The Present Age, and the Age Which Is to Come

[Taken from the French, and presented for examination].
" Who gave Himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."-Gal. 1:4,5.
The Lord Jesus was born to be a King; for this end came He into the world, that He might render testimony to the truth. But when His own received Him not, He for a time gave up His reigning here below, and, withdrawn to the heavens, He there gathers a church down here, which is to be His bride, and share His inheritance with Him. This period of the absence of the Lord Jesus is, for us, this present evil world [or age]. The church being completed and gathered into His presence, He will come with her to make good His just claims, and, Himself the true Melchizedek, will subject to His scepter of righteousness and peace the kingdoms under the wide heavens. Then will be the kingdom of God, or the world [or age] to come.
" The present age," and " the aye to come," give us concisely the subjects which it is proposed to consider in these pages; while we more especially seek to trace, throughout these two periods adverted to, the characteristics and destinies of the Church.
How can we, as members of the said Church, walk worthily of our calling, if we have not, as a preliminary, a clear and distinct conception of it? Let us then not despise the lamp of prophecy, which, in casting its light directly upon the glorious end of our pilgrimage, can enlighten all our path, guiding and making sure our passage across the dark places of the world which we traverse.
May the Lord, in His grace, deign to make these pages, in some measure, subservient to that end!