LECTURE III. FORELIGHTS OF THE GLORY. WE revert to those remarkable words of God, so fraught with joy and gladness : : "But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy," &c.—ISAIAH lxv. 18–25. I COMMENCED my last explanatory remarks on this most interesting, but in some respects difficult chapter by noticing what I have ascertained from considerable research, that many writers on prophetic subjects are persuaded that whilst the risen saints, or those raised from the dead and glorified when Christ comes; and the changed saints, or those who do not die-" for we shall not all die, but some shall be changed;" are with Christ in the glory cloud or shechinah, or in the New Jerusalem, the splendid capital and metropolis of the earth; that there will be, cotemporaneous with them who have emerged from the world's last fiery baptism, and unconsumed by it, others somewhere on earth who shall live in the flesh as we do now: the vast and overwhelming majority they think will be righteous; and incidental evil, in the words of Horatio Bonar, shall be "like specks on the sun," but existing until the close of the millennial day; when all evil, in its most infinitesimal degree, shall be expunged, and the earth shall be the porch and the vestibule of a holy and a happy universe. "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth," is the promise quoted by Peter in the 3rd chapter of his Second Epistle, where he says that "the earth and the things that are therein shall be burned up, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat;" after which "we, according to his promise," in Isaiah, “look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." From this it appears that the conflagration of the old framework-not its annihilation, but its improvement— shall take place when Christ is revealed from heaven in the day of the Lord, taking vengeance in flaming fire upon them that disobey him, while he comes to be glorified and admired in all them that believe. If this promise, "I create new heavens and a new earth,” in the 17th verse, be the commencement of the millennial heavens and the millennial earth, as I hold it unquestionably is, how am I to explain all the features there given consistently with the belief that all is perfect, and pure, and holy? "The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her :" that is most satisfactory to those who hold the idea I have invariably impressed that there shall be no more tears, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor death, during the millennium. But then comes the expression in the 20th verse, and it is the difficulty. Translated according to the Septuagint, it is: "There shall not be any more carried out thence to burial an infant of days;" that is compatible with there being no death; 66 nor an old man who hath not filled his time;" that also is perfectly compatible with there being no death; "for the man of an hundred years shall be as a youth." Yes, the aged man that is raised at the last day will live for ever in his meridian vigour, youth, and perfection; retaining all the identity of his physical economy, but radiant with immortal youth, and shining with a lustre that never shall be impaired. Then comes the last clause: "For the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed." A solution given by some is, that the words, "the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed," are added to describe what takes place at the close of the thousand years; for at the close of the thousand years we read that nations in the four quarters of the globe break forth, and are afterwards crushed and destroyed. Another difficulty, supposing this passage describes the millennial rest, is: "they shall build houses." This is obvious metaphor. It is the representation of a state of perfect felicity and safety. People now build a house and do not live to dwell in it; or they build a house and another seizes it; and it may and perhaps does mean, taking it in the figurative sense, which is perfectly legitimate, there shall be absolute and uninterrupted security: "the gates of it shall not be shut," are words used of the apocalyptic city, in the Apocalypse; it may not mean that the city will literally have gates; it may be a figurative expression denoting perpetual peace. Then the expression, "not bring forth for trouble;" if that be an allusion to the curse pronounced upon Eve, one cannot suppose births to take place during the millennial rest; but clearly it must be accepted as a declaration that there shall be no curse, and therefore no more consequences of that curse. Then the last verse: "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;" that is certainly compatible with all that is predicted in the millennial rest; for as the brutes fell with man, on man's restoration the brutes shall be restored to harmony. Let me in the course of these remarks and I will allude to some of these points as I proceed-show, first, what is stated to precede this happy sabbath of a thousand years; what are the marks of the Saturday evening that merges into the twilight of a thousand years' day of blessedness and sunshine; and in the second place, try to explain what succeeds the dawn of that blessed era; and thus bring before you some of the difficulties that cling to the features of the millennial age indicated by the prophet. What may we expect to precede it? One very awful feature will characterize the Saturday evening, the six thousandth year, that precedes the seventh, or the millennary of the world, if such it be. "This know, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For "-and here is what shall precede it; the nearer its sunburst the denser will be the moral darkness that precedes-"men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy; without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Here are some of the awful brands which are to mark many at the close of this economy; but out of all, and in spite of all, will emerge and shine with more resplendent lustre the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see these things more by the contrast; the light and the shadow will become the one darker, the other only the more brilliant. Preceding that event, the coming of the Lord, the conflagration of the earth, the new heavens and the new earth, there will be a more extensive preaching of the Gospel than ever there was before. Is not this a clear sign of the age? Was the Gospel ever more faithfully, more fully, more earnestly, more extensively preached than it is at the present hour? Why, many of you have lived to recollect that for a bishop to preach in a play-house would have almost ended in his head being taken off, or his being banished from the church; and for any minister of the Gospel to go and preach from a waggon or an omnibus, as the Bishop of London now and then does, would have been set down as undignified, or arrant and intolerable fanaticism. But now-a-days, in all places, in the exercise of a common sense that is admirable, and at all times, we hear of men of all denominations setting forth with marvellous perspicuity and power the preciousness of the soul, the instancy of eternity, the efficacy of a Saviour's blood, the shortness of the time, the nearness of the end, and the necessity of all making ready and preparing to meet the Lord. There will be previous to this period a pentecostal effusion of the Holy Spirit of God. I have stated in my book, "Redemption Draweth Nigh," that I believed the Pentecost of 1800 years ago was but the flush of morn, preparatory to the noon; but the early showerthe latter rains being yet to come. The language of Joel in his 2nd chapter has not yet been exhausted; it remains yet to be fulfilled. For what does he say? "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;" that is the first; not upon the Jews, nor a handful of Gentiles assembled at Jerusalem; but "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy ; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit." Then he says: "And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness;" this has not taken place; our Lord says it will take place when he comes; "and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." Now I ask you at this moment to look around and see unprecedented numbers of men who are not ministers preaching the Gospel of Christ with no common power and success. He says: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;" and men and handmaids, and servants, and women, shall all speak. I have no doubt that the impression produced by the Spirit of God poured out upon all flesh will be so intense, and so vivid, and so irresistible, that you will have mothers preaching in their homes, servants preaching in the hall, tradesmen sparing an hour from business in order to go and preach the Gospel. The church will have her volunteers as well as the nation. Men, some of whose antecedents are anything but brilliant, are now preaching the Gospel with marvellous efficacy and power; and though we may not like their taste, though we may be pained by many of the expressions they employ, injudicious and indiscreet as they are, yet God uses sometimes very rough instruments to do very rough work; and if they are the means of bringing souls to the Saviour, and hastening on the kingdom of Christ, we will pardon the rough garment for the sake of the brilliant truth that is expressed by the lips of him that wears it. There will be not only the universal preaching of the Gospel at all hours, in all places; but there will be also a somewhat like preparation of all flesh for that great day. Some think that the words, "I will send Elijah before the great and terrible day of the |