earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." This groaning is "not for that we would be unclothed" (or have the tabernacle dissolved); but we would be clothed upon, the result of which will be "that mortality may be swallowed up of life." The tabernacle, then, is styled "mortality" (or better, "the mortal," from to thneton), and "the house from heaven" is "life." The mortal in this passage is the same as "our body" and "our mortal flesh" in 2 Cor. 4: 10, II, and "this corruptible and this mortal" in I Cor. 15:53, 54. We desire to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. "We" are one thing; "our house from heaven" another. This house from heaven is to clothe the "mortal." And in this case the mortal is swallowed up of life. Now, there is no doubt that if the Lord had come during the lifetime of Paul and those Corinthian brethren; if they had not been unclothed, the mortal if worthy, would have been swallowed up of life. However, the Lord did not come at once, but tarried; those saints fell asleep; this tabernacle was dissolved, and yet they have not been clothed upon with the house from heaven. Shall that statement ever be realized by those persons? Shall their "earnest desire" ever be fulfilled? Undoubtedly, for the apostle says, "We know" that this shall come about, it being God "who hath wrought us for the selfsame thing." But how shall this be brought about in the case of those persons if they come "out of the earth" immortal bodies? That which comes out of the earth is to "put on" something; and if it comes forth immortal there is nothing for it to put on. Immortality is not said to put on immortality, neither does a corpse, or inorganic dust, put on immortality; but "this mortal must put on immortality." It will be granted that in the case of those who remain unto the coming of the Lord, "the mortal" (not that which is dead) will be swallowed up of life. But the apostle makes no difference between those who died and those living. Then if the mortal is swallowed up of life in one class, why not in both? The fact is, in Paul's mind all who shall be worthy of this change will have the mortal body, either living at the coming of Christ or reproduced from the dust for judicial purposes, "swallowed up of life." Now while we are at home in the body (the mortal), we are absent from the Lord (the life), but "we are willing to be absent from the body (the mortal), and to be present with the Lord" (the life). To this end we labor, "that we may be accepted of Him." This absence is not to be understood in a geographical sense, but absent in nature

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vile body. And what is this "vile body"? It is our "mortal
body" (Rom. 8:11). First of all, there must be a body in exist-
ence before a body can be changed. Neither inorganic dust,
nor a corpse, is the body here contemplated as subject for
change; it must be a living body, one which is mortal. This is
to be changed; and the Pattern of this change is "the glorious
body" of the Savior, Jesus Christ. If Paul and those saints at
Philippi had lived until the coming of Christ from heaven they
would, if worthy, have been changed; but as a matter of fact
they died, and hence did not continue until "the day of Christ"
(Phil. 1:6, 10). Therefore they returned to the dust, and those
bodies soon ceased to exist. Will this fact prevent that state-
But if
ment of Paul's from being fulfilled? By no means!
they are immortal bodies the instant they emerge from the
grave they will not be changed, because they are already in the
condition contemplated by the change; and hence, in that case,
the words of Paul will not be fulfilled. However, if Paul and
those saints living contemporary with himself, as well as others
who have since died, are reproduced mortal bodies, stand be-
fore the judgment-seat of Christ, and are approved upon ren-
dering a good account of themselves, then the working whereby
the Lord is able to subdue all things unto Himself will also
operate upon their mortal bodies and fashion them anew, until
they shall conform to the body of Christ's glory. Let Paul be
true, yes, let God be true! Upon no other principle than that
of mortal bodies coming "out of the earth," and being changed
afterward, can those words of Paul be understood or ex-
plained.

CHRIST'S TEACHING.

MATTHEW, CHAP. 25

Let us examine one example from the discourses of Jesus. We refer to Matt. 25:31-46. That this portion of the discourse of Jesus on Mount Olivet has reference to an event connected with His coming admits of no doubt, for it begins with a direct reference to that event. In fact, the entire discourse is largely occupied with the fact of, and the circumstances attending, His coming.

