Practical
Meditations on the Lord's Prayer
Newman Hall, 1889
The Second Petition—
"Your Kingdom Come"
"Three weighty, instructive, monitory words. The first,
'Your,' lifts the thoughts upward—bids us think of God, and lose ourselves
in Him. The second, 'Kingdom,' reminds us of a great system in which to have
a place is glory, for which to be allowed to pray is the highest honor and
the highest dignity of the creature. The third, 'Come,' bids us exercise
this honor at once. As we utter the petition, we are putting the hand to a
work which is all God's, we are claiming a franchise and a citizenship and a
priesthood, not of earth but of heaven" (Vaughan).
I—THE KINGDOM OF GOD SPIRITUAL
The "kingdom of God" refers, not to the whole universe
nor to the final perfection of Heaven—but to His authority in this world—and
its meaning is further unfolded in the next petition, "Your will be done on
earth." The coming of the kingdom is the progressive recognition of this
rule until all mankind shall either willingly accept it or unwillingly
submit to it. In material nature the kingdom has already come, has never
ceased to be. It is the 'moral government' of God for the triumph of which
we pray—His rule in the region of mind, heart, and will—the establishment of
His authority where it has been ignored and resisted—the final victory of
God's righteousness and love over every form of wrong and hate—His reign on
earth.
Once this reign was undisputed. But there were angels who
"kept not their first estate." Yielding to their malign influence, man also
revolted. But still the kingdom was not subverted. Satan disturbed—but never
supplanted it. He is not lord of men or the world—and is king only by
usurpation. God has never ceased to be the rightful and actual Ruler, though
His authority has been defied. In the rewards and penalties of physical and
social laws He has given indications of His moral rule and foreshadowings of
His future judgment. In every land He has had His witnesses—in every
conscience His vicegerent. From eternity it was in the Divine purpose to
cure man's revolt and overrule its evil for still greater good. Man had now
to be dealt with no longer as a loyal subject, but as a guilty rebel. Pardon
was to be offered consistently with righteousness, and moral means
instituted to bring man's moral nature into harmony with the Divine kingdom.
Thus the kingdom was no longer one of mere rule and obedience, but of mercy
to the disobedient.
In relation to fallen man it is a kingdom of grace. A
kingdom still; asserting the supremacy of God and the sanctity of law; but
providing pardon for the transgressor, and help for his recovery. The
foundations of it were laid from the beginning. It was proclaimed when man
sinned. As years rolled on, its principles and claims were more fully
developed. By Enoch, Noah, Abraham; by Moses on Sinai, by the ceremonial
law, by the trumpet-notes of prophets, by the harp-songs of psalmists—its
majesty was asserted and its triumph foretold. Solomon prayed for it—"Give
the king Your judgments, O God—and let the whole earth be filled with His
glory." Isaiah exulted in beholding afar off the day when "the government
shall be upon His shoulder," when men shall no longer "hurt nor destroy, for
the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover
the sea."
As among heathen nations there was an expectation of the
coming of some great benefactor and ruler of men, it is no wonder that with
such Divine promises the Jews were expecting their long-predicted Messiah,
and listened eagerly to the clarion blast of the Baptist, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Thus heralded, Jesus began His ministry as
its special Ambassador, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand—repent, and believe in the gospel." The kingdom long
expected, portrayed on the glowing canvas of prophets, extolled by the
inspired rapture of poets, prepared for by a long series of providential
arrangements, was now proclaimed, and all men were summoned to submit to
Jehovah and His Christ.
But the Jews mistook its nature. They expected a warlike
monarch who would deliver them from the Romans, and establish a worldly
kingdom which should more than reproduce all the glories of David and
Solomon. There was nothing in our Lord's teaching to encourage such an idea.
The blessedness He announced was not that of successful ambition, of
splendid kingly courts—but of "the poor in spirit." Not of those who can
compel compliance with human laws, but of those who are "persecuted for
righteousness' sake—for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When the disciples
disputed which of them would be greatest, their Lord taught that unless such
notions were laid aside, they could have no part in it. "Truly I say to you,
except you turn and become as little children, you shall never enter into
the kingdom of heaven." Not outward grandeur, but inward renovation was the
qualification—"Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Instead of wealth being essential for securing it, He taught "how hard shall
those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God." No self-indulgence was
to be expected, but only self-sacrifice—"It is good for you to enter into
the kingdom of God with one eye—rather than having two eyes to be cast into
hell."
The often-repeated preface to parables explaining its
nature, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto," was followed by no description
of worldly thrones, with armies, pageantry, and pomp. It was a kingdom of
quiet growth from the smallest to the greatest—like a grain of mustard seed;
of silent influence—like leaven in meal; of unseen yet priceless
treasure—which to purchase, men might well renounce all worldly wealth. "The
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" were illustrated by the various kinds of
soil on which the good seed fell—its highest rewards are not for successful
fighters, but for those who "hear the word and understand it, and bear
fruit."
Thus when the Pharisees asked "when the kingdom of God
should come," He replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with
observation." It is not to be known by the outward signs of this world's
kingdoms. "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you," or in the midst of
you. It had already appeared, but was not perceived by their worldly minds.
When accused by them of doing the very thing they wanted Him to do, His
refusal to do which so exasperated them, He replied to Pilate, "My kingdom
is not of this world—if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews—but now is my
kingdom not from hence." Developing such instruction, the apostles
proclaimed the kingdom as one of spiritual virtues, not of outward
forms—"the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"—a kingdom to be entered not by a career of
worldly triumph, but of patient suffering—"Through many tribulations we must
enter into the kingdom of God."
We are thus taught that the kingdom of God signifies
His rule in the hearts of men—a rule based on eternal righteousness, not
destroyed though assailed by man's sin—asserted in man's moral
nature—vindicated and its final triumph predicted by inspired prophets,
proclaimed by Christ, sealed by His blood, attested by the Resurrection,
ratified by the Ascension, confirmed at Pentecost, published to the world by
the apostles, illustrated in the character and conduct of every believer
born again as a subject of it. The Church is its embodied witness; the
Word its authorized code; Christian fellowship and the sacraments its
outward and visible signs; holiness its test of loyalty. This kingdom is to
grow until Christ Himself shall return with power and great glory—to
vindicate His authority—to give victory to His faithful ones—to overwhelm
incorrigible rebels—to perfect His Church. Then the gospel of love shall
universally prevail over every form of ignorance, wrong, and misery—and the
glad chorus break forth, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of
our Lord and of His Christ—and He shall reign forever and ever!"
