Subjective Christianity: 3. An empire.
"There shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him," etc. Here is a state, not a mere life, but a state in which that life is found—an empire. "The kingdom of God is within you." The words lead us to look at this inner kingdom in three aspects.
I. AS ENTIRE FREEDOM FROM MALEDICTION. "There shall be no more curse." The soul that comes under the living reign of Christianity is freed entirely from the curse—the curse of guilt, corruption, and bondage. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."
II. AS CONSCIOUS REALIZATION OF THE DIVINE. In this blessed state God is all in all. It is all God. He is:
1. Their Sovereign. "The throne of God and of the Lamb." His authority everywhere recognized and his servants rendering him homage. He fills the horizon of their being. All is seen through him, and all is done for him.
2. Their Image. "They shall see his face." Everywhere he is mirrored before their eyes. As to his Name, his character, it is engraved on their foreheads. "Beholding as in a glass the glory of God," etc.; "Changed into the same image," etc.
3. Their Light. "There shall he no night there," etc. Their state is a bright one; no clouds roll over their sky; no secondary orbs convey to them the light. Neither the radiance of the sun nor the beams of candle are there required; "for the Lord God giveth them light."
CONCLUSION. Thus I have given three phases of subjective Christianity; a Christianity which, being a matter of consciousness and experience, is intelligible, and which gives to us a somewhat rational view of all these gorgeous symbols, of which some of our most distinguished expositors and pulpiteers make arrant nonsense, and sometimes impious blasphemy. Perhaps some may think I have spoken of objective Christianity as utterly worthless and unnecessary; but this I would not do. Christ himself is the pure Bread of life, and this must be eaten and rightly digested, in order to get and sustain this subjective Christianity. When, indeed, the loaf of objective Christianity is corrupted, as is, alas! generally the case, the eating of it, and the digesting of it, if indeed it can be digested, only generates a subjective life, that is full of evil passions and wickedness; it makes men fiends rather than angels, and fits them more for Pandemonimns than for Paradises.—D.T.