any thing unlesse thou dost worke in us what thou requirest of us For thine is the Kingdome It is not in our power to doe what wee should or what thou requirest of us but the Kingdome is thine all comes from thee O Lord and let all the glory of all be returned to thee again Doe we hallow thy name and pray for thy Kingdome to come and thy will be done why it is thou Lord that must give the power we beg all from thee and this is included in the word power For as that we should say we have no power to do any thing do thou all Lord and take thou the glory of all so that is the ground why we beg all of him and returne all to him What is here meant by Kingdome Quest First the word Kingdom doth discover the right and authority of God to give all things we want Answ thou Lord hast the disposing of all things we have no authority nor no property that is in us thine is the Kingdome thou hast all power to do what thou wilt The Master doth what he will in his family and the King rules in his Realme so doth the Lord rule in the heart of his Secondly the Lord hath not only authority to do what he will but full and abundant sufficiency to dispose of all according to his will and pleasure Kings may want power to do what they would and the sons of Zeruiah may be too strong for David but as the Lord hath title to all so his arme is long enough his ability sufficient enough to do all there is much infirmity in us but none at all in thee And the glory THe glory of a thing we know appeares in two things First the excellency of it Secondly in the beauty and splendor of its excellency this sets forth the glory of a thing as who should say if any beauty excellency or glory be in the creature it is thine oh Lord for thine is the Kingdome power and the glory Thine What doth this word thine imply Quest It implies three particulars Answ First that all authority sufficiency and excellency is firstly in God all is his by possession and propriety Any thing that we have or enjoy it is but what we have of him it is but a glimpse and reflexion of that glory in God and it is all firstly in God and he leases it out it is my God and my portion God is the roote of all we are or have all power and sufficiency is in him firstly Secondly so all comes from him whatever is in the creature comes from him all are but tenants and leasures of that they have from the Lord who is the great possessour of Heaven and Earth Thirdly it implies that we should acknowledge all belonging to him give every man his due whose is this honour and power the Lords let him have it then and this is to put off all ability and sufficiencie from our selves and to acknowledge all to come from him As thongh the soule should say Is there any thing in me Lord it is because thou givest it Thou givest unto us all our abilities and hearts to pray and it is thou that hearest us when we pray It is all free mercie all abilities are from thee therefore Lord take all for all is thine Thus the soule disclaimes all selfe For ever and ever c. THat is everlasting power is in thee which differs from all other power all mans power is from GOD but the Kingdom of GOD his power and his glory it is for ever and ever We cannot pray alwayes our abilities faile and our hearts faint but thy power endures for ever the good things of this life meat drink cloth c. some times are gone but yet thy power endures for ever to succour us When our abilities faile yet power is for ever and ever in thee to renew them Amen THe word Amen implyes three things First the terme of asseveration and it discovers the truth of a thing Secondly a wish Oh saith the soule that it might be Thirdly the voyce of a confident faith It is so it is done Lord all these three are implyed but this last mainly here intended These things wee have prayed for that according to thy will they are verily done As also there is a secret looking after the Petition when it is put up the soule followes the Petition Now saith the soule they speed the LDRD grants these petitions as a man that shoots an Arrow he looks after it So the soule saith Oh that the Lord would speed it So when the Petitions are sent to heaven the heart followes the blow and looks after them it sends his Amen oh that it might be so and then faith saith it is done undoubtedly As true as the Lord is faithfull so these must needs be done The word Amen strikes the match thorow The soule wisheth Oh that it might bee done saith saith it is done already Prayer is as the key when a man wants provision hee goes to the Treasurie and fetcheth it So prayer fetcheth comfort peace and assurance c. and Amen turns the key it is mine saith the Soule Prayer is as a Golden Key FINIS
in the shop to call over others to look on himselfe his person properties and the like but to sell his Masters wares And so we desire that God may lift us up but that is not the rule that men may see our good workes but God in them A child or a servant should so walke that others may admire Gods grace in him we are Gods workmanship Secondly wee should have hearts enlarged to blesse God that hee hath been pleased to reveale himselfe to us Thus much for the first Petition Thy Kingdome come VVHy is this added immediately to the former Quest Because it is a speciall meanes whereby the heart is fitted and the glory of God advanced Answ the first was to hallow Gods Name and to that end the Kingdome of Christ must be set up for no naturall man can glorifie God because so long as sinne and corruption prevailes it will never be therefore the power of Christs Spirit must doe it and by it we must be swayed unto it What is the scope of this petition Quest The main scope of it is thus much Answ that the government of God by Christ might be set up and prevaile every where as before Gods name