II—ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND
KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD
The rule of God essentially differs from worldly
monarchies. Disregard of this has hindered the progress of the kingdom—real
strength having been exchanged for external show—inward purity for outward
pomp—spiritual freedom for worldly bondage—and self-denying zeal for false
security and dignified repose. Let us consider some of these differences.
1. The Ruler— In an
earthly kingdom the ruler may be selfish, proud, tyrannical, contemptible.
But the Head of this kingdom is the Infinitely Holy and Good. Man's
autocracy, owing to faults from which even the very best are not free—is
generally to be dreaded. It is the glory of this kingdom that the will of
the Sovereign is supreme. Every invasion of His authority, every attempt to
share it, is injurious to the subjects. Earthly kings reign through
delegated officers; here, God rules personally in every soul. Earthly rulers
have power only where they are present; but this King is in every place and
searches every heart. Earthly rulers can only control the conduct, but this
King reigns over the thoughts, affections, and will.
2. The laws— Earthly
laws insist on obedience and inflict penalties; but God's kingdom is a rule
of grace. What kingdom of this world could proclaim pardon to all
transgressors? What judge could commence an assize with offering to acquit
all criminals pleading guilty? But this kingdom restores rebels to
allegiance by first forgiving them, even the ringleaders. The rulers of this
world must be content with the observance of the letter of the law; but this
kingdom secures a homage which scorns such limitation, arouses a loyalty
which cannot be restrained in its expression, creates an enthusiasm which no
mere code can satisfy. And the wonder is that by this very proclamation of
pardon, it secures this fervor of obedience; by this Grace it vindicates
Law.
3. The subjects— Earthly
kingdoms claim all who dwell within territorial limits. A river, a chain of
hills, an imaginary line, may determine the question who are the subjects of
its rule. But in this kingdom all are enrolled who voluntarily submit to it,
and none else. Within the same township, the same household, may dwell those
who, while members of the same nationality, are on opposite sides in
relation to the kingdom of heaven. Relation to earthly rule is not altered
by surrender to Christ. No prince nor republic need be jealous of this
kingdom nor alarmed at its progress. Monarchs lose no subjects by enrollment
here. There cannot be such a thing as a Christian country or a Christian
nation, except so far as the individuals who compose it are members of
Christ. The locality of birth constitutes no one a citizen of the heavenly
kingdom. The rule of God extends wherever a heart yields its homage, and
includes no heart not thus surrendered.
4. The objects— Earthly
kingdoms levy taxes to maintain their regal state, to defend or extend their
territory, and to protect their subjects. The object of the kingdom of God
is to win hearts to their Father in heaven, to instill a love for
righteousness, to cultivate spiritual worship, to promote the Divine glory
and prepare for the perfected kingdom on earth and in heaven. Who ever heard
of an earthly kingdom making its object the prosperity of other nations? But
the kingdom of God seeks the happiness of all mankind, irrespective of
territory or race, by reconciling all to God, and so to each other.
5. The methods— Earthly
kingdoms are based on force. The revenue is not dependent on the choice of
individuals. The soldier is in the rear of the tax-collector. Opposition is
punished by confiscation, imprisonment, or death. Attacks from without are
met by armies prepared to slaughter tens of thousands rather than surrender
one acre of land. Extension of domain is often sought by violence—under
pretext of civilization, commerce, and even religion.
How different are the methods of God's kingdom! It is
upheld by spiritual agencies alone—truth enlightening the conscience, love
constraining the heart. To resort to bribery, whether the vulgar bait of
money, or the more refined allurements of fashion, status, and worldly
dignities, may multiply professed adherents, but cannot extend a kingdom
which scorns all allegiance but the spontaneous homage of the heart.
Torturing the body to secure the affections is a contradiction. Our Lord
said that if His kingdom were of this world, His servants would do what
every earthly government must be prepared to do for its preservation. But
"the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds," and "bringing into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ." Such a kingdom—wages no warfare but of
truth—wields no sword but that of the Spirit—scorns all homage but that of
love.
Can it stoop to imitate the ambitions of earthly courts,
the rivalries of worldly kings? Can it condescend to ask alms from
governments, to invoke the patronage of parliaments, by surrendering any of
its heavenly prerogatives? Can it fetter its freedom by chains which crafty
politicians have forged for their own purposes, and hug them because those
chains are gold? Can it limit its own internal freedom by imposing a yoke on
itself which its Lord never sanctioned, crippling its activities under the
plea of order, and restricting the limits of that which is for all classes
and climates? Shall it become an institution only for this or that class,
instead of realizing its Divine ideal, a kingdom for rich and poor, learned
and unlearned, princes and peasants, Englishman and Hottentot, bond and
free?
It is a question of great importance as regards loyalty
to its Divine Head and its spiritual, which are its true interests, how far
help can be accepted from political governments consistently with the
scriptural idea of the kingdom. May pecuniary aid be furnished from funds
which rely on compulsion—to support a religion based on willingness? How
far, in return for the supposed stability and dignity of the Church, is it
right to surrender the Church's liberty under its heavenly Lord, so as to
permit the State to authorize its creed, regulate its worship, and appoint
its ministers? On this question many sincere subjects of the kingdom hold
varying views. Each may give honor to others' conscientiousness, while
lamenting the supposed ignorance or prejudice which causes difference of
opinion. But on the great fundamental truth of the spiritual nature of the
kingdom there should be no difference.
6. The extent— Other
monarchies perish—Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage—where are they? But this
kingdom shall widen and strengthen until the twilight of its dawn shall have
developed into the glory of the perfect day, and God shall be all and in
all. We have received "a kingdom which cannot be moved." His people shall
fear Him "as long as the sun and the moon endure, throughout all generations
His Name shall endure forever, and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations
shall call Him blessed." In contemplation of the rule of this King, shall
not prayer be made for Him continually? Shall not the Church without
intermission send up this heaven-taught petition—"Your kingdom come!"
III—THE COMING OF THIS KINGDOM
Truly to offer this prayer is evidence that the kingdom
has already come in the heart of him who utters it. It increasingly comes as
the moral nature yields to its sway. It comes—to the intellect as we
better understand its laws—to the conscience as we more readily
approve them—to the will as we more resolutely respond to them—to the
heart as we more ardently love them—to the life as we more
loyally conform to them. The King has been proclaimed in the citadel of
man's soul—but in many byways, courts, and alleys His authority is not yet
supreme. "You who have received this kingdom need to wish the coming of it
in further degrees. Find you not many rebels yet unsubdued? Those who search
their own hearts often complain of them to their King. O such swarms of
lusts, and unruly, irregular desires! When shall they all be brought into
subjection?" (Leighton).
