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name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government there shall be no end upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it and establish it for ever." And ere Christ was born the angel appeared to Mary His Mother, and said His name was to be called Jesus. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. The Lord God shall give Him the throne of David His Father." So that we have indisputable evidence that Christ was the One of whom all these things were written.

This being so, we are led to ask, What is the meaning of this title? Did Jesus ever reign as King of the Jews? We know He did not. Once it is true there was a plot got up amongst some of His followers to take Him by force and crown Him; but Jesus, being aware of it, got out of the way. Yet the Jews were expecting such a king. Jesus once asked of the Pharisees, What think ye of Christ? or in other words, What is your opinion of the Christ whom you expect? They reply, "He is the son of David ;"-meaning that the one they looked for was to be a prince of the royal line of David, who should rule over them. And they were right. Christ did not deny it, but put the matter in another form by asking them, If He were the Son of David, how did David in the spirit call Him Lord? This they could not answer, as they did not understand it, nor can we. The two-fold nature of Christ -God and Man-is beyond our comprehension. The minds of the Pharisees were not prepared to receive such a manifestation of the love of God. We by faith accept and rejoice in it, but can no more understand it than did these Pharisees. If our Lord was not King of the Jews when on earth-we ask again, Has He been King over them since? No; for we all know how unrelenting has been the hatred of the Jewish nation to our Saviour through all the ages past. "We will not have this Man to reign over us," is still their cry. In what way then are we to regard this title is it an unmeaning phrase, an empty sound? It cannot be. A title, authority, and rule, foretold by inspired prophets, declared by angels, and owned by Christ himself, is not a meaningless thing. If not fulfilled in the past, nor being fulfilled in the present, it points forward to a time when it shall be fulfilled. What then is the Saviour's kingdom? We reply, It is a kingdom not yet established, but will be established: a sovereignty not yet begun, but will be begun when God's ancient and chosen people will rejoice in the presence of their King, and all the glorious things spoken of Zion will be accomplished.

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2nd. Where will Christ's kingdom be establ As we think of this, our mind us are naturally drawn to a part of the world that Stems ever to have been in the mind of God, chosen and beloved-a land honoured by the footprints of His Son, and endeared to all true believers in Christ as the scene of His life and sufferings; and to a city whose name is as familiar to us as our own. a city over which the heart of our Saviour yearned so much, that He wept over it. Can we fully realise such a spectacle as God in the person of Jesus Christ weeping over a city? No other city in the world can claim such honour but Jerusalem. Beloved Jerusalem must have been indeed dear to Him, who in the days of His humiliation and in the prospect of His

own sufferings, could be so much moved by the sorrows in store for her as to cause such tears to flow. And shall He not return and restore and make Jerusalem yet the praise of the earth? We are not left in much doubt on this matter; it is clearly shown that at Jerusalem our Saviour will establish His kingdom. The angel said to Mary, "To Him shall be given the throne of David His Father." When we speak of God's throne, we say, that is in heaven. But David's throne was not in heaven. David's throne was in Jerusalem; if Jesus is to possess the throne of David it cannot mean a throne in heaven, but on earth, where David ruled, even Jerusalem. The prophecies also point to a King, a successor of David, ruling over the house of Israel.

In the second Psalm, after describing the vain resistance of the nations, David says, "He that sitteth in the heavens, shall laugh and have them in derision ;" and God's answer to the nations is, "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion;" or as it reads in the margin, "Upon Zion the hill of My holiness." David further declares in another Psalm, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory;" and looking forward to that glorious time. The prophet Micah tells us, as in our lesson, that then "The law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." We cannot mistake these names. Zion and Jerusalem are not places in heaven, but on earth, hallowed for past associations, destined yet to be more glorious still; and doubt, as some may, these things must be and will be, and unspeakable blessings shall follow to nations and to individuals, "For the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it" (Micah i. 1 to 4.) 3rd. When will Christ's kingdom be established?

We can only briefly look at this question, as our time is nearly gone. But ever since our Saviour gave the promise to His disciples that He would return, longing eyes have been looking forward with earnest hope and expectation, but the time has not yet come. "Of that day and hour knoweth no man but My Father only." Still it will come, though He tarry and the time seems long. Yet at the appointed hour He will return-of this we are assured. Listen to Peter addressing the men of Israel in the temple. What does he say? "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. Whom the h. must receiva

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On the times of restitution of all things." Take notice of that word until it marks a limit; things will not always go on as they are. Yet again, listen to David-words especially referred to by our Saviour, as being uttered by direction of the Spirit-words quoted by the Apostle Peter at Pentecost, and referred to in several of the epistles, therefore of no little importance; they are these: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."

