A Golden Chain, Part 8
Thy kingdome come.]
1. The Coherence.
THis petition dependes on the former most excellently. For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first. Gods name must bee hallowed among men: but howe is it done? by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men. We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit.
2. The meaning.
Thy] This word doth put vsus in minde that there is two kingdomes: one Gods, and that is the kingdome of heauen: the other the deuils, called the kingdome of darknesse, Coloss. 1.13. For when all had sinned in Adam, God laide this punishment on all, that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator, they should be in bondage vnderunder satan: so that by nature we are all the children of wrath, and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men. This kingdome is spirituall, and the pillars of it are ignorance, errour, impietie, and all disobedience to God, in which the deuill wholly delights; which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome. Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts: they spit at the naming of him, and say that they defie him with all their hearts: but whereas they liue in sinne, and practise it as occasion is offered, though they cannot discerne of themselues, yet they make plaine proofe, that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse, and are flatte vassels of Satan, and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him, and cast him out. And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues. Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vsus to consider our naturall estate, and to pray that he would giuegive vsus his spirit to set vsus at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne.
Kingdome] Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies. First generally, and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things, yea, euen the deuils themselues. Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer. And in the Psalme 97. vers. 1. The Lord raigneth, let the earth reioyce. Againe, it is taken more specially, and then it signifieth the administration of Christ the head of the church, in which he frameth men by his word and spirit to the subiection of the same word. And so it is taken in this petition.
In a kingdome there are foure things to be noted. 1. There must be a king. 2. There must be subiects. 3. There are lawes. 4. Authoritie.
In this kingdome Christ is the king: it is he to whom the father hath giuen all authoritie, in heauen and earth.
In this kingdome all are not subiects, but such as are willing to giuegive free and franke obedience to Gods word; or at the least though their hearts be not sound, make an outward profession of it.
The lawes of this kingdome is the word of God in the bookes of the olde and new Testament. Therefore it is called the kingdome of heauen, Matth. 13. The Gospell of the kingdome, Mark. 1.13. The rodde of his mouth, Esay 11.4. The arme of God, Esay 53.1. As a king by his lawes brings his people in order, and keepes them in subiection; so Christ by his word, and the preaching of it, as it were by a mightie arme, drawes his elect into his kingdome, and fashions thē to all holy obedience.
The power and authoritie is that whereby Christ conuerts effectually those which are to be conuerted by the inward operation of his spirit, and glorifies himselfe in the confusion of the rest.
Kingdome being taken thus specially, is also twofold. The first is the kingdome of grace, of which mention is made, Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God standes not in meate and drinke, but in righteousnesse: that is, the assurance of our iustification before God in the righteousnesse of Christ; Peace of conscience, which proceedes from this assurance; and ioy in the holy Ghost, which comes from them both. In this kingdome all men liue not, but onelyonly those that are subiect to Christ, obedient to the lawes of his kingdome, and ruled by his authoritie, and are continually taught in his word by his spirit. But those that refuse to liue according to the lawes of this king, and choose to liue at their owne libertie, are in the kingdome of darkenesse, that is sinne and Satan.
The second is the kingdome of glorie in heauen, which is the blessed estate of all Gods people, which God himselfe shall be all in all vntounto them. And the former kingdome of grace is an entrance and preparation to this kingdome of glorie.
Come] Gods kingdome comes, when it takes place and is established and confirmed in mens hearts, and made manifest to all people, the impediments beeing remooued.
Quest. This comming implies a stopping: but how should Gods kingdome be hindred? Ans. Kingdome in this place is not taken for that absolute and soueraigne power of God whereby he rules all things, for that can not be hindred; but for the kingdome of grace, which in the vsing of the outward meanes, as ministers, word and Sacraments, may be hindred by the deuill, the world, and mans corruption.
3. The wants which are to be bewailed.
The wants which we in this petition are to mourne for, are of two sorts: some concerne our owne selues, some others. That which concerns our owne persons is a bondage and slauerie vnderunder sinne and Satan. This bondage indeede is weakned in Gods seruants, but none is wholly freed from it in this life. Paul complaines that he is sold vnderunder sinne, and cries pitifully, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death?
Question. What difference is then betweene the godly and the wicked? Ans. The euill and vngodly man in the very middest of his bondage hath a merrie heart: sinne is no trouble to him, nay it is meat & drinke to him. But the godly man is otherwise minded: who considering the power of the deuill, and hi… craft in manifold fearefull temptations; and seeing the pronenesse of his rebellious nature euer and anon to start away from God, is grieued and confounded in himselfe, and his heart bleedes within him that he doth offend so mercifull a father.
