throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even for ever."

Can this be done? do any inquire. Yes: "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it." Yet, once again we must quote the language of the heavenly messenger to Mary, Luke i. 32, 33: "The Lord God shall give him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;" the general idea is that, by the throne of David and his kingdom, we are to understand a spiritual kingdom. But how can this statement of the angel to Mary, or the passage in Isaiah just quoted, which is of the same import,-how can either of these utterances of inspiration mean other than that the throne and the kingdom were the same as those which David had possessed? They have never been possessed in heaven but must be possessed on earth, and will be possessed by King Jesus in the land of Palestine, in the city of Jerusalem-the city of the Great King. The following reminiscence may be pertinent.

Two Jews entered into conversation with a clergyman relative to the restoration of the Jewish nation. The clergyman denied it. "Then," interposed one of the Jews," how can you wonder that we deny what you call the Incarnation ?" The clergyman opened a Bible and read the angel's address to Mary: "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Israel for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." The Jew requested him to explain the whole passage in order, to which he assented; and then went through the first three or four clauses, the Jew allowing the literal interpretation to pass. But when he came to the part, "and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign for ever and ever," "that is," said the clergyman, " he shall reign in the hearts of his people." "Is that so," said the Jew, "and not at Jerusalem, where David reigned? Then," he continued, "I deny that the Virgin had a son. It only signifies the purity of Messiah from his birththat is the meaning of the Virgin Mary having a son. I take your mode of interpreting this verse, and I carry it back to the former verse, and deny the Incarnation." "But," said the clergyman, "we believe in the literal interpretation of this, because the event has shown it to be literal." Then said the Jew, with an indescribable mixture of scorn and contempt, "Ah! you believe it because it is done; we believe it BECAUSE GOD HAS SPOKEN.” Yes, God has spoken it; it is in his bond: "The Word of the Lord shall stand for ever." It was the utterance of the great King himself: "for verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matt. v. 18.)

The language of Isaiah, "the government shall be upon his shoulder," seals it home to Christ; it is language indicating that the chief authority in the kingdom will be vested in Christ, We may understand the terms by comparing Isa. xxii. 22 with Rev. iii. 7, 8. In the former passage it is said of Eliakim, that the government shall be committed into his hand, and that the key of the house of David should be laid upon his shoulder. The key is a badge of authority. When the Queen enters the City of London, the keys are presented to Her Majesty, by the civic authorities, in acknowledgment that the chief government is hers. And so when the Saviour to the Church in Philadelphia proclaims himself as able to open the door of the Great City to those who love and do his commandments, who have a little strength and keep the word of his patience, he shows himself as possessing the key of David that he will take to himself and exercise all the power and authority which was exercised by David in Jerusalem, "when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." (Isa. xxiv. 23.)

Secondly, -Who with the Lord Jesus shall rule in his kingdom? "The saints shall take the kingdom" (Dan. vii. 18); "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. vii. 21); and yet it is written, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This section would be too long were we to answer this question at the present; we therefore close with the remark, that the question as to who shall be rulers with the Christ is of the chiefest importance to us, because you, reader of this paper, may be one of the rulers in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what you have been, the question is, What are you now? and what may you not be? Very solemn were the charges brought against some of the Corinthians for moral obliquity. "Such were some of you," said the apostle, "but ye are washed; but ye are sanctified; but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. vi. 11.) Let us remember that the highest and the holiest that has ever stepped on earth (one only excepted), was but sinful dust and ashes. God can make of the very worst, the best," hath not the potter power over the clay ?"-can just do what he will. Has he given us faith to repent of sin, to trust in the blood of atonement? Do we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ?" Then are we certain of receiving eternal life, and, consequently, eternal happiness. Yet this does not necessarily give admittance into the kingdom. Nevertheless, you desire to be there. You would say with David, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple ;" and these words we apply to the life and the glory to come, as we believe David also did. Well, let it be remembered,

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that as it is from among the children of men, and from among those who believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, will be selected those who shall enter the kingdom, there is the possibility of YOUR being numbered with them. Ask then for this: "He that asketh receiveth." (Matt. vii. 7, 8.) Is it NOTHING to become an inheritor of the kingdom? a ruler in the kingdom? But what if we suggest that there is even a higher hope than this? the hope of being numbered with that holy band who are to form the Lamb's wife, and thus share the highest dignity of all; to be always with Jesus; to follow him withersoever he goeth. These must also reign; they share the whole glory and dominion with Jesus Christ. The others of whom we have just above written shall reign, but only over certain allotments of the kingdom; whereas THE BRIDE reigns over all-one with the great King. Ask for this-seekknock for this. He can give this; he can fit you for it. Surely he will; for he says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John XV. 7.) And yet again says the Faithful Promiser, "Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for he that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh IT IS OPENED." (Matt. vii. 7-8.) It is the voice of him "who openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth." (Rev. iii. 7.) Exeter.

