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 the Psalmist:  "Often  have  they  fought  against  me from  my  youth,  but  they  could  not  prevail  over  me."

The stability  of  the  Christian  Church  is  emphasized in her  very  inception  in  that  she  was  founded  as  an imperial  power — a  kingdom. Ignore it  as  the  world may; no  man  who  reads  and  believes  the  Bible  can deny the  Church's  claim  to  royalty. Ages before Christianity the  kingship  of  Christ  had  been  foretold, so that  even  the  heathens  looked  to  Judea  for  their future sovereign,  and  Israel  turned  to  little  Bethlehem for  its  promised  ruler. So minutely  had  the prophets, especially  Isaias  and  Daniel,  described  the future king  and  estimated  his  kingly  dignity,  so deeply  imbued  had  the  Jews  become  with  this  important idea,  that,  on  Christ's  approach  to  Jerusalem, notwithstanding all  their  jealousy  and  hatred,  we  find them going  forth  in  throngs  to  meet  Him,  with  palms in their  hands  and  crying:  "  Hosanna  to  our  King, the  Son  of  David." Christ Himself  never  failed  to assert  His  own  kingly  authority  and  the  imperial character of  the  Church  He  founded. " All  power  is given  to  Me,"  He  says,  "  in  heaven  and  on  earth," and to  His  Apostles  He  added:  "  I  appoint  unto  you a  kingdom  as  My  Father  hath  appointed  unto  Me." Besides giving  Peter  the  keys  of  His  kingdom,  that  is, the plenitude  of  His  power,  He  identified  Himself with  the  whole  band  saying:  '7He  that heareth you  heareth  Me,  and  he  that  despiseth  you despiseth Me  and  Him  that  sent  Me."  Nay,  he  would have  their  power  even  greater  than  His  own, for  having  previously  said  that  whereas  rebellion