Isai. xxiv. 23. Then the moon shall he confounded, and the sun ashamed, lohen the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his antients, gloriously.
THE chapter before us seems to refer to the de- struction of the Jewish Church and polity by the
Chaldeans. But it looks forward, also, to their re- storation, and to the establishment of the Messiah's empire consequent upon it. Of that period it is delightful to speak : for, in fact, the glory of it far exceeds all that language can express, or the most enlarged imagination can conceive.
To give you some idea of the Messiah's advent, as it is here described, I will endeavour to set before you,
I. The nature of his kingdom —
[It differs widely from all other kingdoms. Other kings have dominion over the persons and the property of their sub- jects ; but his empire is over their souls The laws of
other kingdoms are almost entirely restrictive : his, however restrictively expressed, are not prohibitory only, but preceptive ; and intended to call forth into exercise every power of the soul. The substance of them all is contained in these two sayings, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength ; and thy neighbour as thyself." Nor does any one ftdly approve himself to him as a faithful subject, unless " every thought of his heart be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ ^"]
II. The extent of his dominion —
[Never was there a kingdom like unto His. At present, indeed, His is very limited : but, at the period mentioned in my text, it will be absolutely universal : " All kings shall bow down before him, all nations shall serve him^," and " the utmost ends of the earth shall be his possession"^." " There will then be but one Lord over the face of the whole world, and his name one*^." Nor will there be any who yield him only a forced or partial obedience; for in that day " all will be righteous®:" " nor will there be any more a Canaanite in the land of the Lord of Hosts ^."]
III. The happiness of his subjects —
[If the happiness of a people be estimated by their honours, their wealth, their enjoyments, never was there a kingdom to be compared with His. The most exalted person in an}^ other kingdom is but a child of man : whereas the least and meanest of his subjects is a child of the living God. " Israel," says Jehovah, " is my son, my first-born*^." The wealth of earthly monarchs, however great, may be counted : that which is owned
a 2 Cor. X. 5.
^ Ps. Ixxii. 11.
c Ps. ii. 8.
^ Zech. xiv. 9,
e Isai. Ix. 21.
f Zech. xiv. 21
g Exod. iv. 22.