and John in the mount of transfiguration" were eye witnesses of his majesty." (2 Pet. 1: 16.)

"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ?-Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [church ?] Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself, as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 18: 1, 3, 4. Mark 10: 15. Luke 18: 17.)

"There be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake." (Mat. 19: 12.)

"Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 19: 14. Mark 10 14. Luke 18: 16.) The future state.

"A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." [the church ?] (Mat. 19: 23, 24. Luke 18 : 24, 25.) The connection here plainly shows that by the kingdom of heaven "eternal life" is intended, and by no means the church: for the question of the young man, that gave rise to these remarks, was this: "Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ?"

"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man, that is a householder." (Mat. 20: 1.)

"Grant that these, my two sons, may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom." (Mat. 20: 21.)

"The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." (Mat. 21: 31.) But not into the church.

"The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Mat. 21: 43.) This word is spoken to all nations in the flesh, in favor of the nation which the earth shall bring forth at once, even in the resurrection of the dead.

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son." (Mat. 22: 2.)

"Wo unto you, scribes, pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men." (Mat. 23: 13.) "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." (Mat. 24: 14.) The end of the Gospel, and of this world.

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Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins" (Mat. 25: 1,) which is the Lord's coming to judgment: so likewise the Parable of the ten talents which follows it; and is itself followed by the account of the Lord's coming.

"Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand ; come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Mat. 25: 34.) This is the sublime description of the judgment scene. "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's king. dom." (Mat. 26: 29. Mark 14: 25. Luke 22: 18.) Such is the manner in which the Gospel according to Matthew uses the word kingdom, meaning the kingdom of God, of Messiah, and of heaven in the future state; and taken to mean in the first use of the word, by the ages of the Man of sin, the Church, and the Gospel dispensation. In any case above quoted, a transposition of the word church, or Gospel dispensation, into the place of the word kingdom, would make the sentence barbarous, and the sense for the most part positively absurd, and even ridiculous; but transpose the same word kingdom, for the word resurrection or judgment, eternal life, future state, or world to come, and nearly the whole power of the sentiment, and dignity of the expression, and efficacy of the word is preserved. This furnishes out of the Scripture itself a perfectly safe exposition of the true meaning of the word "kingdom of heaven,” as

preached by our Lord and his apostles, and every where used in the New Testament.

"It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." (Mark 9: 47.) Here the kingdom of God is synonymous with eternal life.

"Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.” (Mark 11: 10.)

"Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12: 34.)

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Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, which, also, waited for the kingdom of God." (Mark 15: 43.)

"And of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1: 33.)

I must go preach the kingdom of God to other cities also." (Luke 4: 43.)

"Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6: 20.)

"He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God." [the church?] (Luke 8: 1.)

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"And he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing." (Luke 9: 11.)

"Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." [the church ?] (Luke 9: 60.)

"No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking

back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 62.)

"Say unto them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." (Luke 10: 9, 11.)

“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God. It is your

Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke

12: 31, 32.)

"Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." (Luke 14: 15.

"He was demanded of the pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come. [the church ?] He answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, lo here! or lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." [the church ?] (Luke 17: 20, 21.)

"There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake ; who shall not receive manifold more in this present time; and in the world to come, life everlasting." (Luke 18: 29, 30.) ["Life everlasting" in this sentence is correspondent with "the kingdom of God" in the same sentence.]

"Because they thought the kingdom of God should imme. diately appear. He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.—And when he was returned, having received the kingdom." (Luke 19: 11, 12, 15.) How plainly is this that kingdom which our Lord preached; and for which we pray: "Thy kingdom come:" and this nobleman is our Lord, whose death we show in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup, until he returns, "having received the kingdom." And then is the judgment, when he reckons with his servants, and gives to every man his reward, both to the diligent and to the slothful, to the just and to the unjust!

"When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (Luke 21: 31.)

"I appoint unto you a kingdom; as my Father hath appointed unto me: that ye may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22: 29, 30.)

"Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom." (Luke 23: 42.) The thief could not mistake the church for Messiah's kingdom; nor can we mistake his hope of that kingdom in the future state.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the king. dom of God.-Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 3, 5.)

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My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18: 36.) Were the Lord in the world now, those who are called by his name would fight for him quick; no more doubting that his kingdom is in this world, than consenting that it is not of this world.

Columbus's mode of balancing the egg on the tip, was not more simple, and effectual, and satisfactory, than this mode of settling the meaning of the words, the kingdom of God and of heaven, proclaimed in the Gospel; and of showing that they mean not the church at all, nor the Gospel dispensation; but always the future state, or eternal life, or the world to come, or some equivalent idea, worthy to be the beginning of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and able to convert the believer's heart from the desire of this world, to the strong desire after that holiness without which no man shall see God. It is set forth as the reward of the faithful,. the object of righteous pursuit through life, and of endless enjoyment in the future state. They who say Lord, Lord, enter the church; but not the kingdom of heaven. faithful of all lands sit down with Abrahamn in that kingdom, while the children of the kingdom, who thought to come in by birth-right, without doubt, are cast out with anguish into

The