Christ is now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, waiting, or as we read in Hebrews, "from henceforth expecting," until the time shall come, when His enemies shall be put under His feet, and the power and dominion and rule shall be His alone. The first time He came it was to suffer, the second time it will be to reign; and in the long interval between, His faithful followers are inspired to carry on His

glorious work, ever looking forward to the "day of His appearing," and ever praying for that time in the words taught by Jesus Himself, repeated from generation to generation: "Thy kingdom come." And there are not wanting many signs in our day that seem to indicate that it cannot now be far off; and when it does come, then will be fulfilled the beautiful words we have loved to sing, "Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion! put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem! Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck. O captive daughter of Zion! shake thyself from the dust, O Jerusalem, thou holy city!" "Then will the glory of the Lord be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." “And the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Then will be fulfilled the glorious words that are sung from time to time by us, to the music-shall I not say the inspired music?-of Handel: "Hallelujah, for the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever."

No one can presume to say such a thing has been accomplished yet. No, my young friends, we are taught to look forward and to look upward, to rejoice in the prospect of a returning Saviour. For those whose hearts are given to Him now, shall reign with Him then; those who love Him now, then He will own and bless. This is the object of our teaching, that you may be ready to receive Him, for the time is at hand. "He which testifies these things, saith, Surely I come quickly.” Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

Amen.

J. O.

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The initials to the answers give the name of the place where these truths are unfolded-Maberly Chapel.

S. J. T.

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CORRESPONDENCE.

THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. DEAR SIR,-Mr. Rotherham's article in your last issue has pleased me much. Do you not think, however, that the Unpardonable Sin," referred to by him on page 474, was distinctly, as we are told in the Word, confined to those who attributed the miracles of our Lord to the power of Satan? Thus they blasphemed against the Holy Ghost. I am sure you will see with me how very important it is never to quote a passage apart from its context. Many sensitive, morbid people have lost their reason on this subject, as well as upon the one against which you

have so ably contended for so long a period. I do not see how the sin against the Holy Ghost, as committed in our Lord's time, can be committed now, for the opportunity is over. Some people, I believe, consider it to consist in the

final rejection of the love of God in Christ, but this can only be by way of accommodation, which is mostly very undesirable. Mr. Rotherham also quotes two passages from the Epistle to the Hebrews, which have positively scared many an earnest timid one by their not recognising the fact that they were addressed to those who, having already left Judaism for Christ, were exposed on all sides to the sin of apostasy. The writer of the Epistle tells such tempted ones, in chapter x. 26, that if they sin wilfully after," &c., there remaineth no more, i.e., no other sacrifice for sins. It was, as far as I understand, a faithful word of warning, but certainly not intended to show them that they had irremediably sinned.

The other passage is in chapter vi. 4-6 "It is impossible to renew them again unto repentance," or

change of mind. They had changed their mind from Judaism to Christ, If they apostatised from Him it was impossible to renew them again to another change of mind-they could only return from whence they It is, I think, most evident that neither of these passages refers to any but those to whom they were addressed.

came.

It is terrible for any in this dis

pensation of noon-tide grace to believe that they have sinned beyond repentance, i.e., "godly sorrow." The passage in Hebrews, xii. 17, has been perverted in the same way, to the misery of numbers, and what is far worse, the great dishonour of our loving Father, whose "mercy endureth for ever." Yours, dear Sir, very faithfully, L. E. N.

LITERATURE.

Important Discoveries, among which are the long-lost New and Old Testament and their Prin-cip-i-a. By Joseph C. Addington, of Norfolk, Virgina.

Two hundred and fifty pages of indescribable rubbish.

The Sublime Porte.

THE remarkable essay, with this title, by Major Phillips, which recently appeared in this Journal, may be had of Mr. Stock, price twopence.

Biblical Things not Generally Known. Second Series. Stock. THIS book is entertaining as well as instructive. Its paragraphs illustrate many a text of Scripture.

The Religious and Social Question.

By Isaac Pereire. Translated by Miss Twemlow. Stock. INTERESTING speculative Essays; but that is all. "The Church," any Church, all Churches will fail

to deliver society and nations from the manifold evils which oppress them. That requires the advent of the Divine Deliverer.

Was Jesus of Nazareth the Promised Messiah? By a Laynan. London: S. W. Partridge & Co. THIS sixpenny pamphlet will, if we mistake not, secure a large circle of readers. If quiet unpretending merit, clear, logical thinking, and a pleasant style of writing be commendations, this pamphlet has them. But the subject itself is the great attraction. In these sixty pages the author has managed to present an argument which might have extended to a large volume. There is a deep pathos in the fact that he turned to this subject for his own consolation under a heavy bereavement. The precious little book should be placed by thousands in the hands of city missionaries, and in those of missionaries to the Jews. We hope this hint will not be lost.

ERRATA for RAINBOW current month: page 483, third line from top, for supper read upper; page 485, eighteenth line from bottom, for lives read love.

Chaloner & Cooke, Printers, Old Bailey, London, E.C.

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