sorrow which has bowed us down while here. And such is obviously the point of Christ's declaration to his disciples. (Luke xxii. 28 — 30.) For having said to them, " Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations/' he adds, " and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Fa- ther 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 ; " thus linking together present suffering for Christ and future reigning with Christ, — present continuance with him in trial, and future association with him in his own kingdom, when he returns to receive the crown.
3. It is a kingdom not of this world. (John xviii. 36.) The words " not of this world " are, literally, " not out of, or not taken out of, this world ; " just as when Christ says, " Ye are of this world, I am not of this world." (John viii. 23.) This world is wholly evil, and under the do-
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minion of the evil one. Its territory is under a curse. It is called " this present evil world." (Gal. i. 4.) It lieth in wickedness. (1 John v. 19.) Its kingdoms are compared to hideous beasts of prey. (Dan. vii.) Satan and his hosts, the rulers of the darkness of this world. (Eph. vi. 12.) Thus every thing pertaining to it is unholy. Now, the king- dom to come is not fashioned out of its ma- terials, so as to retain any thing of its like- ness. Between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of the world to come, there is no congeniality or resemblance. Of " this world " it is said, that it rejects the Spirit, nay, it cannot receive him (John xiv. 17) ; but that world is to be full of the Spirit, for " the Spirit is to be poured from on high, and the wilderness is to become a fruitful field." (Isa. xxxii. 15.) Of this world Satan is king ; of that world Christ is King. This world knows not God, neither the Father nor the Son ; but in that world " all shall know him, from the least unto p 2
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the greatest." In this world all is dark- ness; in that world all is light. This world is to be fought against and over- come ; that world is to he loved and en- joyed. Thus the kingdom of which we are the heirs, is as unlike this world as Eden was unlike the wilderness. And it is this that makes it so desirable. Had it re- tained any fragments of this world's evil; had it been a mere re -construction of its carnal fabric ; had it taken up into itself any of its corrupt qualities, then our com- fort were but poor in anticipating its ar- rival, and counting on the exchange. But it is not of this world, — and this is our joy. We have had enough of this world to make us long for its passing away ; and to wel- come a kingdom in which no taint or trace of it shall be found.
4. It is a righteous kingdom. " The kingdom of God is not meat and drink," that is, not a carnal kingdom, made up of outward observances and sensual dainties,
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but " righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;" that is, a righteous, peaceful, joyful kingdom, dwelt in and per- vaded by the Holy Spirit, so that all belong- ing to it must be like itself. (Rom. xiv. 17.) It is a kingdom whose territory is the " new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Pet. iii. 13.) The " unrighteous shall not inherit it" (1 Cor. vi. 9); but the saints alone shall possess it. (Dan. vii. 18.) The "sceptre of this kingdom is a righteous sceptre." (Psa. xlv. 6.) He who wields it is the righteous King (Isa. xxxii. 1) ; and in his days shall the righteous flourish." (Psa. Ixxii. 7.) It is a " crown of right- eousness" that is laid up for us. (2 Tim. iv. 8.) And then shall " the work of right- eousness be peace, and the effect of right- eousness quietness and assurance for ever." (Isa. xxxii. 17.) The righteousness of this kingdom makes it unspeakably attractive to those who have been wearied out with the unrighteousness of an unrighteous p 3
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world. The thought that " the morning "
is to bring in that righteous kingdom, com- forts us amid the clouds and thick darkness of this night of weeping.
5. // is a kingdom of peace. War has by that time run its course ; its spears are broken and turned to ploughshares; strife and hatred have fled. The storm has be- come a calm, and the vexed sea is still. Holy tranquillity breathes over earth. " The mountains bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness ; — there shall be abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth." ( Psa. lxxii. 3 — 7.) "Up- on David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, there shall be peace for ever from the Lord." (1 Kings ii. 33.) Far more truly than in the days of Solomon there shall be "peace on all sides round about " (1 Kings iv. 24) ; yea, the Lord God will give rest on every side, so that there shall be " neither adversary nor evil occurrent." (1 Kings v. 4.) Every
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