SERM. themselves, are not fit to sanctify the name of God; as our

Joh. 5. 44.

IX. Saviour speaks, "How can ye believe, seeing ye receive glory one of another, and seek not the glory which is of God."

As we may not usurp God's honour for ourselves, so we may not deify princes; for we see how ill that voice was taken, Acts12. 22. Vox Dei et non hominis, "The voice of God and not of man." Neither may we give divine honour to the Apostles and Prophets of God. The heathen people said of Paul and Barnabas, "Gods are come down to us in the shape of men," and they would have sacrificed unto them; but the Apostles Acts 14.11, not willing to admit this sacrilege "rent their clothes and cried, We are men subject to the same passions that you yourselves be." For we are desirous to give honour, if not to ourselves, yet to others; but here Christ tells us that no other name is to be sanctified but the name of God, whereof we should be so careful that we ought to pray that God's name may be sanctified by others if not by ourselves; though we in our own persons cannot hallow it, yet sanctificetur Nomen Tuum, "let Thy Name, O Lord, be sanctified."

14, 15.

Isa. 11. 2.

Hereby, as we pray for the gift of "the fear of God," which is one of the seven virtues which are set down because we do Isa. 8. 13. truly sanctify God when we make Him "our fear and dread," so we pray against the vice of pride which is the contrary to Mat. 5. 3, the virtue of fear; so shall we obtain the blessings, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," &c. And upon this petition is grounded not only whatsoever hymn or psalm is sung of the congregation, but even the end of all assemblies is to ascribe holiness to God, and to sanctify His name for His benefits bestowed

&c.

upon us.

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And in this they acknowledge, first, their own unworthiness; secondly, they bless Him for His goodness extended toward them; thirdly, they do not acknowledge it in themPs. 66. 16. selves, but do tell it forth as the Psalmist speaketh, "O come hither and hearken all ye that do fear God, and I will tell you what He hath done for my soul." Fourthly, to this end Ps. 66. 8. they lift up their voices in singing, "to the end they make the voice of His praise to be heard.”

And among other benefits, we are to praise and bless His name for the benefits of sanctification, which we have in the

name of the Lord Jesus; secondly, for the means whereby this sanctification is offered and wrought in us, which is the word, as Christ saith, "O Father, sanctify them in Thy Joh.17.17. truth." For the perfection of sanctification, that we shall have after this life, when we shall be "partakers of the in- Col. 1. 12. heritance of the saints in light," when we shall continually

sing with the heavenly angels," Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Isa. 6. 3. of Hosts."

And howsoever, when we desire of God that IIis name may be sanctified, we seem like natural children to forget our own necessities in respect of the care we have to God's glory; yet even then we pray no less for ourselves than for God, for the Lord hath promised, "Them that honour Me I will 18am.2.30. honour;" and Christ saith, "that if the name of the Lord 2 Thes. Jesus be glorified in us, we also shall be glorified in Him." 1. 12. Et sanctificando nomen adveniet regnum, In sanctifying His name His kingdom shall come, as the next petition is.

If while we remain on earth our whole desire be to sanctify God's name, we shall at length come to the place where we shall day and night sing as the Cherubims do, and with the Isa. 6. 3. heavenly host of Angels sing, "Glory to God on high;" we Lu. 2. 14. shall fall down before His Throne, saying always, "Thou art Rev. 4.11. worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and praise for

ever."

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SERMON X.

SERM.
X.

Thy Kingdom come.

HAVING intreated of the first petition touching the holy estimation of God's Name, we are consequently to speak of those six that concern ourselves, whereof the first three are spent in praying for that which is good, in the other three we pray for the removing of evil. The first two petitions, or the sum of them, is excellently expressed by the Prophet and by our Saviour; for agreeably to the words of David and of Ps. 84. 11. Christ our Saviour, in the first petition we ask for "glory" and seek for "the Kingdom of God;" in the second, for grace and righteousness; in the third, for the good things of this life, which shall not be withheld from them that lead a godly life, but shall be ministered unto them that upon earth do seek God's Kingdom and the righteousness thereof.

Mat. 6. 33.

Wherefore, as of things which concern our good, the first both in order and nature is the Kingdom of God; for the first thing in our desire ought to be the Kingdom of God according to the commandment of our Saviour, and we are to Phil. 3. 8. "account all things but dung" in respect of it. Hereunto is Isa. 11. 2. required "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding," That may teach us to contemn all earthly pleasures in respect of the heavenly Kingdom.

