III.

But having taken occasion to refer to the duty of kings and nations to Christ and His Church, we must also take occasion to refer to the duty devolving on the Church in relation to the nations and their kings. For this purpose, the Church falls to be considered under a threefold aspect.

1. The Church is the heir of the world. 'The promise that He should be heir of the world was not to Abraham, or page 78 to his seed, through the law, hut through the righteousness of faith'—(Rom. iv. 13). 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'—(Matt. v. 5). 'But the meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace'—(Ps. xxxvii. 11). The earth at large is the Church's appointed inheritance. She alone has any legal standing in it, and here is she to enjoy a millennial rest and reign in fulfilment of the pledge given in Israel's rest and reign in Canaan, and in necessary preparation for a final rest and reign in glory. But to inherit the earth is to enjoy the promise as originally given to Adam. It is to subdue the earth, and have dominion over it—(Gen. i. 28). It is to be in circumstances in which to draw forth its material riches and resources, that she may at once serve God with them, and turn them to her own use and enjoyment. But how can the Church, as a Church, thus subdue the earth, and reign upon it? Evidently this is the work, not of a church, but of a nation, and in order to it the Church must be in a national condition. She must be while a Church, at the same time a nation reigning on the earth. But, in the meantime, other nations are found in occupation and enjoyment of her earth, and what is to be done with them, or how, in view of them, is it necessary for her to come into possession of her inheritance? These nations, then, are not to be destroyed before her, as were the nations of Canaan before Israel. On the contrary, they are to be saved. Hence the Church must come to her reign through the conversion of these nations, through their becoming the Churches of the living God; and so it is in these nations themselves, thus converted, that 'the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom'—(Dan. vii. 18); and that 'the kingdom, and dominion, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him'—(Dan. vii. 27).

But the Church being thus the heir of the world, and coming in this manner to her kingdom, important duties must presently be devolving on her, at once in relation to the earth, and the nations now in occupation of it; and we observe—

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First, That she must obey the call addressed to Abraham of old, 'Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee'—(Gen. xiii. 17). She is to survey the good land which God has given to her; she is to mark it well in all its wide extent, in its riches, and in all its beauty of hill, and dale, and flowing plain; and although, as yet, she may not have a foot breadth on it which she may call her own, she must, under this faithful promise, 'I will give it unto thee,' take firm, believing possession of it, as the inheritance which Christ has purchased for her with His blood, which He has firmly settled on her, and with which it is His purpose, as the Prince of the kings of the earth, right royally to establish and endow her.

Secondly, she must not only take believing possession, her faith in the promise must become the substance, the foundation of things hoped for; and she must be found looking for it, abounding in the hope of it, actively and continually expecting the time when she shall be given to enter on her inheritance. It was in view, first of all, of the rest of Canaan that it was necessary for Abraham to confess himself a stranger and a pilgrim, and that he lived in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; and, in respect of the Church now, it is as true of her nearer millennial rest as of her final rest, that she should confess herself a stranger and a pilgrim, that she should feel herself in a condition of unrest, that she should be looking for the city that hath foundations, and continually expecting the time when 'thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, but there the glorious Lord shall be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ships pass thereby'—(Isa. xxxiii. 20-21). This hope is necessary that she may not be found despising the pleasant land, that she may be stimulated to the efforts necessary to its acquisition, and that under all the poverty and meanness of her present condition, she may comfort herself in the Church's glorious prospects. 'Rejoice ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her all ye that mourn for her, that ye may page 80 suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations, that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory'—(Isa. lx. 10-12).

But, thirdly, she must pray for it with all prayer and supplication, she must seek for every thing necessary, and that she may be given a speedy entrance into her inheritance; waiting, indeed, patiently, yet so as to be impatient, being ceaseless and importunate in her prayers for the fulfilment of the promise. 'Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' 'For Sion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the nations shall see Thy righteousness, and all kings Thy glory.—I have set watchmen on thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, and give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise upon the earth'—(Isa. lxii. 1, 2, 6, 7).

In the fourth place, she must fear lest a promise being left her of entering into this her rest, in herself or in any of her members she should seem to come short of it.

