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of Mankind hath not, fo much as in Profeffion, entered into this Kingdom: but lies overwhelmed in Pagan Idolatry, Jewifh Unbelief, or Mahometan Delufion. The largest Part of Chriftians have corrupted the Doctrine of Christ 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 Righteoufness, and Peace, and Joy in the Graces of the Holy Ghoft

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Here then is great Room, and great Need, for praying; that the Heathen may become the Inheritance of Chrift, and the uttermoft Parts of the Mahometan World his Poffeffion that the Jews, from whom, for their Unbelief, the Kingdom of God hath been fo long taken away, may be reftored to a Share in it; as the Prophets, both of the Old and New Teftament, have foretold they fhall and lastly, that all who profefs and call themfelves Chriftians, may not only be led into the IVay of Truth, but hold the Faith in Unity of Spirit, in the Bond of Peac:, and in Righteousness 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 thall come, when the Kingdoms of this IVorld shall be the Kingdoms of our God and of his Chrift, in a Degree that they have never been yet; when all the People shall be righteousTM, and know the Lord, from the greatest unto the leaft".

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

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and eternal Manifestation of it in Heaven, which ought ever to be the Object of our most ardent Defires and Requefts. For as the Governor, and the Governed, and the great fundamental Laws of Government, are ftill 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 shall shine forth, as the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father; even that Kingdom, which was prepared for them from the Foundation of the World!', and fball reign with Him in it for ever and ever'.

But then, as we pray for this Time, we must prepare for it also: elfe we do Nothing but afk our own Condemnation; as the Prophet Amos hath most awfully warned us: Wo unto you that defire the Day of the Lord. To what End is it for you? The Day of the Lord is Darkness, 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

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Indeed what God wills to do Himfelf, that He doth accordingly, both in the Army of Heaven, and amongst the. Inhabitants of the Earth; and none can ftay his Hand. But what He wills Us to do, that He only requires of us, as we value his Favour, or fear his Displeasure ; 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

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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 aheady of

our own.

Now the Will of God confifts in these 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 with 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 let up ourselves above our Maker; to rebel against his Authority, deny his Wifdom, and diftruft his Goodness. The Ability therefore of fubmitting meekly to his Pleasure, is undoubtedly one great Thing that we are to requeft, and endeavour to ob

tain.

But ftill, as the bleffed Inhabitants of Heaven furely have little or no Occafion 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 Being 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 diftinct: on which Account, the higheft Character given of human Wisdom is, to be as an Angel of God, to difcern Good and Bad". It should there

y Luke xxii. 42.

2 Pf. ciii. 20, 21.

M 2

a 2 Sam. xiv. 17.

fore,

fore, when we make use of this Petition, be our Defire,` that We also, in our Degree, may be not unwise, but understanding what the Will of the Lord is; and may abound, more and more, in Knowledge and all Judgment . 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 Actions, upon which we value ourfelves, are perhaps only good Appearances; proceeding, fome from Conftitution, 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 these Respects then we muft earnestly pray, and diļigently 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 disobedient to it; then would our Earth resemble 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 these bleffed Spirits had a Mixture of evil ones amongst them; fo the Time will be, when we shall have no fuch Mixture amongst us: but fall become, in this and all Refpects, as the Angels of God in Heaven d.

• Eph. v. 17.

< Phil. i. 9.

d Matth. xxii. 30.

LEC

LECTURE

XXXII.

Give us this Day our daily Bread: And forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we forgive them that tref pass against us.

TH

HE three former of the six 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 understand, receive, and practife, true Religion, to God's Honour and our own eternal Happiness: after which we proceed, in the three laft, to ask 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 three Heads more the Relief of our temporal Neceffitics, -the Forgiveness of our paft Sins, and the Affiftance of his Grace againft future Temptations.

The firft 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 Pleasure: for what He hath bestowed, He can, with just the fame Eafe, at any Time, 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 his Sun to rife; that giveth us Rain from Heaven, and fruitful Seajons, filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness. Were He

a Matth. v. 45.

M 3

b Acts xiv. 17.

only

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