He hath put all enemies under His feet. THE LAST

LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH.

But clearly, it is as the SON OF MAN, reigning over the children of Adam upon the earth, and in this sense alone, His reign is then to terminate. Having as the Son of Man, put down, and thoroughly subdued all wicked principalities, authorities, and powers, and put all enemies, even death-under His feet; He will, as Son of Man, deliver up the earthly kingdom, wherein these opponents of His reign existed, into the hands of the ETERNAL FATHER. STILL HE WILL BE KING; still He will reign; still, exalted high upon the Throne of Glory, He will sit and rule. The NEW, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM will be the place wherein, among the true and holy ISRAEL redeemed from every nation of the earth, He will delight to manifest His presence, and exalt His love. There shall it be recorded for the everlasting age, that THE REDEEMER LIVES and REIGNS; there upon the THRONE OF DAVID, although not after any earthly manner, He will sit "to order it and to establish it for ever." And there shall it be seen that OF THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND peace, THERE SHALL BE NO END."

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And thus, although it will be true that "the Son also Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all;"'t yet will it be only a subjection of the MANHOOD for the magnification of the GODHEAD. And so the reign of Christ will be as actual then and for the everlasting age, as when God gave to Him "the heathen for His † 1 Corinthians xv. 27, 28.

* 1 Corinthians xv. 24-26.

inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession."

With this resignation of the earthly kingdom into the Eternal Father's hand will the momentous EVENING of the DAY OF JUDGMENT close,-upon this will follow instantly, (for there will be no night except in Hell,) THE DAWN OF THE ETERNAL DAY OF GLORY. Then will be the shout, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." Then will be the blissful welcome from the Hosts who never fell, to the Redeemed from earth. Then will "the multitude which no man can number, out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," stand forth before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes. and palms in their hands; and, rendering heavenly praise for their salvation, enter on a blissful service of the Lord who bought them with His blood. glorious and supremely happy shall their portion be. No care, no cross, no fear, no sin. But blessings,— richest blessings, such as eye hath never seen, nor ear heard of, nor the heart conceived; for in their Father's House shall be their glorious abode, and in His manifested presence they shall offer praise; and "THE LAMB, WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE, SHALL FEED THEM, AND SHALL LEAD THEM TO LIVING FOUNTAINS OF WATERS; AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THEIR EYES.'

And

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CHAPTER IX.

THE NEW JERUSALEM.

"And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."-REV. xxi. 2.

THE Heaven and the earth shall flee away, from the bright shining of His face, who will be seated on the Great White Throne of Judgment. This is a plainly stated fact, on which we need not be ashamed to decline offering comment. No thoughtful person will be disposed to blame us for receiving it without remark, as it is placed before us in the language of the inspired St. John,-" And I saw a Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."* It is enough for us, that again and again we are forewarned of this amazing fact in Holy Scripture; so that if we receive the testimony of the word of God at all, we cannot but look forward to a time when "Heaven and earth shall pass away." God has not told us more than the bare fact. Let this then be enough. But an event, both great and wonderful will follow upon this, concerning which we find much information, and in which we are peculiarly interested: I mean, THE NEW CREATION. "Be

* Revelation xx. 11.

hold," said He that sat upon the throne to the beloved John-"BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW."*

Let us observe, with care, now what is said concerning this.

ISAIAH, in the sixty-fifth chapter, in which he also speaks with plainness of the blessings of the Millennial Reign of Peace, carries us beyond it for an instant, saying by the word of the Lord-"The former troubles are forgotten, and . . . . they are hid from mine eyes.

For, behold, I CREATE NEW HEA

VENS, AND A NEW EARTH: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But, be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." Having thus spoken, the Prophet evidently draws back from this glorious new creation, to the type of it which is to be afforded by the Millennial period, in which, though curbed exceedingly, both sin and death will have their place.

But let us take another word of testimony. If we turn to THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PETER, the third chapter, we shall read as follows:-"Seeing then that all these things must be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness; looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat! NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for

*Revelation xxi. 5.

such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." St. Peter has thus made it very plain, that when in the great Day of God, the heavens and the earth shall pass away, the Lord will create new heavens and a new earth, which shall be the habitation, not in any wise of those who err, and fall, and sin; but of the righteous who are saved to life eternal.

But let us turn to the most full and clear description which God has afforded us of this in all His word. We shall find it in the twenty-first and twenty-second chapters of the REVELATION. These chapters treat of the NEW HEAVENS and NEW EARTH exclusively. It will repay us if we follow closely some part of the account there given.

Beginning then with the first verse, we read, “And I saw a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” Here we have the fulfilment in vision, of the prophecy which was previously uttered by the Prophets, by our Lord Himself, and by the Apostles. Now in whatever other particulars of a physical kind, the NEW EARTH is to differ from the earth of the Millennial period, there is one point which will make a very clear distinction between them. In the Millennial age—THE SEA is particularly spoken of, and frequently referred to among the blessings which will be enjoyed by Israel and the nations.* But St. John declares pointedly in the description of his vision of the NEW EARTH,-" AND THERE WAS NO MORE SEA." This matter seems to be recorded in order to prevent *See Chapter VI.