THE

GLORY

OF

CHRIST'S VISIBLE KINGDOM.

CHA P. I.

1.The Lord'sPrayer not used as a Form. 2.The Kingdom which we are in thefe Words to pray for, must be in this World; becauje 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 vifibly appear. 4. This Kingdom is not to be underfood 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 Perfonal Reign and Kingdom of Chrift. 5. This doth more fully appear from other Places of Scripture.

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Matt. vi. Verf. 1. 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 Christ, nor the Practice (as we can find) of the Apostles, to make ufe of this Prayer in this exact Form of Words; but a directory Prayer, con

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taining in fhort, the Heads of all thofe Prin-. ciples which are needful and neceflary 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 Verfe: After this manner therefore Pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.

But not to infift upon that, I fhall only speak to the thing principally intended. Thefe 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 fhall confider the Parts: Firft, 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 refpects the Power, Dignity, Glory, and Majefty of God, in his Kingdom. Thirdly, Thy Kingdom come is a Defire that the Glory of God may be manifefted and difplayed, thro' the Bleffed Mediator, the Lord Jefus 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. Thefe two may both be comprifed 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 fhall obferve from the Words is this, That it is the Duty of the Saints earnestly

to

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

Firft then, that it is the Duty of the Saints earneftly 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 fhall profper that love thee. By the Peace. of Ferufalem does mean the Profperity and flou rishing State of the Church in the Kingdom of Chrift. This we fee is the Duty of the Saints to be praying for, with a Promife that they fhall profper who do fo.

Secondly, To pray that the Kingdom of God. fhould come, is to Pray that this bleffed Kingdom may openly, vifibly, 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 eftablifh, and till he make Jerufalem a Praise in the Earth: That is, 'till this Kingdom vifibly 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 fhall'in the next place a little explain what we are to humderstand by this Kingdom, which we are exhorted to pray fo earnestly for This I fhall endeavour to fhew, Firft, negatively, It is pot to be understool

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underftood of a Spiritual Kingdom, in the Hearts of his People; becaufe that was already come, and had been in the World, ever fince the first Promife 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 increafed, in refpect of its Glory in the Jewish Church; and more abundantly at this Time of the Meffiab's firft Coming, when the Lord Jefus Chrift was perfonally prefent 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, becaufe the brighteft Spiritual Glory that is, has been, or may be in the Church, could never rife fo 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.

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Secondly, and affirmatively, The Kingdom which is principally intended in the Text, and that which we are exhorted to pray for, in thefe Words, can be no other than a perfect perfonal Kingdom and Reign of the Lord Jefus Chrift in this World; in which it is, that the Will of God fhall 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

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otherwise our Lord wonld never have exhorted us, or his Difciples, to pray for it. Then may we conclude, that fuch a bleffed, perfect KingdomState, in which the Will of God will be perfectly done on Earth, is yet to come: And our Duty in the mean time is to be earneftly praying for that glorious Kingdom.

The Method which I fhall make ufe of, in the handling of this following Difcourse, is ;

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

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

Thirdly, I fhall alfo prove that this bleffed and glorious Kingdom of Chrift is near at hand; even at the very Door.

Fourthly and lastly, Make fome little ufe, by way of Improvement, from the whole,

Now in proving that the Lord Jefus Chrift will yet have a glorious vifible Kingdom in this World, I fhall, according to my prefent Light, explain and give you my Thoughts upon many Texts of Scripture, both in the Old and New Teftament, which do hold forth the Kingdom of Chrifi in

them.

First then, that Chrift will have, or fet up a g glorious Kingdom in this World, appears very full, befides what was hinted out of Matt. vi. 10. from Pfalm lxxii. v. 2, 2, and fo on. He (that is Jefus Chrift) fhall judge thy People with Righteousness, and thy Poor with fudgment. This fhews that the Lord (who doth not refpect any Man's Perfon) will in

that