The prayer naturally expands from the individual to all
who truly "profess and call themselves Christians"—all "congregations of
faithful men"—all who "love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." In this
Church, as a whole and in each portion of it, we pray that God, in Christ,
may rule. It is reasonable that every Christian should be chiefly concerned
for the prosperity of the particular society which is the sphere of his own
personal activity. He who is not in earnest for the prosperity of his own
church is not likely to be earnest for the Church universal. And this
prosperity consists not in circumstances which to the worldly view are most
impressive, such as royal patronage, legal status, numbers, wealth,
influence; good music, an ornate ritual, eloquent preaching. There may be
all of these, without the kingdom.
The kingdom comes to a church when there is fidelity in
the pulpit; when the preacher shows forth not himself but Christ, teaches
not human theories but revealed truth, turns men "from darkness to light;"
and "feeds the flock of God." It comes—when there is spirituality of
worship—when hearts go up to God in earnest desire and grateful praise—when
"those who name the Name of Christ depart from iniquity"—when sinners ask,
"What must I do to be saved?" and, having believed in the heart, "confess
with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ"—when the real Presence of the King is
revealed at sermon and sacrament, at prayer-meeting and mission-service—when
spiritual life produces zeal in teaching the ignorant, tending the sick,
helping the needy, reclaiming the lost, "doing good unto all men."
Such coming of the kingdom will necessarily promote its
coming to the universal Church. When we find ourselves praying and laboring
for "Our Church" rather than for "Your kingdom," we are not
praying "after this manner." It is so much easier to pray for ourselves than
for Him, that when seeming to plead for His kingdom, we may be chiefly
seeking our own exaltation—my system, my methods, my
church. If in battle one regiment were to seek exclusively its own renown,
breaking its line of connection, and indifferent to the progress of the
fight elsewhere—such valor might prove a hindrance rather than a help to the
whole army. Rivalries of churches, frivolous controversies, sectarian
jealousies, must be reproved by earnest prayer for the kingdom of God. This
is a prayer for all Christian missions.
We pray that the kingdom may come to God's ancient
people—to Romanists, who have disguised and distorted it—to nominal
Christians, as well as to gross idolaters—and to all, of whatever religion
or of none, who know not God as "our Father." Under the influence of this
kingdom, laws will become more humane, rulers more righteous, the customs of
society more pure, nations more peaceful. Wealth will be less unequally
distributed; the rich will care more for the poor, the poor will envy less
the rich, and every subject of the kingdom will gladly admit that he is his
brother's keeper. As Christ healed as well as taught, so, with the growth of
His spiritual reign, the hungry will be better fed, disease more skillfully
treated, the laws of Nature better known and obeyed, education more widely
spread, and all evil more controlled by Him who "came to destroy the works
of the devil." We need not dissociate ourselves from the interests of earth
while praying for the kingdom of heaven. "The lofty expressions of contempt
for the littleness of mere earthly transactions which some divines affect,
are not learned in His school, or in the schools of His prophets. The
kingdom of God begins within, but is to make itself manifest without. At
last it is to penetrate our whole social existence, to mold all things
according to its laws. For this we, pray when we say, 'Your kingdom come.'
We pray for the extinction of all tyranny, whether in particular men or in
multitudes; for the exposure and destruction of corruptions inward and
outward; for truth in all departments of government, art, science; for the
true dignity of professions; for right dealings in the commonest
transactions of trade; for blessings that shall be felt in every hovel. If
God had not heard this prayer going up from tens of thousands in all ages,
the earth would have been a den of robbers" (Maurice).
IV—THE MILLENNIAL REIGN
By what means will this be accomplished? Many consider
those in operation will suffice, with a fuller outpouring of the Spirit. Let
the Church pray more earnestly for a blessing on existing methods, and the
kingdom will extend until all shall know the Lord, "from the least to the
greatest." Then, after a millennium of such reign, Christ will come for the
final judgment, and take His saints to His kingdom in the heavens. Why
should we doubt the efficiency of God's Word and Spirit to convert and
sanctify the soul? Have they not triumphed over the worst forms of sin? Have
not the most degraded been raised to sit in heavenly places; persecutors
become apostles; revolting sensualists and criminals made new creatures in
Christ Jesus? Agencies thus effectual in a thousand instances, might be
equally so in a thousand millions. Such a coming of the kingdom would
involve no change of dispensation, and would not seem to disparage agencies
divinely appointed. It would be in harmony with the spiritual nature of the
kingdom, involve no interference with political governments, and not look
like a return to the Church's childhood.
There is surely much to encourage our hopes. Within the
last fifty years, into how many languages has the Bible been translated—how
many missionaries have been sent forth—in how many lands already have the
idols been utterly abolished—how many tens of thousands—sunk in lowest
barbarism, reveling in vice and bloodshed—are now sitting at the feet of
Jesus, clothed and in their right mind! In our own land there were never so
many faithful preachers, so many devout worshipers, so much evangelistic
zeal. Christianity by its indirect influence has humanized our laws,
liberated the slave, and mitigated the horrors of war. If such advance
during the last fifty years, what may it not be during the next five
hundred? Suppose the existing Church were to become fully alive to its
responsibilities; every individual claiming his share in the crusade against
sin; every believer acting as a member of its "Royal Priesthood"—would the
conversion of the whole world seem hopeless?
Limiting the present number of real Christians to half a
million, and supposing that each led one other soul to Christ every year, in
eleven years there would be one thousand and twenty-four million subjects of
this kingdom, exclusive of infants, and the kingdom would have come to the
whole human race. This cannot be without the special help of the Holy
Spirit; but if the Church prayed more earnestly, would not the Spirit work
more effectually? If, as some think, the actual appearing of Christ in
person is needed to win the human family to God, may it not be urged that a
special outpouring of the Holy Spirit would produce the same results? May
not Christ be expected to come in the power of His Spirit, no less than in
the manifestation of His Person?
