A. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."

Q. Should we give the same meaning to the phrase "kingdom of God," that we have to "kingdom of heaven," in the parables already considered?

A. We should. It means, in this, as in many other instances, the gospel kingdom and reign of Jesus Christ.

LESSON XVII.

Parable of the Master of the House—Continued.

Q. Who would the Jews see in this spiritual kingdom of Christ?

A. They would see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets.

Q. In what light should we view this declaration ? A. To the patriarchs were the first promises made of the coming of the Messiah, to be the Saviour of the world, and these promises they rejoiced in believing-to the prophets was given the vision whereby they foretold the advent of the same Redeemer, who was to become a light to the Gentile world, and the glory of the people of Israel.

Q. May it properly be said that these patriarchs and prophets are in "the kingdom of God?"

A. It may. They believed the Son of God would come in due time-they believed that out of Zion would come the Deliverer-that in him all the nations, kindreds and families of the earth should be blessed

-yea, that he should at last "turn away ungodliness from Jacob." In believing these great truths, they

believed the gospel, or that which became the gospel of Jesus Christ-the "glad tidings of great joy unto all people." Hence it may very truly be said, they are in the kingdom of God-the gospel kingdom of Christ.

Q. Does St. Paul declare that the gospel was preached unto Abraham?

A. He does. "The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."-(Gal. iii. 8.)

Q. What does the apostle here say was the gospel, which God preached to Abraham?

A. It was this important declaration-" In thee shall all nations be blessed."

Q. How does St. Paul explain this promise to Abraham?

A. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."(Gal. iii. 16.)

Q. If God preached the gospel unto Abraham, when he declared that in his seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth should be blessed, do they preach the gospel, who declare that countless nations of the earth shall never be blessed in Christ?

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Q. What was the meaning of the Saviour, when he declared in the parable, that the Jews would “ Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God," and they themselves thrust out?

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A. The Jews would have discernment sufficient to that the promises made to the patriarchs, and all the predictions of their prophets, were in perfect unison with the gospel of Jesus Christ-while they, believing these promises and predictions, still rejected the gospel in which they were fulfilled, and by this rejection they were thrust out.

Q. What do you understand by the weeping and gnashing of teeth, which shall come upon the Jews when they see these things?

A. We understand this to be a figure representing the temporal calamities and woes which should overtake them, in consequence of their rejection of Christ's gospel.

Q. Where the Jews thrust out?

A. They were. They refused to receive Christ and his religion, and were thrust into "outer darkness."

Q. Have they continued in this condition to the present time?

A. They have. As a people, they have refused to receive the gospel, to this hour, and are thus still thrust out from Christ's kingdom.

Q. What do you say of their punishment?

A. It has been sore indeed. They have been a common object of persecution in all nations, and through all ages, from the days of Christ to the present moment.

Q. Is this falling and casting away of the Jews to be everlasting?

A. It is not.

Q. What was the declaration of St. Paul on this subject?

A. " Have they [the Jews] stumbled, that they should fall, [everlastingly?] God forbid !"

Q. What reason does the Apostle assign in the same passage, for their fall being permitted by God? A. "But rather through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles."-(Rom. xi. 11.)

Q. Are the Jews yet to be restored and reconciled? A. They are. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?"— (Rom. xi. 15.)

Q. What does this declaration teach?

A. That God, in the exercise of his infinite wisdom, will make the casting away of the Jews one of the means through which he will reconcile the whole world unto himself, and that, at length, the Jews shall themselves be received into the kingdom of Christ, as life springing up from the dead.

Q. In the meantime, who does Christ say in the parable, are to occupy the gospel kingdom, while the Jews are thrust out?

A. The Gentile world. "And they [the Gentiles,] shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

Q. What do you understand by "sitting down in the kingdom of God?"

A. Entering in to the belief and enjoyments of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Q. What is the language of Dr. Whitby, on this point?

A. "To sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, doth not signify to enjoy everlasting happiness in heaven with them, but to become the sons of Abraham through faith."

Q. Is the kingdom of Christ finally to become so extensive, as to include all people?

A. It is. "And there was given him [the Son of man] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him.". (Daniel vii. 14.)

Q. When "all people" shall serve or follow Christ, will they not be holy and happy?

Q. How long is Jesus to reign in his kingdom? A. "He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet."-(1 Cor. xv. 25.)

Q. What is the meaning of putting enemies under his feet?

A. This is a figure representing the subduing and destroying of enemies.

Q. What are the enemies which Christ must thus destroy during his reign?

A. They are those things which are at enmity, or in opposition, to his gospel-all the pride, the selfishness, the sin, which is in the hearts of men, and which leads them to turn away from the gentle teachings of the Redeemer-everything that can deter mankind from submitting to the peaceful reign of King Immanuel.

Q. Which of all the enemies of Christ and of man, is to be destroyed last?

A. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death."-(1 Cor. xv. 26.)

Q. Is there any evidence that not only death, but even him that had the power of death, shall be destroyed by Jesus?

A. There is.

"Forasmuch then as the children [mankind] are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Christ] also himself likewise took part, of the same; that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."(Heb. ii. 14.)

Q. What will Christ do, after having destroyed death, the last enemy?

A. Having completed the work he came to dohaving reconciled all men to God-having saved the world from sin and death-then his reign will come to an end. He will deliver up the mediatorial kingdom to God, the Father, and God will "be all in all?" (See 1 Cor. xv. 24-28.)

Q. What do you understand by God becoming "all in all?"

A. His spirit will pervade, and fill, and sanctify, and perfect, the souls of all intelligent beings.

Q. When God becomes thus, "all in all," can there be any creature formed by him, who will be unholy and unhappy?