She must beware of hiding or of denying her promise, or her claims to the earth, to avoid the inconvenience or danger to which they may expose her; doing what Abraham virtually did when he denied his wife. She must be aware of anticipating her promise, by grasping at it by unwarrantable courses, trying to win it by force, or hastening to invest herself with its riches by unlawful compromise or compliance, instead of waiting on God and His promise for it, as David patiently did. More especially must she beware of unbelief, of any staggering in view of difficulties or of the Jerichos that must be overcome, of any questioning of the possibility or certainty of the promise having a full accomplishment; for so she will withdraw herself from the necessary conflict, be turned aside from the onward and upward course by which, in the converted nations, she must reign, and by her unbelief greatly provoke the Lord. At the same time she must beware of page 81 false views, of false doctrine regarding her promise, under whose speciousness her promise and the hope of it may he stolen from her; she must beware, too, of sloth, of a love of ease, of saying the time is not yet, or under any present abundance and comfort extended to her, such as Abraham had in the days of his pilgrimage, of suffering her faith and hope of the promise, or any duty devolving on her in order to its realization, to fall into abeyance or to slacken. On the contrary, continuing to live in tabernacles, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the heirs with her of the same promise, and regarding herself as not yet come to her rest, she must ever be looking for the promise, in patient, yet impatient, expectation of the time when God will destroy them who corrupt the earth, rescue the earth's riches from its servitude under sin, consecrate the gain of the whole earth to himself, and give her the kingdom.

2. But again, in connection with the Church's duty to the nations and their kings, she must be considered not only as the heir of the world, but, with a view to this her inheritance, as also constituted the pillar and ground of the truth, Christ's witness, Christ's ambassador to the nations. The commission primarily given to the apostles, and devolving on them, is Christ's commission to His Church at large, the duty of which she is bound to fulfil. But Christ's own ministry was a ministry to the nation, and the ministry committed to the Church is also supremely a national ministry, having the nations, as such, in view. 'Go ye and teach all nations.' 'Preach the gospel to every creature,' to every divinely constituted organisation of man, first of all to the nation. Christ's gospel also is supremely a word for kings. 'Be wise now therefore, O ye kings.' Preach the gospel, 'beginning at Jerusalem,' and thus 'according to the commandment of the everlasting God is the gospel, by the scriptures of the prophets, to be made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.'

While, therefore, the Church does well in going out to the highways and byways, and gathering in stragglers, all as page 82 many as she can find, she has a grander mission to fulfil, and to the height of it she is under every obligation to rise. She is the ambassador of the Prince of the kings of the earth, she bears His message for the nations, and her business is supremely with kings. She must warn not individuals only, but nations of their sinful and wrathful condition. She must bring forth for the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ. Fulfilling her mission of love, she must woo and win the nations as a bride for Christ, and gather into one the scattered nations, nor rest until they are, one and all, restored and constituted the national sons of God. In discharging this mission, she must speak of His testimonies before kings, and not be ashamed, and following Christ's own example, she must be a faithful witness unto death. At the same time, let kings and rulers be brought over to the side of the truth, let them be brought to accept and act on the gospel as a gospel for the nation, and such a wide door and effectual would that open, that the nation would be virtually gained.

It is only gradually, however, that the Church of modern times has awakened to the responsibilities of her high function as thus Christ's ambassador to the nations, and His spokesman with kings, and it may well be questioned whether, hampered and held down by a wretched individualism, as well as by false views as to state action in matters of religion, she has even yet risen to any just conception of the height and importance of her function. How else could there be occasion for Dr Arnold's concern for the Church of England, or for Rome's proud boast, that she alone has understood the Church's mission, and has alone fulfilled it; or, for the reproach and taunt under which, with such effect, she seeks to place the Churches of the Reformation? Nor is it to be denied, whether we look to Church action at home, or in sending out missions to the heathen, that the Churches have been too much in the way of beginning, not at the top, but at the bottom, with the fringes and borders of the countries, and not in their Jerusalems, and therefore with a lack of the power and influence which God was offering to them, and so also with a page 83 lack of wide-spreading success. God, in His marvellous providence, procured the arrest of the great apostle of the nations, that thus He might gain him access, then not otherwise procurable, for bearing Christ's name before the nations and their kings. There is no need of arrests now for such a purpose. Christianity has now a different credit and standing in the world, and surely ways could be devised for making high and solemn submission to the kings of the claims and grace of the Prince of the kings of the earth. The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, but there is redeeming blood by which the nations may be sprinkled and saved. The nations are festering in their sins, but the leaves of the Tree are for the healing of the nations. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, and the nation groans under its wounds and bruises, but there is balm in Gilead, and a Physician there, equal to the nation's need; and let the Church fulfil her mission, and preach the gospel to every creature, beginning at Jerusalem, and surely soon must Christ become in fact, what, as yet, He is only by anticipation and in prospect, 'The desire of all nations'—(Hag. ii. 7). The word that so prevailed over Nineveh, her king and people, of old, has lost none of its power. On the contrary, in these days of the Spirit it is more powerful than ever, and mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.

3. But again, in connection with the Church's duty to the nations, she has to be considered not only as the Heir, not only as Christ's witness and ambassador, but as His 'battle-axe and weapons of war,' every member of His Church a good soldier of the cross, and the Church at large His grand army, His sacramental Host, on whom it devolves, under Christ as their Captain and King, to go up for Him, and with Him to the conquest of the nations. 'Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth'—(Mic. iv. 13). 'And they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle, and they shall fight page 84 because the Lord is with them, and the riders on horses shall be confounded'—(Zech. x. 5).

