POSTSCRIPT.

IN 1 Cor. xv. 28, we meet with these remarkable words, "When all things shall be subdued unto him, [the Son,] then shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." It has often struck me that this passage reveals some important change in the divine economy, respecting the redeemed Church, intended to succeed the second resurrection, and the casting Satan into the lake of fire and brimstone, to be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Rev. XX. This opinion has been confirmed by the following exposition of it, in the works of that eminent divine, William Strong, of whom it has been said, as it was of Augustin, "That he was indeed a wonder of Nature for natural parts, and a miracle of Grace for deep insight into the more profound mysteries of the Gospel."

"Hereafter God shall be all in all, and God will work all things by himself immediately. Here he doth comfort us by the creatures, and rules us by angels, by magistrates, and ministers; but that shall not be in the life to come; for he will work all himself immediately."

"There is a time for the regress of Christ's kingdom into the hand of the Father, that he may immediately administer it again, as he did from the beginning, and that, I conceive, is meant by the subjection of the Son, 1 Cor. xv. 28. He is subject during all the time of his kingdom; for he

does rule but as the Father's servant, and, he says, as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do; but there is a greater subjection, that yet Christ must shew unto the Father.-He is now the Father's servant, and subject to him, but it is in a secret and unobserved way, the government is in his hand, though the Father rules in him ;. but then he shall lay down all at the Father's feet before men and angels, and become subject to the glory of the Father."-Strong on the Covenants, pp. 298 and 323.

From which I conclude, That, whereas the Godhead now governs mediately, through the Son of man as Head over all things: Matt. xxviii. 18. Eph. i. 22. Heb. ii. 8. and by angels, and principalities, and powers that be, this mode of government shall cease, at the time spoken of by St. Paul, and the glorious Godhead in the unity of its Essence, shall govern all things immediately.

It has been justly observed, by a pious writer of the present day, that "he grieves to behold, in many of those who avow their belief in the near and actual coming of the Saviour, a far greater disposition to let their thoughts run on to the events, that shall come after, rather than to dwell on his coming, and the great consequences which shall result to themselves from that." Parable of the Ten Virgins, p. 113, by the Rev. C. D. Maitland.-Though I perfectly agree in the truth of these remarks, believing that there is sufficient reason for the regret here expressed, yet it must be with this restriction, that we are not hindered by them from searching the Scriptures for that measure of information, concerning things to. come, which it has pleased God to reveal. Hence I conceive it to be the duty of the Church to attend to such a passage as this, for doubtless, it would not have been revealed but for this purpose,

That we should give good heed to the doctrine it contains. If we consider the several dispensations which have been appointed since the fall of Adam, we shall discover so much imperfection in each, the fruit of sin, that it must be clear, none of these was designed to be final, and to endure for ever. The lapses of the saints in the Patriarchal, the corruption and falling away of the Jews in the Mosaical, and the like effects in the Christian, confirm this remark. Even man in Paradise, though created in the image of God, perfect in his kind and very good, manifested, the important truth, That an upright creature cannot stand in his uprightness, when left to himself: [being liable to change, for nnchangeableness belongs to God only,] and that the grace of union of the Paradisiacal state was not of such a kind as to fit even that, though very highly exalted, for the last and eternal condition. [The same truth was also shewn, to a certain point, in the "angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation."] And that, which has been manifested from the fall of man to the present hour, remains to be shewn in the Millennial age, at the close of which we are to expect a great apostacy of the inhabitants of the earth. Rev. xx. 7-9. Thus we are taught that, as in each of these dispensations the only security of the creature was the being found in God, or being upheld by God, according to the measure of the grace of union of each; and, as in each this grace was liable to interruption; moreover, it appearing to be the divine purpose to bring the elect church into a condition of eternal unchangeable safety, in which no member can possibly fall, because none can offend some more perfect economy remained to be revealed, in which the elect body should be effectually and unceasingly influenced by the power and grace of the Godhead; and that I conceive to be here de

scribed by the Apostle, saying, "When all things shall be subdued unto the Son, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."

This immediate government of God is not hard to be understood. For whereas the Essence of the Godhead is of necessity always and every where present, and literally fills heaven and earth, Jer. xxiii. 24, though that presence is now only manifested in sundry places and in divers manners, then it will be revealed to the glorified members of his body the Church, at all times and in all places, and thus directly and immediately influence the whole body, which is "the fulness of Him, that filleth all in all." I am aware that one objection amongst others, may be raised against this doctrine, founded upon the idea, which is entertained by many, That the glorified Church will never see the face of God, or the divine essence; in other words, That the beatific vision will consist of nothing more than the Godhead manifest in the glorified humanity of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Though I reverence many who hold this opinion, and freely acknowledge myself a very babe in Christ compared with them; yet, as it sometimes pleases the Father to reveal his truth to babes, I humbly suggest what the Scriptures, appear to me to warrant, on this subject.

The Bible sets forth two ways by which God is seen, it speaks of "the Face of God," which no mortal man can see and live, Exod. xxxiii. 20, and which is, I believe, rightly understood to be his glorious Essence.* It speaks also of his "back

* When we read of the Lord speaking to Moses face to face, it has been understood as a figure of speech, intended to convey this idea to our minds, that Moses was permitted to hold a more familiar communion with God than was given to other men. May we not rather understand, from these expressions,

parts," Exod. xxxiii. 23, which Jehovah manifested to his servant Moses, and which we learn, from the account of that gracious act of condescension, to have been nothing else than his attributes, [which are now revealed to the eyes of our understandings on earth in the face of Jesus Christ, Eph. i. 17,] even the name of God proclaimed in Three Persons, intimated, by the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious," which is ably and learnedly explained by Dr. Thomas Goodwin. [Vol. 4. of his Works.] Now, though man in the body, is incapable of looking upon the essence, or the face of God, yet our Lord teaches that the angels in heaven do behold the face of the Father, that is, they enjoy the beatific vision according to this statement. But the same divine teacher informs us that they, who shall be thought worthy to partake of the first resurrection," shall be as the angels of God.” ὡς ἄγγελοι τῶν Θεόν, Matt. xxii. 30, ioáyyeλoɩ, Luke xx. 36. If therefore the angels are admitted to this high privilege of beholding the face of the Father, we cannot be equal with them without being admitted to the same. It is, however, capable of proof, that in Christ redeemed sinners are above angels: for, though man, standing in the first Adam, was made a little lower than the angels in the order of creation, yet in the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, he has not only life, but glory, more abundantly. For whereas the elect angels are justified before God only in their own righteousness, which is that of a mere creature, the redeemed sinner

"As a man speaketh to his friend." Ex. xxxiii. 11. "Mouth mouth." Numb. xii. 8., that, when the Lord Christ spake with Moses in the holy mount, he assumed a human form, or similitude, for the time, which removes the necessity for supposing any figure of speech. He would then literally speak as a man to his friend.