Many men liue in this world and that many yeares, and yet neuer feele this bondage vnderunder Satan & sinne. Such vndoubtedly cannot tell what this praier meanes: but he that would hauehave the right vse of this petition, must be acquainted with his owne estate, and be touched in his conscience, that the flesh and the deuill beare such sway in him. As the poore captiue is alwaies creeping to the prison doore, alwaies labouring to get off his bolts and fetters, and to escape out of prison: so must we alwaies crie to the Lord for his spirit to free vsus out of this bondage and prison of sinne and corruption: and eueryevery day come nearer the prison doore, looking when our blessed Sauiour will vnbinde vsus of all the fetters of sinne and Satan, and fully erect his kingdome in vsus.
2. The wants which concerne others are twofold. The former is the want of the good meanes which serue for the furthering of the kingdom of Christ, as preaching, sacraments, and discipline. When we shall see a people without knowledge, and without good guides and teachers, or when we see one stand vp in the congregation not able to teach, here is matter for mourning. This petition puts vsus in minde to bewaile these wants. Our Sauiour, when he sawe the Iewes as sheepe without a sheepheard, he had compassion on them: and he wept ouer Ierusalem, because they knew not the things which belong to their peace. Luk. 9.11. Therfore when preachers want, to hold vp the scepter of GOD before the people, and to hold out the word, which is as it were the arme of God to pull men from the bondage of the deuill to the kingdome of Christ. Then it is time to say, Lord let thy kingdome come.
3. The third want which we are to bewaile is, that there bee so many impediments and hinderances of the kingdome of grace, as the deuil and all his angels, their instruments, the Pope, the Turke, and all the rest of the professed wicked of the world, which by subtile intisements and tyrannie, keepe backe and repell the meanes whereby Christ ruleth as a king in his Church. When the deuill sees one that was sometime of his kingdome but to cast a looke towards the heauenly Ierusalem, he straightway rageth against him and labours quite to ouerthrow him. Wherefore in regard of all these impedi…ents, we… must pray, Thy kingdome come.
4. Graces to be desired.
1. IN this petition we are taught first that we are to hauehave a feruent desire… and to hunger, that god would giuegive vsus his spirit to raigne and rule in our harts, and to bow them to all obedience and subiection of his wil: and further, wheras our hearts hauehave beene as it were filthie sties and stables of the deuill, that he would renue them, and make of them fit temples to entertaine his holy spirit. Psal. 51.10. Create in me a cleane heart, O God, and renue a right spirit in me, &c. Stablish me with thy free spirit. If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the godly, and their corrupt hearts togither, we shall see little difference but in this, that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne: but the godly doe wrestle, as for life and death with their temptations, and doe resist the deuill, and doe desire the grace of Gods spirit, and crie to heauen to bee freed from this bondage, howesoeuer their hearts are alwaies readie to rebel against God.
2. Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods Church here vponupon earth, in this petition we are cōmanded to pray for the Chruch of God, and the parts thereof. Psal. 122.6. Praie for the peace of Ierusalem: they shall prosper that louelove thee. Esay. 62.7. Ye which are the Lords remembrance…s, giuegive him no rest, vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world.
And that Gods Church may flourish and be in good estate, we are to pray for Christian Kings and Princes; that God would blesse them, and increase the number of them. For they are as nursing fathers, and nursing mothers to the Church. And wee especially are bound to pray for the Queenes most excellent maiestie, as also for the French king, that they may be blessed and Gods kingdome by them aduanced.
And againe because ministers are the Lords watchmen in the Church, we are here also put in minde to seeke their good; and to praie that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome, for the beating downe of the kingdome of sinne and Satan, and for the sauing of the soules of his people. And the rather, because the deuill laboureth night and daie to ouerthrow thē in this glorious worke, and to resist them in their ministerie: as appeareth in Zacha…ie 3.1. When Ioshua the high priest stood before the Angell of the Lord, Satan stood at his right hand, namely to resist him. Therefore, also wee are to praie for them, that the Lord would keepe them, and furnish them with gifts, and with all make them faithfull. For where vision faileth the people are left naked, saith Salomon, 2. Thess. 3. 1. Brethren, pray for vsus that the word of the Lord may hauehave a free passage and be glorified.
Thirdly, we must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning. Howsoeuer some thinke but basely of them; yet they are the ordinarie meanes to maintaine the ministerie, and so the Church of God. A man that hath diuers orchards, wil also hauehave a seminarie ful of young plants to maintaine it. Schooles, they are as Seminaries to Gods church, without which the Church falles to decay: because they serue to make supplie of ministers.
3. Thirdly, we are to desire, that the Lord would hasten the second comming of Christ, as the Saints in heauen praie, Come Lord Iesus, come quicklie: and therefore the godly are said to louelove the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8. A penitent sinner so abhors his own corruptions, and the irkesome temptations of Satan, that in this respect he desires that Christ would hasten his particular comming to him by death, for no other cause but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing of God.