refreshment of mortal nature, but for another and higher purpofe; to fhew the reality of his precious body, and the certainty of his triumph over death and the

Laftly, if the expreffion,

grave.

"The kingdom

of my Father," is not elfewhere used, as I believe it is not, by our bleffed Saviour; we cannot, from this circumftance alone, conclude whether it meant a ftate of grace or of glory. When celeftial blifs is the subject fpoken of there are other phrafes: "In my Father's house are many manfions ":" "Then fhall the righteous fhine forth as the fun in the kingdom of Their Father". St Mark in the parallel paffage, instead of "The kingdom of my Father," has "The kingdom of GOD;" and, being the later evangelist, he fhould be confidered as explaining the diction of St. Matthew, efpecially as St. Luke agrees with him in this inftance: and "The kingdom of God," as used in the Gospels, whatever may be its ultimate meaning, generally has, for its direct and primary object, the fpiritual kingdom of Chrift upon earth. Now with this kingdom, with authority to govern to protect and to fave his church, our Lord d Mark xiv. 25.

• John xiv. 2.

was

was rewarded, upon his refurrection from the dead; according to that his own declaration, "all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." He was fent from above and appeared among men, to preach what is termed indifferently the kingdom of heaven or of God; but of that ftate of his church, which was to commence when his perfonal ministry fhould be finished, when he fhould be in the actual poffeffion of the promised dominion, he might speak, it may feem, with peculiar fignificance, as of the kingdom of his Father.

The expofition, which we are endeavouring to establish, will receive additional confirmation, if it may be allowed that St. Luke, who is more full in the hiftory of the pafchal fupper, has recorded the fame fpeech of our Lord in the following verses: "With defire have I defired to eat this paffover with you before I fuffer. For I fay unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of GOD. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and faid, Take this and divide it among yourfelves. For I fay unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of GOD fhall come f."

Matt. xxviii. 18.

f Luke xxii. 15-18. On comparing this part of St. Luke's Gofpel with St. Matthew and St. Mark, it seems evident, that

In the former part of this paffage, where the paffover is the subject spoken of, it is evident, that the word "until" must be taken in a sense not uncommon in holy fcripture, fo as not to imply, that, after the time mentioned, the contrary to what is before expreffed should happen ; or in other words,

g

thefe words were spoken by our Lord before the inftitution of the holy Eucharift. St. Matthew and St. Mark are very concife in their account of this interefting evening; St. Luke is more full and diftinct. Hence the former evangelifts, relating part of our bleffed Saviour's speech, and introducing it after the facramental cup, do not however connect it with that facred ordinance (Matt. xxvi. 29. Mar. xiv. 25.) but St. Luke, mentioning particularly, what they only hinted at, the paschal fupper, and inferting the entire fpeech in its proper place, gives it its proper connection: "With defire have I defired, &c. For I fay unto you, &c. Take this, &c. For I say unto I will not drink, &c." From these laft words it is proyou, bable, that our Lord denied himself the refreshment of the cup, which he gave to his difciples (fee Townfon on the Gofpels, p. 231, 232.) and if we are right as to the time of this speech, he certainly did not drink of the facramental cup afterwards. Indeed it feems not fo natural to fuppofe he didhimself partake of what reprefented his own bleffed body and blood; and if he did not eat of the bread, nor drink of the cup, at the time of inftitution, neither, we may conclude, did he partake of them after he was risen from the dead. This therefore, as far as it goes, is an additional argument in favour of the interpretation propofed, That he ate and drank, with the disciples to demonftrate the truth of his resurrection. Origen on Matt. xvi. 28. St. Chryfoft. and Oecumenius on 1 Cor. xv. 25. and the commentators on Matt. i. 25.

the

the meaning is, that he would never more eat of the paffover. And this is further manifeft from what follows: " until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of GOD;" that is, till the great facrifice, of which the pafchal lamb was a type, shall be offered up on the cross, when, the substance being come, the shadow shall vanish. Afterwards it is obfervable, the phrase is varied; for wine was not, among the Jewish ceremonies, particularly emblematical of any future bleffing. It is not therefore faid "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until it be fulfilled," but " until the kingdom of GOD fhall come." The former words pointed to the death of Chrift; in the latter it was implied, that he should rise again. By my fuffering on the cross, the paffover and the other rites of the law, their end being accomplished, fhall be fuperfeded and cease. But I will fee you again, and your heart shall rejoice. To give you fuller affurance of the truth of my refurrection, I will eat and drink with you in my kingdom, which the Father, after I am rifen, will give unto me."

It is hoped, the interpretations, which have been offered, of the feveral paffages above

examined, will be found not unfatisfactory. But be this as it may, be the expofitions ever fo erroneous, the ground, which they are built upon, is good, the principles fixt and unalterable. Certain it is, that the gospel kingdom was ushered in, by the preaching of the Baptist; that, though increasing, it was still in a state of privacy, not of power, during the lifetime of its bleffed Founder; that, upon his refurrection, the authority of a king was given unto him; and that, when he ascended, in the fight of his difciples, the gates of heaven lifted up their heads, the everlasting doors were opened, and He, the King of glory, entered in, and fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high; whence he fent forth, according to his promife, the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter, to teach his apostles, and to enable them to work miracles, in confirmation of their doctrine, and to overcome dangers and death. Thus was the foundation laid of that fpiritual dominion, of which it was faid, that it fhould have no end; and thefe, no doubt, as its firft outgoings, were, included in that comprehenfive petition, by which our Lord, in the beginning of his ministry, taught his difciples to pray for the increase and profperity of his kingdom.

But