with himself; and led them, at every opportunity, to such a consideration of the world, mankind, and futurity, as contained little in it in common with men's ordinary notions.

In the same tenor and manner did he likewise openly address the people that assembled to hear him, and that were attracted to him in great multitudes by his powerful words, and by his matchless miracles; he thus addressed them without any accommodation to their prejudices and ignorant notions. The great subject-matter of his preaching was in accordance with the preaching of John the Baptist; "Repent; for the heavenly kingdom is arrived." At another time, he said to the pharisees, "Behold, the kingdom of · God is among you," Luke xvii. 21.

Hitherto had the great empires of the world successively prevailed upon the earth; but now was set up in this world a kingdom of God, a heavenly kingdom; though at first and as yet inward, invisible, and therefore also not yet known to, nor acknowledged, nor discerned by the Jews. Preparations for this kingdom, or rather a kingdom of God in embryo, there had already been under the Old Testament dispensation; but now the kingdom was itself arrived: and though it began in littleness and obscurity, yet it gradually extended itself, so that its exterior setting up changed all the forms of the governments of this world and of human life; and its essence, namely, the communion of God's children in the world, though externally unperceived, unacknowledged, despised, and persecuted, yet by its inward and vital power, exercised the most decided influence

upon the affairs and history of the nations. But as that saying of Jesus, that "his kingdom," the kingdom of Messiah, "cometh not with observation," was contradictory to the expectations of the Jews, and therefore offensive to them, so still more offensive could the implied declaration no otherwise than be, that they, in their present state of mind, were unfit for communion in that kingdom; and as he publicly reproved the pharisees and scribes in particular, for their unrighteousness, hypocrisy, and wilful ignorance, so they made use of all their great influence over the people in opposing Jesus of Nazareth. It is true, that Jesus, by his many beneficent miracles, continually kept up the good will and esteem of the people in his favour; but the Jews were a fickle and versatile race, and, with few exceptions, had no mind for the truth. Therefore, they were offended at his sayings, when he declared that God was his Father, that he came down from heaven, that he was before Abraham, and that he should return to heaven. At length things came to such a crisis, that the priests and teachers of the people, who could not but fear they should lose their influence through that of Jesus, contrived so to infuse their enmity among the multitude, as to alter the disposition of the majority, and persuade them to desire the death of Jesus. Pilate, the Roman procurator, without whose consent no public execution could take place, was weak enough to yield to their impetuous demands against his better judgment, and permitted Jesus to be sacrificed by crucifixion, a Roman mode of punishment inflicted only

upon slaves; and this under the pretext that he had attempted to set himself up as king of the Jews, and was consequently to be regarded as a rebel against the Roman government. Thus was the great plan of God, to deliver men, brought to pass by men themselves; and, without knowing or intending it, they thus became instruments of the Divine counsel and foreknowledge. The very fact, that even God's chosen people had become so depraved, as rancorously to put to death their greatest Benefactor and Deliverer, the most guiltless and best of human beings, was to serve as an evident proof how needful was this extreme measure of God's merciful appointment, namely, his giving up his only-begotten Son for the salvation of men. By his spotless obedience in the most trying temptations, both temporal and spiritual, and in his most deep humiliation, even to the death of the cross, which he underwent for the sins of the world, he was to give proof to heaven and earth that he was worthy to become the Saviour of men; and because men were not only deficient in knowledge of the truth, but their whole nature was corrupted by sin, he was to be glorified both by dying and rising again; that by the powers with which his glorified humanity was Divinely invested, he might renew, enliven, and sanctify men's corrupted nature. God raised him from the sepulchre, and exalted him to his own right hand in the throne of heaven, from whence the great work of restoring man's fallen race was to be carried on and accomplished. For this end has God delivered to him the unlimited government of the whole

world, that all may be renewed, and all enemies of the Divine order of the world may be gradually subdued. From that act began in heaven a new period of government. A Man sits upon the throne of the Majesty on high, and accomplishes the Divine will in the world after a new manner. The effects of this government become gradually visible on the earth to those who have been taught concerning the plan of salvation; the kingdom of God is spreading itself among all nations, and is pervading the human mass as a slowly but surely working leaven; the world is acquiring another form, and in individuals the business of redemption is daily accomplishing.

II. THE FIRST PROMULGATION OF CHRISTIANITY.

THAT this plan of God's government may become known, he has provided in the best manner by the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, which were written by inspired disciples of Jesus, and connectedly comprise not only the history of his life upon earth, and of the first extension of his church, but also the counsel of God concerning the world at large. The writers were fitted for their task by that Holy Spirit of Christ which he poured out upon them at the Pentecost after his ascension, and which thoroughly qualified them to fulfil the commission he had given them. They, and others similarly qualified, were commanded to all nations, forth among go and to carry the good tidings to every creature,

informing them that a new period had now arisen upon the world, that the Saviour of his people had visited it, had made atonement by his death for the sins of the whole world, and that whosoever henceforth believingly turned to him, should be delivered by his power from the bondage of sin and Satan, and pass from death to life. Whoever believed, "through their word," that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed of God, the long-promised and expected Saviour of the world, every such person was consecrated by baptism as a follower of Jesus, and was added to the fellowship of his believing people. This fellowship or communion is called the church. At first it was only as a side-chapel added to the temple at Jerusalem; but when this was destroyed, it still remained, and thus it became manifest that it had a foundation of its own. Its first members were Jews; and also when the apostles began to go forth into other lands, they addressed themselves in preference to the Jews scattered every where, and only then began to address the Gentiles after the Jews had rejected their message. Thus came the doctrine of Christ to the large commercial cities of Lesser Asia, such as Smyrna, Ephesus, and Miletus; then to Macedonia, from whence the third great monarchy of the world arose; then to Athens, which was still the seat of education and the school of taste; and to Corinth, which had recovered in some measure from its great humiliation. But how little the spirit of Grecian wisdom and worldly education stood related to the wisdom and the truth of God, was