Practical Meditations on the Lord's Prayer — The Third Petition--Part 5

Newman Hall, 1889

The Third Petition

"Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

The third petition is the appropriate sequel to those which precede. As the hallowing of the Name of the Father is essential to the coming of a kingdom based on intelligent apprehension and cordial reverence; so the kingdom implies rule, and the coming of it submission. This is not strictly a separate petition, but a development of the second. We pray that the kingdom may come on earth, by its laws being obeyed. The Will of God, perfectly done in heaven, has been only partially known and obeyed on earth. We pray that this discrepancy may cease, and that the whole realm of God may be harmonized in obedience. As with all the petitions, this one, besides being related to the rest, is based on the Invocation, "Father." God says, "If I am a Father, where is my honor?" And His children pray, Our Father in heaven, let Your holy, loving, Fatherly Will be done. On Sinai the Law rang out trumpet-tongued, "Do the Will of God:" on the Mount of Beatitudes the Savior taught us to obey this Law by asking grace from the Lawgiver to fulfill it.

I—The will of God

This petition is, like the Invocation, a protest against the materialism which recognizes Power alone. Mere material forces, physical laws, have no volition. The abstraction called "a power, not ourselves, that works for righteousness," suggests ideas utterly different from those of the prayer, "Our Father! Your Will be done!" How cold, dreary, terrible, the notion of mere Power controlling us, with no loving thought, emotion, purpose! What a sense of helplessness is engendered by it, what terror of the Power which cannot be resisted or evaded, against which there is no appeal, under which we may be crushed! This would foster a Fatalism as discouraging to exertion as to prayer. It would also prevent any sense of sin. I may be unfortunate in becoming its victim, I cannot be guilty of resisting its volition. I may lament my weakness, but cannot be conscious of wickedness. But when I recognize the rule of a loving and holy Father, I acknowledge my sin in resisting His commands, and am prompt to reform what is wrong instead of pleading a resistless necessity. "Hence comes a conviction, not that we have been unable to resist, but that we have actually resisted that Power which is working for our deliverance and blessedness. A Power we shall then joyfully confess it to be, when we know that it is not that merely or principally" (Maurice).

We recognize a loving will, for He is our Father; a holy will, for He is in heaven. We need not fear the Power which executes the Will of "Our Father." We appeal to Him as developing in His Will, tender compassion, beneficent purpose, perfect righteousness. He does not reign to exhibit sovereignty; He does not decree simply because He chooses; His Will is the outcome of His Fatherhood. There must be much mysterious and inscrutable in the Will of the Infinite God. It would be presumptuous to dictate what it ought to be, or to pronounce by our unaided understanding what it is; but it would also be derogatory to our own nature, which owes to Him its origin, and reflects though imperfectly His likeness, to say we cannot in any degree conjecture what His Will is likely to be. In the light of His own revelation, it would be ungrateful and false to say that we know nothing of His Will, when He has revealed it not only in His Word but by His Son, who, being from eternity "in the bosom of the Father," has "declared Him." He is the everlasting Word, the Revealer. In all His earthly life we learn the nature of His Father's Will. And He who from eternity knew it, bids us pray that it may be done. He who came to save us would not instruct us to pray for the accomplishment of a Will opposed to His own mission. There can be no secret purpose in God conflicting with His Will as illustrated by Christ. We are therefore secure when we pray, "Your Will be done," inasmuch as the prayer is indited by our Savior, and the Will is the Will of our Father.

God's Potential Will in creation and providence none can resist. "He speaks and it is done. Who can stop His hand, or say, What are You doing?" This is done by all creatures inferior to man, everywhere, absolutely, on earth as in heaven. Our part is mentally to concur in it, to be glad that His Power is supreme. "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice." We ask that all men may carry out the Will, either by active service or patient suffering. We pray "not in order that God may do His own Will, but that we may be willing and enabled to do what He wills to be done by us" (Cyprian). This brings us to the consideration of

II—God's preceptive will in relation to the human will

God recognizes in man, made in His likeness, a capacity of Will corresponding with His own. He is not mere Force, and we are not mere machines. We have the Divine faculty of observing, considering, judging, approving, resolving, performing. We can concur with His Will or dispute it; perform or resist it. It is frivolous to debate about foreknowledge, and preordination, and philosophical necessity, as though what will be must ever have been certain, and therefore such as no will, or act, or prayer can change. We know by our own consciousness that we possess this power of Will, which can be exercised in obeying that of God, and is as free when in harmony with it as when resisting it. But we also know that such resistance is possible, that such resistance is a sad and solemn fact. A created will can resist the Creator. Sun, moon, and stars unconsciously obey, but man stands forth amid the loyal universe, and dares to say "No" to the Almighty. This faculty is recognized in all the commands, promises and threatenings of Holy Scripture. We are not told to abrogate our function of volition, no other mind but His being active; but to exercise our will freely in accord with His. Our volition is appealed to by motives. The Son of God said to the Jews, "You will not come to me that you might have life." He declared that His own Will was opposed by theirs. "How often would I have gathered your children, and you would not!" I had the will to save you; you had the will to reject me. God sent His Son to bring our will into accord with His own. The apostles besought men "in Christ's stead, Be reconciled to God." To produce this harmony the Divine Spirit enters human hearts. "It is God who works in us to will and to do." We have still the power to cherish or resist these Divine influences. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God;" "Quench not the Spirit." "you do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." This petition implies that God can influence our will for good without destroying our freedom of choice. For this prayed saints of old, "Teach me to do Your Will. Incline my heart to Your testimonies." And for this our Lord taught us to pray when we say, "Your Will be done."

III—Why should God's will be done?

Because it is God's. He has every right to rule; as Creator and Preserver, He gives laws to all things that depend on Him for existence; as infinitely Good, He has a moral right to the willing homage of all intelligent beings. It is reasonable that they should employ the faculties He gave in accordance with His own inherent perfections and revealed commands. We ask for the fulfillment of "that good, acceptable, and perfect Will of God." We obey it because it is His, and because it must be beneficent like Himself; for it is our Father's will, and corresponds to His Name. His precepts no less than His promises are the expressions of His love; in commanding duties, He bestows benefits; in forbidding sins, He guards from injuries. "Honor your father and your mother" implies, Receive honor in your turn. "You shall not kill" involves, None must kill you; and "You shall not steal" declares, None must rob you. His most emphatic warnings against sin mean, "Do yourself no harm;" His severest threatenings cry in the ears of sinners, "Why will you die?" Nothing is forbidden which would not be an injury to ourselves; nothing enjoined which is not for our good. He places us on an estate and bids us cultivate it for Him, asking no rent but our diligence, and promising that we shall enjoy as our own the fruits of orchards and corn-fields. He bids us dig a mine, and then take all the gold for ourselves."

But besides the benefits resulting, there is joy in the very act of performing His Will. When we obey Him, our lesser wheels revolve smoothly in harmony with the great machinery of Love, instead of grating and breaking in hopeless counteraction. There is peace in being consciously in accord with our own higher nature. We rejoice when what we will and what we do is what Truth and Righteousness require. Above all, there is satisfaction in feeling that our strongest and most habitual desires and efforts correspond with the holy laws of our Creator and the loving Will of our Father. "In keeping them there is great reward." This dignifies the humblest lot, and raises to the rank of Divine service the most menial employment. The apostle comforted those bond-slaves of the Roman Empire who believed in Jesus by this grand consideration, that however unjust or cruel their earthly masters might be, yet in obeying them those slaves were serving the Lord Christ. Physical bondage became spiritual freedom when endured patiently from love to the Lord. When the thing we do possesses in itself neither interest nor honor, if we do it in His name, it at once becomes noble and blessed.

