live such impure and wicked lives; that though the kingdom of God hath indeed taken place amongst them in outward appearance, yet in that sense, which will prove at last the only important one, they are still far from it. For the kingdom of God, saith our Saviour, is within you*; and consists, as the Apostle further explains it, in righteousness and peace, and joy in the graces of the Holy Ghost ↑.

Here then is great room, and great need, for praying; that the heathen may become the inheritance of Christ, and the uttermost parts of the Mahometan world his possession : that the Jews, from whom, for their unbelief, the kingdom of God hath been so long taken away, may be restored to a share in it; as the prophets, both of the Old and New Testament, have, foretold they shall and lastly, that all who profess and call themselves Christians, may not only be led into the way of truth, but hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. How little prospect soever there may be at present of such happiness as this, yet we have a sure word of prophecy ¶, for the ground of our prayers, that the time shall come, when the kingdoms of this world shall be the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ **, in a degree that they have never been yet; when all the people shall be righteous ††, and know the Lord, from the greatest unto the least ‡‡.

But the kingdom of God upon earth, even in its best estate, is comparatively but short-lived and imperfect, indeed a mere introduction to that glorious and eternal manifestation of it in heaven, which

ought ever to be the object of our most ardent desires and requests. For as the governor, and the governed, and the great fundamental laws of government, are still to be the same, in the present state of trial, and the future one of recompence, they both make up together but one kingdom of God. And therefore, when we pray for the coming of it, we pray, in the last place, for the arrival of that time, when the King and Judge of all shall sit upon the throne of his glory*, and reward every man according to his works; when the righteous shall shine forth, as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father‡; even that kingdom, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world §, and shall reign with him in it for ever and ever ||.

But then, as we pray for this time, we must prepare for it also: else we do nothing but ask our own condemnation; as the prophet Amos hath most awfully warned us: Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord. To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light¶.

To instruct us therefore, on what it is, that our share in the kingdom of God depends, our Saviour immediately subjoins another petition, expressing it very clearly: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. For not every one that saith unto him, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven** but they only who do the will of God, shall receive his promise tt.

Indeed what God wills to do himself, that he doth accordingly, both in the army of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his

*Matth. xxv. 31. Matth. xxv. 34. ** Matth. vii. 21.

+ Matth. xvi. 27.
|| Rev. xx. 6. xxii. 5.
++ Heb. x. 36.

Matth. xiii. 43. ¶ Amos v. 18.

hand*. But what he wills us to do, that he only requires of us, as we value his favour, or fear his displeasure; leaving us designedly that power of not doing what he bids us, without which, doing it were no virtue. But though disobedience to his will is in our power; yet obedience is not so, without the assistance of his grace; which therefore, in these words, we desire for ourselves, and for all men. And since, by the means of prayer, we may have strength to obey his will granted us; we are certainly, with as much justice, expected to obey it, as if we had the power already of our own.

Now the will of God consists in these two things; that we suffer patiently what he lays upon us, and perform faithfully what he commands us. The former of these; to bear with resignation whatever, in any kind, God sees proper to inflict; and though we may wish and pray for the prevention or removal of sufferings, yet to be content, nay desirous, that his will should be done, not ourst; may often prove a difficult, but is always an evident and necessary, duty. For to indulge a contrary disposition, is to set up ourselves above our Maker; to rebel against his authority, deny his wisdom, and distrust his goodness. The ability therefore of submitting meekly to his. pleasure, is undoubtedly one great thing that we are to request, and endeavour to obtain.

But still, as the blessed inhabitants of heaven surely have little or no occasion for this kind of obedience, we have reason to think that the other, the active sort, is the point which our Saviour designed we should principally have in view when we beg, that God's will may be done by us, as it is by them: by his angels that fulfil his commandments, + Luke xxii. 42.

• Dan. iv. 35.

hearkening unto the voice of his words; those ministers of his, that do his pleasure*. Not that we can hope to equal the services of beings placed so much above us: but only aspire to such resemblance of them, that our obedience may bear the same proportion to our abilities, which that of the heavenly spirits doth to theirs. Their knowledge of God's will is clear and distinct: on which account the highest character given of human wisdom is, to be as an angel of God, to discern good and badt. It should therefore, when we make use of this petition, be our desire, that we also, in our degree, may be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is ‡; and may abound more and more, in knowledge and all judgement §. They do every thing, without exception, which they know to be God's pleasure: whereas we are very apt to omit part, and perform the rest. but imperfectly. They do it with alacrity and cheerfulness: whereas we too often shew great backwardness and reluctance. They do it also from a real principle of duty: whereas, were the truth but known, as to God it is known, a great share of the good actions, upon which we value ourselves, are perhaps only good appearances; proceeding, some from constitution, some from worldly prudence, some from vanity; few, it may be doubted, principally, and fewer yet, intirely, from the love or fear of God, from esteem of virtue, or hatred of sin. In these respects then we must earnestly pray, and diligently endeavour, to be like the holy angels; and were we but like them in one thing more, that they all without exception, do the will of God, and have none amongst them: disobedient to it; then would our earth resemble hea

* Psalm ciii. 20, 21.
Eph. v. 17.

† 2 Sam. xiv. 17.

§. Phil. i. 9..

ven indeed. How far this is from being the case, we know too well. But notwithstanding let us comfort ourselves with considering, that as the time was, when even these blessed spirits had a mixture of evil ones amongst them; so the time will be, when we shall have no such mixture amongst us, but shall become, in this and all respects, as the angels of God in heaven *.

Matth. xxii. 30.