was highest so here the power and government of Christ is to be universall that is the generall now we come to the particulars and here consider the sense of the words First What is this Kingdome Secondly the carriage of the heart in putting up this petition Thirdly what is the comming of this Kingdom By Kingdome is meant that rule that Christ hath set up in the hearts of his For the generall providence of God I take it is not so much aimed at in this place or that ordinary providence of God over the creatures this is set forth in the fourth petition Give us this day our daily bread but it is the rule of Christ that is set up in his Church How many fold is it Quest It is two fold Answ which are these Of Grace Glory both aymed at here What is the Kingdome of grace Quest It is that whereby Christ by his Spirit and grace Answ by the ministery of the Word takes place in the hearts of his and this he doth two waies First by over-powering casting down all other things which are opposite thereunto all the power of sin and Sathan which are opposite to him Secondly he sets up that frame of Spirit whereby it is subject to grace and it takes place two wayes First by cutting down and killing of every sin Secondly the soul takes the stamp of every condition and is ruled by it What is the Kingdome of glory Quest Gods immediate ruling in the hearts of the glorified Saints Answ How doth the Kingdome of grace and glory differ Quest Here in the Kingdome of grace God rules Answ First by his Spirit Secondly by the Word and Ordinances Thirdly by the ministery of the Word But in Heaven he rules immediatly no more words and means but Christ fills the soul fully and then he rules gloriously when the understanding will and affections are full of Christ and are fully and wholly subject to him here in the vale of tears we meet with many rubs and oppositions but then Christ shall shine fully and immediately In all his Ordinances we seek a Christ but then we shall have all of him so that we that have the Spirit have a glimpse of heaven therefore ashamed should we be to be wearie of God let us be wearie of sin I tell you it is a heaven to live here with God upon earth and if it be a glorious thing to have a glimpse of God here how much more to be filled with God hereafter in his Kingdome How is this Kingdome said to come Quest The comming of these Kingdomes implies three things Answ First that the Word may be revealed in these places where it hath not been Luk. 1. That the day-spring from on high may visit them that sit in darknesse that the Sun of righteousnesse might visit them that want it that the banquet of the Gospell might be set up Mat. 24. If any man say he is in the wildernesse go not out for where the Carkasse is thither will the Eagles resort This is the first thing A Kingdome is said to come when a King rules in a place where he did not before so it is here Let all the people praise thee saith David he desires not that some tongues only but that all tongues and languages should do this Secondly where ever the Gospell doth shine we desire that it should discover it self more fully and spread it self where ever it comes we desire the Kings government should enlarge the territories more and more so we desire not only that Christ should be revealed but that more and more should be gathered that God may be taken in every where and that every knee may bow to Christ and lick the dust that so there may be an addition made to the Church that every man in every kinde may come to Christ and that God would cast his skirt over him that more may be caught in his net that the Jew and Gentile may be gathered into one sheep-fold and have one Shepheard Thirdly that the power of it may be more and more setled as the house of David grew stronger and stronger 2 Sam. 3.1 but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker so when Christ sets up his candlestick that the seed that is sowen there may take deep root When a King hath erected Castles then he hath his Kingdome so we desire God may intrench himselfe and reare Castles of defence against his enemies which would remove him that he would set himselfe up strongly that every Traytor may be crusht and every base lust that God would slay them and none but his Lawes take place in a word the issue returnes to thus much we beseech Christ that his Gospel may spread and be strong and these dayes of sinne may be wasted and that he may come in the clouds Revel 22. and then come Lord Jesus come quickly that he would accomplish the number of his Elect and gather those that belong to his glory and that they may bee everlastingly with him What is the carriage of the soul in putting up this petition Quest It appears in three things First the soul desires and so labours to be subject to the good pleasure of the Lord the heart saith oh that I might be so disposed that I might be subject to the pleasure of the Lord we desire that all those things that are set up in our hearts that are contrary to the good pleasure and will of the Lord might be subdued Psal 119.4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy commandements but oh Lord that my soul were so thou hast enjoyned me to do so oh that I could do so the Spirit should be as wax to the seale
