Use. Let us prjiy that Satan's kingdom, set up in the world, may be thrown down. It is sad to think that though the devil's kingdom be so bad, yet that it should have so many to support it. Satan hath more to stand up for his kingdom, than Christ hath for his. What a large harvest of souls hath Satan ; and God only a iew gleanings ! The Pope and the Turk give their power to Satan. If in God's visible church the devil hath so many loyal subjects that serve him with their lives and souls, then how do his subjects swarm in places of idolatry and paganism where there is none to oppose him but all vote on the devil's side ? Men are willingly slaves to Satan ; they will fight and die for him ; therefore Satan is not only called " the prince of this world," John xii. 31., but the "god of this world," 2 Cor. iv. 4., to show what power Satan hath over men's souls. O let us pray that God will break the sceptre of the devil's kingdom, that INIichael may destroy the dragon, that by the help of a religious ma- gistracy and ministry the hellish kingdom of the prince of darkness may be beaten down ! Satan's kingdom must be thrown down before Christ's kingdom can flourish in its power and majesty.
2. AVhen we pray, " Thy kingdom come;" here is something positively intended :
\st. We pray that the kingdom of grace may be set up in our hearts and increased.
2d. That the kingdom of glory may has- ten, and that we may, in God's due time, be translated into it.
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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I begin with the first, tlie kingdom of grace. When we ])ray, " Thy kingdom come," we pray \st. Tliat the kingdom of grace may come into our hearts. This is regnum Dei, — God's lesser kingdom, Rom. xiv. IT., "The kingdom of (Jod is righ- teousness." Luke xvii. 21., " Tlie king- dom of God is within you."
Quest. 1. JVInj is grace called a langdom ?
Ans. Because, when grace comes, there is a kingly government set up in the soul. Grace rules the will and affections, and brings the whole man in subjection to Christ ; grace doth king it in the soul ; it sways the sceptre, it subdues mutinous lusts, and keeps the soul in a spiritual de- corum.
Quest. 2. Why is there such need thai we shoidd pray that this kingdom of grace may come into our hearts ?
Ans. 1. Because, till the kingdom of grace come, we have no right to the cove- nant of grace. The covenant of grace is sweetened with love, bespangled with pro- mises ; the covenant of grace is our magna charta, by virtue of which God passeth him- self over to us to be our God ; but who are heirs of the covenant of grace ? Only such as have the kingdom of grace in their hearts, Ezek. xxxvi. 26., " A new heart will I give you, and. a new spirit will T put, witliin you ;" there is the kingdom of grace set up in the soul ; then it follows, ver. 28., ' I will be your God.' The covenant of grace is to an ungracious person a sealed foun- tain ; it is kept as a paradise with a flam- ing sword, that the sinner may not touch it ; without grace you have no more right to it than a farmer to the city-charter.
A. 2. Unless the kingdom of grace be set up in our hearts, our purest offerings are defiled ; they may be good as to the matter, but not as to the manner ; they want that which should meliorate and sweet- en them. Under the law, if a man who was unclean by a dead body, did carry a piece of holy flesh in his skirt, the holy flesli could not cleanse him, but he polluted it, Hag. ii. 12. Till the kingdom of grace be in our hearts, ordinances do not purify us, but we pollute them ; the prayer of an ungracious person becomes sin, Prov. xv. 8. In wliat a sad condition is a man be-
fore God's kingdom of grace be set up in his heart ! A\'hethor he comes or comes not to the ordinance, he sins ; if he doth not come to the ordinance, he is a contem- ner of it ; if he doth come, he is a polluter of it ; a sinner's works are opera mortua, dead works, Ilcb. i. 6., and those works which are dead cannot please God : a dead flower hath no sweetness.