III. 1. But shall we not see greater things than these? Yea, greater than have been yet from the beginning of the world. Can Satan cause the truth of God to fail, or his promises to be of none effect? If not, the time will come, when _Christianity_ will prevail over all, and cover the earth. Let us stand a little, and survey (the third thing which was proposed) this strange sight, a _Christian world. Of this the prophets of old enquired and searched diligently_: of this _the Spirit which was in them testified, It shall come to pass in the last days, that the Mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. In that day there shall be a Root of |Jesse|, which shall stand for an ensign of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again to recover the remnant of his people; and he shall set up an Ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of |Israel|, and gather together the dispersed of |Judah|, from the four corners of the earth. The wolf shall then dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. They shall not hurt nor destroy, saith the Lord, in all my holy mountain. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea._
2. To the same effect are the words of the great apostle, which it is evident have never yet been fulfilled. _Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. But through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles. And if the diminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,――That blindness in part is happened to |Israel|, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in: and so all |Israel| shall be saved._
3. Suppose now the fulness of time to be come, and the prophecies to be accomplished, what a prospect is this? All is _peace, quietness, and assurance for ever_. Here is no din of arms, no _confused noise_, no _garments rolled in blood_. _Destructions are come to a perpetual end_: wars are ceased from the earth. Neither are there any intestine jars remaining; no brother rising up against brother; no country or city divided against itself, and tearing out its own bowels. Civil discord is at end for evermore, and none is left either to destroy or hurt his neighbour. Here is no oppression to _make_ even _the wise man mad_; no extortion to _grind the face of the poor_; no robbery or wrong; no rapine or injustice; for all are _content with such things as they possess_. Thus _righteousness and peace have kissed each other_; they have _taken root and filled the land_: righteousness flourishing out of the earth, and _peace looking down from heaven_.
4. And with righteousness or justice, mercy is also found. The earth is no longer _full of cruel habitations. The Lord hath destroyed both the blood-thirsty_ and malicious, the envious and revengeful man. Were there any provocation, there is none that now knoweth, to _return evil for evil_: but indeed there is none that doeth evil, no not one; for all are _harmless as doves_. And being _filled with peace and joy in believing_, and united in one body, by one spirit, they all _love as brethren_, they are all _of one heart and of one soul. Neither saith any of them, that ought of the things which he possesseth is his own._ There is none among them that lacketh; for every man loveth his neighbour as himself. And all walk by one rule, _Whatever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do unto them_.
5. It follows, that no unkind word can ever be heard among them: no _strife of tongues_, no contention of any kind, no railing or evil-speaking; but every one _opens his mouth with wisdom, and in his tongue there is the law of kindness_. Equally incapable are they of fraud or guile: their _love_ is _without dissimulation_: their words are always the just expression of their thoughts, opening a window into their breast, that whosoever desires may look into their hearts, and see that only love and God are there.