But many are discouraged. After nearly nineteen centuries
of witness-bearing, the Church has secured only a small part of the earth,
even nominally, for Christ. How few the converts in proportion to the
hundreds of millions unreached! Look at Christendom. Can we think the
kingdom of God has come in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, except in
exceptional cases? Are not superstition on the one hand, and atheism on the
other, in the ascendant? Have we not within our own time witnessed a series
of wars between "Christian" nations, rivaling in slaughter those of
Paganism? Are not millions of men under so-called Christian governments
daily being trained for mutual slaughter, and the people oppressed to
provide the cost of enormous armaments, even in times of peace? Do not
frivolity and licentiousness run riot; and are not the stage and the press
largely prostituted to the demoralization of the people?
In our own land a vast portion of the population never
enter a place of worship; and of those who do, the number is very small who
profess personal subjection to Christ. Is not the increase of conversions
less than that of the population, so that relatively the kingdom is
receding? Even from such professors a large deduction must be made. Within
the Church, how much looseness of doctrine, fickleness of faith, conformity
to the world, inconsistency of conduct! how much covetousness and
self-indulgence! how much ambition, pride, contention, jealousy! How often,
in various ways, is God's house of prayer made a house of merchandise! How
much flattery or fear of some, how much despising or patronizing of others;
how much mere outward show or undisguised indifference, how much formal
ceremonial or dead informalism! How much sectarian exclusiveness,
ecclesiastical usurpation, bitter controversy, intolerant judgment, and lack
of charity!
Can we be surprised at the slight influence of the Church
on the world outside? Alas for much of the current literature!—science
perverted to disprove the existence of the Creator whose works she explores;
fiction degraded to stimulate the passions by portraitures of vice; daily
journals crowding their columns with theatrical and sporting news, while
almost ignoring the work of the Christian and the philanthropist; and even
periodicals designated religious, and provided ostensibly for Sunday
reading, needing to increase their attractiveness and sale by trashy and
sensational tales, far less wholesome for the young than many standard books
which would be condemned as too secular for the Lord's day.
Few popular amusements are profitable, except those which
attract by indecency of dress, immodesty of demeanor, and the representation
of what is either frivolous or immoral. Parents take their children to see
and hear what must corrupt their hearts. Licentiousness unblushingly parades
our streets. Intemperance has its temples at every corner, numbers its
votaries by hundreds of thousands, boasts a revenue of a hundred millions of
pounds, and has an annual death-roll of myriads of souls. In the region of
trade, of politics, of fashion, in the manners of all classes, how much
there is totally opposed to the kingdom of God! Who can examine into the
condition of the multitude of the poorer classes without sadness!—the
pig-sties in which many of our agricultural laborers exist, filth and
crowding illustrating an evolution downward into the brute; the dull routine
toil of the factory, amid dust and heat and foul air; the dismal perilous
labor of the mine; the protracted health-sapping hours in shops and
warehouses; the starving wages of the needle-woman; the teeming
lodging-houses of the city, whole families crowded into a single narrow
room; the gin-pub producing poverty, and poverty seeking to relieve its
wretchedness in the gin-pub and the base dance-hall; and then, the multitude
of the sick and poor who are shivering and starving and dying; while wealth
and pomp in ever-increasing ratio are stimulating luxury and licentiousness
not only in the palaces of the great, but in the dwellings of the middle
classes, who imitate and emulate the self-indulgence of many in higher
grades.
Can we see all this without lamenting how far, how very
far we are from that condition of our world we are all hoping for, and how
little progress we seem to be making towards it with the means now
possessed? For this is in a land where, above all others, Christian agencies
are in full operation. Suppose India were equally evangelized, Christian
congregations being gathered in every city and every village; could we hope
that the people at large would be more in subjection to the kingdom than in
our own land? And if not, the Church would be there a little sanctuary for
the few rather than the kingdom for all; a witness-bearer rather than
instrumentally a savior to the many.
With such thoughts it is not surprising that many are
expecting a different and more powerful agency than any now in operation,
even the "glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
Their hopes are inspired by the prophecies of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar's image
was cast down by the stone cut out without hands which "became a great
mountain and filled the whole earth." We are still expecting the triumph of
the stone which is to "break to pieces" the remains of the last monarchy,
when the kingdom of God will appear, not as now, only here and there as
green hillocks in the desert, but as a "great mountain" filling "the whole
earth." This kingdom "shall stand forever" (Dan. 2). In another vision "One
like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and there was given Him
a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him."
The coming of the Son of man here predicted is the cause of the triumph of
the kingdom, and introduces the era of its universal sway (Dan. 7). From the
prophecy of Zechariah, it is inferred that a great reaction against
Christianity will be overcome by the personal Advent of Christ, whose
punishment of the ungodly will be a preliminary judgment, to be followed by
a long period of loyal obedience to the King, when all nations shall drink
of the living waters of salvation, and shall come to Jerusalem, if not to
the earthly, to the spiritual city, the Church; and when all earthly
relationships and avocations shall be sanctified by the fear of God,
"Holiness" being inscribed upon them all.
The last and greatest of the prophets presents to us a
vision of similar import. A warrior appeared riding on a white horse; His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and "on His head were many crowns, and His
name was called the Word of God; and He had on His vesture and on his thigh
a Name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!" A mighty army of foes
"made war against Him," and were overcome; and "the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet," and were "cast alive into a lake of fire." Then
an angel "laid hold on that old serpent, the Devil and Satan, and bound him
a thousand years. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection." At the close of this millennium Satan will be loosed, and
will make a final effort to deceive the nations and gather them together
against the kingdom. Then fire from heaven will consume them, and the Judge
will be seen on "the great white throne;" and "the dead, small and great,
will stand before God, and be judged according to their works."
After this description of the triumph of the kingdom on
earth, follows that of the glories of the kingdom in heaven (Rev. 19-22).
From this vision of John it is inferred that after an anti-Christian
reaction overcome by Christ in person, the powers of darkness will be held
in restraint, and the saints then living, with the souls of many of the
dead, shall reign with Christ a thousand years prior to the final judgment
and to the perfected bliss of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is during this
intervening period that the kingdom so graphically predicted in the 72nd
Psalm will have its peaceful sway; when Christ "shall have dominion from sea
to sea," and "all nations shall call Him blessed."
Our Lord frequently spoke of His coming again in
connection with the final judgment. "When the Son of man shall come in His
glory, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall
be gathered all nations—and He shall separate them one from another," etc.
