Psalms 22:28

The kingdom is the Lord’s.

An universal religion

The law of Moses was confined, by the terms of its promulgation, to the land of Judaea: and other systems which have been embraced as Divine attempted to ensure their success In some quarters of the globe by an accommodation to local manners which prevented them from spreading to distant regions. But the religion of Christ has all the internal characters of an universal religion. The manner in which the Gospel was introduced corresponds to these characters of an universal religion. Before He ascended to heaven the Founder constituted His apostles witnesses to Him unto the uttermost parts of the earth, and sent them forth to make disciples of all nations. .. We readily recognise in Jesus that illustrious descendant promised to Abraham, “in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed”; that Prince of Peace whose universal dominion the prophets have painted by various imagery, “in whose reign the righteous were to flourish, and the knowledge of the Lord was to cover the earth.” But when we look beyond the destruction of Jerusalem these bright views seem to vanish, and we mark, with wonder and regret a striking inconsistency between the earlier and later history of the Christian Church: This religion was, for many ages, persecuted and despised by the powers of the earth. For a long time it was involved in the superstition and barbarism of the dark ages. The fact is, that, after seventeen hundred years have passed, the religion of Jesus is established in less than a fifth part of the globe. The faith of Mahomet, which has been permitted to overspread a larger portion of the earth, retains undisputed possession of its conquests. What can be said as an answer to the presumption, drawn from present appearances, against the fulfilment of the promise of universality for Christianity?

1. Though the Almighty may do all His pleasure by the word of His mouth, He generally chooses to employ means in accomplishing His purposes, and the operation of those means is so gradual as to admit of a progress ill which one thing not only paves the way for another, but gives notice of its approach. We are not warranted, by the analogy of any part of Divine providence, to expect, in the communication of religious instruction, that haste which to our imaginations may appear desirable.

2. As in natural productions there is a time of maturity to which all the preparation has tended, so the season destined for the appearance of the Gospel, which is called in Scripture “the fulness of the time,” was produced by a preparation of four thousand years.

3. The partial propagation of Christianity has already diffused a large measure of religious knowledge, which concurs with other circumstances in preparing the world for its being universally received.

4. The partiality, the delay, and the imperfection in the propagation of Christianity are fully accounted for by the nature of those human means which, without a succession of miracles, it was necessary to employ. .. Presumption against the universal propagation of Christianity, which has been drawn from present appearances, is contradicted by the general analogy of the Divine government, by the effects already produced, and the forward tendency of things. (G. Hill, D. D.)

The oldest kingdom and the best government

What can be a more consoling fact, in times of national convulsion, than the one declared here? The Lord’s kingdom is distinct from all others.

I. The greatest kingdom ever. Known. My text says the Lord is the governor. I much question if He has a kingdom for His own upon the face of the whole earth now. There was a time when He appeared signally to recognise our own dear old England distinctly above all other nations; but now it has gone down, in some instances, to downright infidelity, or, in others, perverted to gross idolatry. Whatever He may please to do with the land of my nativity, I shall rejoice to know we have in it yet more of His own kingdom than any other nation upon earth. Of the Lord’s kingdom we note--

(1) It is a chosen one: men enter it through a broken and contrite spirit; others who have not known this are not in the kingdom.

(2) Hence it is His by conquest over human hearts. He has subdued them unto Himself.

(3) It is under His own special care. And

(4) He peopled it with the precious souls that He had ordained from everlasting.

(5) And He dwells and abides there.

(6) Its constitution is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” It is a sacred kingdom and no unclean thing shall enter it.

(7) How vast are its treasures--grace and glory.

II. It has the wisest, holiest, and best of governors.

(1) His sovereignty is absolute over all nations for His own people as well as in them.

(2) It is exercised in the hearts of His subjects. Who ever heard of any other governor who reigned in the heart of every one of his subjects?

(3) He never revokes any of His decrees. “My covenant will I not alter.” His statutes stand forever, those in His secret statute book and those in the Scripture, the inspired abstract of His will. (Joseph Irons.)

On providence

I. Prove the doctrine. That God presides in every department of nature, and exercises a superintending care over the works of His hand, has been believed in every nation and in every age. The cavils of sceptical men are not to be considered as detracting from its universality. What is providence but the exercise of the Divine attributes? Sound philosophy never supported the atheistical system which would exclude the Almighty from His kingdom, and surrender to blind chance the government of the universe. The Divine government is recognised in the material system, but it is not confined to that. In the moral as in the natural world His pervading energy appears. What are the annals of nations but a continued detail of its operation? The world is a great scene, where from age to age a series of providential interpositions has been displayed. Some invisible power is employed in overruling human affairs. An infinite mind must have access, though we cannot perceive it, in many different ways, to the human heart. But man is conscious all the while that no violence is offered to his will, that he is acting as a moral agent, without any infringement of his freedom.

II. Recommend a becoming trust in divine providence. His perfections demand our veneration and justify our confidence. Infinite goodness, added to Almighty power, constitutes the very character which claims our dependence. (T. Lawrie, D. D.)