583 things, and for thy Pleasure they are and were created. So that this is the Hallowing the Name of God, which is the Work of Saints and Angels in Heaven, who ceafe not day or night, faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hofts; and which we are likewife to begin here on Earth, not only rendring to him all Praife and Thanksgiving ourselves, but wifhing and praying that all others may hallow and adore his holy Name, that all Minds may entertain worthy Thoughts of him, and that all Tongues may celebrate and fpeak of his Praife. Moreover, because the Name of God may be honour'd or difhonour'd by our Actions as well as Words, we are directed to do all thofe things whereby God may be glorify'd, and avoid all those whereby his Name may be difhonour'd or blafphem'd.

This is the firft and great thing we pray for, when we fay, Hallowed be thy Name; to wit, that God may be glorify'd, and that all things in Heaven and Earth may promote his Honour, and found forth his Praife.

But befide this, there are fome other things, which by reafon of their relation unto God, have his Name ftamp'd upon them, and therefore are ftyl'd Sacred, and are to be us'd and accounted as holy unto the Lord; not by any original effential Holiness, which is peculiar to God only, but by a deriv'd relative Holinefs, which is communicated to all thofe things that bear his Name, and belong to him. As,

(1.) There are fome Perfons who are fet apart to minifter about holy things, and are therefore ftyl'd God's Minifters, being call'd by his Name, and commiffion'd by his Authority to teach, to blefs, and to pray for the People: and as these are to demean themfelves as holy Perfons appointed to attend the Service of God, so are they to be honour'd as God's Ambaffadors, and treated as the Minifters of Jefus Chrift; the Relation they have to God, and their Dedication to his Service, ought to fecure them from Contempt, and procure them the Love and Veneration of Mankind.

(2.) There are fome Times fet apart for the Worfhip and Service of God, and are therefore call'd by his Name; fuch is the Sabbath or Lord's Day, which being dedicated to him, and challeng'd as his, is to be hallow'd and kept holy to the Lord, by fetting it apart from the daily and ordinary Bufinefs of our Calling, and devoting it to the holy Offices of Religion for we are commanded, to Remember the Sabbath-Day to keep it Holy, God claiming it as his, and by

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his own refting on that Day hath blefs'd and hallow'd it to his own Service.

(3.) There are fome Places fet apart and dedicated to the Worship of God, which are call'd by his Name, and are likewife to be kept holy unto him: This is evident not only from the Care and Coft beftow'd on the Temple by God's own Appointment, under the Old Teftament, but likewife from our Saviour's Indignation and Severity against the Profaners of it, under the New; for he whip'd the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple, and fharply rebuk'd thofe that made the House of Prayer a Den of Thieves. In like manner we find the Apoftle checking fome among the Corinthians for polluting thofe holy Places; faying, What, have ye not Houfes to eat and drink in, or despise ye the Church of God? 1 Cor. 11. 22.

(4.) There is a certain Portion of our Poffeffions fet apart by God, the Giver of all, for the Maintenance of his Service: This being referv'd by him as his, and call'd by his Name, is likewife to be hallow'd or kept holy; and that is, by applying it to thofe Ufes which God has appointed, without alienating or detaining any part of it; for to withhold this confecrated Part of our Subftance, or to turn it to any other Ufe, is to rob God, and to bring a Curfe upon all that we poffefs.

Laftly, Becaufe the Name of God may be hallow'd or profan'd by our Lives and Actions, as well as Words; we are requir'd by our Good Works to glorify God, and to take care that by our evil Deeds his Name be not blafphem'd,

Thus we fee the Senfe of this Petition, and what we pray for when we fay, Hallowed be thy Name; namely, that God in all things may be glorify'd, that we never mention any of his Titles without the Honour and Refpect due to them; that we demean ourfelves fuitably to all his Attributes, loving him for his Goodnefs, admiring his Wif dom, trufting his Power, believing his Promifes, fearing his Threats, and at all times celebrating the Praifes due to his Name,

Moreover, We pray that all this may be done, not by ourfelves alone, but by all others, that they may all entertain honourable and worthy Thoughts of God, and make his Glory the great End and Scope of all their Actions; that they may all adore his Perfections, celebrate his Praises, and have a due regard to all that bears his Name, or be

longs

longs to him. In a word, we are here taught to honour God with our Heart, by bearing a fincere Love to him and his ways; with our Mouths, by frequent Acknowledgments of him, and speaking well of all he doth; with our Lives, by living as becometh his Children and Servants, that our Light may fo fhine before Men, that they seeing our good. Works may glorify our Father which is in Heaven.

:

This is to hallow the Name of God; which being made the first Petition in our Prayers, fhews that we are in the first place to mind the Honour of our Maker, and to direct all our Thoughts, Words, and Actions to the Advancement of his Glory and as our Saviour hath made this the principal Subject of our Prayers, fo ought we to make it the main Scope of all our Endeavours, left our Practices give the lye to our Prayers, and we by wicked Lives blemish and blafpheme that holy Name which we defire should be hallowed.