"Teach me, my God and King,
In all things You to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for Thee.

A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine;
Who sweeps a room, as for Your laws,
Makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
That turns all to gold:
For that which God does touch and own
Cannot for less be told." —George Herbert

IV—Angelic nature

As Moses when erecting the tabernacle was commanded to "make all things according to the pattern shown him in the mount," so we have here set before us an example of the way in which the will of God is to be done by men on earth—"as it is done in heaven." If for a moment the word suggests the starry heavens, we see an illustration of obedience, unceasing, untiring, exact; but it is mechanical, involuntary, lifeless. One man endowed with mind and will may render more homage than all the solar system. We must look beyond the constellations, even to "the third heavens," for the pattern of our obedience.

The resemblance of the obedience of angels to that of men suggests resemblance of nature. At the creation of the world "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." We say "Our Father," and rejoice that "now are we the sons of God." There exists therefore a near brotherhood. God made man "a little lower than the angels." This implies only a difference of degree between kindred natures. Our Lord, when He became man, "was made a little lower than the angels." He who appeared to the patriarchs as the angel of Jehovah, appeared in the fullness of time as "the Son of man." Angels are described as men. "Three men appeared to Abraham," who at first took them to be simply men. He "entertained angels unawares." "There came twoangels to Sodom." "And the men said to Lot, Have you here any besides?" "There came an angel of the Lord" to Gideon, and as "he sat under an oak," Gideon thought he was a man, but afterwards exclaimed, "Alas! for I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face." Thus Daniel describes the angel Gabriel—"While I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation." Zechariah speaks of "the man that stood among the olive trees" as being"the angel of the Lord." Matthew describes "the angel of the Lord" rolling away the stone from the sepulcher, but Mark describes him as "a young man sitting" where the body had lain; and Luke says "two men stood by them in shining garments." When Jesus ascended, "as He went up, two men stood by them in white apparel." In John's description of the heavenly city, we have this remarkable expression—"He measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man,that is, of the angel." In the closing chapter the angel forbids the homage of the apostle, saying, "I am your fellow-servant."

From such statements we may infer that angels are only a higher species of man; higher in endowment; higher by actually obeying, just as we ought to obey, so that the true ideal of humanity is to be found in them; and we are restored to the true human type, by resemblance to angels, when the Will of God is done by us as by them. It is a joy to feel that if there are spirits of evil plotting to do us harm, there are holy angels, closely allied to us, only a little above us, in sympathy with us and employed in helping us. Very little has been said of the angelic nature in Scripture; but obedience is the same with all moral beings. Everywhere the same authority exists, the same wisdom and love appeal to a similar understanding and volition. Holy angels as well as good men, from love to God, give heed to His Will; perform it; delight in it; and so their obedience is a model for our own.

V—ANGELIC OBEDIENCE

1. Angels do the Will of God LOVINGLY—It must be universally true that no obedience is acceptable to God which love does not inspire. Angels are highest in the scale of moral beings, and must therefore be highest in the possession and exercise of that love which is the fulfilling of all law. They are in the immediate presence of God, whose essence is love, and therefore under its most potent influence. Dwelling in His light, they reflect and share it. They are all seraphim burning with a holy fire which impels them, as their supreme delight, to do the Will of Him they adore.

Such love secures the perfect loyalty which obeys every command of God because it is His. They do not first bring it to the tribunal of their own judgment, and then comply with it in proportion as they understand the reason of it. Their faith must have been severely tried when they were bidden to overthrow the cities of the plain, to destroy the first-born of Egypt, and to slay one hundred and eighty thousand of the army of Sennacherib; when they saw their Lord insulted and tormented by His foes, and were not allowed to rescue Him; and when they have watched the persecution of the heirs of salvation, and "their angels" have not been permitted to deliver them. Their only inquiry is, "Has God commanded?"

Obedience prompted by love is sure to be cheerful. Unloving service is reluctant, grudged, regretful, sad. A willing heart makes a merry countenance, and inspires an obedience the happy spontaneity of which renders fragrant, the work done. Such "service is perfect freedom." Angels obey not because they must, but because they would. As it would be pain to birds to be restrained from singing when the flowers deck the fields; as it is cruelty to cage the lark whose loftiest flights express its greatest pleasure; so it would be a burden to angels to be spared the service which is their purest bliss. Heaven is a synonym for happiness; and there is not a truer description of its joy than this—"His servants shall serve Him." An old writer exclaims, "It is the joy, I had almost said the mirth, of heaven to obey the statutes of its King."

They therefore do it promptly. Love does not loiter. Angels are compared to winds and lightning in swiftness of service. "He makes His angels winds, His ministers a flaming fire." They never wait for a more convenient season, nor substitute a purpose to do for present doing. Gabriel, "being caused to fly swiftly," brought the reply to the prophet "while he was speaking in prayer." Love spares no pains. Angels who "excel in strength," with all that strength "do his commandments." Their capacities may vary, but each does the Will of God with his might. Nothing is too trivial for the putting forth of every needful energy, when the end in view is the Will of God whom they perfectly love.

We are taught to pray that our obedience may, like theirs, be that of love. Then will it be loyal, unquestioning, cheerful, prompt, unsparing. As children obey wise and tender parents from loving trust before they acquire from experience the conviction that their own welfare is thus best secured, so let us obey our Father in heaven, even when we cannot understand the reason and methods of His Will. Called to such obedience, we are called to noblest liberty. Our service may well be cheerful when it has become the gratification of our own heaven-born impulses; when "we love the thing which God commands, and desire that which He promises." It may well be cheerful when thereby we share the privilege and the joy of heaven; and possess a sign that we belong to Him whose example, as the Lord of angels, we are supremely to follow, and who said, "I delight to do Your will."

Then will our obedience be prompt. Alas! how often we are convinced of some evil and resolve to forsake it, or of some duty and comfort our conscience by the purpose of performing it tomorrow! whereas, in an attitude of loving obedience, we should pray, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears;" and in grateful retrospection be able to say, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Your commandments." Then also will obedience be unstinted. We should always do our best. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;" when God commands, inspects, rewards. "She has done what she could" is a commendation not to be surpassed, and not confined to rank or power. The very weakest and lowliest may share it with the strongest and greatest. Men on earth are accepted with cherubim and seraphim, when, with them, they do what they can. It is to be feared that some who bear the Christian name are still but as Jews, under the restraints of law. They try to do their duty, fearing to displease God and to incur penalty. But believers in Christ have not received "the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." We obey, not as slaves, but as sons. Our service is not measured by payment nor constrained by fear; "We freely serve because we freely love."

