to these same Elders S. Paul says, "And now, behold, I know that ye
all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my
face no more" (Acts xx. 25). And the last record of him leaves him at
Rome "preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ, no man forbidding him" (Acts xxviii.
31).

We may now briefly sum up the results of the Ascension of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. In ascending into heaven He was fulfilling the
prophecy, to which special prominence had been given in His discourses
with His opponents, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on my right
hand till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Ps. cx. 1). He was thus
ascending the Throne of the Mediatorial Kingdom of Messiah--"The
Kingdom of Heaven"--and having ascended in triumph, "He gave gifts
unto men." And upon receiving the great gift which He had
promised--even the Holy Ghost--the Apostles became endued with the
power, by which alone "The Kingdom of Heaven" could be founded upon
earth, and be extended amongst men. And, from that day forward, "The
Kingdom of Heaven" may be said to have been established. And as the
Apostles went forth preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, and
believers were multiplied, we find that, under the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost, the word "Church" was used to express this body of the
faithful. And the name thus used in those early days of "The Kingdom
of Heaven," has been generally applied to it ever since.

Thus we are brought face to face with the practical importance of the
teaching of our Blessed Lord about "The Kingdom of Heaven." "The
Kingdom of Heaven" is "The Church of Christ." The subjects are
ourselves.

FOOTNOTES:

[16] See Pearson on the Creed, pp. 283, 285.

[17] It is sometimes said that the Kingdom was founded by our Lord in
the call of His Apostles. But inasmuch as He spoke of it as being
still in the future, when He said to Peter, "Upon this rock _I will_
build My Church" (S. Matt. xvi. 18), and expressly declared that the
Baptism of the Spirit was the appointed means of entering into it (S.
John iii. 5), it seems more accurate to say that our Lord founded His
Kingdom on this day, through the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the
Apostles. For thus His words which specially applied to their own
cases were fulfilled, "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" (Acts
i. 5; S. Matt. iii. 11); and the gift was then handed on to others