(Matt. 25:31-46, 16:27, 26:64; Mark 8:38; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10, 11; 1
Thess. 4:16, 17; 2 Thess. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; 1 Pet. 4:5). Such passages
seem to many readers to indicate that the judgment will be immediately
consequent on the second Advent; and if so, that the millennial age must
precede the Advent. To this inference it is objected that our Lord and the
apostles spoke of His coming as immediately near, as the first great event
to be expected, which would not be the case to our apprehension, if the
Millennial Reign were known to precede it. How could the Church be "looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God;" how could it be said,
"The coming of the Lord draws near;" how could He bid us to "watch, lest
coming suddenly He should find us sleeping," if He were not to come until a
long period of millennial glory had transpired? It is therefore inferred
that our Lord spoke of the event which was the nearer, and not of the one
more remote; that which the Church was first to expect. And as His coming
would be at once attended with judgments on the rebellious then living, and
would be followed by a continued rule of righteousness, to close with the
general judgment, He to whom a thousand years are as one day might
appropriately speak of coming to judgment, though that judgment would only
be completed at the termination of that thousand years. Thus the apostles
habitually urged the churches to be living in joyful hope of and diligent
preparation for the "glorious appearing" of Christ, as the proximate great
event in the history of the Church.
From such statements of Scripture it has been inferred
that, while existing agencies are to be diligently employed to spread the
truth, we are not to be discouraged if the result should illustrate the
Lord's words, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole
world for a testimony unto all the nations, and then shall the end
come;" testimony to all rather than conversion of all. If such universal
conversion is the hope that chiefly animates missionary enterprise, a hope
so long deferred may make the heart sick and discourage exertion.
But does any passage of Scripture represent that by the
preaching of the gospel, prior to the Advent, all mankind will be converted?
The promise of the "heathen for His inheritance" is immediately followed by
the threatening, "You shall break them with a rod of iron;" intimating that
such possession of "the uttermost parts of the earth" will be with
triumphant judgment on His foes (Ps. 2:8, 9). Jehovah will make the enemies
of Christ "His footstool," not necessarily by their willing submission, but
by their final punishment; for "He shall strike through kings in the day of
His wrath" (Ps. 110:1, 5). Isaiah intimates that when the Lord comes to
establish the kingdom, the land will be "full of idols;" multitudes who
"worship the work of their own hands," will "hide in the dust for fear of
the Lord and for the glory of His majesty." Then "the loftiness of man shall
be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day; and the
idols He shall utterly abolish." We are not therefore to anticipate the
abolition of idolatry prior to the Advent—but as its result (Isa. 2). The
deliverance of the Church is to follow the destruction of its foes. "For He
put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His
head; and He put on garments of vengeance. He will repay fury
to His adversaries." As the result of such judgments the kingdom will come,
rather than of the universal reception of the gospel. The following chapter
is generally regarded as a glowing description of the millennial
reign—"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has
risen upon you." The Church shall then be made "an eternal excellency, a joy
of many generations." "Violence shall no more be heard in the land." "The
Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be
ended."
This graphic picture of the millennial kingdom does not
precede but follow judgments on men then living; "For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve You shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly
wasted." In the new Jerusalem the voice of weeping will not be heard; "the
wolf and the lamb shall feed together;" and none "shall hurt nor destroy."
But this condition of things follows the threatening against the enemies of
the King—"For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, to render His anger
with fury; for by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh."
It is after this that in the new heavens and the new earth, "all flesh shall
come to worship before me, says the Lord" (Isa. 66:15-24).
Zechariah says, "The Lord shall go forth and fight
against those nations;" after which "everyone that is left of all nations
which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the
King, the Lord Almighty." This idea would seem to be expressed by Paul when
he cheered the persecuted believers in Thessalonica by the hope of rest
after trouble, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God,
and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Christ compared His kingdom to a man who sowed good seed,
but the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. Both grew together until
the harvest. However widely the gospel may spread, its success for a season
will only be partial. There will be the wicked intermingled with the
righteous. But at "the end of the world, the Son of man shall send forth His
angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and
those who do iniquity. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father." Our Lord predicted that "all the tribes of the
earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory." This does not indicate a state of
universal submission. "Behold, He comes with clouds; and all the tribes of
the earth shall mourn over Him." These are not friends who "love His
appearing," but foes dreading it.
The Transfiguration has been regarded as symbolical of
the second Advent. Christ appeared in glory, attended by Moses and Elijah,
representing the glorified saints who will accompany their Lord in the
clouds of heaven. The three disciples represented the Church on earth
meeting the Lord in the air, and sharing His triumph. They were those of
whom the Lord had said—"There are some standing here who shall not taste of
death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." They did see it
in vision. Peter refers to this—"We have not followed cunningly devised
fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty." This vision pointed forward
to the day for the coming of which believers should be "looking for and
hasting," in hope of "the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness
dwells." But this is connected with great judgments—"the heavens that now
are and the earth have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the
day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Pet. 1:16-21, 3:7-14.)
Although it is not essential to this theory that there
should be any vision of the Lord at one time by all mankind, yet many people
do thus interpret the prediction, "Every eye shall see Him." All will know,
friends and foes, that the King has come to perfect His kingdom, gladden His
loyal subjects, and execute judgment on hardened rebels. This has been
objected to on the ground of physical impossibility. But as the sun is seen
every twenty-four hours by nearly all inhabitants of earth, the vision of
Christ as He approaches to establish His kingdom might be obvious to all.
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" His Advent having been witnessed, His
subsequent appearances in all parts of the world might be "at sundry times
and in diverse manners;" analogous to the appearances of His risen body to
the disciples prior to His Ascension. "The Son of man will come in His glory
with all the holy angels." The souls of the martyrs and of those who "had
not worshiped the beast, shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years.
This is the first resurrection." Angels of light will drive away the spirits
of darkness; that old Serpent will be bound a thousand years and hardened
rebels, still refusing to repent, will be judged and sent to their own place
(Rev. 20). Then will commence that glorious era of which Peter spoke, when,
filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked forward to "the times of restoration
of all things, whereof God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets which
have been since the world began." Then shall the saints share in the
government of the kingdom, according to the words of Paul, "Do you not know
that the saints shall judge the earth?" and of John, "They lived and reigned
with Christ a thousand years;" and of the King Himself, "He who keeps my
works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations."
