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                THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN;

                     WHAT IS IT?


                         BY

                EDWARD BURBIDGE, M.A.
            RECTOR OF BACKWELL, SOMERSET.


 PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE.


                       LONDON:
     SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE;
        NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS;
       4, ROYAL EXCHANGE; AND 48, PICCADILLY.




PREFACE.


There is nothing new in the following pages; except it be that they
call popular attention to facts which have been commonly recognised
only by scholars.

But I am aware that their contents will appear novel to many; and to
remove this idea some extracts are here given from the Commentaries in
general use.

1. Bishop Wordsworth on S. Matt. xiii. 3; "This chapter may be
described as containing a Divine Treatise on the Church Militant here
on earth."

2. Dean Alford on S. Matt. xiii. 52; "The seven Parables compose in
their inner depth of connexion, a great united whole, beginning with
the first sowing of the Church, and ending with the consummation."

3. The Speaker's Commentary on S. Matt. iii. 2; "It--the Kingdom of
Heaven--signifies the promised Kingdom of the Messiah. Hence the
expectation of the Messiah is spoken of as a _waiting for the Kingdom
of God_. Our Lord, adopts the expression and frequently employs it to
denote His Spiritual Kingdom the Church."

4. Bishop Walsham How (S. P. C. K. Commentary) on S. Matt. iii. 2;
"It--the Kingdom of Heaven--is generally used to signify the Kingdom
of Christ on earth, the Kingdom of the Gospel, the Church of Christ."

I desire also to remove by anticipation a fear that some may feel,
lest, in regarding the Gospel as being the good news of the Kingdom