The Eternal Kingdom of God!

The eternal kingdom of God was prepared for God’s elect before the foundation of the world; and it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared; for it is secured in Christ, to them who are heirs thereof by virtue of their indissoluble union to Him, and not through their relation to Adam; nor had it ever the least dependence upon any created power, or upon the good or evil of any creature. 

For the plan was fixed in Him in whose hands it could not miscarry; for it pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell. In His all sufficiency, He is prepared for all events; and in His immutability, He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. The work was laid upon Christ in His Surety engagements before the foundation of the world; by Him the Great Propitiatory atonement was made, sin was taken away, and everlasting Righteousness brought in, when He appeared on the earth. 

By Him the great High Priest who appears now in the presence of God for His Church; pleading for them, the virtue of His own blood; their cause is honorably maintained and their persons accepted before the throne of God. – It is true, Jesus Christ, having entered into Covenant stipulations and Surety engagements for His people; did, by a perfect atoning sacrifice make satisfaction to the Law. For as He was become our Sponsor, and our sin was imputed to Him, the law deemed Him as the guilty person; demanded His life, and took it. 

For the sheep went astray; the Shepherd made their case His own, and put Himself in their place; therefore the same Law which required their lives, justly required His; which being a life of such excellent dignity and preciousness, it made such ample satisfaction to the demands of the holy Law; that in Righteousness He might take it again and His sheep be set free; but the Law knew no variation in its demand, but required the very same thing from the Surety, as from the principal; nor did it except any other satisfaction, but what it first insisted on; namely, the life of the offender. 

When all the wrath of God had been poured upon Him, and His whole soul and body had suffered all the anguish due to sin, and the Law had taken its full vengeance on Him, it found no more to feed upon. He sustained all the darts of indignation by His eternal power; and absorbed all the poison of the cup of God’s fury against sin by His infinite holiness. Therefore, having made an end of sin, He brought in everlasting Righteousness. Who was “delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Daniel 9:24; Romans 4:25) 
 

 —preacher J. Johnson (1754 A.D.)

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