As, during the Theocracy, Jehovah was visibly present in
the temple by cloud and Shekinah, so Christ will be present in Jerusalem;
not necessarily in the Syrian city, but in His Church; not subject to
material laws, but as His resurrection-body appeared to the disciples
unexpectedly in various places, so His whole Church shall know that He
dwells among them. Theoretic infidelity will be no longer possible. The
question will be, not "Is Christ the King?" but, "Shall I submit to His
rule?" The Jews will recognize their long-rejected Messiah, who will now
"reign on the throne of His father David." Their conversion will bring in
the fullness of the Gentiles. Antichrist will be dethroned, and the spell of
the false prophet broken. All the people who sit in darkness will see the
great light. The Church, animated by the presence of the King, and filled
with the Spirit, will then literally "go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature," and "all shall know Him, from the least to the
greatest."
To this theory it is objected that conversion by external
vision is inferior to that produced by internal perception of the truth,
even as Christ said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed." But Saul of Tarsus was converted by the vision of Christ, and his
subsequent career did not suggest inferiority in the method of his spiritual
birth. Surely the expectation of a personal reign of Christ on the earth
will not necessarily tend to render those who share it less spiritual,
inasmuch as all Christians are looking for the personal reign of Christ in
heaven, and to the beholding Him "face to face" as the consummation of their
purity and bliss. In support of the objection that conversion by a personal
revelation would be a retrogression instead of an advance in method, it has
been urged that "we are not to expect a future dispensation in which the
Savior will subdue unbelievers by that visible sign from heaven which He
always refused because it was contrary to His method of dealing with souls"
(Monsell). But our Lord refused the sign from heaven to Pharisees who were
"tempting Him." Yet even to these He predicted "the sign of the prophet
Jonah;" and fulfilled it when He rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven
in the sight of His disciples. This manifestation gave new vigor to their
faith; it caused a resurrection of their own spiritual life; it was the
mighty truth with which they went forth on their gospel mission to the
world. The sign which the Pharisees were denied, was distinctly promised to
be given at the coming of the Son of man—"Then shall appear the sign of the
Son of man in heaven." Inasmuch as the sign from heaven heralded the Mosaic
dispensation, and the sign from heaven in the Resurrection and Ascension
prefaced the publication of the gospel to the world, the sign of the visible
Advent of Christ to introduce the millennial reign would not be a
"retrogression," but an advance; not a new method, but a further development
of the old.
The Spirit and the Word, the only present agencies,
existed in the Old Testament dispensation, yet the fuller manifestation of
both was accompanied by the outward signs of the first Advent, and may also
be by those of the second. And the Apostles, when they sought help to speak
the word, asked for outward signs, saying, "Grant to Your servants that with
all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching forth Your hand to
heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Your holy
Servant Jesus." There is no evidence that such signs will never be renewed.
If "majestic steps in Providence, startling men from their stupid slumbers,
awing their spirits and constraining their attention," if such aid may
supplement the Word and the Spirit, why not the aid of "supernatural signs"?
Although some millenarians carry too far the system of
literal interpretation, we are reminded that the prophecies respecting the
first Advent were fulfilled literally, although such fulfillment had seemed
impossible. The Jewish scribes could not comprehend how the glorious Messiah
could come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, how His garments should be
divided by lot, how He should "make His grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in His death;" yet these and other predictions were literally
accomplished. Why, then, should all predictions respecting the second Advent
be interpreted spiritually, because their literal fulfillment is attended
with difficulties which we cannot as yet explain? It has been objected that
"millenarianism is inconsistent with the scriptural doctrine of the nature
and growth of Christ's kingdom;" that "it implies failure in the Divine
methods of working hitherto;" and that "its practical influence is evil, by
discouraging present efforts to bring it about" (Harris).
All are agreed that the kingdom now grows from heart to
heart by purely spiritual means; but it is nowhere in the Bible declared
that by these means alone the kingdom is to become universal. For nearly
nineteen hundred years the gospel has been preached, yet the vast majority
of those who have known something of it have rejected it, but this failure
has resulted not from imperfection in the methods, but from the wickedness
of men. This general rejection of the message until the coming of our Lord
verifies the predictions of God's own Word. It is discouraging; but greater
discouragement would arise from the expectation of the kingdom by present
agencies alone; whereas the expectation of the personal Advent animates us
with the certainty of a triumph which may speedily be accomplished; and
prompts to diligence, "lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping." Present
methods will only be supplemented. The Word of God will still be circulated,
the gospel will be preached, the Church still bear witness; but this will be
accompanied with visible tokens of the presence of the King and more
abundant outpourings of the Holy Spirit.
It is to the possible nearness of this personal coming of
Christ that many are looking. They do not consider that the golden age, so
slowly advancing, must first intervene. They hope that very soon the King
will appear who shall "judge the people with righteousness, and break in
pieces the oppressor, and save the souls of the needy; whose Name shall
endure forever, and all nations shall call Him blessed." Before the
enjoyment of the kingdom in heaven, the kingdom of God on earth will come.
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them; and
they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their
God."
Each theory has its difficulties. There are texts which
are not easily explained in harmony with either view. But all believe that
some day, remote or near, the kingdom of God will come. Milton shared this
hope when, impatient of the level plains of prose, he soared aloft in such
rhapsodies as when he pictured his country casting away from her the rags of
vice, and pressing on in happy emulation "to be found the soberest, wisest,
and most Christian people at that day, when You, the shortly-expected King,
shall open the clouds to judge the several kingdoms of the world, and
distributing national honors and rewards to religious and just
commonwealths, shall put an end to all earthly tyrannies, proclaiming Your
universal and mild monarchy through heaven and earth; where they,
undoubtedly, that by their labors, counsels, and prayers, have been earnest
for the common good of religion and their country, shall receive, above the
inferior orders of the blessed, the regal addition of principalities and
thrones into their glorious titles, and in supereminence of beatific vision,
progressing the dateless and irrevoluble circle of eternity, shall clasp
inseparable hands with joy and bliss, in overmeasure forever." Poetry, when
not apprehending the higher and spiritual blessings which the coming of the
kingdom will bring, has delighted to extol that Golden Age when—
"All crimes shall cease, and ancient Fraud shall fail;
Returning Justice lift aloft her scale;
Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,
And white-robed Innocence from heaven descend."—Pope
But that of which philosophers and poets have dreamed and
sung, is to be realized only by the coming of Christ. It is the acceptance
of His salvation, the recognition of His authority, the prevalence of His
kingdom—it is this which will secure all other blessings to mankind. The
believer, praying, working, waiting—rejoices in hope of the day when—
"One song employs all nations; and all cry,
'Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain for us!'