2. They do it INTELLIGENTLY—Their faith is rational, their loyalty discerning. They take pains to know whether the command is really from God and not their own imagination; and then to understand what it really means, not what their own fancy may suppose it capable of meaning. "Bless the Lord, you His angels, who do His commandments, listening to the voice of His word." They do not rush heedlessly into service. So we should pray, "Make me to understand the way of Your precepts. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law." In order intelligently to obey, we are to "search the Scriptures," which are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

3. They do it PRAYERFULLY—If prayer is far more than the mere asking for sorrow to be relieved, needs supplied, and sins forgiven; if it is the outpouring of a filial heart, heaven would lack one chief element of bliss if angels did not pray. The Lord of angels prayed. Knowing how surely the Will of the Father would be accomplished, He expressed His concurrence with that Will in earnest supplications. He still prays. He makes intercession for transgressors, that they may begin to do the Will of God—and for His faithful servants, that they may go on to do it. "This must surely be a law of the spiritual universe and of the heavenly world. Angels and the 'spirits of just men made perfect,' martyrs from beneath the altar, the four and twenty elders, and the principalities and powers in heavenly places, because of their thorough submission to the law and love and will of God, are the most fervent and intense of all His creatures in their prayers, and see by the piercing glances of their faith, and soar by the strong wings of intercession, on into the everlasting purposes of the Infinite and Eternal God" (H. Reynolds). Many of our petitions can have no place in heaven, but surely this one will never cease to be the desire of glorified saints and unfallen angels. Heavenly perfection must include reliance on the Heavenly Father, both for existence itself and for the purity and happiness which are inseparable from obedience. Not for themselves alone, but for all intelligent beings they pray. While they do God's Will, they pray that it may be done. So let us do it; doing it, the more we pray; praying for it, the more we do it.

4. They do ALL God's Will—We on earth are apt to make selections. Obedience is easy when the Will of God agrees with the opinions of the world, of the society in which we move, of patrons or friends; when it does not threaten property, trade, comfort; when it does not demand uncongenial exertion, the breaking of matured habits, or painful self-sacrifice. We think we are obeying the Will of God when we may be only pleasing ourselves. If we walk along the path of duty only when it is level, smooth and flowery, but turn aside when it scales the steep crag--our motive is the gratifying of self, not the obeying of God. But in heaven, inasmuch as they do God's Will because it is His, angels do it all. We cannot imagine them selecting what may be most easy, profitable, or honorable. They loyally execute every order—whether to destroy Sodom or rescue Lot; in brilliant array to proclaim the Law, or singly to withstand Balaam; to give food to Elijah, or to carry him to heaven; to form a bodyguard for Elisha, or to shut the lions' mouths for Daniel; to destroy the armies of Sennacherib, or to bear a quick reply to one lonely suppliant's prayer. So we do God's Will as they do it in heaven when we obey without preference, whether to work amid the blaze of publicity or in the shade of obscurity, whether to range the earth in unresting activity or to wait His Will in humble readiness.

After an important battle, a great general was conversing with his officers respecting the various incidents of the fight. The names were mentioned of men who had stormed batteries, held their post against fearful odds, fought single-handed against a crowd of assailants, or carried off wounded comrades amid a shower of bullets. "No (said he); you are all mistaken—the best man in the field today was a soldier who had his arm lifted up against an enemy, but who, on hearing the trumpet sound a retreat, checked himself, and dropped his arm without striking the blow. That perfect and ready obedience to the will of his general is the noblest thing that has been done today" (A. Hare). How often we feel it easier to wield the sword than sheathe it, to pursue than to retreat, to work than to wait! Yet there should be no difference in our obedience when we cannot doubt what is the Will of God. One command neglected, because uncongenial, mars the rest of our obedience. In a harp of many strings, one that is out of tune makes the whole seem discordant. Then only "shall we not be ashamed" when, like the angels, we "have respect for all" the commandments of God.

5. They do it ALWAYS—"They serve Him day and night in His temple." There are no intervals of idleness; they wish no vacation. Interruption in obedience would be a suspension of bliss. Let ours resemble theirs; not by fits and starts, with intervening relapses; not needing revivals out of apathy; not dependent on novelty, which must soon lose its charm, but patient and persevering under all circumstances; not as a mountain-torrent whose rocky channel is bare and sunburned when snows are not melting and rains do not fall, but as a deep, broad river ever flowing with fertilizing tide. "O that there were such heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always!"

6. They all do it, and do it altogether—Not as here, a few among the many, and these objects of curiosity and wonder, sometimes of ridicule and hatred; but everyone does it; that countless host forming a glorious and perfect unity of obedience with endless diversity of gifts. There is not one among that great multitude who makes objection, or questions why. "Are they not all ministering spirits?" All do it in perfect harmony, each contented with his allotted service as most honorable and advantageous, because appointed by God. No time or strength is wasted on controversy. The possessor of ten talents does not despise the possessor of only one, nor does the latter envy the former. One worker does not condemn his fellow because he uses varying methods. There is no insisting on uniformity of operation where there is this grand unity of motive; no attempt to fetter the freedom the Creator gives by bonds the creature invents. There is no friction of the wheels, because each is perfectly fitted to the central power and plan. All the workers are in harmony with each other, because all are perfectly doing the Will of God.

O for such harmony among Christian workers on earth! Alas, how much time and energy are wasted in contentions between fellow-servants in imposing their preferences on others who have an equal right to their own; and in failing to recognize true service unless performed according to some standard of man's devising! The cure is an earnest desire to do the Will of God. As the structure of the earth is consolidated by every particle gravitating towards the same center, so the more our minds and hearts in all our service are directed towards God, the more we must approach each other.

7. They do it in the presence of God—The actual presence and inspection of one we honor acts as an additional stimulus to the obedience of love. The angel who appeared to Zacharias said, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God." The "many angels round about the throne do always behold the face of the Father," and the eye of Him whom they supremely love and adore is upon them. No wonder, therefore, that they do His Will earnestly, constantly, cheerfully, harmoniously. So let us do it. For is not God really as near to us here on earth as He is to them in heaven? We do not behold His face, but we may by faith realize His presence, and in holy service "endure, seeing the Invisible." If soldiers are animated by the presence of the general, if servants by the inspection of their master, if children by the loving looks of their parents, should not we serve and obey "as ever in our Great Taskmaster's eye," when He is our loving Father? Although the prayer refers to the manner of obedience, not to the kind of work, we cannot refrain from noticing how numerous and varied are the services performed by angels which are of a beneficent character. They all "minister for the heirs of salvation;" they "encamp round about those who fear God;" they have a "charge concerning" the righteous, to "keep them in all their ways;" they do not overlook "one of these little ones who believe in Jesus;" they rescued an apostle from prison, and carried a beggar into Abraham's bosom. In doing the Will of God, princes in heaven serve sinners on earth.

If thus angels act as "ministers of grace" to aid fallen men, surely we should obey that same Will in acts of beneficence to one another; ministering to the saints, protecting the weak, caring for little children, visiting the sick, tending the dying. In such service we are apt to neglect small acts of kindness while thinking to do great things, and waiting for these to present themselves. "A wise man," said Lord Bacon, "will make more opportunities than he finds." Benevolence like that of the angels will never wait for a call to some mighty act, when to give a cup of cold water is at hand. While imitating their obedience to Him whose "Nature and property is ever to show mercy," we shall never be at a loss for opportunities.

In all benevolent work we are doing the Will of God. But there is no department of such work so important as that of endeavoring to save the souls of men. Here also we may learn a lesson from the angels. They announced His birth; ministered to Him in the wilderness and in Gethsemane; appeared at the Resurrection and Ascension; came to the disciples to aid and direct then; to Philip, Acts 8:26; Cornelius, 10:3-22; Peter, 12:7-9; Paul, 27:23; and John, Rev. 1:1; and are deeply interested in the salvation provided for sinful men. "Which things the angels desire to look into." "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Possessed of lofty intelligence, with vast and accurate knowledge of truth, they understand how much is involved in the salvation of one soul. Already in possession of joy so complete, they would not burst forth into fresh gladness on account of any trivial event. We may learn from them the unspeakable reasons for joy in the salvation of one sinner. If we do the Will of God on earth as they do it in heaven, we shall feel that the repentance of even one sinner is ample reward for a life of labor, since it furnishes occasion for fresh joy in heaven. O for the time when earth shall thus resemble heaven; when all men in doing the Will of God shall best serve themselves and one another; when the varied wills of men, not destroyed nor compressed into a rigid uniformity controlled by a single dominant and all-embracing volition, but in their multiplicity of individual wills, each free yet all concurring, shall form one Commonwealth of Willinghood in the perfect service of the Eternal King!

