and spotless, but only because they have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They will be all glorious in the beauty of holiness, but still their glory will be as nothing compared with the goodness and beauty of Him whom they worship, and to whom they offer their allegiance as the King of kings. They are the dewdrops of the resurrection morning, but He is the Sun of Righteousness, who fills them with light, and makes them radiant with His own beauty. May it be ours, in these conflicts and dangers of the last days, not only to retain our faith in Him, as our only Saviour, but to hold fast the honour of His name, as our Master and Lord, the true Prince over all the kings of the earth! He will then fulfil to us that gracious promise to all those who have not denied His name, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which is coming upon all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown!"

LECTURE XII.

THE GLORIOUS MAJESTY AND PERPETUITY OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.

BY THE HON. AND REV. H. M. VILLIERS, M. A., RECTOR OF ST. GEORGE'S, BLOOMSBURY, AND CANON RESIDENTIARY OF ST. PAUL'S.

PSALM CXLV. 10-13.

"All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak

of the glory of thy kingdom,

power; to make known to the

and talk of thy

sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations."

YOUR minds, my dear Christian friends, have been directed, for the last few weeks, to the most solemn subject which can occupy the attention of an immortal soul.

Year after year have I assembled you together at this season, to meditate upon the coming of our still absent Lord. I believe we have all felt the importance of the lectures; but I am sure no course has been of so solemn a character as that which I am permitted to bring to a close this evening. Many things have tended to this result. Your minds have been more accustomed to the questions which have formed the matter for the discourses. There has, therefore, been less excitement and more scriptural investigation: there has been less curiosity and more simple desire for instruction. The very remarkable times in which we are living, have been an additional call upon our attention. These could not fail to produce feelings, I will not say of anxiety, but of the deepest solemnity. For if the Scripture tells us we are not to be troubled when we hear of wars and rumours of wars, for that these things must come to pass, though the end is not yet, still our Lord says, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Joyful as that event will be to the Christian, joyful as the anticipation of that event is to every assured Christian,-still it is a solemn thought, that the precious will soon be separated from the vile, and that we shall be ushered into the imme

diate presence of our great God and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, there to receive our place in the kingdom. May God of his mercy grant, that we may not even seem to come short of that rest which remaineth for the people of God!

The Psalm, a portion of which I have read as the text, might well furnish abundant matter for more sermons than one. I might occupy your time by speaking of God's present dealings with his people, and showing you how the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. I might speak of God's providential care of all his works, reminding you that "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." But we must confine our attention to the particular thesis appointed for our consideration this night. THE GLORIOUS MAJESTY AND PERPETUITY OF CHRIST'S

KINGDOM.

In addressing you on this point, I purpose to do three things. FIRST, scripturally to set forth in what the majesty of this kingdom will consist ; SECONDLY, to prove from the same source the perpetuity of this kingdom; and, THIRDLY, to endeavour to apply the subject practically to your hearts and consciences. May the Holy Spirit be present amongst us this night, and solemnize our minds; may He "take of the things of Christ,

and show them unto us," and enable us all more clearly to realize the promised glories of the coming kingdom!

All

1. In what does the majesty of Christ's kingdom consist? I may commence by referring to the greatness of its extent. "Before the foundation of the world, God purposed in himself," says St. Paul, "in the dispensation of the fulness of times, to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." The kingdom of our blessed Lord, therefore, is to extend over all others. Those kings who would not obey him, shall obey him; those rulers who took counsel against him, shall bow down before him. the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. This was the subject of covenant, as you will find, in Gen. xxii. 18: "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." This has never yet been altogether fulfilled. True, all who come in contact with the Gospel, even though they do not receive it into their hearts, benefit by its softening and benevolent doctrines. The Jew benefits by the spreading of Christian truth, and as we have heard, his name is ceasing to become a byword. The Infidel, though he thinks not of it, really benefits by the tone throughout the social