kingdom within you; not for the kingdom within you only, but without you too.

3. An active concern for it, not in wishing and woulding only, but putting to your hand to get it forward, 1 Cor. iv. 20. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. And this ye will do, as ye have accefs in the world, and particularly in your own hearts and lives. It will fet you to keep up a conftant war with the enemies, the devil, the world, and your own lufts.

4. Lastly, A fuperlative concern for it, maftering and fwallowing up all your other concerns. You will fay as the captives in Babylon did, If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerufalem above my chief joy, Pfal. cxxxvii. For if ye belong to God, your chief intereft is in that kingdom, and where your treafure is, there will your heart be alfo.

6.

USE III. and laft of exhortation. I exhort you to join iffue this day with Zion's King, to have common friends and enemies with him, come what will. Set yourselves against the kingdom of fin and Satan in the world and your own hearts; Pfal. ii. ult. Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perifh from the way, when bis wrath is kindled but a little. And do ye exert heart and hand, that his kingdom may come. In this matter ye cannot be neutral: For he that is not with me, fays Chrift, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, Scattereth abroad, Matth. xii. 30. Therefore if ye be not with heart and hand fet for the advancement of this kingdom, I declare you enemies to it. Come then,

First, Be concerned that the kingdom of God's power may come; that he may ftretch out his almigh-, ty arm, and gain ground to himself in the world.

1. It is an univerfal kingdom. All is in his hand. He can reach to the ends of the earth. It extends over all perfons and things; and he can make all things fubferve his purpofes. He can difplay his glorious

arm in bringing in fhoals of volunteers into the king. dom of grace, and utterly rout out all the legions of hell that are in combination against him.

2. It is an uncontrollable kingdom. None can refift him, more than the clay can refift the potter, Dan. iv. 35. He doth according to his will in the army of hea ven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doft thou? He will work, and who can let it? It is in vain to contend with this almighty Sovereign; for he can eafily con. quer all his enemies, as easily as he caused the Red fea fwallow up Pharaoh and all his hoft. He can baffle all the machinations and plots of his adverfaries, dif concert their best-laid projects, and make them retreat with fhame and confufion. These are great encou ragements for this concern.

.

Secondly, Be concerned that the kingdom of the gofpel may come. For motives, confider,

I

1. That it is not an univerfal kingdom, but a narrow one, and that it is to be enlarged. For Chrift has declared, that this gospel of the kingdom fhall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, Matth. xxiv. 14. Though now this kingdom be confined within narrow bounds, yet it fhall, according to Chrift's promife, have a more diffusive spread ; and the time will come when the Jews fhall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles, and the kingdoms of this world fhall become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chrift,

&

2. It is a moveable kingdom. It may be taken from them that have it. Chrift may remove his throne, as he did from the Jews, Matth. xxi. 43. and as he has done in many once famous churches. Where are now the feven churches in the Leffer Afia? and where are many of thofe churches that were planted by the apofile of the Gentiles? Alas! their candlestick has Leen long ago removed out of its place, and the delufions of Mahomet prevail in thote where places ence pure doctrines of the gofpel were preached. Tho'

Chrift will always have a church on earth, yet it is confined to no particular country or place. And therefore we in this land fhould earneftly pray, that the kingdom of the gofpel may come more illuftrioufly among us, and that it may continue with us to the end of time, that we may ftill 'fee many days of the Son of man, and that the candle of gofpel-light may ever fhine brightly among us. Thefe confiderations should influence us always to pray that Chrift's gofpel-kingdom may come among us, and be spread through the world.

Thirdly, Be concerned, that the kingdom of grace may come. Confider,

3

i. It is a kingdom that eafily gets a back-fet, Cant. ii. 15. It may be thriving in a foul this moment, and the next going to decay. There is need of much faith and watchfulness for preferving and maintaining it. A multitude of formidable foes are ftill oppofing it, and all the subjects of it have no power to refitt them. They muft look to their Captain-General, and be ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. It is only through him that they can do valiantly, for it is he alone who treads down their enemies under their feet. And through him they fhall be more than conquerors. Truft ye then in the Lord for ever; for with the Lord Jehovah is everlafting ftrength. Be fober then, and watch unto prayer, left ye fall into temptation. Cry unto your King, for he will fave you, and gradually overcome all your enemies.

2. Yet this is a kingdom that can never be overturned, never removed, Heb. xii. 8. It is a fpark of fire in the midst of an ocean, that can never be quite drowned or extinguished. The bruifed reed fhall not be broken, and the fmoking flax fhall never be quenched. All the combinations of advertaries, however formidable, fhall never overturn this kingdom; for the gates of hell fhall never prevail againft it. It is built on the Rock Chrift, and all the furges and waves of the dragon's ficod fhall never overturn the edifice,

The name of this city is, The Lord is there. Of this kingdom of grace, it may well be faid, Affociate yourfelves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye Jhall be broken in peices: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counfel together, and it shall come to nought; fpeak the word, and it fhall not ftand: for Ged is with us, If. viii. 9. 10. Thefe are powerful confiderations for inducing you to a hearty concern for the coming of this kingdom of grace.

Fourthly, Be concerned that the kingdom of glory may come. Confider,

1. Sin and trouble will have an end put to them there. The ftage of fin and vanity will then be put down for ever, and none of the fcenes that have fo much vexed the righteous here will ever be exhibited again. All corruptions, temptations, and backfliding from God, will then come to a final period. All bodily trouble and fpiritual diftrefs thall cease,' and never more be heard of.

2. Grace and happinefs will then arrive at their full perfection. The mystery of God will then be finish ed. Then will God's kingdom of power, of the gofpel, and of grace, fully obtain their end; and all the fubjects of Chrift fhall be completely bleffed in the full enjoyment of him for evermore. Let us all then fay, Let the kingdom of glory be haftened. Amen.

The Third Petition.`

MATTHEW vi. 10.

Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

TH

HIS third petition relates to the will of God, the doing of which is defired by all the children of God. And as by the coming of his kingdom his name is hallowed, fo by doing of his will his king

dom comes or is advanced, and we own him to be our King, Heb. xiii. 21. So all thefe three petitions meet in one great defirable point, viz. the glory of God. This is the fcope of them all.

Obferve here by the by, that we are directed to speak to God in prayer as to one, Hallowed be thy name, not your name; Thy will be done, not your will. Wherefore then fhould any forfake fuch a form of found words, for fuch a harsh one, as speaks to

God by ye and your, your Majefty, ye know all things,

c.? I will not infift on what may be faid to defend it, from the plurality of perfons in the Godhead, the manner of speaking to kings, and from common converfation, (those who ufe it, I fuppofe, doing it rather from cuftom than judgement). But it is not the fcripture-way of fpeaking to God; it is not the way of this pattern of prayer; it is offenfive to, and grating in the ears of the most part of Chriftians, as favcaring of the opinion of the plurality of gods, and therefore ought to be forfaken. I may well fay in this cafe, But if any man feem to be contentious, we have no fuch custom, neither the churches of God, 1 Cor xi. 16.

In difcourfing from this petition, I fhall fhew,

I. What is meant by the will of God.
II. By whom is God's will done in heaven.
III. What is the import of this petition.

X

IV. The reafons why the faints have fuch a concern, that the will of God may be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

V. Apply.

I. I am to fhew what is meant by the will of God. By it we are to underftand the will of his commands, and the will of his providence.

First, The will of God's commands, Heb. xiii. 21. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will. Mat. vii. 21. He that doth the will of my Father which is in