of Mankind hath not, fo much as in Profeffion, entered into this Kingdom: but lies overwhelmed in Pagan Idolatry, Jewish Unbelief, or Mahometan Delufion. The largest Part of Chriftians have corrupted the Doctrines of Chrift with grievous errors: and those who preferve the pureft Faith, too generally live fuch impure and wicked Lives; that, though the Kingdom of God hath indeed taken Place amongst them in outward Appearance, yet in that Senfe, which will prove at laft the only important one, they are ftill far from it. For the Kingdom of God, faith our Saviour, is within you and confifts, as the Apostle further explains it, in Righteousness and Peace, and Joy in the Graces of the Holy Ghoft. : Here then is great Room, and great Need, for pray. ing; that the Heathen may become the Inheritance of Chrift, and the uttermoft Parts of the Mahometan World bis Poffeffion that the Jews, from whom, for their Unbelief, the Kingdom of God hath been fo long taken away, may be restored to a Share in it; as the Prophets, both of the Old and New Teftament, have foretold they fhall and laftly, that all who profefs and call themfelves Chriftians, may not only be led into the Way of Truth, but hold the Faith in Unity of Spirit, in the Bond of Peace, and in Righteoufness of Life". How little Profpect foever there may be at prefent of fuch Happiness as this, yet we have a fure Word of Prophecy, for the Ground of our Prayers, that the Time hill come, when the Kingdoms of this World shall be the Kingdoms of our God and of bis Chrift, in a Degree that they have never been yet; when all the People fhall be righteous, and know the Lord from the greatest unto the leaft9. But the Kingdom of God upon Earth, even in its beft Eftate, is comparatively but hort-lived and imperfect, indeed a mere Introduction to that glorious and eternal Manifeftation of it in Heaven, which ought ever to be the Object of our most ardent Defires and Requells. For as the Governor, and the Governed, and the great fundamental Laws of Government, are fill to be the fame, in the prefent State of Trial, and the future one of Recompence, they both make up together but one Kingdom of God. And therefore, when we pray for the coming of it, we pray, in the laft Place, for the Arrival of that Time, when the King and Judge of all fhall fit upon the Throne of his Glory, and reward every Man according to his Works; when the Righteous fball fhine forth, as the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father 3; even that Kingdom, which was prepared for them from the Foundation of the World, and fhall reign with Him in it for ever and ever3. But then, as we pray for this Time, we must prepare for it alfo: elfe we do Nothing but afk our own Condemnation; as the Prophet Amos hath moft awfully warned us unto you that defire the Day of the Lord. To what End is it for you! The Day of the Lord is Darknefs, and not Light". To inftruct us therefore, on what it is, that our Share in the Kingdom of God depends, our Saviour immediately fubjoins another Petition, expreffing it very clearly: Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. For not every one that faith unto Him, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven' but they only who do the Will of God, fhall receive his Promife. Indeed what God wills to do Himfelf, that He doth accordingly, both in the Army of Heaven, and among ft the Inhabitants of the Earth; and none can stay his Hund'. But what He wills Us to do, that He only requires of us, as we value his Favour, or fear his Difpleasure; leaving us defignedly that Power of not doing what He bids us, without which, doing it were no Virtue. But though. Difobedience to his Will is in our Power; yet Matth xxv. 31. 4 Matth. xv. 34. 7 Matth vii. 21. 2 Matth. xvi 27. 3 Matth. xiii. 43. 6 Amos v. 18. 9 Dan. iv. 35. Obedience Obedience is not fo, without the Affiftance of his Grace: which therefore, in thefe Words, we defire for ourfelves, and for all Men. And fince, by the Means' of Prayer we may have Strength to obey his Will granted us; we are certainly with as much Juftice, expected to obey it, as if we had the Power already of our own. Now the Will of God confifts in thefe two Things: that we fuffer patiently what he lays upon us, and perform faithfully what He commands us. The former of thefe: to bear with Refignation whatever, in any Kind, God fees proper to inflict; and, though we may wish and pray for the Prevention or Removal of Sufferings, yet to be content, nay defirous that his Will fhould be done, not ours; may often prove a difficult, but is always an evident and neceffary, Duty. For to indulge a contrary Difpofition, is to fet up ourfelves above our Maker; to rebel againft his Authority, deny his Wif dom and diftruft his Goodness. The Ability therefore of fubmitting meekly to his Pleafure, is undoubtedly one great Thing that we are to request, and endeavour to obtain. 