Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/167

 spiritual things. They have never received any natural fulfilment, hence it may be evident that they were written in reference to certain times and circumstances of the Jewish Church; and there can be no doubt that in the affairs of that dispensation they have all been thoroughly accomplished. All that had been accepted as loght and beautiful in that dispensation became dark and deformed; it was rendered of none effect by the traditions of men; all that was considered solid and enduring in it, has "moved," "dissolved," and vanished away. So again the prophet represents the Lord as saying, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, or come into mind;" but certainly this cannot mean that some old natural firmament and world would be removed, and that some new natural sky and earth would be created in their place. The old ones could not have perpetrated any offence; and in what respect could the new be better? The heavens and the earth that were not to be remembered, are the internal and external things of a corrupted Church, hence the new heavens and the new earth that were to be created were the internal and external things of a succeeding dispensation. The events thus predicted were accomplished when the Jewish Church was brought to an end and Christianity established. The statement that "the earth shall wax old, like a garment," cannot mean that it will be worn out by its use and duration: it is now indeed incalculably old, but every year it displays rejuvenescence and seems as young, as vigorous, and as beautiful as at any former period of its existence. Nevertheless, all those earthly things that men have forced into the Church, and which have not God for their author, will wear away like a garment, and sink into age, decrepitude, and death.