Here our Saviour condemneth that capital vice that reigns in those men which in the world live of their own, and take no further care but to establish for themselves a kingdom upon earth. But if, according to His direction, we fix our desire upon the Kingdom of heaven, and by despising the world do

labour for the virtue which consists in the purity of the heart, then shall we have the blessing that is promised to "the pure Mat. 5. 8. in heart," that is, they shall be exalted to "see God."

Now when He saith, "None shall see My face and live," Ex. 33. 20. they that truly make this prayer shall behold His face in the Kingdom of glory.

These two first petitions have relation to the invocation; for as God by the word "Father" doth express His love to us, and for that He is in heaven doth give us hope for a heavenly estate, so we in these petitions do first desire that whereby our love towards IIim may appear, while we prefer the sanctifying of IIis name before the regard of our own good. Secondly, we declare our heavenly hope that may come of being partakers of IIis heavenly Kingdom.

Howsoever God will not have any man's name hallowed

or glorified but His own, as He speaks of Himself, "My Isa. 42. 8. glory will I not give to another;" yet He will communicate

• His Kingdom to us, and therefore in our own behalf we are taught to pray, "Thy Kingdom come."

In the petition we are to consider two things; first, the Kingdom itself, secondly, the coming of His Kingdom.

Touching the first point it may be objected, how it is that Christ teacheth us to make this petition; for "God's Kingdom Ps. 145.13. is an everlasting Kingdom, and His dominion endureth throughout all ages." How then is it said to "come?" For the answer of this doubt, the Kingdom of God must be distinguished. First, God hath an universal Kingdom, such a Kingdom as ever was and for ever shall be; of which it is said, "The Lord is King, be the people never so impatient; Ps. 99. 1. He ruleth as King, be the people never so unquiet." Secondly, there is a Kingdom of glory, that whereof our Saviour speaketh, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the King- Mat. 25.34. dom prepared for you," &c. And the thief upon the cross said, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom." Lu. 23. 42. And this is the Kingdom which in the first place Christ teacheth us to pray for; we pray for this Kingdom, that it may come; we pray for our own good, for it is a Kingdom of power, and therefore able to defend us; and therefore our Saviour in the conclusion of His prayer addeth this, "For Mat. 6. 13. Thine is the Kingdom." According to which the Prophet

SERM. David saith, "Thy saints give thanks to Thee, they shew the glory of Thy Kingdom, and talk of Thy power."

X.

Ps. 145. 10, 11.

Ps. 2. 6.

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The government of His Kingdom is committed to Christ, of Whom it was said by God, "I have set My King upon My holy hill of Sion." In which regard He doubteth not to affirm Mat.28.18. of Himself, Data est Mihi omnis potestas, &c. "All power is given Me in heaven and in earth." And notwithstanding God reigneth as King, yet that is verified which the Prophet Is. 26. 13. complaineth of, “O Lord God, other gods besides Thee have ruled over us;" for Satan taketh upon him to be king, and hath played the tyrant, and hath prevailed so far as that the greatest part of the world are subdued unto him; in which Joh.14. 30. regard our Saviour calleth him "the prince of the world," and by the Apostle he is termed " the god of this world," for that 2 Cor. 4. 4. he "blindeth men's eyes," and maketh them subject to the kingdom of darkness.

Secondly, there is a kingdom of sin, against which the Rom.6.12. Apostle exhorteth: "Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies;" Rom. 5.21. which he meaneth when he saith, that "sin hath reigned unto death."

Thirdly, the Apostle sheweth that death hath a kingdom, Rom. 5.14. when he saith, that by means of sin "death reigned from Adam to Moses."

These are enemies to the Kingdom of God; for while the devil reigneth by means of sin, as he doth so long as he Eph. 2. 2. "worketh in the children of disobedience," he taketh away the glory of God's Kingdom, and death takes away the power of it.

Job 41. 34.

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And in regard of Satan's kingdom, he is said to be king over all the children of pride." For he makes the whole world rebel against God, so that they are not ashamed to deny Him to His face; and that is true not only of the common sort of the world, but even of a great many of the Church, of which number are those that stick not to say, Lu. 19. 14. "We will not have" Christ "to rule over us."

Mat.13.41.

Again, there are many stumbling-blocks for the hindrance of God's Kingdom, that the Kingdom of God cannot come; and therefore we do worthily pray as well that the kingdom of Satan and sin may be overthrown, as for the removing of those offences.