The Everlasting Dominion

Notes Of A Sermon By O. H. Cudmore, Pastor Of Rehoboth, Lake Road, Portsmouth.

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion.”—Daniel 7:14

Passing through our Borough to see the decorations last Tuesday (June 22nd), my eye caught these words, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” I stood for a moment rivetted, and my heart began to throb at the precious truth underlying these grand words. My prayer was, God grant that the people who put up the banner know something experimentally of the words it was telling out at this time of jubilation.

Dear ones, the words are on my heart; I must tell them out to you tonight. The Lord help me. The Queen’s Empire is a mighty one, but the word decay writes itself upon every part of it. Now look up; the dominion of Jesus is an everlasting one. Daniel saw it (ver. 13). What a sight, what wonders passed his vision. The Ancient of Days, the precious Jesus, the Son of God in His mediatorial glory holding out His sceptre as King of Saints, immortal Truth radiating His kingly brow. Yes, Daniel saw this sight of Jehovah-Jesus before the scene of Calvary’s hill, John after the scene; but each are taught to exclaim by the Holy Ghost, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” See Rev. 5:13.

Note 1^st.—This kingdom is worth being a subject of. We talk of our heritage as Britons, our freedom, our rights as citizens of a great Empire, but what are these compared to those blessings treasured up in Christ and bestowed upon His subjects? We fade, we decay, but not the heritage, the rights, the citizenship of this everlasting kingdom. A subject of this kingdom has an interest therein that will never fade, never decay. It is immobile.

Again, the subjects of this kingdom are treated as one. No set seats in His heart for the rich in pocket or who have a great name. No! What a mercy. The poor and the needy, the beggar and the prince are treated by the King as one, and each view Him in the galleries of His grace as precious, as glorious, as lovely, as dear, yea, “the altogether lovely,” and each say, where grace is in exercise, the half cannot be told of His worth. His worth, can we sum it up? No! Shall we sum it up when we reach yon place, the residence of the King-immortal, eternal; No! Oh, subjects of this kingdom, take down your harps from your willows and strike a note of praise to Him for ever making thee a willing subject of this peerless kingdom.

But, Note 2^nd.—This kingdom’s sway is everlasting. What a mercy. Everlasting! Can we bottom that word? can we top it? No! It is without bottom or shore. But note the sway: it is a loving one; it is a drawing one; it is a keeping one. Such a sway must confer honour upon its recipients. Yes, what is the honour—“kings and priests unto God: and the honour is everlasting.

Note further: the honour conferred by this precious King creates such a union between Him and His subjects, they desire each other’s company. The King draws, His subjects follow, and they hold communion one with another; and the cry is, “Did not our hearts burn within us whilst He talked with us by the way?” Thus the union is sweet and the subjects cry, “More, more.”

Now, are we subjects? This is the point. If so we know something experimentally of His sway. Will it cease? Never, for the basis of all rests upon free grace and dying love. If subjects, we follow the King through good report and evil report, in Achor’s vale or on Pisgah’s heights in experience. We follow Him through Gospel ordinances, baptism, Lord’s Supper, willing to crown Him Lord of all our heart’s affection and desires. Wear the badge of discipleship of this precious and eternal King this side; then the other side, the crown.

Are we subjects? Can we answer Yes before this King, who reigns in the domains of free grace, “His holy hill, Zion?” Then, dear one, I tell you that you are rich indeed. Poor in the esteem of the world, but rich in God’s esteem through covenant relationship, covenant mercy, covenant pardon, covenant blood, and the sovereign of your heart, “Jesus,” will bid thee to enter into His everlasting kingdom up yonder, where he reigns King of kings and Lord of lords.

“The mansion Jesus does prepare,

Cannot be full till thou art there;

Ere long He’ll take thee to His throne, 

Then why, my soul, art thou cast down?”