VI—PASSIVE OBEDIENCE

Men have also to obey in another method unknown to angels. We are exposed to varied sorrows, all sent or permitted by God and overruled for good, but needing special help to endure them patiently. The purposes of God must be accomplished whether we assent to them or not. We here pray that we may render this assent. "Our repining hinders not His working, but it hinders our own comfort—our wrestling and fretting does but pain ourselves" (Leighton). How the character of any trial is changed when we accept it from our Father; when we are cheerfully led instead of being unwillingly driven; when we take up our burden and carry it instead of trailing it along the rocky path! God's Will may concur with our own wish; or our prayer may bring us what we ask; but there will often be times when what we wish we cannot have. But we may always relinquish our own will and embrace that of God, and so, by making His Will ours, have our own. Luther said, "I do not ask 'Your Will be done,' but my will be done, because Your Will is now my will, and I best get my own will by unquestioning acceptance of Yours." It would not be good for us to have our own will always, if it were possible. Were God to give us the liberty of choice, it would be wise to resign that liberty again to Him who is infallibly wise and unfailingly kind. Often, as we look back, we see places where we wished to take some other path than that in which God was leading us, and we perceive that our own preference would have led us into bogs or over precipices. And we also see places where we resolutely chose our own path, and God overruled our disappointment to teach us the folly of refusing to be guided by Himself!

"Lord, You are mine and I am Thine,
If mine I am—and Your much more,
Than I or ought, or can be mine.
Yet to be Your, does me restore;
So that again I now am mine;
And with advantage, mine the more,
Since this being mine brings with it Thine,
And You with me do You restore.
If I without You would be mine,
I neither should be mine nor Your."—George Herbert

How unanswerable the argument for resignation to the Divine Will in times of trial is the assurance of the apostle, "Our light affliction, which is for the moment, is working for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory"! Light compared with the weight of glory, momentary compared with the eternal result, they are always operating for our welfare even when causing us most suffering. "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God." They are active, beneficent, harmonious; they work together for good. Often our trials act as a prickly hedge which wounds, but guards us from the steep precipice or the deep river. Loss of property may enrich the soul. Trials reveal to us ourselves, "as soaking rain shows damaged places in the roof which need mending." They bring our sins to remembrance, as in the case of Joseph's brethren. They separate us from many perilous temptations and worldly snares; they draw or drive us to the throne of grace; they are a needful discipline of faith, and our patient endurance is a helpful example.

"If loving hearts were never lonely,
If all they wish might always be,
Accepting what they wish for only,
They might be glad, but not in Thee.
We need as much the cross we bear
As air we breathe, as light we see;
It draws us to Your side in prayer,
It binds us to our strength in Thee."

The brave and godly Sir John Eliot said—"In wrestling with calamities there is this advantage for all—First, yourself; the favor of God giving you this education, knowledge of yourself, confirmation of virtue. Secondly, your neighbors; profit by your example, your fortitude adding courage to them. How then in this great duty of advantage to ourselves and neighbors we should repine, as 'tis a prejudice to our happiness, so 'tis a wonder unto reason." As the destruction of Aquileia and other towns on the Italian coast caused their inhabitants to flee to the islets of the lagoon, from which there afterwards arose the temples and palaces of the queenly city of the Adriatic, so the most threatening perils and darkest trials of the believer have often been the means of erecting temples of spiritual beauty, far surpassing that palatial city of the sea. Whatever brightness there may be in any object through color of its own, this is far exceeded by the sun's own rays when reflected from it. A broken vessel, a fragment of glass, may blaze with solar splendor, when objects of perfect form, artistic beauty, and costly material may send back no heavenly radiance. The stream flowing placidly through the meadows may be beautiful; but not until obstructed by rocks, broken into rapids, tumbling over precipices, is it brilliant with all the colors of the solar spectrum, and spanned by the rainbow. Resistance to our Father's Will is opposition to our own welfare; murmuring at trials is discontent with blessings He designs. Let us then take the oar of duty and leave to Him the helm of direction. Whatever course the pilot steers, let us aid the vessel's progress, whether it bears us through smooth or stormy waters, and while pulling let us pray, "Your Will be done."

"Man's weakness, waiting upon God,
Its end can never miss;
For man on earth no work can do,
More angel-like than this.
Siding with God, I always win;
No chance to me is lost:
His Will is sweet to me, even when
It triumphs at my cost.
Ills that God blesses are my good—
All unblest good is ill;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His dear Will." —Faber

VII—ILLUSTRATIONS OF PASSIVE OBEDIENCE

We have no examples of passive obedience in unfallen angels, but we have many in the history of those who joined their ranks when they "came out of great tribulation." Job said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." David—"Let Him do to me as seems good to Him." Habakkuk"—"Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, yet I will rejoice in the Lord." Apostles and early Christians "rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer shame for His name," and could "glory in tribulation also." Richard Baxter, when suffering extreme pain on his deathbed, prayed for release, but checked himself thus—"It is not fit for me to prescribe—What You will, when You will, how You will." When asked how he was, he would reply, "Almost well; better than I deserve to be, but not so well as I hope to be." Milton said, "It is not so wretched to be blind as it is not to be capable of enduring blindness. There is a way to strength through weakness. Let me then be the most feeble creature alive as long as that feebleness serves to invigorate my spirit; as long as in that obscurity the light of the Divine presence more clearly shines, then in proportion as I am weak I 'shall be invincibly strong, and in proportion as I am blind I shall more clearly see. O that I may thus be perfected by feebleness and irradiated by obscurity!" Thus our trials may become means of blessing, and seeming hindrances real helps. Climbing the mountain of God's holiness, our path is obstructed by projecting rocks which tempt the timid to despair and the indolent to turn back, but which the resolute climber grasps with his hands, and uses as a fulcrum for his feet, so making what might have become a stumbling-block a stepping-stone.

The wife of Archbishop Tait thus wrote of the death of five children within a few weeks—"We were called to part with these five blessed little daughters, each of whom had been received in prayer, educated with prayer, and were now given up, though with bitter anguish, yet with prayer and thanksgiving." The trial is spoken of as "a bright chain to draw the heart up to heaven." And when a son was cut off in the morning of his usefulness, we read that "as the benediction was pronounced over his resting place, his parents felt that their many prayers for his welfare, offered up from his infancy onwards, had been answered, though not in the way they had expected."

Mr. Fisk relates that a Grand Vizier, in high favor with the Sultan, was suddenly disgraced and deprived of all his property. He at once conformed to his new circumstances, and was seen selling lemons at a street corner, where he was sympathetically accosted by an English nobleman who had known him in his glory. He replied, "I am not at all unhappy. Allah gave me what I had—He had a perfect right to take it away—Allah is great, Allah is good!" How much more should we who know God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ pray with unquestioning submission, "Your Will be done"! To a friend of the writer, a poor man, prior to the days of chloroform, related how it had been necessary that his little boy should undergo a most painful operation. The father explained this to his child, asking if he could bear it. "Yes, father, if you will hold my hand." The hand was held, the boy was patient, and health was restored. In every trial our Father holds our hand, and recovery is certain; shall we not then be "patient in tribulation"? A woman in the writer's congregation who had been prostrate during forty years, with an active spirit but helpless body, said to him, "I would rather be in heaven; but if it be my Father's Will, I'm ready to lie here forty years longer." Her sister, during nineteen years lying helpless and scarcely ever free from pain, said to the author on the day when the preceding page was written, "Last week I was very near home, but the Lord has brought me back. I hoped He would have taken me, but it must be best." The case of the boy was related to her whose father held his hand, and she replied, "Oh, He does more for me—'His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me'! I have seen more of His mercy by lying here than I should have seen if well. What a sweet text that is—'I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.'"

