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and the Dead, and to render to every one according to his Works. Whofe Kingdom being perpetual fhall endure to endless Ages, for he fhall fit at the right Hand of the Father not only in this World, but in that which is to come.

So that the Scripture does expreffly declare, That Chrift's Throne fhall be for ever and ever; That he fitteth at the right Hand of God not only in this World, but in that which is to come; That his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which fhall not pafs away; That he fhall reign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no End. All which Expreffions cannot furely denote a Duration fhort of Eternity. For they are as strong and fignificant as any that are made ufe of, to defcribe, the everlasting Duration of the Father's Kingdom, and indeed as any that the Languages in which the Scriptures are written do afford. And fuppofing it to have been the Design of the facred Writers to affure us, that the Kingdom of the Meffias fhould be perpe

tual

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tual and without End, they could nothave done it in more proper and expreffive Terms than those which they have ufed on this Occafion. 'Tis true, the Words which we tranflate everlasting and for ever, do not always fignify an endless Duration; but it must be allowed that oftentimes this is the true Meaning of them; to be fure then, when the Holy Ghost himself has been careful to explain them to this Meaning; as he has been in the prefent Cafe: For the Scripture having affirm'd, that the Dominion of the Meffiah is an everlasting Dominion, inmediately adds, that it fhall not pafs away. Now a Dominion which fhall not pafs away, muft reeds be in a ftrict Senfe everlasting, becaufe all Things which are not ftrictly speaking everlasting, do at length pafs away. And whatever Ambiguity there was in the Words of the Angel Gabriel, when he said, Chrift fhould reign over the House of Jacob for ever; he fufficiently cleared it by adding, That of his Kingdom there fhould be-no-End. And where this is

faid, it cannot poffibly fignify any Du SERM. ration, how long foever, of which there VII, VIII fhall be an End.

IT is certain that the Kingdom of Chrift fhall not univerfally take Place, nor appear in its full Luftre, till the general Judgment. Wherefore St. Paul represents it as Coming at that Time, when he tells Timothy, That Christ shall judge the Quick and the Dead at his Ap pearing and at his Kingdom. And when the Grandfons of Jude, the Brother of our Lord, were brought before the Emperor Domitian, and were required by him to give an Account of Chrift and his Kingdom; of what Nature it was, and when and where it fhould appear; they answered, That the Kingdom of Christ was not of this World, nor Earthly, but Angelical and Heavenly; and fhould be at the End of the World, when Chrift fhould come in Glory, and judge the Quick and the Dead *. Shall then the Reign of Chrift expire at the Æra from which it is fometimes dated? Shall the

univer

Hegefippus cited by Eufebius Hift. Eccl. 1. 3. c. 23.

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univerfal Extent of his Kingdom be the immediate Forerunner of the End of it? Shall He be reduced to the Condition of VII,VIII a private Subject as foon as every Knee fhall have bowed to his Name, and èvery Tongue fhall have confefs'd that he is Lord? Earthly Monarchies indeed are of a fhort Continuance, and are oftentimes fuddenly overthrown. But is our Lord's Heavenly Kingdom fo tranfient ; fo like the Flower of the Field, which being full-blown prefently fadeth away? The Difciples of Chrift expect, according to God's Promife, to be rewarded with an eternal Weight of Glory. Is the Difciple greater than his Mafter, or the Servant than his Lord? Hath He who hath purchased for his Followers an everlafting Crown, obtain'd only a temporary One for himself? St. Peter affures us, That at the Day of Retribution they who have made their Calling and Election fure, fhall enter into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift; Which how can they be faid to do, if Jefus Chrift fhall then refign his ◇ 2 Royal

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Royal Authority over them? This is the first Objection against the common Interpretation of thefe Words, That it is repugnant to many other plain Texts of Scripture, which do either expreffly affert or by consequence imply the Eternity of the Meffiah's Kingdom.

2. THESE Words, He must reign till he hath put all Enemies under his Feet, do not neceffarily imply that He fhall not reign after that his Enemies are put under him. On the contrary, they do rather imply, that He fhall reign for ever and ever; as will appear by confidering fome other Places of Scripture, where the fame manner of Expreffion is ufed. For Inftance, when it is faid, Sam. That Michal the Daughter of Saul had 23. no Child until the Day of her Death; the

vi. 2

Meaning plainly is, That from thenceforward fhe never had any Child; it being fure enough fhe did not bear Children after she was dead. When God promifed Jacob to be with him, and not Gen. to leave him till he had done that which xxviii.15 he had fpoken to him of, this was all

one