of certain evils, and a large degree of prosperity given to true religion.

And, is this all, that Christ will do for his church and kingdom in the world? Can this be reconciled with the infinitely benevolent design of his mission? Is Satan to be the god of this world till just about the close of its dura tion? When somewhat more than a thousand years shall have passed, is this earth, so beautifully adorned, and so full of evil, to be struck from its orbit, and be dismissed from the sisterhood of planets in our system? Did the travail of the Redeemer's soul mean no more than this; and will he accomplish no more than this? Let those believe this who will; but I can never admit, that such will be the termination of this world's affairs.

CHAPTER XXI.

The New Heaven and New Earth.

THE preceding chapter closes with the presentation of the great changes which will be made under the perfect government of Messiah, which government is symbolized by a great shining throne.. The mighty evils which have cursed mankind being swept away, and correct principles relating to human welfare in this life and that which is to come, being universally diffused and understood, we come to the last act in the great drama of divine providence concerning our world. New scenes now open, bright, cheering and glorious. The mind, pained and sickened with contemplating human degradation and wretchedness, turns to those scenes with delight, and the soul feels the refreshing influence of them, even at this large distance.

It is the commonly received opinion, that what is por trayed in this and the succeeding chapter relates exclusively to heaven. The new Jerusalem is considered to be the heavenly city, and poets have sung of it as the eternal and "happy home" of the saints. This view of the matter results necessarily from the error of understanding what immediately precedes, as the end of the world; for what but the scenes of eternity are to follow the end of time and of all sublunary things? But, there are many particulars in these two chapters, which cannot with propriety be attrib uted to heaven and the eternal state of the blessed. On the face of the description it is apparent, that these are scenes to be realized on this terrestrial theater of human affairs. I have no doubt, that these are the scenes briefly but brilliantly exhibited by the ancient prophets; that in those scenes will be the fulfillment of what Daniel said concerning the stone which became a great mountain and filled the whole earth; which he interprets to be that kingdom, which shall break in pieces, and consume all other kingdoms, and which shall stand forever. It is not a little remarkable, that as John employs the same emblems, and appears to predict the same events, as do the ancient prophets, it should have been so uniformly agreed, that they speak of the kingdom of Christ in this world, but that he refers to the heavenly world. Why not say, that the new heavens and new earth mentioned by Isaiah and the city which Ezekiel so minutely describes, and his river of living, purifying water, whose banks were adorned with trees, are all descriptive of heaven? The absurdity of such an interpretation would be its own refutation.

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.-We have just been told that the heaven

and earth fled away from the face of him who sat on the throne, which fact is repeated in this verse; and now we are informed that a new heaven and earth will succeed in their place. The old disordered state of things will pass away; and a new, happy, and delightful state of things will follow. Thus God, by his servant Isaiah, describes the happy change which he would work for his people in restoring them from captivity, and in putting them in the enjoyment of great temporal and spiritual blessings, as the creation of new heavens and a new earth. 'Behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people,' &c. Isa. 65: 17-25. Dr. Scott remarks upon this passage, "By the new creating power of God, the circumstances of the church, and the character of men, shall be so altered, that it will appear as entirely a new world; so that the former confusions, iniquities, and miseries of the human race shall be no more remembered or renewed." This exhibits the real meaning of the new heavens and new earth, both as regards the Jews and others. Yet, in the same connection he says, "John uses the expressions new heaven and new earth, to mean the heavenly state, after the end of the world, and the day of judgment." To my mind it is much more accordant with scriptural analogy and consistency to maintain, that the Christian prophet, who was also a Jew, uses the symbolical language of the ancient prophet, and in the same sense.

By the new heaven and new earth, I understand, a reformed and perfected state of things in relation to the political, social and religious affairs of men. Governments will be formed on the equitable and benevolent basis of the gospel, and be administered for the best good of the whole.

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The means of acquiring useful knowledge will be superior in kind, and will be accessible to all. The human mind will be illuminated with truth on all subjects, and thus its powers will have their most favorable development. Mankind will be advanced to an intellectual and moral elevation, to which as a mass they have never before attained. The chief instrumentality in producing this elevation will be the gospel. Religion will then have a controlling influence over the minds of men, and over their customs and habits. The knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth, and holiness, its appropriate fruit, will give a new aspect to society, and make this appear like a new world. On the ruins of Satan's empire will be firmly established that kingdom, which consists in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This will be the period when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of Christ,' and 'when all nations shall serve him.' On the face of the prophetic record it is manifest, that Satan's kingdom is not overthrown during the thousand years. There is to be then, a curtailment of evil, and an increase of all that is good. But, it will be only an advance toward that state of which this chapter treats. The period of the new heaven and new earth will so far exceed all that has gone before it, as to justify the terms by which it is designated. It will be a glorious completion of God's wise and benevolent designs concerning this world and its inhabitants:-a finale, which will give the kingdom of Christ its fullest triumph, and which will be "the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by his holy prophets." Acts 3:21. Jesus must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet, and this is the period in which that consummation will be reached. What had preceded will be only an approximation to it.

And there was no more sea; or, literally, the sea is no

more. The sea is an emblem of a multitude of people, or nations in a state of commotion, anarchy, and alarm, also of the invasion of hostile armies. 13: 1, and Jer. 51: 42. The idea seems to be, that contentions, wars, the dashing of nation against nation, which have spread devastation and misery through the earth, will cease forever. Then will be experienced the full blessedness of the reign of the Prince of Peace.

2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.—We have had a prophetic description of the character, acts, and demolition of an apostate church, under the name of the great city, Babylon; now, in contrast, we have a symbolic description of the true church in its purest earthly state, under the name of the holy city, new Jerusalem. That it is the church, and not a literal city, nor the heavenly state, is made sufficiently plain by the ninth verse, where one of the seven angels having the vials of the last plagues, calls it the bride, the Lamb's wife, which all admit to be the church of believers. Jerusalem is the appropriate emblem of this, because it was the grand center of the former dispensation, the capital of God's chosen people, the divinely appointed place for the celebration of their religious solemnities. There was the temple honored with a manifestation of the divine presence; as saith the Psalmist ;- The Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever, here will I dwell.' There was given the first great baptism of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when the Son of God came in his kingdom with power. It is a hallowed spot, around which a thousand sacred associations gather.

So the Christian church is an object of God's peculiar favor. He dwells in it by his Spirit. It is the repository