Thus the Father helps His children to "glory in tribulation also;" not only to be resigned, but thankful; "strengthened with all might unto all patience and patience with joyfulness, giving thanks to the Father," while from the midst of the furnace exclaiming, "Your Will be done."

VIII—THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST

He who was so high above angels stooped to become below them, that He might illustrate His own prayer. Throughout His ministry He made it manifest that He came to obey—"I seek not my own will, but the Will of the Father who has sent me." When the disciples wondered that their Lord talked with the woman of Samaria and seemed indifferent to food, He said, "My meat is to do the Will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work." His satisfaction at the close of life was this, "I have finished the work which You gave me to do." In this active service He illustrated how the Will of the Father would be done in heaven if sorrow could find entrance there. His agony in the garden was intense. The bloody sweat was the sign of anguish beyond all possibility of flesh to feel. He knelt, He bowed down, He fell on His face to the ground, "with strong crying and tears" He appealed to His Father, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." The utmost suffering was united with entire resignation, so that He said, "The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?" And He did drink it to the dregs. When scourged and crucified, He never ceased to illustrate the prayer, "Your Will be done," until He said, "It is finished." "The cross is at once the complete utterance of the prayer and the answer to it" (Maurice). Here is the highest possible example of heavenly obedience in patient suffering—agony intense, desire strong, submission absolute. "He learned obedience by the things that He suffered." It was fitting, it was needful that the Father, "in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Our Leader in the same path of trial "is not ashamed to call us brethren." Thus we pray to be enabled to submit in the same spirit of filial trust. My Father, Your Will! Because as Father Your Will can purpose nothing which is not for Your glory in Your children's good, therefore "Your Will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven."

The example of Christ Himself is the high mark at which we are to aim. We are not to consider what other people do, nor what many Christian professors do, nor what even the best of fallible men do; we are to imitate the obedience of angels, more so, of the Lord of angels. To aim lower would make us untrue both to God and ourselves. He accepts inferior degrees of service from loyal hearts, but He cannot be satisfied with less than perfection, nor will loving children of His be content with offering less. His Will cannot be lowered to our mean attainments, but our standard must be lifted up to His perfection. Our dilatory dial must be adjusted to the true solar time. Though we fail in this life to reach the ultimate goal, we must press towards it rather than rest short of it; thus shall we run farther than if our goal were nearer. "Though an archer shoot not so high as he aims, yet the higher he takes his aim, the higher he shoots" (Leighton). "He who aims at a star will shoot higher than he who aims at a bush" (Manton). The Divine target for human endeavor is Divine perfection. "You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."

That we may with all our heart illustrate this prayer is the purpose of God in the discipline of trial. Such obedience is the test of faith and steadfastness, for the great Teacher likened the doer of His word to "the wise man who built his house upon a rock." This secures repose, for the promise is linked with the precept—"Take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest." This alone gives reasonable assurance of salvation, for "hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." This is the true key of knowledge, the torch to guide into new paths; for "if any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine." This elevates to a dignity surpassing noblest descent or royal lineage, for it constitutes us near relatives of Him who said, "Whoever does the Will of God, the same is my brother and sister and mother;" and "If a man loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him." This secures immortality, for though "the world and its desires pass away, he who does the Will of God abides forever." This antedates heaven's bliss and allies us already with angels, for it is characteristic of the home of the blessed that "His servants shall serve Him."

With what thoughtfulness and sincerity should we offer such a prayer! How many are self-convicted as they utter it, acknowledging as the standard of conduct an example they have no intention to imitate! "In this prayer the godless man condemns himself, the sufferer comforts himself, the slothful invigorates himself, the self-willed rebukes himself, and the will of the spirit prays itself through all the impediments of an opposing flesh, to perfect victory" (Stier). The essential difference between the children of God and others is, that they place the Will of God foremost. Human depravity is alienation from the Divine Will, and may underlie great varieties of external behavior. Every true convert asks at once, "Lord, what will You have me to do?" Alas for professors who daily say, "Your Will be done," while daily doing their own! How apt we are to be content with convictions that the Will of God ought to be done, with forms of prayer that it may be done, with regrets that we have not done it, and resolutions to do it hereafter! How often we think we do it when we only do it partially, in trifles that cost nothing, in actions concurring with our own inclinations and worldly interests, or when we wait for some grand occasion for doing it, and let slip the opportunities which each day offers in little things! How often we make abstinence from one fault a palliative to conscience while indulging another! We may be temperate but avaricious, chaste but uncharitable, orthodox but irritable and unforgiving, and all the while suppose we are doing the Will of God.

"This is the great difficulty which stops so many in their Christian journey. It is like a great steep mountain, which blocks up the road to heaven—and some of us waste our time in trying to find a path round it; and some of us fall asleep at the foot of it; and some of us in despair turn our backs on it, and set our faces toward the way of sin and death—but few, very few have the wisdom and the courage to say within themselves, 'The city of our God and King is at the top of that steep mountain—unless I climb the mountain, I can never get there—so the sooner I begin the better'" (A. W. Hare). The worst doom that can overtake us is being left to our own will. "My people would not heed my voice, and Israel would have none of me; so I gave them up to their own hearts' lust, and they walked in their own counsels." Refusal to walk in God's ways results in walking in our own; and walking in our own, means following that other guide who always leads those who will not be led by the Spirit. We may fancy we are masters of ourselves when we refuse to be servants of God, but while dreaming of freedom we are becoming spell-bound by the stronger will of the devil. He promises us freedom in order to rivet on us his chain. He bribes with the assurance of securing to us our will that he may make us subject to his own. It is a terrible description of his victims—"taken captive of the devil at his will." Alas for those who are "tied and bound by the chain of their sins," and have yielded up their freedom to their soul's worst foe!

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, A.D. 252, who illustrated this petition both by active service and martyr-suffering, thus admirably summarizes what we pray to be enabled to do—"The Will of God is what Christ has done and taught—it is humility in conduct, steadfastness in faith, scrupulousness in our words, rectitude in our deeds, mercy in our works, governance in our habits; it is innocence of injuriousness, and patience under it, preserving peace with the brethren, loving God with all our heart, loving Him as our Father and fearing Him as our God; accounting Christ before all things because He accounted nothing before us, clinging inseparably to His love, being stationed with fortitude and faith at His cross, and when the battle comes for His Name and honor maintaining in words that constancy which makes confession, in torture that confidence which joins battle, and in death that patience which receives the crown. This is to fulfill the Will of the Father." This petition, like the rest, includes all mankind. As we recognize the whole brotherhood when we say "Our Father;" so we pray that His Will may be obeyed throughout the whole earth. What a reign of peace will it be when everyone will be aiming at the same object, obeying the same perfect Will? Then will earth resemble heaven, when the Will of God is done by men as by angels.

