3. They sit upon the throne with Christ, Rev. iii. 21. Allien Csesar returned from conquering his enemies, there was set for him a chair <»f state in the senate, and a throne in the theatre. Thus the saints in glory, after their heroic victories, shall sit upon a throne with Christ. Here is royal bounty in God, to bestow such an illustri- ous kingdom uj)on the saints. It is a mer- cy to be pardoTied, but what is it to be crowned ? It is a mercy to be delivered from wrath to cf)me, but what is it to be invested into a kingdom ? " Behold, what manner of loA-e is this?" Earthly jninces may bestow great gifts and donations uj)on their subjects, but they keej) the kingdom to themselves. Though king Pharoah ad- vanced .Joseph to honour, and took the ring off his finger and gave him, yet he would keep the kingdom to himself. Gen. xli. 40. ; but God enthrones the saints in a kingdom ; God thinks nothing too good for his children ; we are ready to think much
model we can draw of it in our thoughts, of a tear, a prayer, or to sacrifice a sin fi>r
The painter going to draw the jticture of Helena, as not being able to draw her beau- ty to the life, drew her face covered with a
him, but he doth think much to bestow a kingdom upon us.
3. Branch. See hence that religion is no
448
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORDS PRAYER.
ifjnotninions di^c^raccful tiling. Satan la- h«)nrs to cast all the odium and reproach upon it tiiat he can ; that it is devout fren- zy, folly in-grain, Acts xxviii. 2.2., " For, as conceriiing this sect, we know that it is e- vcry where spoken against." But Avise men measure things by the end. \^niat is the end of a religious life ? It ends in a kingdom. Would a ])rince regard the slightings of a few frantics, when he is go- ing to be crowned? You who are begin- ners, bind their reproaches as a crown a- bout y(uir head, despise their censures as much as their praise ; a kingdom is a-com-
ing.
4. Branch. See wliat contrary ways the godly and the wicked go at death ; tiie god- ly go to a kingdom, the wicked to a prison ; tlie devil is the jailor, and they arc bound with the " chains of darkness," Jude 6. But what are these chains ? Not iron chains, but worse, — the chain of God's de- cree, decreeing them to torment, — and tlie chain of God's power, whereby lie binds them fast under wrath ; this is the deplor- able condition of impenitent sinners, they do not go to a kingdom when they die, but to a prison. O think what horror and des- pair will possess the wicked, when they see themselves ingulphed in miseiy, and their condition hopeless, helpless, endless ; they are in a fiery prison, and no possibility of getting out ! A servant under the law, who had an hard master, yet every seventh year was a year of I'elease when he might go free : but in hell there is no year of re- lease when the damned shall go free, — the fire, the worm, the prison, are eternal. If the whole world, from earth to heaven, were filled with grains of sand, and once in a thousand years an angel should come and fetcli away one grain of sand, how ma- ny millions of ages would ])ass before that vast heap of sand would be quite spent ? Yet, if after all this time the sinner miirht come out of bell, there were some hope ; but this word ever breaks the heart with despair.
5. Branch. See then that whicb may make us in love with holy duties ; every duty spiritually performed brings us a step
riches, counts trading pleasant, because it brings in riches : if our hearts are set upon heaven, we shall loA'^e duty because it brings us by degrees to the kingdom, — we are go- ing to heaven in the way of duty. Holy duties increase grace; and as grace ripens, so glory liistens; the duties of religion are irksome to flesh and blood, but we should look upon them as spiritual chariots to car- ry us apace to the heavenly kingdom. The Protestants in France called their church paradise ; and well they might, because the ordinances did lead them to the paradise of God. As every flower hath its sweetness, so would every duty, if we would look upon it as giving us a lift nearer heaven.