2 But fill, as the blessed Inhabitants of Heaven furely have little or no occasion for this Kind of Obedience, we have Reason to think that the other, the active Sort. is the Point which our Saviour defigned we fhould principally have in View, when we beg, that God's Will may be done by us, as it is by them: by his Angels that fulfil his Commandments, hearkening unto the Voice of his Words; thofe Minifters of his, that do his Pleafure Not that we can hope to equal the Services of Beings placed fo much above us: but only afpire to fuch Refemblance of them, that our Obedience may bear the fame Proportion to our Abilities, which that of the heavenly Spirits doth to theirs. Their Knowledge of God's Will is clear and diftinét: on which Account the high eft Character given of human Wisdom is, to be as an • Luke xxii. 42. 2 Pfal. ciii. 20, 21. M 2 Angel Angel of God to difcern Good and Bad3. It fhould there fore, when we make ufe of this Petition, be our Defire that We alfo, in our Degree, may be not unwife, but understanding what the Will of the Lord is; and may abound more and more, in Knowledge and all Judgments. They do every Thing, without Exception, which they know to be God's Pleafure: whereas we are very apt to omit Part, and perform the reft but imperfectly. They do it with Alacrity and Cheerfulness; whereas we too often fhew great Backwardness and Reluctance. They do it alfo from a real Principle of Duty: whereas were the Truth but known, as to God it is known, a great Share of the good A&tions upon which we value ourselves, are perhaps only good Appearances; proceeding, fome from Conflitution, fome from worldly Prudence, fome from Vanity; few, it may be doubted, principally, and fewer yet, entirely, from the Love or Fear of God, from Efteem of Virtue, or Hatred of Sin. In thefe Refpects then we must earnefly pray, and diligently endeavour, to be like the holy Angels; and were we but like them in one Thing more, that they all, without Exception, do the Will of God, and have none amongst them difobedient to it; then would our Earth refemble Heaven indeed. How far this is from being the Cafe, we know too well. But notwithstanding let us comfort ourselves with confidering, that as the Time was, when even thefe bleffed Spirits had a Mixtute of evil ones amongst them; fo the Time will be, when we fhall have no fuch Mixture among us, but thall become, in this and all Refpects, as the Angels of God in Heaven". 32 Sam. xiv. 17. 4 Eph. v. 17. 5 Phil. i. 9. 6 Matt. xxii. 30. LEC LECTURE XXXII Give us this Day our daily Bread: And forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpass against us. THE HE three former of the fix Petitions of the Lord's Prayer exprefs our earnest Defires that we, and all our Fellow Creatures, may attain the great End of our Creation: that is, may underftand, receive, and practife, true Religion, to God's Honour, and our own eternal Happiness after which we proceed, in the three laft, to afk of Him the Means to this End; fuch Supplies of our Wants, as will be needful for the Performance of our Duties. And they are comprehended under threeTM Heads more: the Relief of our temporal Neceflities, the Forgivenefs of our paft Sins, and the Affiftance of his Grace againft future Temptations. The first of thefe Bleffings we requeft, by faying Give us this Day our daily Bread. All the good Things of Life, and all our Capacity of receiving Support and Comfort from them, proceed, as every Thing doth, from God's free Gift; and therefore depend, as every Thing doth, on his free Pleafure: for what He hath beftowed, He can, with juft the fame Eafe, at any Tine, take away. He hath placed Things indeed in a regular, and what we call a natural, Courfe and Order. But this Order is not only of his own appointing, but his own preferving too. He it is, that maketh the Sun to rije'; that giveih us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seafons, filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness. Were He Matth. v. 45. M 3 8 Acts xiv. 17. only |