THE

GLORY

OF

CHRIST'S VISIBLE KINGDOM.

CHAP. I.

1. The Lord's Prayer not used as a Form. 2. The Kingdom which we are in these Words to pray for, must be in this World; because the Will of God is to be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. 3. It is the Duty of the Saints to pray that this Kingdom may openly and visibly appear. 4. This Kingdom is not to be underflood of a Spiritual Kingdom, in the Hearts of the Saints; nor yet of an Increase of that Spiritual Glory under the Gospel; but a perfect Personal Reign and Kingdom of Christ. 5. This doth more fully appear from other Places of Scripture.

Matt. vi. Verf. re. Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

HESE Words are one of those great Petitions contained in that which is commonly call'd the Lord's Prayer: Not that it was the Intent of Chrift, nor the Practice (as we can find) of the Apostles, to make use of this Prayer in this exact Form of Words; but a directory Prayer, containing

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taining in short, the Heads of all those Principles which are needful and necessary unto us to pray unto him for; relating to the Well-being both of Soul and Body; as comprehending Spiritual and Temporal Mercies. That this was the Mind of Chrift appears plain from the 9th Verse: After this manner therefore Pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.

But not to infift upon that, I shall only speak to the thing principally intended. These Words are a Prayer that the Kingdom of God may come; wherein his Will is to be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. I shall confider the Parts: First, Thy Kingdom; that is, the Father's Kingdom; this Kingdom, which we are to pray for, flows originally from the Love of the Father. Secondly, Thy Kingdom respects the Power, Dignity, Glory, and Majesty of God, in his Kingdom. Thirdly, Thy Kingdom come is a Defire that the Glory of God may be manifested and displayed, thro' the Blefsed Mediator, the Lord Jesus Chrift, over all the World. The Second Part of the Petition is, That thy Will may be done on Earth, as it is done in Heaven: This is a Prayer that the Will of God may perfectly be done on Earth, or in this World, as it is perfectly done by glorify'd Saints and Angels in Heaven. These two may both be comprised in one; as thus; Thy Kingdom come, that thy Wil may be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven: For this is certain, that the Will of God will not, neither can be done on Earth perfectly, as it is done in Heaven, until the Kingdom of God comes.

The Doctrine I shall observe from the Words is this, That it is the Duty of the Saints earnestly

to

to pray that the Kingdom of Cod may openly, visibly, and gloriously, appear in this World, wherein his Will shall perfectly be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

First then, that it is the Duty of the Saints earnestly to pray for the Coming of the Kingdom of God, the Words of the Text is a full Proof: Thy Kingdom come; thy Will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. Again, we have an Exhortation to pray for the Peace of Jerufalem, Pfal. cxxii. Verje 6. Pray for the Peace of Jerufalem; they shall prosper that love thee. By the Peace of Jerusalem does mean the Profperity and flot rifshing State of the Church in the Kingdom of Chrift. This we fee is the Duty of the Saints to be praying for, with a Promise that they shall profper who do fo.

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Secondly, To pray that the Kingdom of God. should come, is to Pray that this blessed Kingdom may openly, visibly, and gloriously appear in the World; as in Ifaiab, Ixii. 6, 7. Te that make mention of the Lord, keep not filence (but be in earneft with God that this Kingdom may come) and: therefore it is faid, Give him no reft till be eftablish, and till he make Jerufalem a Praise in the Earth: That is, 'till this Kingdom visibly is fet up in the World; that fo the Will of God may perfectly be done by the Saints on Earth, as it is now perfectly done by the Saints in Heaven.

Having briefly proved the Doctrine, I shall in the next place a little explain what we are to funderstand by this Kingdom, which we are exhorted to pray so earnestly for. This I fhall endeavour to shew, First, negatively, It is pot to be 1.nderstoo

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understood of a Spiritual Kingdom, in the Hearts of his People; because that was already come, and had been in the World, ever since the first Promise of Grace and Salvation, preached by the Lord himself unto Adam, immediately upon the Fall. Secondly, It cannot be meant of an Increase of this Spiritual Kingdom : For that had much increased, in refpect of its Glory in the Jewish Church; and more abundantly at this Time of the Meffiab's first Coming, when the Lord Jesus Christ was perfonally present with his People: Yet did our Lord exhort his Difciples to pray that this Kingdom might come. Surely then this cannot be the Kingdom; for if it had, he would never have exhorted us to pray for that to come, which was already come: Befides, the latter parts of the Words, is a plain Evidence that it is not meant of a Spiritual Kingdom only; because the brightest Spiritual Glory that is, has been, or may be in the Church, could never rife so high as to have the Will of God done upon Earth, as it is done in Heaven; which can mean no less than a perfect Obedience and Conformity to the Divine Will. Therefore

Secondly, and affirmatively, The Kingdom which is principally intended in the Text, and that which we are exhorted to pray for, in these Words, can be no other than a perfect perfonal Kingdom and Reign of the Lord Jesus Chrift in this World; in which it is, that the Will of God shall indeed be done perfectly by all the Saints on the Earth, as it is done perfectly by the Saints which are now in Heaven. Such a Time as this has not yet been, either before or fince Chrift's Coming, unto this Day: But fuch a Time there will certainly be; otherwise otherwise our Lord wonld never have exhorted us, or his Disciples, to pray for it. Then may we conclude, that such a bleffed, perfect KingdomState, in which the Will of Cod will be perfectly done on Earth, is yet to come: And our Duty in the mean time is to be earnestly praying for that glorious Kingdom.

The Method which I shall make use of, in the handling of this following Difcourse, is;

First, To give some further Proof of the Certainty of the Kingdom of Chrift in this World, or upon this Earth.

Secondly, I shall endeavour to speak something about the manner of that bleffed and glorious State: How it shall be.

Thirdly, I shall also prove that this blessed and glorious Kingdom of Chrift is near at hand; even at the very Door.

Fourthly and lastly, Make some little use, by way of Improvement, from the whole,

Now in proving that the Lord Jesus Cbrift will yet have a glorious vifible Kingdom in this World, I shall, according to my present Light, explain and give you my Thoughts upon many Texts of Scripture, both in the Old and New Testament, which do hold forth the Kingdom of Chrift in them.

First then, that Christ will have, or fet up a glorious Kingdom in this World, appears very full, besides what was hinted out of Matt. vi. 10. from Pfalm lxxii. v. 2, 2, and so on. He (that is Jefus Christ) shall judge thy People with Righteousness, and thy Poor with Judgment. This shews that the Lord (who doth not respect any Man's Perfon) will in that