The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks
Shout to each other, and the mountain-tops
From distant mountains catch the flying joy;
Until, nation after nation taught the strain,
Earth rolls the rapturous Hosanna round.
Bright as a sun the sacred city shines;
All kingdoms and all princes of the earth
Flock to that light. From every climate they come
To see Your beauty and to share Your joy,
O Zion! an assembly such as earth
Saw never, such as Heaven stoops down to see.
Come then, and, added to your many crowns,
Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth;
Your word fulfilled, the conquest of a world!" —Cowper
What Christian does not long for such a millennium of
blessedness to dawn? O for the time when the Right shall reign, and not mere
Might; when distinctions of station, endowment, nationality, shall not be
the destruction of brotherhood; when men shall everywhere show that they are
children of one Father; trusting, not fearing one another, and each seeking
his own good only in alliance with that of his neighbor; when fortresses
shall no longer frown defiance; when boundaries of mountains, rivers, and
oceans shall no longer separate the human family into antagonistic
rivalries; when swords shall indeed "be turned into ploughshares, and spears
into pruning hooks;" when thrones shall never be symbols of pride, objects
of fear, and prizes of ambition; when laws and rulers shall no more be
needed to resist violence or punish wrong, but only to guide and assist in
common action for the common weal!
O for the time when holy love shall no longer be debased
to brutish lust, nor strength of body or brain be used to injure or
distress; when Science shall pour fresh light on Religion, and every new
discovery evoke new hallelujahs to the Creator; when the pen and the press
shall never be employed to assail the truth of God or corrupt the minds of
men; when speech shall never utter what is false, impure, or unkind; when
music shall never lend its charms to licentiousness or stir the passions of
war, and painting and sculpture shall portray only what is beautiful and
pure; when commerce in all its transactions shall be honest and beneficent;
when labor shall never be oppressive and irksome, but give joy to the
producer as well as to the purchaser; when amusement shall be only an
exchange of pleasure, recreating for fresh toil, and never stooping to give
delight by stimulants that enervate the body or corrupt the mind!
O for the time when in the Church there shall be no more
sectarian rivalries, bitter controversies, worldly expedients,
mammon-worship, ambitious intrigues, popularity-courting, secret envyings,
personal jealousies; when, though all may never think and worship exactly
alike, varieties of method shall only the more illustrate unity and
stimulate love—when all will rejoice in each other's fellowship, promote one
another's usefulness, and fulfill the Savior's prayer "that they may be one,
even as we are one; I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in
one"!
How blessed the day, Lord hasten it! when there shall no
longer be the Church and the world, but when the Church will have absorbed
the world, and God be all and in all. Then at length shall the glowing
prophecy of Isaiah become an accomplished fact—"The wolf also shall dwell
with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the lamb; and the calf
and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead
them. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain—for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
"Now, O earth! You may resume the place you had lost. You have borne our
revolts and our sorrows through the depths of measureless space; you may now
advance all adorned through the still heavens, bearing the pennon of a
Redeemer" (Monsell)
V—PRAYER FOR THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM
1. Necessary— All
acceptable prayer must be for what is the Will of God. Such prayer benefits
ourselves by blending our will with His; and thus promotes obedience,
because, as He rules in a universe of mind, the fulfillment of His purposes
involves our accord, which prayer promotes and so helps on the
accomplishment of His Will. We are thus "fellow-workers with God."
2. What the prayer includes— We
ask the King to control the powers of Nature and events in Providence to
promote His kingdom. He rules supreme, and everything may become a minister
in His service. He who bade the waters of the Red Sea overthrow Pharaoh, and
gave Israel streams from the rock, can interpose to preserve His Church in
the wilderness which still separates us from the land of promise. If Satan
may corrupt the Church within, or stir up enemies from without, much more
may the Divine Head of the Church maintain its internal purity and strength.
We pray that whatever is intended by the foe for harm may be overruled for
good; and that even ambition and war may be overruled to hasten the final
victory of Christ. We pray especially that "the Spirit may be poured upon us
from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field
be counted for a forest." The disciples were commanded not only to proclaim
the kingdom, but to expect the promise of the Spirit, and we know that while
they prayed the Holy Spirit was given, and they saw "the kingdom of God come
with power." We hear Him say, "I come quickly;" and we respond, "Even so,
come, Lord Jesus."
3. A test of character— If
we are truly regenerate, we do not simply submit to the kingdom of God
because we cannot help it, but we welcome it because we love it. If we truly
say "Our Father," we, as His children, naturally desire the coming of His
kingdom, because, being "heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ," it is our
own. Subjects may submit, but the children of the king are identified with
Himself, and share His honor. Some people yield to His will as inevitable;
others accept it merely as just and beneficent; those who share the adoption
of sons long for His kingdom, and rejoice in it as their Father's.
4. Personal concurrence— All
prayer is practical, for, if sincere, it is accompanied by corresponding
efforts. There are three stages in the coming of the kingdom, involving
three several kinds of exertion. It comes to our own soul experimentally, to
the world by the diffusion of the Truth, and universally in the final
Advent. The prayer therefore involves efforts to promote the kingdom in our
own hearts and lives, by study of its laws, observance of its precepts,
response to its claims. "In Worship, we give our homage to God; in the Word,
we come to learn His laws; in the Sacraments, we renew our oath of
allegiance; in Alms and Charity, we pay Him tribute; in Prayer, we ask His
sanction, acknowledging His dominion; and Praise, it is our rent to the
great Lord from whom we hold all things" (Manton).
The kingdom is all-comprehensive, and demands entire
subjection. We cannot truly pray for it to come unless we open the door of
every part of our nature to its entrance, that its principles may permeate
every thought, motive, and action. "A good Christian is like a pair of
compasses, one foot of the compass stands upon the center, the other part of
it goes round the circle" (Watson). We should give "all diligence,"
"For so an entrance shall be ministered to us abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The life of its
subjects best recommends the kingdom to others, as it also best hallows the
Name. When we "shine as lights in the world," with a flame clear, strong,
constant, we attract others to the safe harbor of the kingdom. When we are
"living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men," we become
emissaries, recommending His rule wherever we go. Loyal tribute to the King
on the part of all who breathe this prayer will promote the kingdom in the
minds of strangers and even foes, who, "seeing our good works, will glorify
our Father who is in heaven."