Here, therefore, the Church must war a good warfare. But here, too, her business is with the nations, and supremely with kings, her policy in the war being that indicated of old, 'Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel,' as knowing that in the conquest of the king, there is virtual conquest of all. 'Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute upon them the judgment written'—(Ps. cxlix. 6-9).

In Israel's relation, of old, to the nations of Canaan, we see anticipated the Church's relations to the nations of the world now, and, at the same time, the good warfare which she must wage in order to their conquest. The captain who appeared to Joshua with his sword drawn in his hand, and who came to go before him as captain of the host of the Lord—(Josh, v. 13-15)—is the same who has said, 'Lo, I am with you alway,' and under whose guidance and command the Church must go up and take possession. No tribe could refuse to take part in this war, but all must go up together, until the land was overcome; and so no Church may hold itself back from this conflict with the nations and their kings, without bringing on itself the curse of Meroz. 'Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty judges'—(Judges v. 23). The war of old was a war not with individuals but with nations, and occasion was taken for special triumph in the subjugation and death of their kings. 'And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war that went with him, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet on the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dis- page 85 mayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight'—(Josh. x. 24, 25). But, in a similar manner, must the Church assail the nations now, triumph over their kings and be encouraged. The war of old, under the ministry of the Letter, was a war of extermination, nor man, nor woman, nor child, being left alive; but just such must be that of the Church with her ministry of the Spirit, and her sharp two-edged sword. The kingdom of darkness must be utterly expelled before her, nor can she rest until all nations, in all their families, and this in all their individuals of men, women, and little children, are blessed in Christ.

The New Testament Church was manifestly, at the very beginning, constituted with a view to this war with, and conquest of the nations and their kings; not only so, at once, and vigorously, it entered on the conflict, and, moreover, we see her gaining a grand preliminary victory, in pledge of the better victory to come.

For what purpose the Church was constituted we see already indicated in the apostolic company under their Pentecostal baptism of the Spirit—(Acts ii. 4). For as thus baptized on the day of Pentecost, the day of the first-fruits, and presented before God, they are to be regarded as the first-fruits of the earth's harvest. But as such, how do they express themselves as they magnify God? They spake with other tongues, in the languages of the several nations, so that every one who heard them magnifying God, heard them speak in his own tongue wherein he was born. As then is the first fruits, such must be the harvest. The harvest of the earth is the harvest of the nations; and it is to the reaping of this harvest that the Church is now summoned.

But again, that from the first the Church understood her mission, was animated with the hope of the conquest of the nations, and immediately commenced the conflict necessary to it, is evident:—from the action of the apostles, in preparation for the Spirit, in filling up the vacancy that had occurred, so that there might still be the twelve heads for the expected twelve tribes of the New Testament Israel, and so Christ's army for the conquest of the nations;—from the hosts of the page 86 Lord, as they come up from their New Testament baptism, being so manifestly seen defiling away into the wilderness; where, therefore, they are supported, as of old, by such a distribution of substance, as that he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack;—and from the course which we find them taking, which is steadily westward toward Rome. Then we have the apostle, like Joshua before Jericho, viewing the embattled walls of Rome, and, in answer to its proud defiance, sending back the undaunted reply, 'So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also; for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation'—(Rom. i. 15, 16). Throughout the Epistles we have the din of battle, the clash of arms, and the shouts of direction and cheer addressed to the soldiers of the cross. 'Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong'—(1 Cor. xvi. 13). 'Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries'—(Phil. i. 27, 28). 'Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand. We wrestle not against flesh and blood principalities and powers merely, but with these as animated and led on by the principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world'—(Eph. vi. 10). 'The God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly'—(Rom. xvi. 20). Then the means of victory being the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, and the conflict becoming sharper and bloodier, we have Christ afresh revealed to them as 'the faithful witness, and the first-begotten from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth'—(Rev. i. 5). Thus showing them, at once, what must be the grand subject of their testimony, their high example in witness-bearing, the source of the special grace which their case called for, and assuring them of the victory which, under Him, they would achieve. And so, at last, the mighty empire of Rome fell. Idolatry was repudiated, Christ was received as its King, the New Testament twelve tribes are found in possession of the Roman earth—(Rev. vii. 1-8). page 87 'And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death'—(Rev. xii. 11). True it was but as it were an outer wall of circumvallation which was then taken, and expecting to be driven from it the devil was, meanwhile, raising up an inner wall, higher and stronger far than the first, behind which, when the first wall was captured, to betake himself. Still the name of Christ prevailed, the banner of the cross floated high over the walls of Rome, and over the Roman earth, former idolatries were repudiated, Christianity as Christianity ceased to be persecuted, the victory was great, so that 'I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ'—(Rev. xii. 10)—and a sure pledge was given of the more ample and completer victory yet to be achieved. Accordingly, Christ being about to give His Church this victory, and to cause her to enter into full possession of her earth in the ransomed nations,—'I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse: and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself: and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords'—(Rev. xix. 11-16). 'And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth'—(ver. 21). 'And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever'—(Rev. xi. 15).

