fishermen of Galilee., those twelve apostles upon whose foundation his kingdom was now setting up in the world. That kingdom took its rise within the Old Testament Church, (represented by these Pharisees)— "for the rod came out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch out of his roots." So when the prophet Zephaniah foretells the rise of the kingdom without observation, he says, "I will also leave in the midst of thee, a poor and an afflicted people." Were anything more wanting to prove that it is his church and kingdom, which the Lord speaks of to the Pharisees, it would be found in the words which immediately follow,

"And he said unto his disciples, the days will come when ye will desire to see one of the days of the

son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you see here! and see there," &c. From all which we are taught these important truths concerning this kingdom. 1st. That it no more comes with outward pomp than its Lord did. 2nd. That it is not distinguished or seen by the most devout, though it exist in the midst of them. 3rd. That instead of appearing in the world in a gradually increasing and improving state, the reverse would be the case. "Ye shall desire to see one of the days of the son of man, and shall not see it;" while at that very time the world will be saying, it is increasing on every hand; "Lo, here it is, and Lo, there"! 4th. That it shall appear as the lightning -leaving that part dark which it bad immediately before enlightened, while at the same time the most distant corners of the world shall see it, (Ps. xcvii. 4-6.) 5th. That before the son of man be revealed, he must be rejected, and the faith appear as rare as in the days of Noah and Lot. With these few remarks I leave your correspondent Isabella,- with all kindness, and sincerely recommending to her, as a young writer on scriptural subjects, the study of those "Holy Scriptures "which are as remarkable for the sobriety and simplicity of their diction, as for their ability to make wise unto salvation.

I am well aware, Mr. Editor, that in much of what I have expressed in the course of this long letter, I do not coincide in the views contained in some of the published works of your late friend Mr. William Jones. I am not in possession of any of these works, except his "Primitive Christianity illustrated"; but I have a somewhat distinct recollection of perusing another volume of his, viz.-"The

Dissenters' Plea for Non-conformity," wherein the writer's sentiments on prophecy, particularly as regards the latter days, are somewhat prominently brought out. I remember in particular, that he instances a number of Old Testament prophecies, as still unfulfilled, such as Ps. ii. 8; xlv. 17.; lxxii. Isaiah xi. 9; Dan. ii. 34; Mal. i. 2.; Matt xiii. 31, &c. Now I can see no difficulty whatever in applying one and all of these passages, just as the apostles applied the prophecies of Joel and Amos, which we have already considered. The last of these Scriptures is our Lord's comparison of his kingdom to a grain of mustard seed," which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown is the greatest among herbs." Mr. Jones wonders how this similitude can be reconciled with the gloomy views held by Sandemanians regarding the appearance of Christianity in the latter days. I am not careful to answer in this matter. The diff erence betwixt us lies in the different quarters to which we look for the growth of the mustard seed. I look to the seat of the kingdom for its increase. There, the branches of the greatest among herbs are still extending, and will continue to extend till the last elect vessel is brought in. And this I see to be the case in perfect consistency with the faith getting rarer daily upon earth, till at the Lord's coming it shall appear all but extinct; for "When the Lord cometh, shall he find faith on the earth"? I have still another word to say on Mr. Jones's work. I do not mean to enter the field of controversy regarding the inbringing, or conversion as it is called, of the Jews. I have my own opinion on this subject, and it is not in accordance with that of Mr. Jones. But when he, in treating of

it, speaks of the Glassites as holding all the prophecies regarding the return of the Jews to have been fulfilled in their return from Babylon, he writes under great misapprehension. They consider the prophecies in question as fulfilled in the true Israel,-" the twelve tribes" of Jews and Gentiles," scattered abroad" in this cloudy and dark day, but who shall indeed be gathered together in one, "when the Lord brings again the captivity of his people." "And so (or in this manner) ALL * Israel "-gathered out of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue, "shall be saved." Glassites have no idea that, in this world, the church shall ever again have the distinction of Jews and Gentiles within her, or that Jerusalem" which is in bondage with her children," shall ever again be allowed to divide the affections of the true Israel with the " Jerusalem above, which is free and the mother of us all." How far, or in what manner, that people which is "beloved for the father's sakes," may have that love peculiarly manifested towards them during the thousand years reign of the raised saints on earth, when Abraham shall inherit the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it,-that "day of the Lord" will declare. But Glassites acknowledge or look for no fulfilment of prophecy in this world to the Jews, except "through the mercy shewn to the Gentiles" of every nation, tribe and tongue.

When I began this letter I intended to submit a few critical remarks on the volume referred to in a foot note on the first pagetbut I find I have far exceeded the

As to Mr. Jones's remark that the expression all Israel" here may probably be taken in the same restricted sense in which

limits which I had allotted to myself, The volume in question ("Abdiel's Essays") I have perused, so far, with considerable interest. It is a remarkable specimen of that mixture of truth and error which prevails so much at the present day, as well as that "intruding into things which he hath not seen," against which the apostle warns one of the churches. The leading scope of the work, that of supporting the doctrine of the Millennial reign upon earth as taking place after the first resurrection, appears to me to be ably, or I should rather say scripturally supported, although not by many arguments or views which I would call new. Upon other congenial enquiries, some of the writer's opinions are as startling as is the application of the Scriptures by which he supports them. Should any of your readers be led to possess themselves of a copy of these Essays, they will at once see how little akin the writer's use of the prophecies is to that unity of interpretation for which I contend; and they will be able to judge whether of the two views leaves the more clear and satisfactory impression on the mind. In his Essay on "The Resurrection State," I apprehend that you will agree with me that the writer has indeed intruded into some of those "secret things which belong to God," and that with no very reverent or measured step; but I may have another opportunity of bringing this volume under the notice of your readers, should you not do so yourself, I have been reminded, in the perusal of it, of the bold, or I should rather say, fearless style of writing, adopted by

it is said, that all Jerusalem and Judea went out to John's baptism,"-I can only say for one, "Not Content,"