Both in sermons and in religious books, and in the talk
of godly people, one hears the kingdom of God spoken of very seldom.
One hears words about the Church, which are very good and true; but
very little, if anything, about the kingdom of God, though both St.
Paul, and St. John, and the blessed Lord Himself, speak of the two
together, as if they could not be parted; as if one could not think
of the one without thinking of the other. And we hear words about
the gospel, too, some of them very good and true, and others, I am
sorry to say, very bad and false: but, true or false, they are not
often joined now in men's minds, or mouths, or books, with the
kingdom of God. But the New Testament joins them almost always. It
says that gospel must be good news. Therefore the gospel must be
good news about something. But about what? We hear all manner of
answers nowadays; but we hear the right one very seldom. People talk
of the gospel as if it only meant the good news that one man can be
saved here, and another man can be saved there. And that is good
news, certainly. It is good and blessed news to hear that any one
poor sinner can be saved from sin, and from the wages of sin. But
the holy scriptures, when they talk of the gospel, call it the gospel
of the kingdom of God.
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