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they that do fo fhall be reckoned among his jewels, and be a royal diadem in the Lord's hand; they shall be happy in death, and be fafely conveyed to Immanuel's land, where glory dwells. Let us then make it the principal bufinefs of our lives to glorify God, that fo we may come to enjoy him for ever.

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The Second Petition.

MATTHEW vi. 10.

Thy kingdom come.

S the first petition relates to the name of God, this fecond relates to the kingdom of God, the kingdom of our Father which is in heaven; the coming of which, that is, the advancement thereof, is defired by all the children of God. And that is the great mean of glorifying his name; for then is his name hailowed, when his kingdom comes, is advanced and carried on, till it come to perfection.

In difcourfing further from this fubject, I fhall fhew,

I. What is meant by the kingdom of God.

II. What is the import of this petition for its coming.

III. The reafons of the concern of the children of God for the coming of his kingdom.

IV. Lastly, Apply.

I. I am to fhew what is meant by the kingdom of God. There is a fourfold kingdom of God mentioned in fcripture.

1. The kingdom of his power, which reaches over all the world. The fubjects of this kingdom are all creatures whatsoever, Pfal. ciii. 19. His kingdom ruleth over all. It reaches from the higheft angel to the VOL. III.

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meanest worm that creeps on the earth. It is a vast dominion, comprehending heaven, earth, feas, and hell, and all that in them is. He made them all, and therefore has dominion over them all, and to him they must all fubmit themfelves willing or unwilling, Rom. xiv. 11. As I live, faith the Lord, every knee fhall bow to me, and every tongue fhall confefs to God. Compire Phil. ii. io. 11. At the name of Jefus every knee Jhall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In this refpect God is univerfal Monarch, and all the kings and emperors of the world are but his vaffals.

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2. The kingdom of his gofpel, Matth. xxi. 43. The kingdom of God fhall be taken from you, fay's Chrift to the Jews. This is not fo large as the former. It is erected within it, but comprehends the whole vifible church,. in which God has fet up the light of his gofpel, and Chrift's name is known, and men profefs fubjection to him.

(1.) The fubjects of it are all members of the vi fible church, whether godly or ungodly, fincere or hypocrites, (Matth. xiii. 47.), with their children. Even the worst of them are privileged perfons, in comparison of thofe of the world without the church, Pfal. cxlvii. 19. 20. He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his ftatutes and his judgements unto Ifrael. He bath not dealt fo with any nation and as for his judgements, they have not known them.

(2.) The king of it is Jefus Chrift, Pfal. ii. 6. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy of Zion. He is the alone Head of it, and only fupreme in it. And neither pope nor king can pretend to the fupremacy over it, without invading his royal prerogative, to their own coft, Eph. i. 22. 23. God hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. And his glory he will not give to another.

(3.) The laws of it are the word of God. The Bible is the book of the laws of the kingdom, which great and fmall within the kingdom are equally bound to walk by, If. viii. 20. To the law and to the teftimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because. there is no light in them. These laws are attended with the most weighty fanction; and as they have the promife of eternal life of free grace to those who obey him, fo they have the threatening of eternal wrath to the disobedient, fuitable to the majesty of the King, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth shall be faved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

(4.) The ordinances of it are gofpel ordinances inftituted by the King himself, bearing his own fignature, Matth. xxviii. 20. Teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever I have commanded you. And for men to pretend to add or alter, as if they were not bound up to the divine inftitution, is the product of their own blindness and enmity against Zion's King, a faying in effect, We will not have this man to reign over us, Luke xix. 27. For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our、 Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, I. xxxiii. 22.

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Lastly, The officers of it (ordinary) are paftors and teachers for the work of the miniftry, Eph. iv. 11. 12, ruling elders for government, 1 Tim. v. 17. and deacons for the care of the poor, Acts vi. As for prelates or bishops, archbishops, inetropolitans, &c. whatever is to be faid of their perfons, their offices belong not to the kingdom of Chrift, but of Antichrift, as well as priests, cardinals, and popes, there being no inftitution of them in the book of the manner of Chriff's kingdom.

