A. 3. We must pray that the kingdom of glory may come, that by going into it, we may make an end of sinning. I tliink sometimes, what a blessed time it will be, never to have a sinful thought more ! Though we must not pray, " Thy kingdom come," out of discontent, because we would be rid of the troubles and crosses of this life. This was Jonah's fault ; he would die in a pet, because God took away his gourd ; " Lord (saith he) take I beseech thee my life from me," Jonah iv. 8. But we must pray, ' Thy kingdom come,' out of an holy design that the fetters of corrup- tion may be pulled off, and we may be as the angels, those virgin-spirits who never sin. This made the church pray. Rev. xxii. 20. Feni Doniine Jesn.
A. 4. Because that all Christ's enemies shall be put under his feet ; the devil shall have no more power to tempt, nor wicked men to persecute ; the antichristian hier- archy shall be pulled down, and Zion's glo- ry shall shine as a lamp, and the Turkish strength shall be broken.
A. 5. We must j)ray earnestly that the kingdom of glory may come, that we may see God " face to face," and have an unin- terrupted and eternal communion with him in the empyrean heaven. Moses desired but a glimpse of God's glory, Exod. xxxiii. 18. How then should we pray to see him in all his embroidered robes of glory, when he shall shine ten thousand times brighter than the sun in its meridian splendour ! Here, in this life, we do rather desire God, than enjoy him ; how earnestly therefore
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
447
sliould wo pray, ' Tliy k'lno^dom of fi^lory come !' Tlic bolioldiiig' ami enjoyinp; («o(l will bo (lie diamond in the rinp:, — tlie very qninti'ssonco of f^lory. And ninst we pray, " Tliy kinpfdom come?'' IIow tlicn ar(» tlioy ever like to come to heaven, who ne- ver pray for it ? Thoujjli God pves some profane persons " daily bread," who never pray for it; yet he will not jrive them a kinc^dom, who never pray for it. God may feed tl)em, but he will never cro\vn them. Use \sL Of information.
1. Branch. From all this yon see then that there is nothinj^ within the whole s])herc of relipon imposed upon unreason- able terms. W^lien God bids us serA'c him, it is no unreasonable request ; he will out of free g^race enthrone us in a kinirdom. When we hear of repentance, steeping our souls in brinish tears for sin, — or of morti- fication, beheading our kinjj-sin, — we are ready to grumble, and think this is hard and unreasonable : ' but, do we serve God for nought ?' Is it not infinite bounty to reward us with a kingdom ? This kingdom is as far above our thoughts, as it is beyond our deserts. No man can say, without wrong to God, that he is an hard master ; though he sets us about hard work, yet he is no hard master. God gives double pay : lie gives great vails in his service, — sweet joy and peace, — and a great reward after, 'an eternal weight of glory.' (lod gives the spring-flowers, and a crop ; he settles upon us such a kingdom as exceeds our faith. Prcpmhim quod fide non attivgitur, Aug. Such as mortal eye hath not seen, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, 1 Cor. ii. 9. Alas, what an infi- nite difference is there between duty <»"- j()iT>cd, and the kingdom prepared ! What is the shedding of a tear to a crown ! So that God's " commandments are not grie- vous," 1 John v, 3. Our service cannot be so hard, as a kingdom is sweet.
2. Branch. See hence the royal bounty of God to his children, that he hath jnepar- ed a kingdom for them, a kingdom bespan- gled witli g'lory ; it is infinitely above the
vail : so, when we speak of the kingdom of heaven, we must draw a vail, we cannot set it fi)rth in all its orient beauty and majr- nificence; gold and pearl do but faintly shadow it out, Rev. xxi. The glory of this kingdom is better felt than expressed.
1. They who inherit this kingdom are a- mkti sto'lia albis, — « clothed with white robes," Rev. vii. 9. White robes den<»te three things: (1.) Their dignity ; the Per- sians were arrayed in white, in token of honour. (2.) Their purity; the magis- trates among the Romans were clothed in white, therefore called candidati, to shew their integrity; thus the queen, tlie Lamb's wife, is arrayed in fine linen, pure and white, which is the " righteousness of the saints," Rev, xix. 8. (3.) Their joy : white is an emblem of joy, Eccl. ix. 7, 8., " Eat thy bread with joy, let thy garments be al- ways white."
2. The dwellers in this kingdom have " palms in their hands," Rev. vii. 9. In token of victory. They are conquerors over the world : and, being victors, they liaA'e now pahn-branches.