and inke to the paper that the soul might take the impression of every rule that God would set up in our souls thus the soul should be disposed to wish that the Lord would put this frame into us this is a heart worth gold thou hast said seek me oh saith the soul that I could seek thy face and eccho behold Lord thy face I seek to submit wholly without any contending not that the Lord should force us but that we should take up our yoke put our necks to the yoke let the Word of the Lord bear the balance When Mary wanted wine and our Saviour checked her and Martha cumbred with too much businesse was reproved thou art troubled with many things c. they submitted presently not a word more so what the Lord commands let us do without any quarrelling let the least inkling of the Word beare the balance When our Saviour sent his Disciples for the Asses Colt they might have said but haply the man will not let him go how then I tell them saith our Saviour the Master hath need of him and then they will not deny him that is enough do but speak and it is done this the soul should labour to attain unto Secondly the soul carries it self with an inward opposition to whatever is opposite to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ to the utmost of our power it is in vain to say it were wel if it were so I would it were so and yet to stand still and not to set to our hands but we must join sides with the Lord as he spake of Merosh Cursed art thou because thou wilt not help the Lord against the mighty So truly the Lord Jesus is comming to our Towns to our families therefore we should step out and help the Lord against those mighty mountaines of pride and stubbornesse of heart when a proud heart stirs do you joine sides with it or cry out and say good Lord help down with that proud heart and stubborn spirit and the like the Lord saith it and doth your heart yeeld But if you say come pride and you and I will joine sides together and if the Word can remove us let it but we will joine sides Is this calling for the Kingdome of Christ to come No no you are traytors and conspirators and no subjects therefore stop your mouths this is not submitting but conspiring when Jezabel looked out of the window with her painted face saith Jehu Who is on my side fling her out so the Lord saith will you have pride or me if you be on my side fling down that proud heart which hinders the Lord Jesus Christ from taking place in your souls you paint your selves in a sturdy humour but if you be on Gods side fling down those painted strumpets you must not only oppose great sins but every sin we must not fodder and side with any secret sin although it be but with the appearance of evill you must abstaine from it you know what Moses said of losing not a hoof another said he would not start a hairs breadth from Gods Commandements in any particular so let us subdue all not leave an inch not a stamp not so much as two nails of the Dagon of our cursed lusts to rule in us thus it should be with the soul Thirdly though the soul cannot be as it should yet it doth desire the Lord that neither sin nor self-will may rule in us lay all flat down under the government of Christ When the heart finds a great deale of outwardnesse and power of sin then it saith Lord thy Kingdome should prevaile but the Sons of Zeruiah are too strong in me therefore take power to thy self and pluck away whatever doth oppose thee It was a good speech of a good Christian that he desired the Lord to rule whether he would or no. Thus the soul should be disposed to intreat the Lord that he would break open the doore when the Lord comes and we will not open we desire the Lord would come in by violence The white horse in conquering conquered so the soul desires the Lord to conquer to break in and make way into the soul and to take possession wholly in the soul now when the soul is loath this should be it is a wretched spirit that when the Lord will take sin whether we will or no we are loath it should be Do we then pray Christs Kingdome should come when we are not able to bear a commandement No no the soul will labour to oppose sin and pray the Lord for power against corruption Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THis is the third Petition and in it are three things observable First the order it is in the third place Secondly the sense and meaning of the words Thirdly the frame of the heart in putting up this Petition First for the order the reason of it is because the two former make way for this third he that glorifies God in all things and hath his power set up in him he only doth what he commands for naturally there is no ability in man to do the will of God but when the Spirit works within then we are able to frame our hearts to Gods will David was a man after Gods own heart and then he did his will this is the reason of the order of the Petition From the ground observe two grounds of directions First he that thinks out of his own power to do Gods will it is impossible he should do it no he will never do it Secondly we must first submit to the Kingdome of Christ before we can do his will be under the government of Gods grace and then go on cheerfully We faile before we have submitted we would be doing but first Christ must do terrible things to the heart before it yeeld obedience Now for the words What is the will of God Quest It is the purpose of the Almighty touching the accomplishment of any thing Answ there is nothing done but the LORD doth it Whatsoever is brought to passe that GOD wills in generall Ephes 1. How many kinds of will are there Quest or how manifold is the will of God It is two-fold not in regard of it selfe Answ but in regard of us First the revealed will of God Secondly the secret will of God What is the secret will of God Quest It is that secret purpose he hath in himselfe before all worlds Answ and hath not discovered it to the creature Ephes 1.9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his own good pleasure which he hath purposed to himselfe The Gospel was hid in the bosome of the Almighty not observable by man or any creature under heaven but now it is revealed this is the secret will of God which was hid in himselfe before all words 1. Cor. 2.16 Who hath known the mind of God The deep things of God