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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 of
Heaven, the great doctrine of the Atonement should be forgotten. Such
an idea is refuted by the words of Holy Scripture. For not only is the
Preaching of our Blessed Lord, before He suffered, thus described--see
S. Mark i. 14--but also the teaching of S. Paul, in later years, who
gloried in knowing only "Jesus Christ and Him crucified"--see Acts xx.
25.

My object has been to provide an answer to two questions.

1. What did our Blessed Lord teach about His Church in His discourses?

2. What is meant by the words of the Creed, "The Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints?"

May these pages help men to gain an intelligent knowledge of that
Kingdom, into which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has called us.
May they lead many to desire the fulfilment of His last prayer for us
before His Passion, "That they all may be one." And may every word in
this little book, which is not in accordance with God's will, be
pardoned, and overruled to His Glory.

    BACKWELL, _August 1879_.




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER                                                   PAGE

     I. THE KING'S HERALD                                      7

    II. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM                             18

   III. THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM                           32

    IV. THE SUBJECTS OF THE KINGDOM                           50

     V. THINGS PERTAINING TO THE KINGDOM                      66

    VI. THE KING ON HIS THRONE                                76

   VII. THE PARABLES EXEMPLIFIED IN THE EARLY HISTORY
          OF THE CHURCH                                       88

  VIII. THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF THE KINGDOM                    99

    IX. THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH                             121

     X. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS                              145

    XI. CONCLUSION                                           160




"_Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on ME through their word; that they all may be one; as THOU
FATHER art in ME, and I in THEE, that they also may be one in US; that
the world may believe that Thou hast sent ME._"--S. John xvii. 20, 21.

"_When THOU hadst overcome the sharpness of death: THOU didst open the
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN to all believers._"--Te Deum.

"_THY KINGDOM come._"--S. Matt. vi. 10.




CHAPTER I.

THE KING'S HERALD.

    "On Jordan's banks the Baptist's cry
      Announces that the Lord is nigh;
    Awake and hearken, for he brings
      Glad tidings of the King...."


When the Saviour of the world was about to enter upon His public
ministry, the Jewish nation was startled with the cry, "The Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand" (S. Matt. iii. 2).

Such was God's call to His people of old time, to prepare themselves
to take part in the fulfilment of the promises, on which their faith
and hopes were founded. The fulness of the times had come; and Christ,
the long-promised and long-expected Saviour and King, was nigh at
hand.

And ever since that day, as the good news of the Kingdom has spread
from land to land, it has been the portion of the Lord's people to
endeavour to realise their high position in that Kingdom, and to
discharge their duties loyally to their Heavenly King.

But the words--"The Kingdom of Heaven"--are apt to lead away the
thoughts from the present to the future, from this world to a better
one. And since men are not in Heaven now, but are surrounded with
earthly cares and troubles, there is danger lest they should forget or
be ignorant of the intimate connection which