Practical Meditations on the Lord's Prayer — The Second Petition—Part 4

Newman Hall, 1889 The Second Petition "Your Kingdom Come" "Three weighty, instructive, monitory words. The first, 'Your,' lifts the thoughts upward—bids us think of God, and lose ourselves in Him. The second, 'Kingdom,' reminds us of a great system in which to have a place is glory, for which to be allowed to pray is the highest honor and the highest dignity of the creature. The third, 'Come,' bids us exercise this honor at once. As we utter the petition, we are putting the hand to a work which is all God's, we are claiming a franchise and a citizenship and a priesthood, not of earth but of heaven" (Vaughan). I—THE KINGDOM OF GOD SPIRITUAL The "kingdom of God" refers, not to the whole universe nor to the final perfection of Heaven—but to His authority in this world—and its meaning is further unfolded in the next petition, "Your will be done on earth." The coming of the kingdom is the progressive recognition of this rule until all mankind shall either willingly accept it or unwillingly submit to it. In material nature the kingdom has already come, has never ceased to be. It is the 'moral government' of God for the triumph of which we pray—His rule in the region of mind, heart, and will—the establishment of His authority where it has been ignored and resisted—the final victory of God's righteousness and love over every form of wrong and hate—His reign on earth. Once this reign was undisputed. But there were angels who "kept not their first estate." Yielding to their malign influence, man also revolted. But still the kingdom was not subverted. Satan disturbed—but never supplanted it. He is not lord of men or the world—and is king only by usurpation. God has never ceased to be the rightful and actual Ruler, though His authority has been defied. In the rewards and penalties of physical and social laws He has given indications of His moral rule and foreshadowings of His future judgment. In every land He has had His witnesses—in every conscience His vicegerent. From eternity it was in the Divine purpose to cure man's revolt and overrule its evil for still greater good. Man had now to be dealt with no longer as a loyal subject, but as a guilty rebel. Pardon was to be offered consistently with righteousness, and moral means instituted to bring man's moral nature into harmony with the Divine kingdom. Thus the kingdom was no longer one of mere rule and obedience, but of mercy to the disobedient. In relation to fallen man it is a kingdom of grace. A kingdom still; asserting the supremacy of God and the sanctity of law; but providing pardon for the transgressor, and help for his recovery. The foundations of it were laid from the beginning. It was proclaimed when man sinned. As years rolled on, its principles and claims were more fully developed. By Enoch, Noah, Abraham; by Moses on Sinai, by the ceremonial law, by the trumpet-notes of prophets, by the harp-songs of psalmists—its majesty was asserted and its triumph foretold. Solomon prayed for it—"Give the king Your judgments, O God—and let the whole earth be filled with His glory." Isaiah exulted in beholding afar off the day when "the government shall be upon His shoulder," when men shall no longer "hurt nor destroy, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." As among heathen nations there was an expectation of the coming of some great benefactor and ruler of men, it is no wonder that with such Divine promises the Jews were expecting their long-predicted Messiah, and listened eagerly to the clarion blast of the Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Thus heralded, Jesus began His ministry as its special Ambassador, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand—repent, and believe in the gospel." The kingdom long expected, portrayed on the glowing canvas of prophets, extolled by the inspired rapture of poets, prepared for by a long series of providential arrangements, was now proclaimed, and all men were summoned to submit to Jehovah and His Christ. But the Jews mistook its nature. They expected a warlike monarch who would deliver them from the Romans, and establish a worldly kingdom which should more than reproduce all the glories of David and Solomon. There was nothing in our Lord's teaching to encourage such an idea. The blessedness He announced was not that of successful ambition, of splendid kingly courts—but of "the poor in spirit." Not of those who can compel compliance with human laws, but of those who are "persecuted for righteousness' sake—for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When the disciples disputed which of them would be greatest, their Lord taught that unless such notions were laid aside, they could have no part in it. "Truly I say to you, except you turn and become as little children, you shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven." Not outward grandeur, but inward renovation was the qualification—"Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Instead of wealth being essential for securing it, He taught "how hard shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God." No self-indulgence was to be expected, but only self-sacrifice—"It is good for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye—rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell." The often-repeated preface to parables explaining its nature, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto," was followed by no description of worldly thrones, with armies, pageantry, and pomp. It was a kingdom of quiet growth from the smallest to the greatest—like a grain of mustard seed; of silent influence—like leaven in meal; of unseen yet priceless treasure—which to purchase, men might well renounce all worldly wealth. "The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" were illustrated by the various kinds of soil on which the good seed fell—its highest rewards are not for successful fighters, but for those who "hear the word and understand it, and bear fruit." Thus when the Pharisees asked "when the kingdom of God should come," He replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation." It is not to be known by the outward signs of this world's kingdoms. "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you," or in the midst of you. It had already appeared, but was not perceived by their worldly minds. When accused by them of doing the very thing they wanted Him to do, His refusal to do which so exasperated them, He replied to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world—if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews—but now is my kingdom not from hence." Developing such instruction, the apostles proclaimed the kingdom as one of spiritual virtues, not of outward forms—"the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"—a kingdom to be entered not by a career of worldly triumph, but of patient suffering—"Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God." We are thus taught that the kingdom of God signifies His rule in the hearts of men—a rule based on eternal righteousness, not destroyed though assailed by man's sin—asserted in man's moral nature—vindicated and its final triumph predicted by inspired prophets, proclaimed by Christ, sealed by His blood, attested by the Resurrection, ratified by the Ascension, confirmed at Pentecost, published to the world by the apostles, illustrated in the character and conduct of every believer born again as a subject of it. The Church is its embodied witness; the Word its authorized code; Christian fellowship and the sacraments its outward and visible signs; holiness its test of loyalty. This kingdom is to grow until Christ Himself shall return with power and great glory—to vindicate His authority—to give victory to His faithful ones—to overwhelm incorrigible rebels—to perfect His Church. Then the gospel of love shall universally prevail over every form of ignorance, wrong, and misery—and the glad chorus break forth, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ—and He shall reign forever and ever!" II—ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD The rule of God essentially differs from worldly monarchies. Disregard of this has hindered the progress of the kingdom—real strength having been exchanged for external show—inward purity for outward pomp—spiritual freedom for worldly bondage—and self-denying zeal for false security and dignified repose. Let us consider some of these differences. 1. The Ruler—In an earthly kingdom the ruler may be selfish, proud, tyrannical, contemptible. But the Head of this kingdom is the Infinitely Holy and Good. Man's autocracy, owing to faults from which even the very best are not free—is generally to be dreaded. It is the glory of this kingdom that the will of the Sovereign is supreme. Every invasion of His authority, every attempt to share it, is injurious to the subjects. Earthly kings reign through delegated officers; here, God rules personally in every soul. Earthly rulers have power only where they are present; but this King is in every place and searches every heart. Earthly rulers can only control the conduct, but this King reigns over the thoughts, affections, and will. 2. The laws—Earthly laws insist on obedience and inflict penalties; but God's kingdom is a rule of grace. What kingdom of this world could proclaim pardon to all transgressors? What judge could commence an assize with offering to acquit all criminals pleading guilty? But this kingdom restores rebels to allegiance by first forgiving them, even the ringleaders. The rulers of this world must be content with the observance of the letter of the law; but this kingdom secures a homage which scorns such limitation, arouses a loyalty which cannot be restrained in its expression, creates an enthusiasm which no mere code can satisfy. And the wonder is that by this very proclamation of pardon, it secures this fervor of obedience; by this Grace it vindicates Law. 3. The subjects—Earthly kingdoms claim all who dwell within territorial limits. A river, a chain of hills, an imaginary line, may determine the question who are the subjects of its rule. But in this kingdom all are enrolled who voluntarily submit to it, and none else. Within the same township, the same household, may dwell those who, while members of the same nationality, are on opposite sides in relation to the kingdom of heaven. Relation to earthly rule is not altered by surrender to Christ. No prince nor republic need be jealous of this kingdom nor alarmed at its progress. Monarchs lose no subjects by enrollment here. There cannot be such a thing as a Christian country or a Christian nation, except so far as the individuals who compose it are members of Christ. The locality of birth constitutes no one a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. The rule of God extends wherever a heart yields its homage, and includes no heart not thus surrendered. 