Dr. HAWKER on Rev. iii.-18.

"By gold tried in the fire, can mean no other than Christ Himself. He hath been tried, indeed, in the fire of every exercise, when, for His people, He bore the sins and sorrow of His redeemed, in His own body on the tree. As the church's Surety, He stood exposed to the fire of God's wrath, as a burnt-offering; and all the fiery darts of Satan, which in the days of His temptation, He endured. And, by white raiment, we may well conceive, the Lord means that spotless robe of righteousness, which on the Cross He wrought out, for the clothing of His people. And by the eye-salve to anoint the eyes of the spiritually blind, can mean no other than the unction of the Holy Ghost, by which in regenerating grace, in the new birth, and in divine teaching, the church is brought to know all things. And it is not the smallest beauty of the scripture, in the counsel of Christ, that what Jesus calls to buy of Him, means without money, and without price. It is all a free gift, free grace, free love. And He that counsels His people thus to buy, gives them the disposition how to buy; namely, coming to Him to receive, not to give. The precious things Jesus sells, are too precious for purchase. If a man would give all the substance of his house for this love of God in Christ, it would utterly be contemned. Moreover, these incalculably great blessings have all been purchased before by Jesus Himself, and with no less a price than that of His own blood. So that, as He bought them for His people, so He counsels them to come and buy of Him, in this unusual way of buying; not only without money, but without anything: neither credit, nor promise, nor deserving. Was there ever heard of such a free-grace market as this? Reader, shall you and I take the counsel of this wonderful Counsellor? Shall we seek Him as our true riches? (Shall we) accept this white raiment for our only covering before God? And shall we bless Him for the unction of His Holy Spirit, in anointing our eyes, to behold thereby our nothingness and His all-sufficiency"?

SERIES VI. No. 4.

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THE LEAVEN

WHICH A WOMAN TOOK."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY
(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY, 3RD, 1881.

In the 13th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew and at the 33rd verse, you will read :

"ANOTHER PARABLE SPAKE HE UNTO THEM; THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE UNTO LEAVEN, WHICH A WOMAN TOOK, AND HID IN THREE MEASURES OF MEAL, TILL THE WHOLE WAS LEAVEned.'

The chapter in which our text occurs contains eight parables. Four of them were addressed by our Lord to the multitude, as He sat in a ship, and they stood on the shore (verses 1, 2). The four parables are the parable of the sower and the seed; the parable of the tares; the parable of the mustard seed; and the parable of the leaven. Our Lord's disciples asked Him why He spake unto the multitude in parables? His answer was clear and definite :-" Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." I would ask you to read at your leisure from the 10th to the 18th verse of this chapter, and

then you will see for yourselves the wonderful difference which our Lord made between His own disciples and the multitude which He addressed. After the four parables already named, it is said :-" All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables, and without a parable spake He not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." In the parables of our Lord, things, deep things, which had been kept secret since the world began, were made manifest by the teaching and preaching of Jesus Christ. Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and He went into the house and His disciples came to Him, saying, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field." He did so, and a most beautiful exposition it is. Read it, and study it. He then delivered to them, privately in the house, the parables of the hidden treasure, of the pearl, and of the drawnet cast into the sea, and of the householder. Now all these parables are evidently intended to convey valuable instruction to the disciples respecting "the kingdom of heaven."

Before proceeding with an exposition of our text, it may not be out of place to remark, that a parable has been defined as a similitude cr comparison of one thing with another for the purpose of setting forth some important truth or doctrine. This definition will suit me very well, although, a parable may be described as a proverb, or wise saying, full of instruction. Indeed, I have read somewhere, that a parable is an "earthly story with a heavenly meaning." This definition of a parable, presume, has been chosen for the sake of simplicity. In speaking of the interpretation of parables generally, I do not think, that it is necessary to the understanding of the main drift of a parable, to force every part of it, as setting forth expressly and minutely some important truth or doctrine. But, if every part of a parable will bear pressing into the service of truth, and the truth elicited, be not contrary to the clear and distinctive teaching of God's Word, then, I see no harm in drawing

I

out of a parable all the instruction you can possibly obtain. Our Lord's exposition of the parable of the tares of the field to His disciple, may serve us as a model of interpretation. If I should take a different view of the parable, which we are now about to consider, from some eminent divines, I hope my view will receive some support, at least, from the Scriptures, from history, and from experience. I will not delay you any longer, but proceed to open up the text.

Let us consider first what is meant by "the kingdom of heaven"; and secondly, the comparison itself, " The king. dom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened."

Let us consider first what is meant by "the kingdom of heaven." The expression, kingdom of heaven," is peculiar to St. Matthew, and occurs from 20 to 30 times in his Gospel. St. Mark and St. Luke use the expression, "kingdom of God," to convey the same idea. I do not think, that we are to understand the Evangelists as meaning the kingdom of glory in heaven, or the kingdom of grace, as set up in the hearts of believers by the Holy Ghost; but rather the kingdom of the Messiah, during the Gospel Dispensation. In the 3rd of St. Matthew, we read: "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." From what follows in the second verse, it is clear, that the Baptist had an eye to the Messiah, and the setting up of His kingdom. After our Lord's baptism, and His conflict with Satan in the wilderness, He preached the same truth as the Baptist, saying, "Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat. iv. 17.) St. Mark says, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God". (i.) "The kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of heaven" are expressions for the kingdom. of the Messiah, as it will be made manifest from time to time, until Jehovah Jesus comes again in power and great glory. But "the kingdom of heaven," or "the kingdom of the Messiah," includes the professing Christian Church under the Gospel Dispensation. And it is

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the state of this professing Christian Church, which is described and illustrated by the parables of our Lord. The parables give us different phases of this varying professing Christian Church state here in earth.

The expression, "the kingdom of heaven," stands in contrast with all earthly kingdoms. "The kingdom of heaven" in its unmixed state has Christ for its King, Whom the Father has set upon His holy hill of Zion. (Psalm ii. 6). The Messiah has a kingdom. which is not of this world, over which He does and will rule and reign for ever, as the Prince of peace. He governs it by His Word and Spirit. I know of no other means. He sends forth the rod of His strength out of Zion, which rod, is the Word of His Gospel. He rules in the midst of His enemies, and His people are a willing people in the day of His power. (Psalm cx.) He sends forth the Holy Ghost into the hearts of His Redeemed, and establishes His kingdom of righteousness, and peace, and love and joy in them to the praise of His grace, The unmixed state of the Church is a kingdom within a kingdom. It is a kingdom which is not of this world. Few indeed, are the parables of our Lord, which give us this aspect of "the kingdom of heaven." There are, perhaps, two parables in this chapter, which may be taken as favouring this unmixed aspect of the kingdom of heaven." I mean the parable of the treasure hidden in the field, and the parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls. I shall say a few words upon each of these parables. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in the field; which when a man found he hid, and for his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field"? Now what is "the treasure"? My answer is from the 3rd of Malachi, the 17th verse: "And they shall be Mine. saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels." Read the margin, and you will find the "jewels" to be "the special and peculiar treasure" of God-or God's special property. Now where was this "treasure"? It was "hid in the field." We are told that the field is the world, dispensation, or age (verses 38 and 40). The "trea