of Obrist," or tho "kingdom of heaven" which Jesus announced, e.nd concerning which he so.id so muoh when he we.son ee.rth (see Me.tt. vi. 33; Luke xxii. 29; John xviii. 3G; Me.tt, :ir.lii, 24-60, etc.). Christ co.me for the purpose of eate.blishing, or rather re-estab- lishing, the kingdom of God on ee.rth, of reinstating the Divine Father on the throne of the hume.n world. This we.a the end and aim of hie mission; therefore "those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ" are the same things which concern "the kingdom of God'' (text and also ver. 23). We look, then, e.t this kingdom- I. lTs SPIRITUAL SOVEREIGNTY, He has told us with great distinctness that his king- dom is "not of this world.'' We gather from all that he said and did that it is none other and nothing lower than the spiritual and universe.I sovereignty which God, the Divine Fe.ther, which he himself, the Divine Saviour, would exercise over mankind; the domain of righteouanesa and love over the willing minds, the rejoicing hearts, of a redeemed and regenerated world-a kingdom in which God is to be the one Sovereign, righteousness the only accepted law, love the pervading and prevailing spirit, joy the abounding and abiding issue. II. THE CONDITIONS OF mTIZENBHIP, From a Divine point of view the condition is that of regeneration (John iii. 3). From that point of view which is open to us, and from which our action is possible, the conditions are h'IIITTlilit,; (Matt. v. 3; Luke xviii. 17), and faith in Jes'U,B Ghrist himself," By faith . . . in me" (eh. xxvi. 18; John vi. 29, 35, 40, 63, etc.), II[. THE 0HABACTERISTICB OF ITS BlJ11JECTB. 1. Docility (Matt. xviii. 4). 2. Lo,·e (John xiii, 35). 8. Continued obedience to the will of Christ (John viii. 31). 4. Faithfulness unto suffering (Luke xvii. 20). 6. Peacefulness of spirit (Matt. v. (); Rom. xiv. 17). 6, Sacred joy (Rom. v. 11; xiv. 17). IV. 'fHE llrlETHOD OF ITS WARFARE. Its warfare is wholly spiritual (John viii. 36). 1. It assails spiritual evils. It does battle with sin in all its fonns and in all its con- sequences. 2, It employs spiritual weapons (2 Cor. x. 4); these are truth, love, faith, consistency, etc. V. THE llrlANNER OF ITS collrlllifo. SoIIl4l earthly powers come with great ostentation, with sound of trumpet, with announcement of herald, with "pomp and circumstance;" bui; "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation." He "did not strive nor cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets," when he lived below. Ana now he comes in gospel privilege, in gracious invitation, in benignant influences, in Divine prompting; not as the storm comes, but as the dew ; not in the great and strong wind that rends the mountains, but in the still small voice that touches the heart and makes all things new. VI. 1TB OPENNESS TO EVEBY SEEKING SOUL. If there is one thing concerning the "kingdom of God, or one thing which "concerns the Lord Jesus Christ" which is a. more true and faithful saying than another, which is more valuable and precious to the human world than another, it is this-that the gates of that blessed kingdom stand open night and day, are wide open to receive the most unworthy if they will pass through in sincere humility and simple faith ; that the Lord Jesus Christ stands ever waiting to receive the heart which is looking for a Saviour from sin; that he is not only prepared, but eager to welcome to his side and his service every human soul that is hungering after righteousness, that will accept hie mercy, that will take his yoke ; that unto all of these he will give, not only present and abiding rest, but future and everlasting joy.-C. Vers. 1-10.-0ccurrences at Malta. I. THE HOSPITALITY OF THE HEATHEN. Ths instinct of kindness is God-implanted in the human heart. Hospitality was not so much a virtue in heathendom as the refusal of it a crime. So much the more must any "shutting up of the bowels of compassion" against the needy brother or the stranger be o.n offence against the Son of man. The great charge which he, in his depiction of the scene of judgment, brings against the unfaithful is the neg:ect of the common offices of love. II. THE CHBIBTIAN FINDS EVEBYWllEBE A HOME. For if he carries the love of God in his heart, no coast can be foreign Jani, no colour or cu..tom of men repel. It was a heathen who said, "I am a man, and nothing human is foreign to me." The Christian may translate the saying, "I am a follower of the Son of man, and nothing that is dear to him is strange to me." 832 THE ACTS OF THE AP0S1.'LES. [on. n.vm. 1-31.
III. YET m: MEETB PERIL, IDBOONBTRUOTION, AND BNKITY. How quickly do the open brows of hospitable kindneBS change int;o scowla and frowna as the viper fastens on Paul's band I They re11son he must be " murderer. Occurrences are full of effocta without visible causes. The untrained mind makes out of coincidences chains of canso and effect which do not exist. The afflict.cd mt\n is supposed t;o be a wicked man. In propagating Christi11.nity we need to take the sword of the Spirit, which owes its brigbt temper to Divine intelligence. We must meet unreason with reason, and cast out superstitious darkness by the clear light of all accessible knowledgo. IV. Tex CHRISTIAN IS DELIVERED TBAT BE MAY DELIVER OTJIERS. As Paul casts off the 11erpent harmless, he is ~een to be under the Divine protection. Here is a man who leads apparently a charmed life. The waves could not swallow him, nor the serpent sting him (cf. Ps. xci. 11 ; Mark xvi. 18). The heathen mind revolts from one extreme of superstition to another. Now Paul must be a god I "The common mBSs know no measure; they raise a m&n to heaven or thrust him into hell" (eh. xiv. 12, 13). 1.'he Christian may rapidly pass from the extreme of depreciation or 11hame to that of honour, feeling equally that ho deserves neither. Yet both in the one and the other the business of the Christian is not to defend himself from misunderstandings, but "through good report and evil report," as Paul said, to go on with his work and witness, leaving Providence to show the kind of work the hour and the place demand. Hero Paul is entirely devoted to the healing activity of the body. There are times of silence ; and the spectacle of the eervant of Christ busy in doing good during his stay in the island may have wrought more on the memory of the people than many sermons would have done.-J.