than He who sat upon the throne. Whenever the New Jerusalem descends, all things of the Church will be made new. It cannot be a new dispensation and still retain the corrupted teachings of an old ecclesiasticism. Increased enlightenment upon spiritual things is a necessary consequence of the last judgment and second coming of the Lord. These phenomena will sweep away those degrading influences by which errors have been invented and maintained, and will make provision for the perception and enjoyment of spiritual truth. This new Church will be pre-eminently a teaching institution: it will seek to reform and instruct the people, and to lead them on, in the liberty of reason, to accept what they perceive to be true. It is a dispensation in which all things respecting the life and the light of religion will become new to the perceptions of men, and inspire them with new motives to faith and conduct. It will accept nothing for the exercise of its faith but what is drawn from the Word and is confirmed by its teachings. In this respect it will be remarkably distinguished from the former Church, which has, for a long period, been engaged in thrusting its opinions into the Word. This new Church, on the contrary, will be humbly engaged in drawing its doctrines out of the Word, and by means of those new teachings will educe new states of mind and heart in those who really perceive their truth and affectionately love them. Thus, the New Jerusalem is no visionary dispensation; it is a practical Church. Its doctrines descend to men, from God out of heaven, through the Word, and its object is to promote the spiritual instruction and regeneration of mankind.
But we will endeavour to open out the subject by other considerations drawn from the Word.
Peter said to the Lord, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of
