after the resurrection they asked, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts i. 6.)

In consequence of this, "He added and spake a parable; " the reason assigned being, "because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear" (Luke xix. 11).

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This entry of Christ into Jerusalem, was in a manner and with the intention to fulfil the prophecy of Zechariah, ix. 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even a colt the foal of an ass." An unbroken colt (Luke xix. 30-the very animal taken to set out the perverseness of fallen man, Job xi. 12) was no small indication that at that very period should be established the dominion of man over the creature, which it was known should be restored in Messiah's reign. The impression that this state of things should immediately take place, would be further confirmed by our Lord's quotation from the viii th Psalm.

The fulfilment of this prophecy being therefore very likely to confirm his disciples in their erroneous impression" that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," our Lord, both before and shortly after this entry, addresses himself to remove this opinion.

In the parable we find vehemently implied, that the "kingdom of God" would "appear," in the manner and at the place, but not at the time, the disciples expected for it was intended to correct their erroneous views; and, therefore, what it did not correct, it did implicitly confirm.

to

Christ must "go away into a far country" (heaven), receive for himself a kingdom;" which must signify a kingdom peculiar to himself as he is Christ. He had the kingdom grace before he went away; he was crowned with glory and honour at his ascension; but all things are not yet under his feet he goes to be installed, and then "to return."

of

:

But the

going into a far country, together with the command to trade during his absence, implies a considerable space of time previous to his RE-"appearing and his kingdom."

The parable cannot with propriety be confined merely to the kingdom of grace; that being expressed by the Talents. Nor can his reigning in heaven be intended; for "his citizens hated him:" certainly those whose denizenship is in heaven (Phil. iii. 20) would not object to "have that Man to reign over them." It is therefore when he returned, having received the kingdom, that those his citizens who were enemies were slain. Moreover, the figure of the rewards bestowed on the faithful dis

ciples was calculated to confirm, and not in any way to qualify, their previous notion of the nature of the kingdom.

SECTION II-Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem: Matt. xxi. 1; Mark xi. 1; Luke xix. 29; John xii. 12.

Having spoken this parable, in order to warn his disciples respecting the time at which his kingdom should come," he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem."

The transaction was extraordinary. It appears that it was necessary Christ should go up to suffer as the King of the Jews. His witnessing a good confession to the question" Art thou a King?" (Matt. xxvii. 11); the superscription, "This is the King of the Jews" (John xix. 21); the purple robe, and crown: all appear to imply, that not only "the Judge of Israel" must be smitten, but that he must be smitten as the judge of Israel. Therefore he was proclaimed King, though (in one respect) as "one out of due time:" in due time to suffer, but his time to reign was not yet come; Jerusalem knew not the time of her visitation. So the prophecy describes him as a King, not in his glory, but lowly; not coming with ten thousand of his saints in the chariots of salvation, but riding upon an ass, even a colt, the foal of an ass. The disciples, till after his resurrection, being quite ignorant that Messias should suffer previously to entering into his glory (Luke xxiv. 26), necessarily misunderstood the nature of this procession, and mistook this for the time when he "shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the angels" (Luke ix. 26). We therefore are told they were in error: "These things understood not his disciples at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and (that) they had done these things unto him" (John xii. 26). The people, having seen his power in raising the dead (John xii. 27), bare record intentionally to his glory (John xi. 4, 40), but unwittingly that it was He who had power to lay down his life and power to take it up again.

It was the universal belief amongst the Jews, that the MesIsiah would manifest himself at the Feast of Tabernacles, as noticed in John vii. 2, 3 *. On all the days of that feast they sung the Hallel,' composed of Psalms cxiii. to cxviii. inclusive. The Hallel, say they, recorded five things,-the coming out of Egypt; the dividing the sea; the giving of the law; the resurrection of the dead; and the lot of Messias. Now, when they came, in the Hallel, to the beginning of Psalm cxviii. all the company shook their branches; and so did they when they came to these words, "Hosanna," or, Save now, Lord, I be

* See Morning Watch, No. I. p. 42.

seech thee;' and again at the saying of that clause, " O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity;" and likewise at the last verse.-(Lightfoot's Temple Service.)

When, therefore, the disciples took branches of palm-trees (peculiar to the Feast of Tabernacles), and went forth to meet him (John xii. 13), and cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David! blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! blessed is the King of Israel! blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord! hosanna in the highest! peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"—(compare the four Gospels)-it is evident they supposed that then "the Lord God would give unto him the throne of his father David;" or, that" the kingdom of God should immediately appear."

Matt. xxi. 15: "And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?" Luke xix. 39: "Master, rebuke thy disciples." Why dost thou suffer them to apply these sayings unto thee? Why do you not reject the honour? "Hearest thou what these say?" What is the Messiah's answer? He proves out of Psalm viii. it is ordained that babes should testify to his kingship.