4. The objects—Earthly kingdoms levy taxes to maintain their regal state, to defend or extend their territory, and to protect their subjects. The object of the kingdom of God is to win hearts to their Father in heaven, to instill a love for righteousness, to cultivate spiritual worship, to promote the Divine glory and prepare for the perfected kingdom on earth and in heaven. Who ever heard of an earthly kingdom making its object the prosperity of other nations? But the kingdom of God seeks the happiness of all mankind, irrespective of territory or race, by reconciling all to God, and so to each other. 5. The methods—Earthly kingdoms are based on force. The revenue is not dependent on the choice of individuals. The soldier is in the rear of the tax-collector. Opposition is punished by confiscation, imprisonment, or death. Attacks from without are met by armies prepared to slaughter tens of thousands rather than surrender one acre of land. Extension of domain is often sought by violence—under pretext of civilization, commerce, and even religion. How different are the methods of God's kingdom! It is upheld by spiritual agencies alone—truth enlightening the conscience, love constraining the heart. To resort to bribery, whether the vulgar bait of money, or the more refined allurements of fashion, status, and worldly dignities, may multiply professed adherents, but cannot extend a kingdom which scorns all allegiance but the spontaneous homage of the heart. Torturing the body to secure the affections is a contradiction. Our Lord said that if His kingdom were of this world, His servants would do what every earthly government must be prepared to do for its preservation. But "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds," and "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Such a kingdom—wages no warfare but of truth—wields no sword but that of the Spirit—scorns all homage but that of love. Can it stoop to imitate the ambitions of earthly courts, the rivalries of worldly kings? Can it condescend to ask alms from governments, to invoke the patronage of parliaments, by surrendering any of its heavenly prerogatives? Can it fetter its freedom by chains which crafty politicians have forged for their own purposes, and hug them because those chains are gold? Can it limit its own internal freedom by imposing a yoke on itself which its Lord never sanctioned, crippling its activities under the plea of order, and restricting the limits of that which is for all classes and climates? Shall it become an institution only for this or that class, instead of realizing its Divine ideal, a kingdom for rich and poor, learned and unlearned, princes and peasants, Englishman and Hottentot, bond and free? It is a question of great importance as regards loyalty to its Divine Head and its spiritual, which are its true interests, how far help can be accepted from political governments consistently with the scriptural idea of the kingdom. May pecuniary aid be furnished from funds which rely on compulsion—to support a religion based on willingness? How far, in return for the supposed stability and dignity of the Church, is it right to surrender the Church's liberty under its heavenly Lord, so as to permit the State to authorize its creed, regulate its worship, and appoint its ministers? On this question many sincere subjects of the kingdom hold varying views. Each may give honor to others' conscientiousness, while lamenting the supposed ignorance or prejudice which causes difference of opinion. But on the great fundamental truth of the spiritual nature of the kingdom there should be no difference. 6. The extent—Other monarchies perish—Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage—where are they? But this kingdom shall widen and strengthen until the twilight of its dawn shall have developed into the glory of the perfect day, and God shall be all and in all. We have received "a kingdom which cannot be moved." His people shall fear Him "as long as the sun and the moon endure, throughout all generations His Name shall endure forever, and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed." In contemplation of the rule of this King, shall not prayer be made for Him continually? Shall not the Church without intermission send up this heaven-taught petition—"Your kingdom come!" III—THE COMING OF THIS KINGDOM Truly to offer this prayer is evidence that the kingdom has already come in the heart of him who utters it. It increasingly comes as the moral nature yields to its sway. It comes—to the intellect as we better understand its laws—to the conscience as we more readily approve them—to the will as we more resolutely respond to them—to the heart as we more ardently love them—to the lifeas we more loyally conform to them. The King has been proclaimed in the citadel of man's soul—but in many byways, courts, and alleys His authority is not yet supreme. "You who have received this kingdom need to wish the coming of it in further degrees. Find you not many rebels yet unsubdued? Those who search their own hearts often complain of them to their King. O such swarms of lusts, and unruly, irregular desires! When shall they all be brought into subjection?" (Leighton). The prayer naturally expands from the individual to all who truly "profess and call themselves Christians"—all "congregations of faithful men"—all who "love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." In this Church, as a whole and in each portion of it, we pray that God, in Christ, may rule. It is reasonable that every Christian should be chiefly concerned for the prosperity of the particular society which is the sphere of his own personal activity. He who is not in earnest for the prosperity of his own church is not likely to be earnest for the Church universal. And this prosperity consists not in circumstances which to the worldly view are most impressive, such as royal patronage, legal status, numbers, wealth, influence; good music, an ornate ritual, eloquent preaching. There may be all of these, without the kingdom. The kingdom comes to a church when there is fidelity in the pulpit; when the preacher shows forth not himself but Christ, teaches not human theories but revealed truth, turns men "from darkness to light;" and "feeds the flock of God." It comes—when there is spirituality of worship—when hearts go up to God in earnest desire and grateful praise—when "those who name the Name of Christ depart from iniquity"—when sinners ask, "What must I do to be saved?" and, having believed in the heart, "confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ"—when the real Presence of the King is revealed at sermon and sacrament, at prayer-meeting and mission-service—when spiritual life produces zeal in teaching the ignorant, tending the sick, helping the needy, reclaiming the lost, "doing good unto all men." Such coming of the kingdom will necessarily promote its coming to the universal Church. When we find ourselves praying and laboring for "Our Church" rather than for "Your kingdom," we are not praying "after this manner." It is so much easier to pray for ourselves than for Him, that when seeming to plead for His kingdom, we may be chiefly seeking our own exaltation—my system,my methods, my church. If in battle one regiment were to seek exclusively its own renown, breaking its line of connection, and indifferent to the progress of the fight elsewhere—such valor might prove a hindrance rather than a help to the whole army. Rivalries of churches, frivolous controversies, sectarian jealousies, must be reproved by earnest prayer for the kingdom of God. This is a prayer for all Christian missions. We pray that the kingdom may come to God's ancient people—to Romanists, who have disguised and distorted it—to nominal Christians, as well as to gross idolaters—and to all, of whatever religion or of none, who know not God as "our Father." Under the influence of this kingdom, laws will become more humane, rulers more righteous, the customs of society more pure, nations more peaceful. Wealth will be less unequally distributed; the rich will care more for the poor, the poor will envy less the rich, and every subject of the kingdom will gladly admit that he is his brother's keeper. As Christ healed as well as taught, so, with the growth of His spiritual reign, the hungry will be better fed, disease more skillfully treated, the laws of Nature better known and obeyed, education more widely spread, and all evil more controlled by Him who "came to destroy the works of the devil." We need not dissociate ourselves from the interests of earth while praying for the kingdom of heaven. "The lofty expressions of contempt for the littleness of mere earthly transactions which some divines affect, are not learned in His school, or in the schools of His prophets. The kingdom of God begins within, but is to make itself manifest without. At last it is to penetrate our whole social existence, to mold all things according to its laws. For this we, pray when we say, 'Your kingdom come.' We pray for the extinction