bow the knee to Jesus, and every tongue confess him Lord. Is not this grace? perfect, infinite grace? And what has the church to manifest or exemplify, but grace? But is this her character? I speak not now of Romanism, butof what bears the name and sustains the responsibilities of the church in countries where Romanism is not predominant. Is it grace, or retributive righteousness, which holds together the very frame-work of society in these so-called christian countries? Yea, and let me ask further, Do individual christians generally scruple in the least either officially to administer retributive justice, or to use it for their own defence? "Who made me a judge or a divider over you" said our blessed Lord. And again, "The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." He stood thus the fair, bright, perfect witness of his Father's grace. He has left his church in this world as a witness of his own. we practically bear the testimony?

How do

In treating thus of the responsibility of the church, one is obliged to regard both the true and the false, the real church and the professing body. The church was left here, God's assembly upon earth, to be the witness, in patient suffering grace towards the world, and in true single hearted affection and fealty to Christ, of all that she will be manifested to be in power and glory, when the marriage of the Lamb having taken place, and the Lamb himself being enthroned, the church, the bride, the Lamb's wife, shall take her place as the vessel of his glory, and the channel and dispenser of healing and light and blessing to the millennial earth. This twofold blessedness, of the most intimate union with the Lamb and of the efficacious ministration of grace to the world, will be made good in full power and glory in the church in the coming dispensation. She was morally by the power of the Spirit to have maintained and manifested both characters of blessing during her sojourn on the earth. Has she done so? Is there anything which does so at this hour? Where is God's assembly or church at this moment? Is it the great professing body, including Romanism and all else that ostensibly bears the name of Christ? Is that the holy, elect, unspotted bride of Christ? My readers know well that the thought cannot be entertained for a moment. Where is the church, then, the bride of Christ? Are we to be referred to the individual saints, dear to Christ, scattered throughout the professing body, or standing apart from it? Most gladly may all such be owned as those who really compose the

church, the body of Christ. But where do they exist as a body? Where are they manifested as incorporated by the Holy Ghost, and actuated and inwrought by him? Why do I ask these questions, my brethren? That we may all see to what a low estate we are reduced, and humble ourselves before God. Surely this becomes us all. The body of Christ as it respects its actual existence before God our Father has not ceased to exist, and cannot cease to exist. All the living members will be found in the bride, the Lamb's wife, when manifested in glory. Not a stone of the holy Jerusalem will be wanting, or out of its place then. Meanwhile, as a witness for Christ on earth, by the Holy Ghost dwelling in it, where is now the body, the church? Let our consciences weigh this question well. The Lord grant us to take the place of unfeigned humiliation in his presence.

If we view the church in its completeness as the body of Christ, the bride, the Lamb's wife, and think of its ultimate blessedness and the display of the glory of God therein, we are assured that it is impossible for these to fail. Christ is yet to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. That great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, will to eternal ages make manifest the exceeding riches of God's grace, as well as the glory of his manifold wisdom, unfailing faithfulness, and almighty power. The final result is in his hands, and cannot fail.

If we view the church as a body or assembly on earth, placed here in responsibility to manifest Christ, and its union with him, by the power of the Holy Ghost indwelling it, and working in it, we find two things. First, those who do really compose the church, who are vitally united to Christ, have totally failed in this responsibility; and there is, in consequence, no such manifestation of Christ, and of our union with him, as there ought to have been. Secondly, those who do really compose the true church, are mixed up with a vast professing body, which, in assuming the name and privileges of the church, has become responsible for manifesting its true character and destiny; but which, alas, so far from this, has so apostatized from Christ and become so wedded to the world, that nothing but judgment awaits it. The true saints, those who really compose the church of God, will all be changed at Christ's coming, and with the departed saints caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Judgment will afterwards fall on the false professing body which will be left on earth-that judgment the certainty of

which has been already considered in a previous paper, on "The doom of Christendom."

What remains then, but that we humble ourselves before the Lord, and prayerfully and diligently search his word, and wait on him, to learn how he would have his people act in the solemn emergency of the present hour? May his light shine clearly on our path. May we have grace to take our true place before him, and faithfully use, at any cost, the light he may in his grace afford. And may the assured certainty of the speedy return of our blessed Lord both comfort our hearts, and induce all holy watchfulness and circumspection, in keeping our garments unspotted from the world.

"And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book......And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst Come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely......He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

London Partridge and Oakey, Paternoster Row.
DUBLIN: ROBERTSON, GRAFTON STREET.

(Price One Penny.)

No. 7.] Plain Papers on Prophetic [July, 1853.

and other Subjects.

ISRAEL IN THE PAST AND PRESENT.

It was remarked in a previous number, that "when Christendom, the wild olive, shall have been for its non-continuance in God's goodness cut off, the natural branches are again to be graffed into their own olive tree; and that as far as human instrumentality is to be employed in that work, they are to be the instruments of subduing the whole world to Christ's sway." We hope ere long, to present the scripture proof of this to our readers.

But first, it may be well to glance rapidly along the current of scripture testimony as to Israel's calling and past history. Israel's importance, as the centre of God's earthly arrangements, is most forcibly expressed in the well known passage, Deut. xxxii, 8-10, "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." The division of the earth was in the days of Peleg. (See Gen. x, 25.) Peleg preceded Abraham by several generations. Nevertheless, "when the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance," that which formed the central and controlling thought in his arrangements, was his foreknowledge of the number of the children of Israel. Israel was dear to him above all the other nations,-"his portion, and the lot of his inheritance." The nations were to be both placed and governed in relation to Israel; and hence, in this primary appointment of the bounds or limits of their respective dominions, all was settled with reference to Israel. Could anything more emphatically declare the pre-eminent place which Israel occupies in divine counsels touching this earth-its government-and its inhabitants?

There are many christians who seem to suppose that we

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have nothing in scripture but what bears immediately on the question of individual salvation. Now this is a great mistake, and serious in its consequences, however pious and gracious those may be who are under its influence. It results from not sufficiently recognizing the great end God has in view in all his actings and in all his dispensations. This end is not our salvation, important as that may be, and surely is, to us. God's end is his own glory; and it is in Christ that all his glory is manifested and accomplished. It is true that in the accomplishment and display of his glory in Christ the salvation of all who through grace believe in him is made sure. Still, the salvation of such is not God's final object, but a means of promoting it. His object is to glorify himself in Christ! In doing this, he saves us, blessed be his name! by his sovereign and almighty grace; but it is important that we should be able to distinguish between the end God has in view, and the means, (momentous as these may be in themselves) by which he effects his design. This is important for many reasons, and among others, for thisthat God's object embraces many things besides the salvation of his people. In glorifying himself in Christ he not only saves for ever all who from the beginning to the end of time are the subjects of his grace, but he reveals himself in a wondrous variety of relations to Christ, to mankind at large, to creation, to particular portions of the human family, yea, in some instances to single individuals. Abraham and David are remarkable examples of this. Then there is the whole subject of God's government of the world. Christ himself is the centre of divine counsels and the subject of all scripture; but God made Israel the centre of his earthly government. "In consequence," (as another has said) even the profane history of nations centres round it. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, all contend for Israel's land, are known in connexion with it, or actually get their full imperial possession_and character at the time they acquired possession of it-I do not say by gaining possession of it—but at the epoch at which they did. Though clouds of dark traditions, scarce pierced by modern researches, hang over all the rest of the nations, and obscure their history while revealing their existence; in the neighbourhood of Israel all is light. The light of Israel's history is shed on all the nations around them. It is preserved almost with modern accuracy, when a few fragments scarce rescue from entire oblivion other ancient

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