on the Lord's Prayer. ~49 I anfwer, there are Various Things lye couch'd under this Petition; ~s, Firft, We pray that Go~ ~ould be pl~as~d w plant his Church. where it is. nOt, according ro his Promife, gwmg all the NatiOns of the World ro bu Son for hJ.f Inheritance and the utmojl Pans of the Earth for his Poffeffion. That the Dark Places and / Corn~rs of the Earth that are yet the Habitations of Cruelty may be il!uilrared wirh the Glorious Light of the Gofpel fhining into them; that God would reveal his Son to rhoft: Poo{ Wretched People that fit in Darknefs, and in the Region of the Shadow of Death and would refcue them from their Blind Superftilions and Idolauies, and fforn .<hePo:Ver of the Devil, who firongly works in theChildren ofDifobed!ence, and would tranflate them into the Kingd9m of his Dear Son ; efpecially that he would femove the Veil from rhe Heart of the Jew, upon whom a Sad Judicial Hardoefs bath long lain, that they at length may be brought into the UnityandFulnef• ofChrift's Body. We pray that all rhe World, both Jewtand Gentiles, may he gather'd inro one Sheepfold under Chrift Jcfus the great Paftor and Shepherd of Souls; fo that as God JS one, fo his Name and Serv.ice may be one, throughout all the Earth. And thus we pray that Chdft's Kingdom may come in refpetl: of the Means of Grace and Salvation. Secondly, ThisPetition, Thy Kingdom cot!U, intimates our ¥-arnefi De fire that the Church of Chriit, where they are planted, may be encreafed tn the Members of rhe Faithful. T.bat rhofe who are as yet Enemies to the Name and Profeffion of Chrift: may be brought iriro the Vifible Church; atid thar thofe in it, who are yet Scr.1ngers ro a Powerful Work of Grace; may bf rhe Effectual Operation of the Holy Gho{f be brought in to he Members of the lnvijible Church. And thus we pray that God's Kingdom may come in refpe8: of the Efficacy of the Mean~ of Grace. Thirdly, We pray that all the Church of Chrifi throughout the World may be kept from Ruin, that they may not be over-run with Superfiition or Idolatry; that God Would nor in his Wrath remove his Candleftick from them, as he bath, in his Righteous Judgment, done from other Churches which were onceGlorious and Splen- ·rlid. We pray likewife that God would make up all Breaches, and compofe all Dif1f:rences, and filence all Controverfies, and cut off all thofe who trouble the Peace, · and rend the Unity, of the Church) breaking it inro FaEt:ions and Schifms, which are the mofi Fatal Symptoms and Portendets of God's withdrawing himfelf, and carrying away his Gofpe!, and giving of it to another People, who will better bring forth rhe Fruirs of it, which are Peace, Meeknefs, and Love. And if in any Thing Chrifiians be diverfiy minded, tbatGod would he pleafed to reveal it unto them; and that r:chereunto they bave attained, tbey may walk by the fame Rule, and 111ind the {aii'Jt: Thingr. And thus we pray that Chrijl's Kingdom may come in refpeU of its Perfe-. aion and Enrirenefs. Fourthly, It intimates our Humble Requefts to God that his Ordinances may be purely agd powerfully difpenfed. Hence, as I noted before, the Word is called the Word of the Kingdom, Matth. '3· 19. that is, the Word whereby we are brought into the Kingdom.of Chtifi here on Earth, and fitted for his Triumphant Kingdom in Heaven: It is the Means of our New Birth, the Seed of our Spiritual Life. And as a Kingdom cannot be well efhblilhed or governed with- ·our good Laws, fo for the Government of his Kingdom Chrifi -hath e!lablifhed Laws, which are contained in the Rrtcords of the lfoly Scripturet: And as his Word is the Law, fo his Sacraments are the Seals of his Kingdom; for eo every · · Believing Parraker God doth under his Seal confirm the Grant of Heaven and Eternal Sal.varion. And therefore in this Perltion we pray alfo that God would give his Church Able Minifters of rhe New Teftamenr, that may know how rightly to divide the Word of Truth, and to give every one his Portion in due Seafon. And that he would he pleafed to accompany the Outward Adminiffration of his Or_dinarlces with rhe Inward Operations of his Spirit, which alone can make them efHlual to turn Men from Darknels to Light, and to bring them from the Power of Saran unto God; that the whole Number of God's Eleit may in his due Time he brought in by the Means which he bath appointed and fanE\ified for their ConverfiOn and Salvation. · Thefe are tlie Chief and Principal Things that we beg of God for •be Church lllzlttonr, when we fay, TbyKinJ.domcome, viz. That it may attain a I'erfeEtion of_ Extent, and be planted where it is not, to a Perfe£tion of Number; and may gam more Profelytes and ConvertS, where it is planted to a Perfeaion of EftahlilhK k k ment,
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