"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him," what shall then take place? "Then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." To sit upon a throne is to act in an official capacity. What is the first thing that shall be done when the King shall occupy that throne? "Before Him shall be gathered all nations." Who are these

nations? If we can identify these, we shall have no difficulty with the remainder of the discourse. We shall notice what is done with these nations, which will serve as a help to identify them. We notice that the first thing after their gathering is their separation one from another (vs. 32), and henceforth we see them, (a) as "sheep" and as "goats" (vs. 33); (b) as "blessed" and as "cursed" (vss. 34, 41); (c) as they who have done good in relation to Christ, and they who have not (vss. 40, 45); (d) as they who inherit the kingdom prepared for them, and as they who depart into everlasting fire; (e) as the righteous who enter into life eternal, and as they who depart into everlasting punishment (vs. 46). The "blessed" is pronounced upon those on the right hand of the King because they have done certain things affecting the King Himself; and they are invited to inherit the kingdom, and they enter into life eternal. The "cursed" is pronounced upon those on the left hand of the King because they have done certain things in relation to Himself; they are condemned to the everlasting fire, and they go away into everlasting punishment. Is there such a thing as a "national" kingdom to be inherited? We know from the plain teaching of the Bible who shall inherit the kingdom of God. It had been promised to the "poor" (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20); to the little flock (Luke 13:32); to those who love God (Jas. 2:5); to those who suffer in behalf of the kingdom of God (Acts 14:23; 2 Thess. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:12); to the saints of the Most High (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27; Rev. 5: 10); to those who do the will of God (Matt. 7:21); and to those who overcome (Rev. 2:26; 3:21). The saints who shall reign on the earth (Rev. 5:10) have been redeemed to God "out of every kindred and people and nation” (vs.9). But they are individuals, nevertheless, and were individually "made kings and priests unto God." How is this making of kings and priests accomplished? First by the proclamation of the gospel, or glad tidings of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14; Mark 16:15, 16), by which they are called unto (or for) God's kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:14; 2 Thess. 2:12). Then it is a question whether those called by the gospel will obey its commands (Rom. 10:15-17), and do the things it enjoins (2 Pet. 1:5-11), and finally be counted worthy of the kingdom of God (2 Thess. 1:5). Briefly, these are the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of God, as proclaimed by Christ and the apostles. The nations as such do not inherit the kingdom. This is also true of the obtainment of eternal life, into which the righteous shall go (Matt. 25:46).

To whom and upon what conditions shall eternal life be given? To those who believe on God's only-begotten Son (John 3:15, 16); to those who do good (John 5:29); to those who have acquired the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ (John 17:2); to those who by patient continuance in welldoing seek for glory and honor and incorruption (Rom. 2:5-7); to those who by good works lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12, 19); to those who sow to the Spirit (Gal. 6:8). It will be given in the world to come (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30), and this will not be until the judgment to which all who are responsible, whether living or dead, shall be summoned (John 5:27-29). The gospel which promises the kingdom to those who love God and do His will, was to be taught among all nations (Matt. 24:14; 28:19), and is the means which God has chosen to take out of the gentiles or nations a people for His name (Acts 15:7, 14). It was proclaimed "for the obedience of the faith among all nations," by Paul and others (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). It did not contemplate the wholesale conversion of those nations, but was designed to take out of them a people for the name of Jahwe; a people whose faith should be tried in the fire of suffering (1 Pet. 1:7) for Christ's sake and the gospel's sake. It is eminently fitting that these nations who have been discipled to Christ by the gospel (see Matt. 28:19, margin), should be summoned before the "judgment seat" or "throne" of Christ immediately after His coming, just prior to the beginning of His reign, for the purpose of separating them one from the other, the worthy from the unworthy, and to assign each class to its proper place and destiny. Having thus, as I believe, clearly established from the internal testimony of this discourse of Jesus, and from the general teaching of the Scriptures upon this subject, that these "nations" are those who are accountable to the judgment-seat of Christ, let us glance at "these my brethren" who are introduced to our notice in vss. 40 and 45. It may appear at first thought as if they were a class by themselves, besides the sheep and the goats, but there is nothing in the discourse that introduces a third class. To speak of a class outside of the sheep and goats as "these my brethren" is introducing an element into the discourse which it does not contain. Who are Christ's brethren? No one is a better judge, and no one can give a better definition of who are His brethren, than He. "Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?" When Jesus propounded this question to those who said, "Thy mother and Thy brethren seek Thee," He "looked round about on