Mark. i. 14, 15. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : repent ye, and believe the Gospel.
THOSE Christians who have taken up religion lightly, and have not the root of divine grace within them, will, as soon as persecution threatens them, be ready to renounce their holy profession ; whilst those who have been influenced by a truly Christian principle, will be intimidated by nothing. When Paul was imprisoned at Rome, some were ashamed of his chain and forsook him : but others " waxed confident by his bonds, and were much more bold to speak the word without fear*." This is the true spirit of Christianity, and agrees with the example which Christ himself has set us. St. John was cast into prison for his fidelity in executing the ministerial office. But no sooner did our Lord hear of his imprisonment, than he went into Galilee, where John himself had been preaching, and bore testimony to the very truths which John himself had maintained. The scope of John's ministry had been, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand* :" and the instant that this holy man was precluded from any further discharge of his ministry, our blessed Lord insisted on the same awakening topic : saying, " The time is
a Phil. i. 14. b Matt. iii. 1, 2.
vol. xn. b
o MARK, I. 14, 15. [1416.
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : Repent ye, and believe the Gospel."
To elucidate this important subject, we shall shew, I. What is the kingdom here spoken of—
The terms used respecting it in our text, sufficiently shew what we are to understand by it :
1 . It is the kingdom of God —
[Every kingdom may be considered as His, inasmuch as he is the founder of all the empires upon earth : " he pulleth down one, and setteth up another." But this is his in a more eminent manner. It is an empire which he raises over the souls of men : it is erected, not by means of carnal weapons, but by an invisible and spiritual influence which he exerts over their minds, whereby he " brings them into captivity to the obedience of Christ0." It is not an empire determined by any particular boundaries, but spread over the face of the whole earth. His laws are written in the hearts of his sub- jects, and reach to the thoughts and desires, as much as to their outward actions. " It comes not with observation" and pomp, as other kingdoms: it is seated altogether "within men," and consists in " righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost d." His subjects have peculiar privileges, such as no other people upon earth can partake of: but these are altogether of a spiritual nature, and invisible to carnal eyes. Their King is ever with them ; every one of them has access to him at all times : and all that he possesses is theirs. His power is incessantly put forth for the protection and support of every individual amongst them ; he orders every thing for their good, and is ever occupied in making them happy ; giving them a peace which passeth understanding, and a joy which is unspeakable and glorified. In short, it is frequently called " the kingdom of heaven ;" as it well may be, seeing that it is an exact counterpart of that which is in heaven, and differs only from that in its measure and degree. If only we conceive of God reigning amongst his saints and angels in heaven, it will help us more than any thing else to understand the nature of his kingdom on earth : the laws of both realms, yea, and the privileges too, are the same : holiness is the law both of the upper and the lower realm e; and happiness in God is their one great privilege. The two are allied to each other as the actfrn and the oak : grace is glory begun ; and glory is grace consummated.]