Thus then, at once as heir of the world, as Christ's am- page 88 bassador to the nations, and as His army by which the nations must be vanquished and won has the Church to do with the nations. It is supremely with the nations and their kings that God and Christ have to do, and it is supremely to them that all her efforts must be directed; and woe unto her, woe unto any of her individual branches, if they rise not up to this the height of the Church's mission, and come to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

4. There is one remark more that falls to be made in connection with the Church's duty to the nations. Seeing that it is only in the conversion, and so in the God-given reign on the earth, of that particular nation under which particular Churches and individual believers live, that they, as having part in the promise, can come to their reign, and inheritance of the earth; hence, while joining with the universal Church in all the duty incumbent on her with a view to the conquest of the nations, and the saints taking the kingdom, in a particular manner, is all this duty to be discharged by these Churches and individual believers on behalf of their own particular nation. This first, surely, is the land in view of which they must arise, and walk through it, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; and of which, under the promise, 'I will give it thee,' they must take firm believing possession. It is for the conversion of their own nation, that so in it, and with it, they may rise to their reign, that they must abound in hope, eagerly looking for it, actively, earnestly, expecting it. This too, is first of all, the land and nation for which they have to pray, keeping no silence, and giving God no rest, until Sion's righteousness, going forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burnetii, this nation of theirs shall see her righteousness, and its king her glory; and it is in view of the promise given them regarding it that they must first of all fear, with all that carefulness to which we have referred, against unbelief, misbelief, sloth, and satisfaction with any present sufficiency of support, lest they should come short of it And surely, if the Church is the ambassador of the Prince of the kings of the earth to the kings and their nations, particular Churches cannot but feel them- page 89 selves to be charged with a special mission to their own nation, and its king; and here, first, surely, are Christ's claims and grace to be exhibited and urged with all earnestness, constancy, and faithfulness. And if no Church or individuals may withhold themselves from Christ's war with the nations, surely it must be first of all in connection with their own nation that their fidelity must be shown, and their readiness manifested to respond to the call of Christ's trumpet, which, with no uncertain sound, and so loudly, is mustering His hosts and calling them too, to the battle.

With reference to this, the duty of the Church and of individual believers to that particular nation to which they belong, look at Christ and to His fidelity and love for His nation; Himself a Jew, preaching to His nation, and living and dying for it, that, being converted, the kingdom might be restored to Israel. See also the Apostle Paul, walking in Christ's steps, and given to partake of His Spirit, praying, and labouring, and willing to die, with the same ends in view as regards his nation. Paul's nation is never out of his mind, he continually identifies himself with it, and how often, and how affectionately does he speak of it as 'my nation.' 'I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings'—(Acts xxvi. 17). 'My life was at the first among mine own nation'—(Acts xxvi. 4). And, as it were, apologizing for the nation that would have taken his life, 'Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of'—(Acts xxviii. 19). But, farther, 'Brethren my heart's desire, and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.' Yea, he had great sorrow and continual heaviness of heart, because of his nation's unbelief, and the consequent ruin to come on it; and if it could have availed for their conversion, and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, he would willingly have been offered as a sacrifice on their behalf. The poor afflicted saints, whom the apostle continually addresses in his Epistles, are all of them heirs without their inheritance, kings without their kingdom; but as surely as they had the promise of the earth, so surely must we think of them as each in his own place, and on behalf of his own nation in particular, looking for it. Accordingly, showing how they had been page 90 taught, and what the common expectation,—speaking to the Corinthians, out of his own deep affliction, so unlike the kingdom, and the outward kingdom being suggested by the spiritual reign which he had just ascribed to them,—how does he address them? 'And I would to God,' he says, 'that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men'—(1 Cor. iv. 8-9). And what the meaning of all that bitter conflict with Rome, on which the Church entered, and in which they loved not their lives to the death, but just this, that this reign in, and with, their own nation, might be realised? And then, what of our own reforming and covenanting forefathers in Scotland? Walked they not in the same spirit? Walked they not in the same steps, praying, labouring, agonizing, dying, all for Scotland's kirk and kingdom? To like action on behalf of their own nation, are the Churches and individual believers in every nation called by every obligation of duty to Christ, the Prince of the kings of the earth, by every feeling of sanctified patriotism and love of kindred, as well as by every obligation of faith, and of faith's duty in order to the promise.