Alas, how many utter this petition without any intention
to submit to the rule of God! What multitudes salute the Monarch with formal
gestures while plotting against His throne! How many, while repeating with
their lips "Your kingdom come," say by their actions, "We will not have this
man to reign over us"! To be self-pleasers instead of God-pleasers is
self-exile from the kingdom. We are banished by our own act. We are outlawed
by refusing to come within the law; and our own petition is our
self-pronounced doom.
5. The prayer thus prompts to missionary zeal— It
is hypocrisy to pray for the coming of the kingdom if we are not helping to
promote it. To be content with the saving of our own soul without caring for
others, shows how little that kingdom has come to ourselves. There are
various offices in the Church to which all are not called, but every man,
until all shall know Him, is to "say to his neighbor, Know the Lord." "Let
him who hears say, Come." This prayer, then, should prompt those who offer
it to extend the kingdom—by evangelizing the multitudes who are still
outside the Church; by circulating the Scriptures and religious literature;
by teaching the young; by rescuing the fallen, reclaiming the drunkard,
saving the lost. Sincerity in offering this petition involves efforts,
personal or monetary, to send the gospel through the world.
The command of the King is clear—"Preach the gospel to
every creature." Christianity is necessarily aggressive. It is intended for
the world, and its adherents are bound to propagate it. "How shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without
a preacher? and how shall they preach except they are sent?" Who is willing
to go? Who will spare his son? Who will deny himself to provide the cost?
The prayer asks for fresh openings for service at home. Who is willing to
enter the open door; to give up time and ease; to spare some personal
comfort, and not merely give a part of his surplus? Again and again the King
repeated the emphatic word—"Except a man take up his cross and deny himself,
he cannot be my disciple." And except we are willing to make sacrifices to
promote it, we cannot consistently pray—"Your kingdom come."
Our chief inquiry should not be, "When will Christ come?"
but, "What is my present duty?" Christ reproved idle curiosity for all time
when He said to His disciples—"It is not for you to know the times or the
seasons; but you shall receive power, and you shall be witnesses unto me."
Their duty was to bear testimony even as martyrs, relying on the promised
power; not to relax their energies in service by speculations about
"seasons." Zeal in extending the kingdom should be stimulated by either of
the views held. If that reign of righteousness is to be expected as the
result of present agencies, how earnest should they be who pray "Your
kingdom come," to promote an event the means of hastening which are already
entrusted to the Church!
But if the personal appearing of Christ is expected to
introduce the millennial reign, and if such Advent may be very near, what an
incitement to be at our post of duty, watching, waiting, working! Whether we
expect the whole world to be won to the kingdom by missionary zeal or by the
Advent of Christ, it is His imperative command that we make known the truth.
If we relax our efforts because His appearing will at once accomplish what
He designs, we are desisting from the work which He has entrusted to us, and
thus we cannot be ready for His Advent. "Blessed is that servant whom his
Lord when He comes shall find so doing;" so doing our present duty,
not idly dreaming of what may happen in the future.
6. The prayer also admonishes to preparedness for the
final coming of the kingdom— "We pray
that it may come in us, we pray that we may be found in it; for come it
certainly will, but what will it profit you, if it shall find you at the
left hand!" (Augustine). By many a mourner at the open grave the prayer is
offered with solemn emphasis, "We beseech You, that it may please You, of
Your gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Your elect and
to hasten Your kingdom." Do we really desire this? Are we of the number of
the elect of whom Jesus said, "They cry day and night unto God"? Suppose the
kingdom should come while we are neglecting its claims and trampling on its
laws! Suppose it should come while we are discussing the method and the time
of it, but are neglecting to prepare for it! The premillennial Advent of our
Lord may appear to many, as to good Matthew Henry, a "doubtful notion," but
all should resolve, "I will so live that I may live with Him, come when He
may, and reign where He may."
The kingdom of Glory can only be enjoyed by those
who have already become subjects of the kingdom of Grace. Grace is
glory in the seed; glory is grace in the flower. The King gives both grace
and glory; but those who reject the former are not fit for the latter. If we
would reign with Christ, we must ourselves be subject to Christ. Those who
breathe this prayer should be "looking for and earnestly desiring the coming
of the day of God. What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy living
and godliness! We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth, where righteousness dwells. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look
for these things, give diligence that you may be found in peace, without
spot and blameless in His sight."
In closing this meditation, let us be encouraged by
thinking of the great congregation by whom this petition has been and is
presented to God. Though many never utter it at all, and many repeat it
without thought, yet from what multitudes of true hearts during nearly
nineteen centuries has it gone up to God, its volume and fervor still
increasing to the present day! It is ascending now from every climate, in
varied accents of human speech. Greenlander and Eskimos echo it back to
Bechuana and Hottentot; learned Brahmin and cultured Chinaman respond to the
same litany with Caifres and Zulus; the prayer, wafted to heaven in our dear
English tongue from both sides the Atlantic, is swollen by the voices of a
"great multitude which no man can number, of every tribe and people and
kindred and nation;" many an earnest Christian worker breathes it, from
Sunday school class and motley throng in mission-hall or gathered crowd by
the wayside; it ascends from rustic meetinghouse and city temple, from
village church half hidden by ancient yews, and from dome-crowned cathedral
and venerable minster; there are babes in Christ who lisp it, and veterans
of service who, with ever-increasing fervor, plead "Your kingdom come;"
there are poor saints unable to do anything for it by money, but who do very
much for it by prayer; there are the sick and infirm ones no longer capable
of actively promoting it, but who, from chambers of weakness and beds of
pain, speed all the workers by giving this petition precedence above any
personal request for health and life. And while it ascends from earth, it
mingles with the same petition from angels and saints in heaven. O that we
may share in this "Communion of the saints"! That God may reign in our own
hearts, throughout the world, and in the latter day glory, let us ever pray,
"Your kingdom come."
Come, Lord, to earth again;
Come quickly, come and reign:
Lord Jesus, come!
Enthrone the struggling right,
Make clear the clouded light,
In victory close the fight
Lord, quickly come!
The love of some grows cold;
Your foes are waxing bold:
Lord Jesus, come!
They mock our hope delayed,
Our little progress made,
Your precepts disobeyed
Lord, quickly come!
Bid war and faction cease,
Bring in the reign of peace:
Lord Jesus, come!
Set every captive free;
Let all men brothers be;
Heal earth's long malady:
Lord, quickly come!
Assert Your right divine;
O'er all the nations shine:
Lord Jesus, come!
Then earth like heaven shall sing,
With hallelujahs ring,
And hail her rightful King
Lord, quickly come!" —Newman Hall
|