H

DISCOURSE VI.

LUKE xi. 2.

Thy Kingdom come.

AVING explain'd the firft Petition in the Lord's Prayer, and hew'd what we are to understand by Hallowing the Name of God; to wit, the Advancement of his Honour and Glory: I proceed now to the

Second, which contains the Way and Means conducing thereunto, and that is, by the Propagation of his Kingdom; for which we pray in the next words, Thy Kingdom come.

This Petition feems more especially to refpect that Time and State of things at which it was deliver'd, when that Kingdom, which St. John a little before declar'd to be at band, and which Chrift himself told fome ftanding about him that they should fhortly fee, began to appear; at which time it was very proper to pray for the coming and propagating of that Kingdom, which was promis'd and long expected, and then feem'd to have its Beginning. But tho

this Petition feems chiefly calculated for that time, when this Kingdom began, yet is it ftill feasonable and requifite to be put up for the Growth and Increase of it, that it may be not only confirm'd and continu'd, but may likewife profpet and flourish in the World; and therefore in treating of it, I must enquire,

First, What is here meant by the Kingdom of God. Secondly, What by the Coming of this Kingdom. And, Thirdly, What we pray for, when we fay, Thy Kingdom

come.

For the

First, We must diftinguish of a twofold Kingdom.

The one general, which God exercifes over the whole World. The other particular, by which he governs his Church and People.

ift, His general Kingdom extends itself over all things in Heaven and Earth: for as God made the World, and all the Creatures in it, fo is he the fupreme Monarch and Sovereign of it, all inferior Princes being his Viceroys and Deputies, to rule for and under him; for which reafon he is often ftyl'd, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Of this is that of the Pfalmift, The Lord hath prepar'd his Throne in the Heavens, and his Kingdom ruleth over all. To this Kingdom not only all the Powers on Earth, but all the Devils in Hell are fubject; they are all referv'd in Chains of Darkness, and can go no farther than they will let them to this likewife all wicked Men are and must be subject; God Almighty reftraining and punishing them as he fees caufe, faying with him in the Parable, But thofe mine Enemies that would not that Ifhould reign over them, bring them hither, and lay them before me, Luke 19. 27. But befide this univerfal Kingdom that ruleth over all, there is,

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2dly, A more particular Kingdom, which God'exercises over his Church and People, ruling in their Hearts by Faith, and guiding them by his Holy Spirit. This is in Scripture call'd the Kingdom of the Meffias, or the Mediatorial Kingdom which God exercifeth by the Mediator, to whom he bath given all Power both in Heaven and Earth; and is therefore fometimes ftyl'd the Kingdom of Christ, fometimes the Kingdom of Heaven, and fometimes the Kingdom of God. And this particular Kingdom is likewife double, viz. The Kingdom of Grace, and the Kingdom of Glory; the one refpects this Life, the other the next.

(1.) The

(1.) The Kingdom of Grace confifts partly of all thofe that give up their Names to Chrift by Baptifm, that embrace the Gofpel, and by an outward Profeffion own themfelves for his Servants and Subjects, tho they do not always anfwer it by a fuitable Converfation; and partly likewife of thofe that pay him a true and real Subjection, yielding up the Hearts to him, and leading their Lives in due Obedienced his Laws. This is the Kingdom of God within us, of which we read Luke 17. 21. and this confifts not (as the Apoftle tells us) in Meat and Drink, or any external Obfervances, but in Righteousness, and Peace, and Foy in the Holy Ghost. The former of thefe are the vifible Subjects of Chrift's Kingdom, being known by an outward Profeffion; the latter the invifible Subjects, being known to God only. In this Kingdom of Grace the Holy Spirit of God is the Regent, the Minifters of Chrift are the Ambaffadors, the Gofpel is the Law by which 'tis govern'd, the Sacraments are the Seals by which all things are convey'd and confirm'd; the Discipline whereof confifts in bruifing his Enemies with a Rod of Iron, and ruling his Friends with a Scepter of Righteousness.

(2.) The Kingdom of Glory is the Completion of this Kingdom of Grace hereafter in Heaven, where all his Foes being made his Footstool, himself will be advanc'd upon a Throne of Glory, and bring all his faithful Subjects to a Kingdom prepar'd for them before the Foundation of the World; of which we read, Mat. 25.

This then is the Kingdom, which is chiefly meant of this peculiar Kingdom, exercis'd over the Church and People of God, together with the two great Branches of it, the Kingdom of Grace here, and of Glory hereafter. But,

Secondly, What are we to understand by the Coming of this Kingdom?

In answer to which, two things are manifeftly intended by it.

is.

1. The fetting up of this Kingdom where it is not. And, 2. The preferving and increafing of it where it already

1. I fay, this Expreffion imports the fetting up of this Kingdom where it is not. When Christ prefcrib'd this Petition, his Kingdom was very imperfectly known to the Jews, and not at all known or embrac'd by the Gentiles, but rather oppos'd and refifted by both.

As