Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 8
Thy kingdome come.
1 The Coherence.
THis petition dependes on the former most excellentlie. For in it is laid downe the meanes to procure the first. Gods name must be hallowed among men: but how is it done? by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the heartes of men. We cannot glorifie God vntill he rule in our hearts by his word and Spirite.
2 The meaning.
[Thy] This word doth put vsus in mind that there is two kingdoms: one Gods, & that is the kingdome of heauen: the other the deuils, called the kingdom of darknesse. Col. 1. 13. For when all had sinned in Adam, God laid this punishmēt on all, that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator, they should be in bondage vnderunder Sathan: So that by nature we are all the children of wrath, and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the heartes of men. This kingdome is spirituall, and the pillers of it are ignorance, errour, impietie, and all disobedience to God, in which the deuill whollie 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, & say that they defie him with all their heartes: but whereas they liue in sinne, and practise it as occasion is offered, though they can not discerne of themselues, yet they make plain proofe, that they line in the kingdome of sinne and darknes, and are stat vessels of Sathan, & shal so continew, 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. Wherfore, 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 scriptures, is taken two waies. First generallie, and so it signifieth that administration, by which the Lord gouerneth all thinges, yea, euen the deuilles themselues, of which kingdome mention is made in the end of this prayer, and in Psal. 97. vers. 1. The Lorde raigneth, let the earth reioice. Againe, it is taken more speciallie, and then it signifieth the administration of Christ, the head of the Church, in which hee frameth men by his worde and Spirit, to the subjection of the same worde. And so it is taken in this petition.
In a kingdome there are foure things to be noted. 1. There must bee a king. 2 There must be subiectes. 3 There are lawes. 4 Authoritie.
In this kingdome, Christ is the king, it is he to whome the father hath giuen all authoritie in heauen and earth.
In this kingdom, al are not subjects, but such as ar willing to giuegive free and frank 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 books of the old and new Testament. Therfore it is called the kingdome of heauen. Mat. 13. The Gospell of the kingdom. Mar. 1. 13. The rod of his mouth. Isai. 11. 4 The arme of God. Isai. 53. 1. As a King by his lawes bringes his people in order, & keeps them in subiectiō: so Christ by his word, and the preaching of it, as it were by a mightie arme, drawes the elect into his kingdome, and fashions them to all holie obedience.
The power and authoritie is, that whereby Christ conuerts effectually those which are to be conuerted, and glorifies himselfe in the confusion of the rest.
The kingdom 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 stands not in meat & drink but in righteousnes, that is, the assurance of our justification before God, in the righteousnes of Christ: Peace of conscience, which proceeds from this assurance; and ioy in the holie Ghost, which comes from them both. In this kingdom all men liue not, but onelie those that ar subject to Christ, obedient to the lawes of his kingdome, and ruled by his authoritie, & are continually taught in his word by his spirit. But those that refuse to liue according vntounto the lawes of this king, and choose to liue at their owne libertie, are in the kingdom of darknesse, sinne and Sathan.
The second is the kingdome of glory in heauen, which is the blessed estate of al Gods people there, when God shal be al in al in them. And the former kingdom of grace is an entrance and preparation to the kingdome of glorie.
[Come] Gods kingdome comes, when it is established and confirmed in mens hearts, and made manifest to all people, the impediments being remoued. Question. This comming implies a stopping but howe should Gods kingdome, be hindered? Answer. Kingdom in this place is not takē for the power of God, whereby hee rules all things, for that cānot be hindred: but for the kingdome of grace, which in the vsing of the outward meanes, as ministers, word, and sacraments may be hindered by the deuill, the world, and mans corruption.
3 The vvantes which are to be bewailed.
THe wantes which wee in this petition are taught to mourn for, are of two sorts: some concern our own selues: some, others. That which concernes our owne persons, is a bondage and slauerie vnderunder sinne and Satan. This bondage indeede is weakened in Gods seruants, but none is whollie freed from it in this life. Paule complaineth, that he is sould vnderunder sinne, and cries pitifullie. O miserable man that I am, who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death? Question. What difference then betweene the godlie and the wicked? Answer The euil and vngodlie man, in the verie middest of his bondage hath a mery hart, sinne is no trouble to him, nay, it is meat and drinke to him. But the godly man is otherwise minded. For, considering the power of the deuill, and his craft in manifold fearfull temptations, and seeing the prooffes of his rebellious nature, euer and anon to start away from God, he is grieued and confounded in himself, & his heart bleedes within him, that hee doth offend so mercifull a Father.
