The setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah would intro-
like lightning through the land, shall lay all waste from one end of it to another; and those that are marked for this destruction can no more avoid it or oppose it than they can a flash of lightning.
The kingdom of the Messiah is not to be a local thing, but is to be dispensed far and wide over the face of the whole earth.
It shall shine from Jerusalem to all parts about, and that in a moment. The kingdoms of the earth shall be leavened by the Gospel ere they are aware of it. The trophies of Christ's victories shall be erected on the ruins of the devil's kingdom, even in those countries that could never be subdued to the Roman yoke. The design of the setting-up of Christ's kingdom was not to make one nation great, but to make all nations good, some at least of all nations. And this point shall be gained, though the nations rage, and the kings of the earth set themselves with all their might against it.
12. THE Kinc Must First SUFFER "The Messiah must suffer before he must reign'? (Luke XVii. 25): ''first must suffer many things," many hard things, "'and be rejected of this generation''. They thought of having the kingdom of the Messiah set up in external splendour. No, says Christ, we must go by the cross to the crown. The Son of man must suffer many things; pain, and shame, and death, are those many things; He must be rejected by this generation of unbelieving Jews before He be embraced by another generation of believing Gentiles. His Gospel will have the honour of triumphing over the greatest opposition from those who ought to have given it the greatest assistance. Thus the excellency of the power would appear to be of God and not of man.
For though Israel be not gathered, yet He will be glorious to the ends of the earth.
13. THE APPROACH OF THE KINGDOM
The setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah would introduce the destruction of the Jewish nation. As the old world was in the days of Noah, and Sodom in the days of Lot, 'Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed". When Christ comes to destroy the Jewish nation by the Roman armies, the generality of that nation will be found under such a reigning security and stupidity as this. In spite of warnings, they will