876 Christ's kingdom and
then, Euphrates shall he dried up, Turkish power and Popish idolatry he taken out of the world, and these " kings of the east " are come, — when the seed of Abraham, being multiplied like the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea-shore, shall possess the gates of their enemies, and shall have peace in their borders, — we may lift up our heads to- wards the fulness of our redemption ; but whilst these things are, or may be, for any thing we know, afar off, to dream of setting up an outward, glorious, visible kingdom of Christ, which he must bear rule in, and over the world, be it in Germany or in England, is but an ungrounded presumption. The Jews not called. Antichrist not de- stroyed, the nations of the world generally wrapped up in idolatry and false worshi^i, little dreaming of their deliverance, — will the Lord Christ leave tlie world in this state, and set up his kingdom here on a molehill ?
(5.) This is a perpetual antithesis and opposition that is put l)e- tween the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of Christ, — that they rise out of the strivings of the winds upon the sea; he comes with the clouds of heaven ; — they are brought in by commotions, tu- mults, wars, desolations (and so shall all the shakings of the nations be, to punish them for their old opposition, and to translate them into a subserviency to his interest) ; the coming in of the kingdom of Christ shall not be by the arm of flesh, nor shall it be the pro- duct of the strifes and contests of men which are in the Avorld, — it is not to be done by might or power, but by the Sj)irit of the Lord of hosts, Zech. iv. 6. Great wars, desolations, alterations, shall pre- cede it ; but it is not the sons of men that, by outward force, shall build the new Jerusalem : — that comes down from heaven adorned as a bride for Christ, fitted and prepared by himself Certainly the strivings of men about this business shall have no inflvience into it. It shall be by the glorious manifestation of his own power, and that by his Spirit subduing the souls of men unto it ; — not by the sword of man setting up a few to rule over others. Hence, it is eveiywhere called a creating of " new heavens, and a new eai-th," Isa. Ixv. 17, — a Avork, doubtless, too difficult for the wonns of the eai-th to under- take. There is n(jthing more opposite to the spirit of the gospel, than to suppose that Jesus Christ will taki; to himself a kingdom by the canial sword and bow ol' the sons of men. The raising of the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and the setting up the decayed places of it. Acts xv. IC, is done by his visiting the people with his Spirit and word, verse 14. It is by the j)om-ing out of his Sjjirit in a covenant of mercy, Isa. lix. 21. Thus the Lord sets up one shepherd of his people, " and he shall feed them, even," saith he, "my servant DaAdd ; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd, and I the LoiiD will be their God, and my servant David a prince
THE magistrate's power. 377
among tliem," Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. He brings in the kingdom of his Son Ly making the chiklren of Israel " seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and to fear the Lord and his goodness," Hos. iii. 5. Who, now, can fathom the counsels of the Almighty? — who hath searched his bosom, and can by computation tell us when he shall pour out his Spirit for the accomplishment of these things ?
This, then, is the last thing in this vision, whose consideration brought the prophet into so great perplexity and distress of spirit.
IIL There is the means that Daniel used for redress in that sad condition whereunto he was brought by the consideration of this vision : " He drew near to one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this."
This also was done in vision. There is no mention of his waking before his making this address ; but the vision continuing, he draws nigh in the same manner to one of them that stood by, — one of those angels, or holy ones, that stood ministering before the throne of God, who was commissionated to acquaint him with the mind and will of God in the things represented to them. This, then, is the remedy he applies himself unto ; — he labours to know the mind and will of God in the things that were to be done. This, it seems, he pitched on as the only way for quieting his grieved and troubled spirit ; and hereupon, —
IV. He is told and made to know the interpretation of the things, so far, at least, as might quiet his spuit in the will of God.
Not that he is clearly instructed in every particular ; for he tells them, in the close of the chapter, that he had troublesome thoughts about the whole; — " his cogitations troubled him, and his countenance changed," verse 28; but having received what light God was willing to communicate to him, he inquires no farther, but addresses himself to his own duty.