the spot where they are to meet their Lord, but they will meet Him, and meet Him in glory, and be with Him in glory for evermore! Yes, and who is there amongst us who, although better informed possibly than they were on this point, would not yet feel thankful, were he assured that hereafter he would shine as bright as some of them will do, and be an equal partaker with them in that "eternal weight of glory" which will be theirs for ever? "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." (Ps. xvii. 15.) "In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Ps. xvi. 11.)

But the question remains What will be the locality of the eternal inheritance? We have already seen what is the prevailing view upon the subject. It seems hard to say of that view, that, though so generally received, it is still altogether deficient in scriptural authority. Yet we know of no one opinion which is so generally held, that has so little in Scripture on which to rest.1 But be the cause what it may,

See "Israel's Future," by the Rev. Capel Molyneux, B.A. Lect. vii.

this is the case. The popular view of the subject, is not only unsupported by the written Word, it is in some respects at direct variance with its testimony. It will doubtless surprise many, when they come to examine the subject, to find how far this is the case. They fancy they have only to open their Bibles to find a hundred passages wherewith they may stop the mouth of the gainsayer. The attempt to discover them will in all probability undeceive them greatly. It should, however, be made by all means, and made with carefulness, in order that the true state of the case may be rightly understood.

There is no great difficulty, we conceive, in discerning the origin of the popular view as given above. It arose in all probability, and has since been perpetuated, through a misapprehension of the true meaning of various passages of Scripture, the phraseology of which would at first sight appear to favour it. Such, for instance, as the following:-" The kingdom of heaven"-" His heavenly kingdom"-"Laid up for you in heaven," and the very large class of similar passages in which the term "heaven" is used. But the answer is obvious: in all these cases the term is intended to point out, not the locality, but

the character, of the kingdom. It will be, as abundant testimony proves, of a heavenly character. All its subjects will be truly holy and heavenly-minded. Heavenly affections will abound, and a direct communication with heaven will be maintained. (John i. 51.) "The Lord's Prayer" will then have been answered, and "the will of God will then be done. on earth as it is in heaven." And lastly, the King of Heaven, even He who is "King of kings and Lord of lords" will be the king of this heavenly kingdom. "In that day there shall be one Lord, and His name one."

And then with regard to those other passages in which certain things are spoken of as laid up in heaven,—for example, the spiritual life of the believer', and his great reward2,-it will be enough to remark, that these and similar things are uniformly represented as laid up and preserved in heaven, as in a place of perfect safety, in order that they may be brought forth in the great day of the Lord's appearing, and then be

1 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. iii. 3.)

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Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven." (Matt. v. 12.)

made good to all those to whom they belong. It is in this sense that St. Paul speaks of his own expected reward: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a

crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." (2 Tim. iv. 8.) This, however, is a point that will be more fully discussed hereafter, and therefore need not be enlarged upon any farther in this place.

It is now time that we should give to the question that has been asked a distinct reply, in order that we may proceed to the work of establishing its correctness. Our reply to that question then is this:

- THIS EARTH, IN A RENEWED AND GLORIFIED STATE,

WILL BE THE LOCALITY OF THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE

OF THE RIGHTEOUS. It will be our aim to support this statement with such an amount of Scripture testimony as will, we hope, be found sufficient for the purpose.

It is of the eternal inheritance of the saints, and therefore of the corresponding Kingdom of the Redeemer, that we wish more especially to speak in this Essay. But while doing this, it will be absolutely

necessary to notice also the Millennial period as connected with it, and probably designed to usher it in, and hence, apparently, embraced under the expression of "the kingdom." For there is but one reign and one kingdom' expressly spoken of in Scripture, though this will, we believe, be divided into more than one period, e. g. into two at least, the millennial and the eternal. We could certainly have wished to have escaped the influence of those controversies that have prevailed so long on the subject of the Millennium, and the strong prejudices also which exist in many minds with regard to it, but which perhaps are scarcely matter of wonder, when it is remembered how wild and objectionable have been some of the theories, or rather fancies, which have been set forth in connection with it, and which have had the effect of rendering even the very term "Millennium" offensive to many who have been but imperfectly acquainted with the subject; just as the subject of prophecy generally has been brought into disrepute by the great want of unanimity among those who have from

This statement refers to Christ's own proper kingdom, commencing at his second advent, and does not embrace his present reign at the right hand of the Father.