And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily, I say unto thee, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."* All this, together with the parable immediately added in reply to the question, "How oft shall my brother trespass, and I forgive him," is only to be found in this Gospel. The parablet is a prophetic sketch of the Church's judgment for want of mercy. But on this I will not enter here. Suffice it to say that the whole passage, as it is peculiar, bears with no uncertain aim on the Lord's relation to the Church and the kingdom.

These examples, and they are but a part of the evidence which might be adduced, may suffice to shew the character of this Gospel, and give the clue to those who wish to search further. I now turn for a moment to the special teaching these peculiarities contain; for not the Jew only, but the Church also needs the lesson here.

First then as to the character of the kingdom, much is taught in what is distinctive here. Take the peculiarity that in St. Matthew only *Chap. xviii. 10-20. Chap. xviii. 23-35.

the Lord's kingdom is always entitled the "kingdom of heaven." Has nothing been lost by neglecting to observe that the Gospel which reveals the kingdom, reveals it by a special name, remarkably characteristic of the position of all its true subjects. How many a mistake would have been prevented had it been seen that the true kingdom was not of earth, nor of times and places, but indeed "of heaven." Where could the claims of that system rest which makes Rome and a man there its centre, if it were understood that as Rome is not heaven, so Roman Catholic has nothing akin to the "kingdom of heaven" here spoken of. Had it simply been said, "kingdom of God," the answer might of course be made, that as Israel, an earthly people with an earthly centre, were once the kingdom of God, so an earthly people with an earthly centre might be that kingdom still. But the Gospel which reveals the kingdom specially marks it as the "kingdom of heaven," in which neither Rome, nor time, nor earth, have any place. But the Church has erred even as the Jew, looking for a repetition of the old thing, rather than for that new creation of righteousness and joy and peace, which is indeed the true kingdom. Nor does the fact that the prophetic parables, (such as the Tares, the Leaven, and the Mustard-seed,)

foretell the outward results of the kingdom, as a mixed and worldly thing, prove it to be right or normal, any more than the predictions of Israel's fall prove that their rejection of Christ, which also was foretold, was agreeable to the mind of God. Out of both, God can perform His purpose; but this does not prove that the fallen and spoilt thing is that which God looks for.

Take another peculiarity. In this Gospel our Lord, as Heir of the Kingdom, is presented to us as "Son of David, Son of Abraham." This title bespeaks in mystery the character of the kingdom. In more than one Epistle, St. Paul labours to shew how much is involved in this lineage. What then is taught in the words, "Son of David, Son of Abraham;" for an heir of the kingdom must not only be Abraham's son, but Abraham's son in one especial line. St. Paul thus answers :- "Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children of the kingdom, but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called; that is," (this is an inspired comment,) "they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."* "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman."+ A child of the bond-maid, though Abraham's *Rom. ix. 7, 8. + Gal. iv. 22-31.

son, was not an heir of the kingdom. David, and the kings, all sprung from the long-barren free-woman. Which things are a mystery.

The sons of the bond-maid, though Abraham's seed, were born according to nature, by human will and energy. For Hagar is the law, and her sons, children of bondage, are a figure of those, who, though born in the house of the elect, and in one sense his seed, being born only by nature, are not the true seed. The true heirs are of another generation, the sons of the free-woman, born when Abraham and Sarah are as good as dead; a figure of that spiritual seed which is born contrary to nature, which like Isaac is offered as a sacrifice, and yet lives. This is the line of the kingdom: this is the chosen seed. "He saith not, Seeds, as of many, but, To thy seed, which is Christ,"* and His body. These are heirs of the kingdom, according to the description in this Gospel, Sons of Abraham, according to David's line. Let such as count themselves to be heirs see that they have this lineage; that they are sons, not by nature or fleshly energy, but by Divine power.

Take another peculiarity of this Gospel; the connexion of the laws of the kingdom with the old law. The teaching on this point, as it is

* Gal. iii. 16.

peculiar here, throws much light on the whole question of that on which the kingdom rests. The Lord distinctly says here, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil, the law.* How then can we say that "we are not under the law, but under grace."+ And if, as these words seem to imply, grace contrasts with law, how is it that with precepts of grace the law is yet fulfilled? Our Lord's words peculiar to this Gospel, "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness," taken in connexion with the occasion when they were uttered, may answer this question. It was at His baptism, when He presented Himself to receive that sign of death and the grave, that He spake thus of "fulfilling all righteousness." It is when His followers take the same place, content to die that they may live, that righteousness will be seen in them also. I would it were more clearly seen that there can be no righteousness or fulfilling of the law without death: nay more, that, obedient or disobedient, law can only kill man. If I am perfectly obedient, the law will kill me, for it says, "Love God and man perfectly;" and such a love would soon consume me. If I am disobedient, it will kill me, for it is written, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all

"We are buried by baptism.”—Rom. vi. 4.