THE lord's prayer.
Matt. vi. 10. Thy kingdom come. Thy will he done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
HIGHLY as the Lord's Prayer is esteemed amongst us, and frequently as it is used, there is scarcely any part of Scripture less considered : we are contented with repeating the words, without ever attending to its true import. The fact is, that though it is written for the use of all, none can use it aright but the true Christian : it is the Christian only, whose heart can embrace the subjects contained in it.
The first petition which we are taught to offer, is, that God's " name may be hallowed" and adored. The two next petitions (which now come under our consideration) are intimately connected with it; they have respect to.
I. The universal establishment of his kingdom —
The kingdom, for the establishment of which we pray, is that of the Messiah —
[The dominion which God exercises by his providence, cannot be more universal than it is : " his kingdom ruleth over all." But the government w^hich he maintains over the souls of men has in every age been extremely limited and partial. That is the kingdom which God has determined to erect : of that the prophets have distinctly prophesied ^, and declared that it should be subjected to " Messiah the Prince^ :" its extent is to be universal, and its duration to the end of time '^.
The time was now at hand when the foundations of this kingdom were to be laid : and there was a general expectation, both among the godly ^ and the ungodly^, that measures for its establishment would speedily be adopted. True it is, that few, if any, sufficiently advert to the spiritual nature of this king- dom : but our Lord gradually rectified the apprehensions of his followers respecting it: and taught them to expect the long- wished-for period ; and to pray that nothing might be able to retard its arrival. Some have thought, that, since the esta- blishment of Christianity in the world, there is no further occa- sion for this petition : but there is, in fact, the same occasion for it now as there was at the first moment it was suggested to the disciples : the only difference between their use of it and ours is, that they prayed for the commencement of this king- dom, and loe for its progressive and final establishment. In- deed, the kingdom itself will never have attained its utmost bounds, till every enemy of it be put under the Messiah's feet, and every subject of it be perfected in glory.]
Nor can this event have too prominent a place in
om' prayers —
[After the general petition that God's name may be glo- rified, we are taught immediately to desire the advent of the Messiah's kingdom. Nor is this without reason : for it is by the establishment of this kingdom, and by that alone, that God's name can ever be sanctified in the earth. Look at the Heathen world, who are worshipping devils, or bowing down to stocks and stones : what glory has the Lord from them ? Look at those who are carried away by the Mahometan delusion, or hardened by Jewdsh infidelity : these profess indeed to acknow- ledge the one true God ; but they cast his word behind them, and are avowed enemies to his only-begotten Son. Look at the
a Dan. ii. 44. ^ Dan. vii. 13, 14. <= Ibid.
d 1 Cor. XV. 24, 25. e Luke ii. 38. and Mark xv. 43.
*■ Luke xvii. 20, 21.
1314.] THE lord's prayer. 187
Christian world, by whom he is dishonoured no less than by any of those whom we have before mentioned : with the ex- ception of a little remnant whom he has renewed by his grace, there is not one on earth that truly loves him, or cordially adores him : all have some idol in their hearts which they prefer to him, some darling lust which they will not sacrifice for his sake. Here surely is abundant reason why we should entreat him to put forth his almighty power for the conversion of the world.