II. If we respect the persons desiring this coming, there is some- thing in them to move them to it. There is : —
1. The Spirit of Christ.
2. Certain graces which do necessarily issue themselves into this work.
3. Certain experiences they have, which put them upon this longing.
1. There is the Spirit of Christ : 'The Spirit and the bride saith, Come,' Eev. xxii. 17. The Holy Ghost breedeth this desire in the church. Nature saith, it is good to be here ; but this is a disposition above nature, the Spirit in the bride. The flesh and corrupt nature saith, * Depart ; ' but the Spirit saith, ' Come.' The great work of the Spirit is to bring us and Christ together ; he comes from the Father and the Son, to bring us to the Father by the Son. All he doth is to bring Christ and the spouse together ; therefore he enkindleth
Mat. VI. 10.] the lokd's prayer. 115
in the hearts of God's people a strong and earnest desire of his coming.
2. There are graces planted in us ; faith, hope, love, zeal. Faith, that is the ground of this desire. Christ saith he comes quickly ; and this provokes and draws up the desire to believe Christ will be as good as his word : John xiv. 2, 3, ' I go to my Father, and will come again to receive you to myself.' Christ hath ever been plain-hearted with us : he saith, ' I come ; ' and the church saith, ' Amen,' in a way of faith, ' Even so, come.' If Christ had gone away in discon- tent, and with a threatening in his mouth that we should never have seen his face more, then we could have had but cold hopes and faint desires; but he parted in love, and left a promise with us. The church and the believing soul saith, I have his word for it : he hath ever been punctual hitherto, and kept his word to a tittle, and hath said, ' I will come again.' This upholdeth the hearts of believers during his absence ; for they reason thus : What need had Christ to flatter or deceive us, or promise more than he will perform ? Would we flatter a worm that we can easily crush ? He can strike us dead if we do not please him ; he hath been true in all things, and we have ever found him plain-hearted. Then there is hope planted in the saints. Hope is faith's handmaid, it looks for that which we believe: faith determines the certainty of the thing, then hope looks for it. This grace was made on purpose that we might reach out to heaven and see if our beloved be coming, that we might expect our full and future happiness. God not only provides a glorious estate for us, but grace to expect it ; he works this hope in us that we might look after it : 1 Pet. i. 3, ' He hath begotten us again unto a lively hope.' Then there is love in the saints to Christ. This is an affection of union, it desires to be with the party beloved ; he desireth to be with us, and we with him. Love awakeneth earnest longings : * Oh, come, come ! why is his chariot so long a-coming ? ' As a loving wife stands upon the shore ready to w^elcome her expected husband, so doth love in the saints ; they desire to be with Christ, therefore they long for the kingdom of God coming to themselves out of love : Phil. i. 23, ' I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.' And upon the same ground they desire the general resurrection of the church. Especially is this inflamed with the thoughts of Christ's love to us. He hath removed his bodily presence from us, yet he cannot be satisfied until he and we meet again : John xiv. 3, ' I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also ; ' and John xvii. 24, ' And that you may be there with me, to behold my glory.' Christ is not satisfied in his glorious estate until we be with him, till lie hath our company, and we be beatified with the sight of him. Before his coming in the flesh, he delighted to be with the saints be- fore the world was : Prov. viii. 31. And when the world was made, before his incarnation, he took pleasure to come and appear in the fashion of a man, and converse with his people in human shape. In the days of his flesh, he delighted to spend his time and busy himself among them that are faithful. And when he was to go from us, he did assure us of returning, and cannot be quiet until we be with him. So, reciprocally, and according to our measure, doth love work
116 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 10,
in us ; we cannot be without Christ, therefore we long to be with him.
Then zeal is planted in the saints, and a tenderness for his glor3^ It is not their interest only which makes them desire his coming, but that the king may sit upon the throne, that Christ may reign in the most perfect manner, that the day of manifestation may come, that all mists and clouds which are upon his person may vanish. The saints that love the glory of God as well as their own salvation, nay, above their own salvation, are longing for that time when Christ shall be seen in all his glory, that he may be dishonoured no more, that sin and opposition may have an end. Here God hath not his perfect glory, neither from us nor from the wicked, neither from angels nor devils : not his perfect glory from us, and therefore the saints long for that time when Christ may be more admired in them ; it is the comfort of their souls that God is glorified in their glory, that there will a time come when he shall be admired and glorified in their glory, and when they shall praise him for evermore, without weakness and distraction. And then the wicked, that they may oppose and dishonour him no more, that the whole course of justice may be seen in the history of the world, which shall be produced at the day of judgment; that his power may be seen, when devils and all ungodly men are trodden underfoot, and all offences taken away, and all opposite powers are abolished. First, Christ would zealously affect us to the glory of God : ' Hallowed be thy name ; ' then he would have us pray, ' Thy kingdom come,' that our zeal for God s glory might make us earnest and instant for his kingdom. Then,