Manie men liue in this world & that manie yeares, and yet neuer feele this bondage vnderunder Satan & sinne. Such vndoubtedlie cannot tel what the Lords prayer meanes; But he that would hauehave the right vse of this petition must bee acquainted with it, and bee touched in his conscience, for that the flesh and the deuill beare such sway in him: As the poore captiue is alwaies creeping to the prison dore, alwaies labouring to get off his bolts & fetters, & to escape out of prison, so must we alwaies crie to the Lord for his Spirite, to free vsus out of this bondage and prison of sinne and corruption, and everie day come neerer the prison doore, looking when our blessed Sauiour will vnbind vsus of all the fetters of sinne and Sathan, and fullie erect his kingdome in vsus.
2. The wantes which concerne others, are twofold. The former is the wāt of the good means, which serue for the furthering of the kingdome of Christ, as preaching, sacraments and discipline. When we shal see a people without knowledge, and without good guides, and teachers, and when we see one stand vp in the congregation not able to teach, here is matter for mourning: This petition puts vsus in mind to bewaile these wantes. Our Sauiour, when hee sawe the Iewes, as sheepe without a shepherd, he had compassion on them, and hee wept ouer Ierusalem, because they knewe not the thinges which belonged to their peace. Luk. 9. 11. Therefore, 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 pul men from the bondage of the deuill to the kingdome of Christ: Then it is time to say, Lorde, let thy kingdome come.
3. The third want which we are to bewail, is, that there be so many impediments, and hinderances of the kingdome of grace, as the deuill and al 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, keep back & repell the means, whereby Christ ruled as a king in his Churche. When the deuill sees one that was sometime of his kingdome, but to cast a looke toward the heauenly Ierusalem, he straightway regeth against him, and labours quite to ouerthrow him. Wherfore, in regard of al these impediments, wee must pray, thy kingdom 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 of his merciemercy would giuegive vsus his Spirite to raigne and rule in our hearts, and to bow them to all obedience and subjection of his will, & further, whereas our hearts hauehave bene, as it were, filthie sties and stables of the deuill, that hee would renew them, and make of them sit temples, to entertaine his owne spirite. Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a cleane hearte, O God, and renew a right Spirit in me, &c. Stablish mee with thy free Spirit. If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the Godly and their corrupt hearts together, wee shall see litle difference, but in this, that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne, but the godlie do wrastle, as for life and death, with their temptations, and do resist the deuil, and doe desire, and crie to heauen, to be freed from his bondage, howsoeuer their hearts are alwaies rebelling against God.
2 Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods church here vponupon earth: here in this petition wee are commanded to pray for the church of God & the parts therof. Psal. 122. 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem, they shal prosper that louelove thee. Esa. 62. 7. Ye which are the Lord his remembrancers, giuegive him no rest, vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world.
And that Gods Church may flourish & be in good estate, we are to pray for Christian Kinges and princes, that God wold blesse thē, and increase the number of them. For they are as nursing fathers, and nursing mothers to the Church. And wee especiallie are bound to pray for the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie, as also for the Frenche King, that they may bee blessed, and Gods kingdome by them aduanced.
And againe, because Ministers are the Lordes watchmen, in the Church, wee are also here put in mind to seeke their good, and to pray that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome, for the beating down of the kingdome of sin and Satan, & for the sauing of the soules of his people. And the rather, because the deuill laboureth night and day, to ouerthrow them in this glorious work, and to resist them in their ministerie: as appeareth in Zach. 3 1. When Ioshua the high Prieste stood before the Angel of the lord Satan stood at his right hand, namely, to resist him. Therefore, also we ar to pray for them, that the Lorde would keepe them, and furnish thē with giftes, and withal, make them faithfull, for, Where vision faileth, the people are left naked, saith Salomon. 2. Thes. 3. 1. Brethren pray for vsus, that the vvord of the Lord may hauehave a free passage, and be glorified.
Thirdlie, wee must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning. Howsoeuer some think but basely of them, yet they are the ordinarie means to maintaine the ministery, and so the Church of God. A man that hath diuers Orchards, wil also hauehave a feminarie full of young plantes to maintaine it. Schooles they are as feminaries to God his 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 Saintes in heauen pray, Come Lord Iesus, come quicklie: and therefore, the godlie are said to louelove the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4. 8. A penitent sinner so abhors his owne corruptions, and the yrkesome temptations of Sathan, that in this respect he desires that Christ wold hasten his particular comming to him by death, for no other cause, but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing God.