SECTION III.-Psalm viii,

Having the literal application of this part of the Psalm as our guide for the interpretation of the remainder, we may be permitted to make a digression, by referring to the Psalm in connection with the comment, by the Holy Ghost in Eph. i., Heb. ii., and 1 Cor. xv.; in order further to see the nature of this kingdom, and whether it accord with the views the disciples had taken. We will then proceed to compare these passages with our Lord's declaration as to the time when he shall make his glorious entry into Jerusalem as her King (Matt. xxiii. 39).

I will first consider Heb. ii. 5-9.

The first word," for," declares the Apostle to be in pursuit of his former argument, which appears to be this: The word spoken by angels had awful sanctions; but the word spoken by our Lord has still greater; "for" to him (and not to the angels) is the habitable earth to come put in subjection.

This habitable earth to come, is the future state of just recompence and reward" of which" the Apostle speaks to this he before referred, i. 6; "When he bringeth the first-begotten again into the world," which the context in Psalm xcvii. shews to be the day of judgment. This is the chief subject of the Epistle; speaking, on the one hand, of " the sabbatism that remaineth for the people of God" (Heb. iv. 9), which even those in glory "now desire" (Heb. xi. 16, 39; Rev. v. 10); and, on the

other hand, of the fiery indignation awaiting the despisers of the powers of the age to come (Heb. vi. 5; x. 27; xii. 25, 26). Which last reference we purpose considering in connection with our Lord's prophecy, Luke xxi. 26.

The Apostle's proof from the testimony is to this purpose: "All things were made subject to man, who for a little while was made lower than the angels;" but this man was 66 Jesus, and this assumption he proves from the event *." The testimony was verified by him in two respects: he was made, for a little while, lower than the angels; and he was crowned with glory and honour. In order to establish this interpretation, it is only necessary

to shew

I. That Christ is intended.

II. That this habitable earth to come, is not heaven.
III. That the habitable earth to come, is yet future.

I. Christ is intended.

Those who deny Christ to be intended, refer it to Adam. But Adam is not intended; because,

i. This Psalm of praise was penned about 2,800 years after the fall. Ver. 1, 9:"O Jehovah, our Adonai, how excellent is thy Name in all the earth.”

1. If taken providentially, this was not fulfilled; because Adam was to subdue the earth, and replenish it; but the Psalm refers to all being under his feet, yea, even the beasts of the field.

2. The sense implied by the expression, "How excellent is thy name," would require saints in all the earth to proclaim the name of the Lord, and give praise.

ii. There were no babes in Adam's innocency; therefore from the weakness of infancy could not proceed the strength of praise.

iii. In Adam's innocency there was no enemy and avenger stilled; but this is the subject of the pœan.

iv. In no sense could the "world to come" be said to be put

under Adam's feet.

v. Adam in innocency was not Enosh,' suffering man.
vi. Nor was he the "son of Adam."

vii. Man was never above, and so could not be said to be depressed, from a higher, to a state lower than that of angels. How unsuitable, then, is this Psalm to Adam, or to any mere son of Adam!

Christ is intended; for,

i. Our Lord applies the Psalm unto himself.

ii. The Apostle asserts that it testifies of him.

1. It is not simply an allusion, but an express prophecy,

*Owen in loco.

of Christ. The Apostle brings it in as an express proof: "One in a certain place hath testified most expressly:" διεμαρτύρατο δε που τις.

2. This man, says the Apostle, must have all subject to him-all but God, 1 Cor. xv. 27-" angels, principalities, and powers" (Eph. i. 21). "He has left nothing that is not put under him" (Heb. ii. 8).

iii. This Psalm the Jews acknowledge to refer to Messiah and his kingdom; and we do not find they objected that our Lord wrongly applied it to the Messiah; but only they made it a question of identity, whether he were the Messiah

or not.

I therefore infer, that not Adam, or any mere son of Adam, is either primarily or subordinately intended, but only Christ.

II. The expression, "this habitable earth to come," does not intend heaven.

i. "The Apostle does not treat directly concerning heaven, but a certain state and condition of things in the world." (Owen.)

ii. Why should heaven be called "the world to come?" whereas it is extant now, as well as the earth, which, in Eph. i. 21, is called in opposition "the present world."

iii. Christ hath all actual power now in heaven, as much as in earth.

iv. "To call heaven the world to come, because we are to go to heaven, is rather harsh."—(Beza.)

v. The Apostle, Eph. i. 20, is speaking of Christ's actual reign, and saith, "He is now set at God's right hand in heavenly places," as the special place of his reign at present; “expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (Heb. x); but he has no enemies in glory.

vi. This dominion is to be over "sheep and oxen, yea, even the beasts of the field."

vii. Some would say, that Eph. i. 21 is to denote the duration of Christ's kingdom; but that cannot be, because,

1. In that case the meaning would be, that Christ was to sit at God's right hand, above all principalities and powers, to all eternity. But there shall not be principalities and powers for ever for Christ to sit over: "For he shall put down all rule," &c. (1 Cor. xv. 24.)

2. In Heb. ii. 5 it is spoken singly of a state to come "the world to come."

Therefore I infer "this habitable earth to come" does not intend heaven, but " a certain state and condition of things in the world."

III. The habitable earth to come, is yet future.

Those who deny that the "world to come" refers to a future