1beir bumble ser1•ice is all noted. (3) God preRervea e. remombra.nce of men's sine. God forgetl! sin when be forgives it, but till then our forgetting it doee not remove it from his book of remembrance, any more tha.n our forgetting e. bond relee.ees ue from the obligation of it when it is prMented. 2. The book of life. St. Paul refers to thoao' "whose names nre writt.en in the book of life" (Phil. iv. 3; see also Exod. xxxii. 33; Re,. iii. 5). God preserves a record of the heirs of eternal life. Ho knows them, if men do not. He takes note of thorn individually; their names are written. The world is redeemed, not in the mass, but individually. Each one of us either he.a or be.s not his name l\TiUen down in the "book of life." The most important question for each to ask is whether his ne.mo is there. 3. The book ofthefutu,·e. The future is known to God, and the course of providence and redemption by which he will work out his purposes of righteousness and mercy is determined (Rev. v.1). Sudden changes surprise us, but they were anticipated by God. There is no cha.nee, but a.n overruling wisdom fixes the great landmarks of the future. II. GoD's BOOKS ARE SEALED. 1. The book of remem1Jrance i,s sealed. Wo have no present visible prooftha.t God notes our trouble, our fidelity, or our sin. We may forget our past, and it will lie hidden and silent. 2. The book of life is sealed. (1) We may have sure evidences of our redemption, but we ca.nnot directly read our names in the book of life. Perhaps the reason for this is that we may walk by faith and experience its discipline. (2) We cannot read the names of others. Therefore we cannot pronounce judgment on them, nor say how many or who will be saved. 3. The book of the future u sealed. Prophecy has extracted a few pages. But the great volume will only be unrolled a.s it is accomplished. It is best that we should not know the future, as we only have sufficient strength to bear the burden of the present (Matt. vi. 34). It is bClSt also because we can learn to walk humbly and trustfully, while we resign the future to the ea.re of our Father in heaven (Matt. vi. 32). Ill. GoD'B BOOKS WILL BE OPENED. The judgment-day will be first of a.11 a day of revelation. The decrees of reward and punishment will follow the opening of God's books. 1. The record of our conduct will be brought to light. Forgotten deeds will be remembered, and the truth of cba.racter made clear (1 Cor. xiv. 25). Hidden sin will be revealed. Unrecognized. merit will be honoured. 2. The roll of the redeemed will be read. Not one of God's people will be forgotten. Christ will own the humblest of hie followers. 3. The purposes of God concerning the future will declare themselves. The book of the future is nmolled by degrees a.s time passes. But its most momentous contents will be those which will be ma.de clear when the great facts of the unseen world are first brought to light. Then God's purposes with mankind will be under- stood as we on earth can never comprehend them. Vers. 13, 14.-.71le kfrigdom of fhe Son of man. In contra.st with the brutal godleBB kingdoms, we have here a description of the higher final kingdom-its origin, character, and destiny. I. OmGIN. 1. It comes from above. Divine providence inaugurates it, and heavenly principles inspire it. Christ and his kingdom are from above (John viii. 23). 2. It is in intimate relations with God. The Son of man "came to the Ancient of days," and was brought "near before him." The source of the power of Christ is his onene~s with the Father (John x. 30), hie dependence on the Father (John v. 19), and his obedience to the Father (Ps. xl. 7 ; Heb. L 7). 3. It is a gift of God. The other kings seized their power. To the Son of man a. dominion is " given." Christ does not conquer the world by force. He receives bis kingdom through the influence of God's grace and providence on men (John xviii 36). IL CHARACTER. 1. It is a true dominion. Christ came to save the world by ruling over it. He is King as well as Redeemer. He claims obedience and more thorough submission than the greatest earthly despot can exact, viz. the submission of the bes.rt (Col. iii. 23). 2. It is typified by "the Son of man," and therefore: (1) more spiritual aud higher in character than the godless kingdoms which a.re represented by ravenou1 beasts ; (2) more humane,-gentleness and mercy are great characteristics of Christ's kingdom (Isa. xxxii. 2; xlii. 1-3; Matt. xi. 28-30); and (3) characterized. by onene.11 and sympathy with its subjects,-tbe old monarchs were destructive tyrants, Christ is one with his p ople, a son of man (Heb. il. 14-18; iv. 15). 3. It is glorious, Christ 0 011, VII, 1-28,] THE BOOK OF DANIEL. 220
we.a of humble earthly origin, and hie kingdom ce.me in obscurity (Luke xvii. 20). 'l'hue it was appBrently inglorious when compe.red with the pomp of worldly monarchies. D11t it be.a God's glory, the bea.uty of bolineH. Thie glory is seen in its principles ancl in its achievements, triumphing over sin e.nd securing the peace and blessedness of obedience to God's will (Col. i. 27). III. DESTINY, 1. It is to be universal. The greatest human monarchies were limited in extent. Christ's is to be world-wide, (1) Christ claims all, and will not be satisfied till he has recovered the lost (Isa. !iii. 11). (2) Christ suits all. He is the true "Son of man." Therefore all races can find their Saviour and Lord in him. (3) Christ will attract all. His appeal is to the common human heart of the world (John xii. 32). 2. It is to be everlasting. Other kingdoms are temporary, and subject to fioal destruc- tion. The kingdom of the Son of man is indestructible and everlasting. (1) It is Divine, and the Divine is eternal (Ps. cxlv.13). (2) It is righteous in principle. There is no evil in it to be a seed of corrnption (Ps. lxxii. 7). (3) It is founded upon eternal principles, not on maxims of temporary expediency. (4) It brings blessings which will be always of value (Matt. v. 3-12),