bear Christ's name, and carry his colours, sure these cannot pray that Christ's king- dom of glory nuiy come, for then Christ will judge thcni, and, if they say this pray- er, they are hypocrites, they mean not as they Rpeak. But you who have the king- I dom of grace set up in your hearts, pray I much that the kingdom of glory may has- I ten : " Thy kingdom come." When this kingdom comes, then you shall behold Christ in all his embroidered robes of glory, shin- ing ten thousand times brighter than the sun in all its meridian splendour. When Christ's kingdom comes, the bodies of the saints that sleep in the dust shall be raised in honour, and made like Christ's glorious body ; then shall your souls like diamonds, sparkle with holiness ; you shall never have a sinful thought more, you shall be as holy as the angels, you shall be as holy as you would be, and as holy as God would have you to be ; then you shall be in a better state than in innocency. Adam was creat- ed a glorious creature, but mutable, — a bright star, but a falling star : but in the kingdom of heaven is u fixation of happi- ness ; when Christ's kingdom of glory conies, you shall be rid of all your enemies; as Moses said, Exod. xiv. 13., " The Egyp- tians, whom you have seen to-day, you shall see them again no more for ever.'' So those enemies who have plowed on the backs ol God's people, and made deep their furrows, when Christ shall come in his glory, you shall see these enemies no more. All Christ's enemies shall be " put u)ider his feet," I Cor. XV. 27., and before the wicked be destroyed, the saints shall judge them, I Cor. vi. 2.» " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" This will cut the wicked to the heart, that those whom they have for- merly scorned and scourged, shall sit as judges upon them, and vote with Christ in his judicial proceedings. O then well may you pray for the hastening of the kingdom of glory, " Thy kingdom come !"
4. If you have any good hope of this blessed kingdom, let this make the colour come in your faces, be of a sanguine cheer- ful temper. Have you a title to a kingdom, and sad ? Rom. v. 2., " We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Christians, the trumpet is ready to sound, — an eternal ju-
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
bilee is at liand, when a freedom from sin shall be proclaimed, — your coronation-day is a coming, — it is but ])uttin<^ off your clothes, and laying your head upon a pillow of dust, and you shall be enthroned in a kingdom, and invested with the embroider- ed robes of glory, — doth not all this call for a cheerful spirit ? Cheerfulness adorns re- ligion ; it is a temper of soul Christ loves, John xiv. 28., " If ye loved me, ye would rejoice." It makes many suspect heaven is not so pleasant, when they see those that walk thither so sad. How doth the heir rejoice in hope of the inhentance ? Who should rejoice if not a believer, who is heir of the kingdom, and such a kingdom as eye hath not seen ? When the flesh begins to droop, let faith lift up its head, and cause an holy jubilation and rejoicing in the soul. 5. Let the saints long to be in this bless- ed kingdom. A prince that travels in fo- reign parts doth he not long to be in his own nation, that he may be crowned? The bride desires the marriage-day. Rev. xxii. 17, 20., " The Spirit and the bride say come: ven so, come, Lord Jesus." Sure our un- willingness to go hence, shews either the weakness of our faith in the belief of the heavenly kingdom, or the strength of our doubtiiigs, whether we have an interest in it. Were our title to heaven more cleared, we should need patience to be content to stay here any longer. Again, our unwil- lingness to go hence declares, we love the world too much, and Christ too little. Love (as Aristotle saith) desires union; did we love Christ as we should, we would desire to be united to him in glory, when we might take our fill of love. Be humbled that ye are so unwilling to go lience; let us labour to arrive at that divine tem])er of soul as Paul had, ciijno c/issulvi, — " I desire to depart and be with Christ," Phil. i. 23. We are compassed with a body of sin ; should not we long to shake otf this viper ? We are in Mesech, and the tents of Kedar, in a place where we see God dishonoured ; siiould not we desire to have our pass to be gone? We are in a valley of tears ; is it not better being in a kingdom? Here we are combating with Satan ; should not we desire