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CHAPTER VI.

The fact that the kingdom of heaven was set up, or the New Testament dispensation introduced during Christ's life and personal ministry, particularly illustrated and proved.

IT was predicted by the prophet Isaiah, that "a king should reign and prosper”—that a "child should be born, and a son given, who should be called the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace; that the government should be upon his shoulder, and that of his kingdom there should be no end."

It was foretold by Daniel, that in the time of the fourth great kingdom that should arise, i. e. in the time of the Roman monarchy, "the God of heaven would set up a kingdom which should break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and stand for ever."

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The Lord Jesus Christ was the king thus promised, and his New Testament church the kingdom which he should establish and reign over.

Moreover, the prophet Jeremiah foretold that God would "make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which he made with their fathers when they came out of Egypt," wherein he engaged to "write his law in their hearts, and that he would be their God, and they should be his people." This is the same as the New Testament, of which Christ is the mediator.

This covenant evidently began to take effect during our Lord's life and ministry. A very important change then began to be effected in the constitution of the church; and the kingdom of heaven was then set up. A chosen people was called out and separated from the publick mass, and brought under a peculiar set of laws and regulations. And Christ then began to claim and to exercise, in various respects, the prerogatives of Zion's king.

The true rise of his kingdom was when he began to make disciples and baptize them. For he said that "except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of

God." No other period can be assigned for its rise which is soreasonable and so consistent as this.

It is evidently not correct to fix on the day of Pentecost, as some do, for the change of the dispensations and the rise of this kingdom, because the Gospel Church was in existence before. The three thousand converts were added unto them, i. e. thé company of disciples previously formed, and many of whom were assembled together on that great and notable occasion. There is no record of any new church being formed on that day, nor of any thing that inplies it; and yet we immediately hear of a "church" to which "the Lord added daily such as should be saved.' "2 And this could not be the Jewish church; for these converts were already members of that, and hence could not be added. The church spoken of, was, indeed, composed of native Jews and proselytes. But it was manifestly distinct from the body of the nation, or from the Jewish church as it had previously existed. It was a church which had arisen from among that people, or the same church that formerly existed, brought under a new constitution which retained the sound part and rejected the rest; which circumstance shows that it was altogether distinct from the body of the nation.

And it could not have been then formed, because, as before remarked, it was in existence previous to that day. There was a body of disciples, or Christians, in being at the commencement of that scene, prepared and authorized to receive members.

And there is no mention made of this church being formed a while previous to that day, yet subsequent to the resurrection of Jesus. No one, it is presumed, will fix upon any part of this interval as the time in which this church was formed. Besides, it is evident that it was in being at the very time of the resurrection. Paul's declaration that "he was seen alive after his passion, of more than five hundred brethren at once," is satisfactory proof of this.

Further: The administration of the Lord's Supper to the twelve a little before his death, an ordinance which belongs exclusively to the New Testament church, shows that it existed then, and that the disciples were a part of it. And hence we find that it was formed previous to the death of Christ. And so we may proceed, step by step, till we come to the period when he began to collect a company of baptized disciples; when we shall, undoubtedly, find the origin of that church, or kingdom, which was like a grain of mustard seed that is very small at first, but grows and becomes a tree; or like the stone which, in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, was cut out of the mountain with

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out hands, and became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Our Lord's saying in Galilee, some time after he had made and baptized disciples, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," forms no valid objection against this view of the subject. Neither does his subsequently bidding the apostles to preach the same doctrine in the places which they visited. For

no more is necessarily implied in this form of expression than that the kingdom of God was just about to make its appearance in these places, which would be perfectly consistent with the idea that it had already been set up elsewhere. The word "engike," rendered "at hand," is in another place rendered "nigh." "Be ye sure of this, the kingdom of God is come (engike) nigh unto you." There is, therefore, nothing in this term which forbids the idea that our Lord's kingdom had already come, or that the New Testament church was already formed in some other part of Judea.

Christ was, indeed, born a king; but he did not probably declare himself as such, and openly commence the work of "ordering and establishing his kingdom," till the time of entering on his publick ministry, "after the baptism which John preached." It was one part of John's office to proclaim his Messiahship, and to point him out to the people. His real character and office were also testified by a voice from heaven, at the time he was baptized, saying, " This is my beloved Son, hear him.'

