sent dispensation-a phenomenon reserved for the millennium? Can there be no living by faith now, no walking in the narrow way, no crucifying of the flesh and living in the Spirit, no occupying till Christ come-nothing, in short, of living connection with Christ now, that shall give assurance of appearing with him in glory, unless "outward opposition and persecution" be superadded? Are not battles inly fought, and unseen victories won, in the sphere of the hidden life, which, to that Eye that looketh not upon the outward appearance but upon the heart, are brighter manifestations of the grace that bringeth salvation than many a martyrdom? "Nor think, who to that bliss aspire,

Must win their way through blood and fire;

The writhings of a wounded heart

Are fiercer than a foeman's dart." *

If this be granted, even in one case, the ground of distinction, as far as that goes, is given up. This is so manifest, that Mr Burgh-who takes the same view of outward suffering as indispensable to participation in the "first resurrection "-perceiving that this will necessarily exclude many true Christians from the millennial reign, goes through with it, limiting the millennial reign expressly to those whom he regards as suffering Christians. And this is the only consistent way of holding the theory.†

Mr Bonar, indeed, mentions another ground of distinction -the freedom of millennial Christians "from Satan's temptations, for he is bound." In a subsequent part of this work, I believe I shall be able to show that this expectation is totally unscriptural--founded on a misapprehension of one single symbolical prediction, contradicted by the uniform. tenor of Scripture, and at variance with the whole analogy

*Christian Year.

† Lect. on Revelation and Lect. on Second Advent. In the latter work, Mr Burgh is pleased to cut off from this class those who deny the premillennial advent! Nor is he altogether alone in this.

of faith. But admitting for the present the total absence of Satanic agency during the millennium-if it be allowed, as it seems to be, that the natural heart will be the same then as now, that the grace of God will find men in the same "mire," and be as illustrious in plucking any out of it, that there will be the same war with inward corruption in every Christian, the same inability to do the things that they would, and the same need to "hang upon Christ alone to the last," as there is now-what mighty difference between them and us can even the absence of Satan make-what, at least, that should sever those from us in glory who share with us in our deepest struggles?

Thus-survey it in what light we will, and on whatever hypothesis may be framed to account for it-the distinction between one portion of the elect, ransomed, sanctified, and saved Church, as being exclusively "the Bride of the Lamb," to be associated with him in his glory, and another portion of the same Church, who are not to rise and reign with him when he comes, is utterly foreign to the Bible and fanciful in its character, unknown to the faith of the Church, and suggested only by the necessities of a system. A tedious and ungenial work it has been to pursue into the shallows such poor, unfruitful distinctions as have engaged our attention in these supplementary remarks. Gladly, therefore, do we now come back to "a place of broad rivers and streams," to repose on the clear bosom of such words as these :"Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me all of them- "be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me;"- "This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day;" "He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe."

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

CHAPTER IV.

ALL THE MEANS OF GRACE, AND AGENCIES OF SALVATION, TERMINATE AT THE SECOND ADVENT.

We have seen that the whole elect and ransomed Church is complete when Christ comes. If this be correct, we may expect to find the ordained means for the gathering and perfecting of the Church disappearing from the stage,—the standing agencies and instrumentalities, the whole economy and machinery of a visible Church-state, taken out of the way. Here then is a test, the fairest and most satisfactory that can be imagined, by which to try the truth of our doctrine. Premillennialists maintain that the saving of souls is to go on upon earth after the Redeemer's second appearing. If this be true, we shall find the means of grace surviving the advent. Whereas, if grace has ceased at Christ's coming to flow from the fountain, we shall find that the channels for its conveyance have disappeared too-if the building of mercy has been completed, we may expect to find the scaffolding cleared away.

Beginning then with the Means-If it can be shown that both the written WORD and the sealing ORDINANCES, by which God ordinarily gathers and perfects the Church—having their whole ends and objects exhausted at Christ's coming—shall then absolutely cease as means of grace and salvation to mankind, I think it will be clear that all saving of souls is then at an end.

What, then, is the testimony of Scripture on this subject? The answer to this question forms

PROPOSITION SECOND:

CHRIST'S SECOND COMING WILL EXHAUST THE OBJECT OF THE SCRIPTURES.

His Coming is the goal of all revelation, its farthest horizon, its last terminus, its sabbath and haven. Thither are directed all the anxieties which divine truth awakens. Every hope which it kindles and every fear which it excites instinctively points to that awful event, its concomitants, and its issues, as the needle to the pole. To prepare men for it, as an event future to all whom it addresses, is what the Bible proposes, and positively all that it undertakes and is fitted to do. The whole force of every reference to Christ's coming in Scripture, as a motive to action, absolutely depends on its being a future event.

1. Look in the case of saints-at all the incentives to patience and hope, to watchfulness and fidelity, to promptitude and cheerfulness in the discharge of duty, drawn from the prospect of Christ's coming, and see if they would not be stript of all their power and all their point, on the supposition of its being a past event, and as addressed to saints living after it. Take an example or two almost at random :—

66 Occupy TILL I come."—(Luke xix. 13.)

"Ye do well to take heed to the sure word of prophecy, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, UNTIL the day dawn, and the day-star arise in our hearts.”—(2 Pet. i. 19.)

"Be patient therefore, brethren, UNTO the coming of the Lord.” -(James v. 7.)

"Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."-(1 Pet. i. 13.)

"The Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give the crown of

righteousness at that day to all them that love his appearing.” (2 Tim. iv. 8.) "Our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour." (Phil. iii. 20.)

It is impossible to deny that the attitude of expectancy and preparedness for a future appearing of Christ, is the whole burden of one and all of these passages. Just think how they would sound in the ears of saints living after the advent. "Behold I come quickly "-is the exhilarating announcement of Jesus to those whose eyes long to behold him-" and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." But from what lips shall that delightful response go forth after his coming, "Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus?" The Church's hopes, and fears, and struggles, have found their object and end. Beyond that end we never get in God's Word. It is the goal of all souls travelling from nature to grace, from a lost to a saved state. It is the crisis and consummation of the state of grace, and the whole Bible is constructed upon the principle of its being so.

And here, let me recall the scriptural connection which we found to subsist between the two comings of Christ; how to the grace brought by the one we look backward by faith, and forward by hope to the glory which is to be brought by the other; how, between these two events, of unutterable importance to the formation and growth of the Christian character, the believer is thus poised: let this intrinsic connection and studied juxtaposition of these two doctrines in the Christian system-these commanding events in the work of redemption-be duly weighed, and then let the reader say, whether the theory of a race of outstanding saints, living on earth after the second advent, does not dislocate this connection, eviscerate every text which expresses it, derange the whole economy of evangelical motives, subvert the only recognised basis of a Christian character, and introduce a principle of inextricable confusion, where order and beauty,