E. H. TUCKETT.

"THE TIMES OF RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS."

THE

PART I.

HE object of the writer, in the following pages, is to direct the attention of thoughtful persons to the teaching of the Scriptures respecting the future of our race,-as distinguished from that of elect individuals,-involving, as in all probability it does, the destiny of a great number of our own relatives, friends, and acquaintance. The Bible is not so silent on this great subject as we have been led to suppose; its testimony is full, clear, and emphatic; but so contrary to traditional teaching that it is hard for us readily to accept it. Probably few are quite conscious of the extent to which our minds are darkened and the truth obscured by "the traditions of men," or of the difficulty there is in clearly distinguishing between that which rests on the mere authority of men, and that which rests on the sure foundation of the Word of God.

Our ideas of truth, from earliest childhood, come to us mainly through human channels, and but few of us in after life have carefully and thoroughly tested our beliefs, and "searched the Scriptures whether these things are so." This is, we think, especially true of our conceptions concerning the future of the world, upon

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which subject the teaching of the Scriptures seems to have been strangely overlooked.

It will hardly be questioned that God's dealings with Israel, and his promises to them, are recorded for our instruction and admonition; and that they illustrate his dealings with the whole human family; and although the greater portion of Divine prophecy has special reference to them, much is also said of the future of surrounding nations.

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The words of the Apostle Peter, in Acts iii. 21, may serve us for a starting point. In speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, he said: "Whom the heaven must receive until THE TIMES OF RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS, concerning which times God spake by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" (ALFORD's translation). Without at present inquiring into the meaning of the word "restoration," which has been variously translated "restitution," "promised establishment," consummation;" we shall at once turn to the Old Testament prophets, and endeavour to set forth what it is that God spake concerning these times; first, in connection with Israel; secondly, in connection with surrounding nations; and lastly, examine the teaching of the New Testament on the same subject.* The present condition of Israel is plainly foretold: "I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away" (Hos. i. 6). "Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven away with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney" (Hos. xiii. 3). "The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more viii. 2). "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful (Amos kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord" (Amos ix. 8). These prophecies, which predict the utter destruction of Israel, have been completely fulfilled; the condition of the Jews at the present day being precisely what was foretold. But we find other prophecies, in conjunction with these, which predict, with equal plainness, their forgiveness and restoration to their own land; and upon examination it will be seen that the very same persons are alluded to in both cases; those who suffered punishment because of their sins are the very same individuals to whom the promises of forgiveness and restoration are given. It will be found impossible to separate the severity and chastisement to be endured, from the mercy, forgiveness, and exaltation that are to follow.

We may refer, firstly, to the vision of dry bones in Ezekiel xxxvii. In reading the interpretation of this vision, it must be remembered

*Even if it could be shown that the Scriptures teach the restoration of all things in the widest sense, it would not follow necessarily that all would be ultimately saved: for restoration and salvation are words of widely different

that because of their sins, the people were in captivity in a foreign land; they said of themselves: "Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts." In their depressed and forlorn condition, God sent his servant with a message of comfort and promise, in these words: "Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." Comment on these words seems superfluous; the promise was so plain, so circumstantial, and so suited to their condition, that we cannot imagine any misunderstanding on the part of the prophet's hearers. If it is not an unmistakable promise of resurrection and restoration to their own land, it is difficult to conceive what words could express this. "I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel,"—these are surely words that can have but one meaning.

The identity of those who suffer for their sins, with those who are to be restored, is also shown in the preceding chapter. "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.” (xxxvi. 24-32.) These words are so plain that but one interpretation seems possible. It is evident that those who sinned, and suffered in consequence, will be restored and cleansed, having a new spirit put within them; and they will then remember their own evil ways, and be ashamed, and loathe themselves for their iniquities and abominations.

In the next chapter, the restoration and union of the two king