these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." Unlike the political governments of the world, this is purely spiritual. Hence the Saviour affirmed to the Jews, "My kingdom is not of this world." Its principles are not carnal -its glory is not earthly-its foundation is not secularits spirit and origin and tendency are all divine. It is, in a word, a covenant of grace. It was first revealed in Paradise, ere the guilty transgressors were driven from the spot that had witnessed their innocence and their sintheir honour and their disgrace their pleasure and their pain: and it was subsequently exhibited in types and shadows till the days of Augustus Cæsar, when the predicted Shiloh arrived, " unto whom shall the gathering of the people be." Fraught with all the tenderness of melting compassion for human wretchedness, "he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." This is most elegantly delineated by an unerring pen: "Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."+ There he still conducts the concerns of his church, and directs every thing to its blissful consummation.

Now it is for the full arrival and perfect exemplification of this holy and spiritual kingdom that we are directed by our Lord himself to intercede; "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Permit me, therefore, to consider,

THE BLESSINGS INCLUDED IN THESE REQUESTSTHE ASSURANCE AFFORDED US OF THEIR BESTOWMENT-AND, THE CONSIDERATIONS BY WHICH WE ARE INDUCED THUS TO PRAY.

May the Divine Spirit help us to explain his own truth, and make it useful to our hearts. Amen.

I. WHAT DO THESE PETITIONS INCLUDE?

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First. A more plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the church of Christ. This is promised: And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." Fulfilled as this prediction was, in a great measure, on the day of Pentecost, it nevertheless remains unaccomplished, in a very considerable degree, to the present day. It is not possible to be too much. impressed with the necessity of divine influence in order to success. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."* Only as He bestows his blessing will the death of Christ become effectual to the salvation of any of the sons of men. There must be the application of the truth to the heart and conscience, or the redemption which was wrought on the cross will not benefit us. And in what does this copious supply of the Holy Spirit consist? It consists in an increase of gifts and of grace, of comfort and of holiness, in the church of Christ. When his blessing is granted, there will be an augmentation of knowledge, faith, love, obedience, and every other virtue that can adorn and endear the disciples of the Lamb. This is the leading promise of the present dispensation; and that ministry is most useful, and that prayer the most accordant with the petitions before us, which honours the Divine Spirit by the ascription of every good to his power, and which reposes every hope of future success to the manifestation of his mercy.

Secondly.

nances.

A more efficient administration of ordiWe have the outward means in ample abundance. "Our eyes see our teachers," the Sabbath day returns at its appointed season, the institutions of the sanctuary are

Psalm cxxvii. 1.

administered,-what then is wanting? I reply, the power of the Lord upon his word and sacraments. How cold are our affections, and how wandering our thoughts, in the most delightful and solemn exercises of social worship! But when we offer the language of the text in supplication to heaven, we pray for more of the vigour of holy dutiesthat they may be performed in the church on earth, as purely, constantly, and cordially, as in the temple above. We are directed by the annunciations of the prophets to believe that this will be eventually realized under the dominion of the King of Zion. "From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles: and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts."* "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."† For then will I turn to the people, a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." Blessed time! We shall no more hear the complaint, I have stretched

out my hand all day long to a stiff-necked and gain-saying people," when once it arrives. For observe,

Thirdly. That it includes church by sound conversion.

numerous additions to the

The spirit of the requests

before us has respect to the return of the day of Pentecost; and they are themselves in full accordance with the statements of prophecy on the subject. These represent accessions to the communion of saints, so rapid and so numerous, as to awaken surprise and astonishment among

* Mal. i. 11.

+ Mal. iii. 2, 3.

Zeph. iii. 9.

the friends of religion. Hence the enquiry," Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?"* Indeed, so utterly unexpected will be the flowing of the nations into the house of the Lord, that places shall be wanting for their reception: and, to employ another figure, the fields will be so white unto the harvest, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the subsequent crop will be ripe for the sickle before the previous one is gathered in. Then this Prince of Peace will wear the crown of victory over pagan idolaters, Jewish infidels, and Mahometan sensualists. When "he shall reign whose right it is," the Dagons of superstition and falsehood shall fall before him, the heart of prejudice, harder than solid marble, shall yield, and "they who were not a people shall become the people of God." Then the rejected branch shall be again inserted, and partake of the root and fatness of the olive. "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”+

Fourthly. The purification of the church from every defilement and error, is likewise included. This forms a distinguishing feature in the latter-day glory. Compared with years gone by, religion appears now to prosper. We live in days of general exertion and activity for the spread of knowledge, and the propagation of "the glorious gospel of the blessed God." But still what errors and inconsistencies prevail in the world! How much men live to themselves, and how many thousands in the visible church, instead of labouring to bring forth an hundredfold, are indifferent whether they produce thirty! These petitions,

however, refer to a state of things far different from this. They present requests that the Saviour's reign might be so complete that the will of God may be done so purely among men as it is by the angels above. The Old Testament furnishes us with many representations of this predicted period. Thus saith Isaiah: "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."* So also it is promised: "For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness." Connected with this there will be deliverance from all oppression. "Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise." Consolations shall everywhere abound. "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down: neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." Religion shall be uppermost in the earth: "Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I the Lord will hasten it in his time."+ Similar to this is the prediction in another portion of the same prophet: "In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee."‡

* Isaiah lv. 13.

+ Isaiah lx. 17-22.

Isaiah liv. 14.