3. The kingdom of his grace, Matth. vi, 33. Seek ye firft the kingdom of God, &c. This is yet narrower than any of the former, and comprehends only the invifible church; for it is not an external, but an internal kingdom, in which grace, faving grace reigns in the hearts of thofe who belong to it; for, fays Chrift

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to his difciples, behold the kingdom of God is within you, Luke xvii. 21.

(1.) The subjects of it are believers, true faints, and they only; and they commence fubjects of this king. dom in the day of Chrift's power on their hearts, their new-birth day, Pfal. cx. 3. Well may it be called a kingdom, for it is a kingdom of kings, Rev. i. 6. as all the subjects of it are made kings unto God. Out of prifon (their natural ftate) they come to reign over their fpiritual enemies.

(2.) The King of it is Chrift dwelling in their hearts, Eph. iii. 17. fitting in their hearts as on his throne, and all things elfe made his footftool, Luke xiv. 26, The gofpel comes with power to the elect fouls, Pfal. xxiv. 8. The everlasting doors are lifted up, and the King makes his triumphant entry, and receives the crown at his entrance, Cant. iii. ult.

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(3.) The laws of it are the laws of the Bible, but written over in their hearts, Heb. viii. 10. What o thers have in their book only, they have in their book and heart too; that is, inclinations of foul fuited to the word are framed in them, which is a new nar ture, naturally difpofing them to obedience without force. This is the law of their mind, Rom. vii. 23. (4.) The ordinances of it are the fame gofpel ordinances, but obferved in a spiritual manner, in fpirit and truth, John iv. 24. Phil. iii. 3. For this kingdom confifts not in outward obfervances, but inward graces, Rom, xiv. 17. whereby the foul is conformed to the image of Chrift, and the inner man ferves the Lord Chrift as well as the outward man; for it is not in word, but in power.

Laftly, The Adminiftrator of it is the Holy Spirit of Chrift, John xiv. 16. 17. He teaches the fubjects the laws of the kingdom. So they are taught of God. lle enlivens, excites, and ftrengthens them to obedi ence. He leads them out to the war against their fpi ritual enemies, infpires them with courage and resoluthe conflict, and crowns them with victory.

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He makes use of the word for all this, and brings every thought into obedience, 2 Cor. x. 5.

4. The kingdom of his glory, 1 Cor. xv. 50. This is the bleffed ftate of eterntal happiness in the other world. This kingdom is now a-gathering, but shall fully come at the fecond coming of Chrift.

(1.) The subjects of it fhall be all the elect, being. prepared for it by converfion, regeneration, juftification, fanctification, and perfeverance. This is the end. of the golden chain, Rom. viii. 29. 30. (And the elect angels make up a part of this kingdom too.) However long any of than lie among the pots, there fhall none of them be left there, nor mifling in that kingdom. There they fhall be in body and foul too. For Chrift will fummon death to deliver him his own, and then he will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and prefent them fpotlefs.

(2.) The King of it is God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, reigning moft gloriously over all the kingdom, without the leaft degree of rebellion or unealinefs under the government among all the fubjects, and without any mixture of enemies or malecontents among them, Luke xx. 36. This then is the kingdom by way of eminency, where the Lord reigns for ever and ever. The kingdom of his power has many malecontents in it, ready to quarrel with their Maker and his adminiftration. The kingdom of the gospel has many adverfaries, without and within men, and is held out of many nations. The kingdom of grace has no accefs to the hearts of many who hear the gofpel, and where it is fet up, ill neighbours, corrupt lufts, mar the progrefs. But in the kingdom of glory there are no fuch things.

(3) The laws of it are the eternal law of righteoufnels indelibly engraven on their hearts, without the leaft blot. There is no Bible needed there; for the rule of conduct is written on the mind, and.the writing neither waxes old nor can be erafed.

(4) The ordinances of it are perpetual praifes and

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