with regard to communities, this kingdom is supposed to be established, wherever it is found that no other than the Christian system of faith is professed, and no other than Christian rites are observed; and that in the case of individuals, every one is regarded as a subject of this kingdom, who pays to the institutions of the Gospel that measure of external deference and respect, which is required by the general sentiments of the community around him. It is, indeed, a very appalling thought, that a scheme of divine wisdom and mercy, the execution of which required that the Son of God should become incarnate, and suffer, and die; and the design of which is to enthrone God in the love and affections of his debased and alienated creatures, should be regarded as if it had only been intended to give currency to a certain system of speculative opinions, or to construct the frame-work of certain external observances. Yet such, in reality, is the place which is assigned to it, in the estimation of those who have never distinctly conceived of the kingdom of God, as the establishment of a divine principle in the soul—the dominion of divine love over the affections; and who do not perceive that the seat of this dominion is the heart, and the heart alone; that wherever it is in reality set up, it is just as complete in the case of a single individual as in that of multitudes; and that however generally the Gospel may be professed in any community, or however rigorously its ordinances may be observed, yet if there is not in that community any one individual whose heart has been so subjugated to a divine power, then the kingdom of God is not there. But, lamentable as it is to reflect, that the subject should ever be regarded in any other light, it is nothing more than what we are taught to expect. Our Lord himself declared, not of the Jews, who openly rejected him, but of such as should professedly acknowledge him, and wear all the external badges of discipleship, that "many will hereafter say to him, Lord, Lord, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets; but he will say to them, I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity." In the revelation which he vouchsafed to make to his servant John, respecting the spiritual condition of the churches of Asia, he addressed the members of one of these churches, as men who had a name to live and were dead; and the Apostle Paul, in his writings, speaks of some who were ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truthand of others, who had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof. But there is, perhaps, no passage that does more emphatically express the tendency of mankind to substitute the mere externals of the Gospel, for the faith of the Gospel itself, than that to which we adverted at the commencement of these remarks,-where, in writing to those whom the Apostle believed to be Christians, and of whom he had before said, that "he thanked God, through Jesus Christ, for them all, that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world,” he thought it necessary to remind them, that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink.” What the Apostle has thus said of the observances which had created a dissension between the Jewish and Gentile Christians, is obviously appli cable to every thing else which mankind may be found to substitute for what is represented in the same passage as constituting the kingdom of God; and while his statement may thus be considered as announcing the general truth, that this kingdom consists not in external things, however important these may be in their place; it does at the same time intimate, how prone mankind are to rest satisfied with these-a truth which is confirmed alike by the past history, and the present condition, of the professedly Christian world. The In illustration of this remark, we may refer to that system of error and superstition, which, under the name of Christianity, did, for many ages, exclude from the nations generally the light of divine truth, and which still continues to envelop many of them in spiritual darkness. principle upon which that system was established and maintained, was to identify the kingdom of Christ with the exercise of secular power-to give to that kingdom the form and character of a temporal sovereignty-and to suspend the communication of its blessings, on the payment of the same kind of submission that earthly governments are wont to require of their subjects. And that such a system should not only succeed, but should, through many successive ages, continue steadily to advance that, in spite of the oppression and tyranny with which it asserted its authority, and promoted its interests, it should, nevertheless, secure the ready acquiescence of a vast majority of every country into which it was introduced, and that it should ultimately acquire a strength and a stability which, humanly speaking, rendered jet should ever be regarded in any who apely rejected him, but of such thebadges of discipleship, that "many robin, Lord, Lord, we have eaten ky, and thou hast taught in ; but he will say to them, I never knew from me ye that work iniquity." In th within which he vouchsafed to make to his Jing the spiritual condition dud of, he addressed the members des desse who had a name and were and the Apostle Paul, in ing, paks of some who were ever learni able me to the knowledge of the and of others, who had a form of godliness, the power thereof. But there is, perh ge that does more emphatically exp of mankind to substitute the mere the Gope for the faith of the Go that to which we adverted at the of the remarks-where, in writing h the Apostle believed to be Chri whom he had before said, that "he God though Jesus Christ, for them all, has spoken of throughout the who huge nessary to remind them, Kingdom of God is not meat and drink. What the Apostle has thus said of which had created a dissension Jo and Gentile Christians, is ob |