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Directly upon this, he asserted the prerogatives of the Redeemer and King of Zion; performed various regal acts, appointed publick officers in his kingdom, and gave laws and institutions upon his own mediatorial authority, particularly baptism, and afterwards the Lord's Supper. His style of speaking was, "Verily, verily, I say unto you." Hence it is said, "he spake with authority, and not as the scribes."

This all shows that his kingdom had come, and that the new dispensation and the new constitution and organization of the church which had been predicted, were actually introduced.

There was, manifestly, some great change in the state and constitution of the church denoted by the setting up, or coming, of the kingdom of heaven. No one can reasonably question this. Yet many insist that the change did not take place till after the death and resurrection of Christ. But what has been said plainly shows that it took place before, even at, or near the commencement of his publick ministry.

This being an important point, and one which, if substantiated, will go far to settle this whole controversy; I would remark still further, that the words of Christ, Mathew, xi, 11, 12,

furnish clear proof thereof. "Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

It should be particularly observed, that, previous to his making this declaration, he made and baptized many disciples; and that some of the twelve, at least, were administrators of this ordinance; (for "Jesus baptized not himself, but his disciples;") and this being a ministerial, or official act, it is clear that they were, at the time, authorized ministers of the gospel. Christ had already given them a commission, to some extent, to teach and minister in his name. Not only this; but, previous to his making this declaration, he had expressly called and appointed the twelve to be apostles, and had sent them before his face into the cities of Israel to preach the gospel of the kingdom, and work miracles in his name.

He manifestly means, therefore, by "the least in the kingdom of heaven," the least of the apostles. The least of them was greater than John, because they acted immediately under his mediatorial authority; and were appointed to announce that he had actually come; and were endowed with greater light and more eminent gifts for the perfecting of the church. Hence it appears that the kingdom of heaven had actually come: otherwise the apostles could not be in it, and not only in it, but office-bearers therein of the highest description.

Moreover, the kingdom of heaven is here said to suffer violence from the days of John the baptist "until the time that he spake these words, and "the violent took it by force." Whatever be the meaning of these phrases, they show, conclusively, that this kingdom had then commenced. The meaning probably is, that it was eagerly sought, and the subjects of it escaped for their lives to the ark of safety, and pressed their way through all opposition and temptation. They were so impressed with their spiritual need, and with the fulness and mercy of Christ, that they were resolved to venture upon him, and risk all consequences. They took the kingdom as it were by force. At any rate, it could not have been taken in this manner, if it had not existed.

The words "from the days of John the Baptist," plainly denote that this kingdom was set up either before, or at the close of his ministry. The real period of its rise appears to have been a little before John finished his work. Christ entered upon his publick ministry, and made and baptized disciples,

while John was yet preaching and baptizing; and the people were eager to hear him and to become his disciples. All which shows that the gospel kingdom was then introduced.

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This tact is still further supported by the parallel passage in Luke, xvi. 16. "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." This declaration unquestionably proves the previous introduction of this kingdom; for every one can see that no one could press into it, if it had not then come. he is not speaking of the world of glory, but of the kingdom of God, as set up in this world, in the days of the gospel, agreeably to ancient prophecy. It is therefore clear that this kingdom commenced a little before, or at the close of John's ministry.

Again: chap. xvi. 20, 21.

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, 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," i. e. among you, or in the midst of you. So the words might have been rendered. And this is obviously the true sense. He could not mean that the kingdom of God was in the hearts of those proud, unbelieving Pharisees; but simply that it was among them, or in the midst of them; although they perceived it not, inasmuch as they had wholly mistaken its nature and end. It did not appear in that external pomp and grandeur which they had been expecting. The proof from this passage is decisive: "The kingdom of God is among you, or in the midst of you." The New Testament church, called the kingdom of God, was certainly formed and established during the life of Christ; and it was no other than that select company of disciples which he collected and baptized.

We have still further proof of this point, in the event of our Lord's riding into Jerusalem upon an ass, attended by the multitude of his disciples, in fulfilment of the prophesy of Zechariah. "Shout, Ó Zion, behold thy King cometh unto thee, riding apon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Here, therefore, was both a King and a kingdom.

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Again: When our Lord was arraigned before Pilate, he acknowledged himself to be the King of the Jews, and, by way of explanation, and for the prevention of all alarm as to his claiming secular favour or honour, he said, "My kingdom is not of this world." It was purely spiritual. He was therefore a King before he suffered, and had a kingdom, which con

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