Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said… The workings of God's grace are, for the most part, not only beyond, but contrary to our calculation. It is not said that " the kingdom of God is not with observation," but "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation." And the principle is this — that the greatest and plainest effects are produced by causes which are themselves unnoticeable. God is mounting up to His grand design; but we cannot see the steps of His ascent. If you pass from the history of the Church to any other province in God's empire, you will find them all recognizing the same law. It seems to be the general rule of all that is sublime, that its motions shall be unseen. Who can discern the movements of the planets — whose evolutions we admire, whose courses guide our path? The day breaks and the day sets; but who can fix the boundaries of the night, the boundaries of the darkness? You may watch the departing of summer beauty — as the leaves are swept by the autumn wind — but can the eye trace its movements? Does not everything — in the sky and in the earth — proclaim it — as all nature follows its hidden march — that "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation"? Or, let any man amongst you, read but a very few of the leading passages of his own life, and let him observe what have been the great, deciding events of his history — determining, if I may so speak, the very destinies of his forces. Were they those he anticipated? Did his great joys and sorrows rise in the quarters from whence he expected them to rise? Did not the great circumstances of his life arise from events quite unexpected? And did not those things which he counted little, greatly rise and extend themselves — for evil or for good? And what does all this attest-in providence and in nature — but that " the kingdom of God cometh not with observation"? But we are now led to expect, by what we have read, and what we have seen, and what we have felt, in outward things, that we shall find the truth of the text, also, when we come to the experience of a man's soul; and that the "kingdom of God cometh not with observation." A very pious mother is deeply anxious about the soul of her son. Her fond affections, her holy influences, her secret prayers-have all been bearing to that one point, of her child's conversion to God, for many years. But have that mother's prayers died, because those lips are hushed? "Has God forgotten to be gracious," when man ceases to expect? Nay — in His own way, and in His own hour," the kingdom" comes. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: |
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