what is clean and pure.. And the most valuable purity, beyond comparison, being that of a mind untainted by sin, and secure from tendencies towards it: holiness more especially denotes this; and may in various degrees be ascribed to men and angels; but in absolute perfection to none, but God. For he, and he alone, is infinitely removed from all possibility of doing, or thinking, or approving evil. This then is the sense, in which we are to acknowledge, that holy and reverend is his name*: this conception of him is the manner in which we are to hallow it, and sanctify the Lord God in our hearts†: a matter of unspeakable importance, and the very foundation of all true religion. For if we are not fully persuaded, that he is of purer eyes, than to behold evil with indifference; if we imagine, that he can ever act unrighteously himself, or allow others to do so; that he is in any case the author of sin: or esteems and loves any thing in his creatures, but uprightness and goodness; or shews himself to be other, than a perfectly great, and wise, and just, and gracious Being; so far as we do this, we mistake his nature, and dishonour him; and set up an idol of our own fancy, instead of the true God. The consequence of which will be, that in proportion as our notions of him are false, our worship, imitation, and obedience will be erroneous also: our piety and our morals will both be corrupted: we shall neglect what alone can recommend us to him: we shall hope to please him by performances of no value, perhaps by wicked deeds; and the light, that is in us, will become darkness §. No wonder then, if we are directed to make it our Psal. cxi. 9. +1 Pet. iii. 15. § Matth. vi. 23. 1 first petition, that we and all men may hallow God's holy name, as we ought: that so right a sense of his nature and attributes, especially his wisdom, justice, and goodness, may prevail through the world, as may banish at once both prophaneness and superstition, and engage us all to fear and love him equally: that we may entertain such notions of Christianity, as will promote its honour; and allow ourselves in nothing, that may bring disgrace upon it, or tempt any to blaspheme, instead of sanctifying, that worthy name by which they are called*: but that each of us, in our stations, may, with all diligence, and all prudence, propagate the belief of pure religion and undefiled before God and the Fathert. This is the way, and the only way possible, for us truly to honour him, and be truly good and happy; happy in ourselves, and in each other; in the present world, and that which is to come. With this petition therefore our blessed Lord most rationally directs us to begin. And let us all remember, that what he bids us pray for in the first place, he will expect that we should endeavour after in the first place, and as we acknowledge him, who hath called us, to be holy, that we should be holy also, in all manner of conversation‡. * James ii. 7. † James i. 27. + 1 Pet. i. 15. LECTURE XXXI. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. THE second petition of the Lord's Prayer, Thy kingdom come, follows very naturally after the first, Hallowed be thy name. For hallowing the name of God, that is, entertaining just notions, and being possessed with a deep sense, of the holiness of his nature, his abhorrence of sin, his justice and goodness; is the necessary preparative for submitting to, and being faithful subjects of that kingdom, for the coming of which we are directed to pray. God indeed is, ever was, and cannot but be, Lord and King of the whole world, possessed of all right and all dominion over all things: as the plainest reason shews, and the conclusion of this very prayer, in conformity to the rest of Scripture, acknowledges. In this sense therefore we cannot pray for his kingdom, as something future, but only rejoice in its being actually present: for what can be greater joy, than to live under the government of infinite mercy, wisdom, and power? The Lord reigneth: let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of isles be glad thereof*. But besides this natural kingdom of God, there is a moral and spiritual one, founded on the willing * Psalm xcvii. 1. obedience of reasonable creatures to those laws of righteousness, which he hath given them. Now this, we have too plain evidence, is not yet come amongst men, so fully as it ought. The very first of human race revolted from their Maker; and their descendants, as both Scripture and other history shews, grew, age after age, yet more and more disobedient: till at length the inhabitants of the whole earth, instead of being the happy subjects of God's rightful empire, became, by immoral lives, and idolatrous worship, most wretched slaves to the usurped dominion of the wicked one. The wisdom and goodness of God made immediate provision, through his only Son our Lord, to oppose this kingdom of darkness, as soon as it appeared in the world: not by his absolute power; for obedience loses its value, unless it proceeds from choice; but by the rational method of instructions, promises, and warnings from heaven, superadded to what nature taught, and suited to the circumstances of every age. These he gave at first by the patriarchs to all men promiscuously; and whoever acknowledged his authority, and obeyed his law, was a good subject and true member of his kingdom. But when afterwards, notwithstanding this care, the corruption of mankind was become general, he chose the posterity of his servant Abraham, and distinguished them by his especial favour: not as casting off the rest of the world; for in every nation, at all times, they that fear God, and work righteousness, are accepted with him* : but that, in this people at least, the profession of faith in him, and subjection to him, might be kept alive; not merely for their own benefit, but the information of others also. With them therefore was Acts x. 35. the kingdom of God, in a peculiar degree, for 1500 years. While they flourished in their own land, they held forth the light of truth to all the nations round them. And when they were led captive, or dispersed into other lands, they spread it yet farther and thus were great instruments in preparing the rest of mankind for that general re-establishment of obedience to the true God, as King and Lord of all, which our blessed Saviour came to effect. The Gospel dispensation therefore having this for its end, and being much more perfectly fitted to attain it, than any preceding manifestation of religion had been; the Scripture, in a distinguished manner, calls it the kingdom of God, or of heaven : both which words denote, in exactly the same view, that dominion, which, in Daniel it is foretold, the God of heaven should set up, and which should never be destroyed. Our Saviour was then, after John the Baptist, only giving notice of its approach, and opening the way for setting it up, when he first directed his disciples to pray, that it might come. By his death he raised it on the ruins of the devil's usurpation, over whom he triumphed on his cross†: and now it hath been many ages in the world. But still it is by no means come, in that extent, and to that good effect, which we have reason to beg that it may, and to believe that it will. The largest part of mankind hath not, so much as in profession, entered into this kingdom: but lies overwhelmed in Pagan idolatry, Jewish unbelief, or Mahometan delusion. The largest part of Christians have corrupted the doctrines of Christ with grievous errors: and those who preserve the purest faith, too generally † Col. ii. 5. * Dan. ii. 44. |