Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-08-03

anu UcloIe MS ancIents glorlOuSly,"
lis or will be) greater than John the
Baptist, or any that had risen before
him, inthe flesh. a /
Thestext places John and the am
GENTS oman equality, or John high
est in the scale; and Of course, exahs
the "least in the kingdom of heaven
above them all. But what compar-
ison will tie least in :. Christ's visible
church" bear, even allowing him to
be a christian, to Abel, or Enoch, or
Noah, or Abraham, or Isaac, or Ja-
cob, or Joseph, or Moses, or Joshua,
or Elijah, or Elisha, or David, or
Solomon, or Isaiah, or jeremiah, or
Ezekiel, or Daniel, or others of the
"holy prophets since the world be-
gam" who received such varied,
multiplied, and ainfallible proofs >
of Gods distinguished favor? In
what possible sense are the profess
ors, or even the christians, of this
degenerate age, greater than they?
Undoubtedly we enjoy greater priv
1ileges. and superior means of light
| than they did, in many respects: but
that we improve them belter,remains
to lie proved by such existing testi-
rnony as / am unable even to anti
lcipate. 1t seems to me, that a fair
comparison of their history with the
present corrupt state Of the church,
will satisfy any unprecedented mind
of the contrary. And if we do not
I, improve our advantages better, we
lare not sciser and if we are not
,vlscr we are not greater than they.
If there be such a distinction as is
commended for, i can conceive Of moth
ing in which it consists; unless it be
in the matter Of privileges: but
/ Chrlst's followers enjoy greater adj
, vantages, in some respects, than even
their Master did, according to his
own testimony: "He that believett
on me, the works that / do shall he
do also; and greater works than these
! shall he do; because 60 unto my
E Father."a But who, from this cir
/, cumstance, will havethe presumption
/ TO assert in general terms, that be
] levers are greater than Jesus Christ
that "the servant is greater than hi'
lord and he that is sent greater thar
he that sent him ?"-Jno. xiii: 16
! Yet what is the difference, in poln
IS Iof fact, between the two cases? 10
l the TEXTS a positive assertion, con
is tanning neither may be, nor an if
n but rather sanctioned by a "verily.
at "Thekingdom of heaven" Whc
" Is a kingdom? All words, original
" have definite Specification. The
! may afterwards be modified by ust
:. SO as to represent different ideas {
: acts; but primarily, each word ha
- a meaning peculiar to itself. So
this case. A King is a ruler. I.
'or Kingdom is government; and en-
on, braces the associated ideas Of a kin!
es- subjects, and laws. These are eac
Ito included in the first intimation "
all have of a government in form,
the history Of the world. We u.
! the term "kingdom sometimes.
an improper sense. 1t is so use
occasionally in the New Testamer
!, OF this l was aware, when | fiji
iGf defined my position; and for Il
y. reason, / based my proposition
me the quotations from Daniel ii: 4
'uI I. Matthew iii: 2 and S: iii: 10 10, Al
-. ~ XII: II, and xiii: IS, and John XVI
S nt SO, which had been offered to pro
'-o' that "the kingdom of heaven" a
ly,fn Christ's visible church," mean O
~ and the same thing. But, althou
q l admit that the term "kingdom "
~. .as sometimes used by our Lord and
III III apostles improperly, or out of
! original sense, yet know of no
q stance in which it is used to sign
~ the .svisibie church" Tundersta
ia ae it to be used in its legitimate sen
! y in the passage above quoted.
NV position is called for. ] 81
posed had given it intelligibly il
Oh, former article: bat if tits not So
so; ! ciently plain land I now perceive
lJ.' is not9 Z will. endeavor to make
! nri more so, by stating it in other teri
|. "a Take this, then, as my position
,Ss The Kingdom Of God. spoken Of by !
T. 7 Of PROMISE. to the throne Of iohlch
= Il I Son Of God Is thc rightfuI hear,
80. 80 sstkc Head and to sOlsich all HIS
81 =, followers are s.joiat heirs" as :
=. !. body, The church." Is to be SCI arp,
Y IL 1skL.aLAd 81, d ~. IL. a..s. Z. !.