of all tyranny, whether in particular men or in multitudes; for the exposure and destruction of corruptions inward and outward; for truth in all departments of government, art, science; for the true dignity of professions; for right dealings in the commonest transactions of trade; for blessings that shall be felt in every hovel. If God had not heard this prayer going up from tens of thousands in all ages, the earth would have been a den of robbers" (Maurice). IV—THE MILLENNIAL REIGN By what means will this be accomplished? Many consider those in operation will suffice, with a fuller outpouring of the Spirit. Let the Church pray more earnestly for a blessing on existing methods, and the kingdom will extend until all shall know the Lord, "from the least to the greatest." Then, after a millennium of such reign, Christ will come for the final judgment, and take His saints to His kingdom in the heavens. Why should we doubt the efficiency of God's Word and Spirit to convert and sanctify the soul? Have they not triumphed over the worst forms of sin? Have not the most degraded been raised to sit in heavenly places; persecutors become apostles; revolting sensualists and criminals made new creatures in Christ Jesus? Agencies thus effectual in a thousand instances, might be equally so in a thousand millions. Such a coming of the kingdom would involve no change of dispensation, and would not seem to disparage agencies divinely appointed. It would be in harmony with the spiritual nature of the kingdom, involve no interference with political governments, and not look like a return to the Church's childhood. There is surely much to encourage our hopes. Within the last fifty years, into how many languages has the Bible been translated—how many missionaries have been sent forth—in how many lands already have the idols been utterly abolished—how many tens of thousands—sunk in lowest barbarism, reveling in vice and bloodshed—are now sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in their right mind! In our own land there were never so many faithful preachers, so many devout worshipers, so much evangelistic zeal. Christianity by its indirect influence has humanized our laws, liberated the slave, and mitigated the horrors of war. If such advance during the last fifty years, what may it not be during the next five hundred? Suppose the existing Church were to become fully alive to its responsibilities; every individual claiming his share in the crusade against sin; every believer acting as a member of its "Royal Priesthood"—would the conversion of the whole world seem hopeless? Limiting the present number of real Christians to half a million, and supposing that each led one other soul to Christ every year, in eleven years there would be one thousand and twenty-four million subjects of this kingdom, exclusive of infants, and the kingdom would have come to the whole human race. This cannot be without the special help of the Holy Spirit; but if the Church prayed more earnestly, would not the Spirit work more effectually? If, as some think, the actual appearing of Christ in person is needed to win the human family to God, may it not be urged that a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit would produce the same results? May not Christ be expected to come in the power of His Spirit, no less than in the manifestation of His Person? But many are discouraged. After nearly nineteen centuries of witness-bearing, the Church has secured only a small part of the earth, even nominally, for Christ. How few the converts in proportion to the hundreds of millions unreached! Look at Christendom. Can we think the kingdom of God has come in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, except in exceptional cases? Are not superstition on the one hand, and atheism on the other, in the ascendant? Have we not within our own time witnessed a series of wars between "Christian" nations, rivaling in slaughter those of Paganism? Are not millions of men under so-called Christian governments daily being trained for mutual slaughter, and the people oppressed to provide the cost of enormous armaments, even in times of peace? Do not frivolity and licentiousness run riot; and are not the stage and the press largely prostituted to the demoralization of the people? In our own land a vast portion of the population never enter a place of worship; and of those who do, the number is very small who profess personal subjection to Christ. Is not the increase of conversions less than that of the population, so that relatively the kingdom is receding? Even from such professors a large deduction must be made. Within the Church, how much looseness of doctrine, fickleness of faith, conformity to the world, inconsistency of conduct! how much covetousness and self-indulgence! how much ambition, pride, contention, jealousy! How often, in various ways, is God's house of prayer made a house of merchandise! How much flattery or fear of some, how much despising or patronizing of others; how much mere outward show or undisguised indifference, how much formal ceremonial or dead informalism! How much sectarian exclusiveness, ecclesiastical usurpation, bitter controversy, intolerant judgment, and lack of charity! Can we be surprised at the slight influence of the Church on the world outside? Alas for much of the current literature!—science perverted to disprove the existence of the Creator whose works she explores; fiction degraded to stimulate the passions by portraitures of vice; daily journals crowding their columns with theatrical and sporting news, while almost ignoring the work of the Christian and the philanthropist; and even periodicals designated religious, and provided ostensibly for Sunday reading, needing to increase their attractiveness and sale by trashy and sensational tales, far less wholesome for the young than many standard books which would be condemned as too secular for the Lord's day. Few popular amusements are profitable, except those which attract by indecency of dress, immodesty of demeanor, and the representation of what is either frivolous or immoral. Parents take their children to see and hear what must corrupt their hearts. Licentiousness unblushingly parades our streets. Intemperance has its temples at every corner, numbers its votaries by hundreds of thousands, boasts a revenue of a hundred millions of pounds, and has an annual death-roll of myriads of souls. In the region of trade, of politics, of fashion, in the manners of all classes, how much there is totally opposed to the kingdom of God! Who can examine into the condition of the multitude of the poorer classes without sadness!—the pig-sties in which many of our agricultural laborers exist, filth and crowding illustrating an evolution downward into the brute; the dull routine toil of the factory, amid dust and heat and foul air; the dismal perilous labor of the mine; the protracted health-sapping hours in shops and warehouses; the starving wages of the needle-woman; the teeming lodging-houses of the city, whole families crowded into a single narrow room; the gin-pub producing poverty, and poverty seeking to relieve its wretchedness in the gin-pub and the base dance-hall; and then, the multitude of the sick and poor who are shivering and starving and dying; while wealth and pomp in ever-increasing ratio are stimulating luxury and licentiousness not only in the palaces of the great, but in the dwellings of the middle classes, who imitate and emulate the self-indulgence of many in higher grades. Can we see all this without lamenting how far, how very far we are from that condition of our world we are all hoping for, and how little progress we seem to be making towards it with the means now possessed? For this is in a land where, above all others, Christian agencies are in full operation. Suppose India were equally evangelized, Christian congregations being gathered in every city and every village; could we hope that the people at large would be more in subjection to the kingdom than in our own land? And if not, the Church would be there a little sanctuary for the few rather than the kingdom for all; a witness-bearer rather than instrumentally a savior to the many. With such thoughts it is not surprising that many are expecting a different and more powerful agency than any now in operation, even the "glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." Their hopes are inspired by the prophecies of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar's image was cast down by the stone cut out without hands which "became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." We are still expecting the triumph of the stone which is to "break to pieces" the remains of the last monarchy, when the kingdom of God will appear, not as now, only here and there as green hillocks in the desert, but as a "great mountain" filling "the whole earth." This kingdom "shall stand forever" (Dan. 2). In another vision "One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and there was given Him a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him." The coming of the Son of man here predicted is the cause of the triumph of the kingdom, and introduces the era of its universal sway (Dan. 7). From the prophecy of Zechariah, it is inferred that a great reaction against Christianity will be overcome by the personal Advent of Christ, whose punishment of the ungodly will be a preliminary judgment, to be followed by a long period of loyal obedience to the King, when all nations shall drink of the living waters of salvation, and shall come to Jerusalem, if not to the earthly, to the spiritual city, the Church; and when all earthly relationships and avocations shall be sanctified by the fear of God, "Holiness" being inscribed upon them all. The last and greatest of the prophets presents to us a vision of similar import. A warrior appeared riding on a white horse; His eyes were as a flame of fire, and "on His head were many crowns, and His name was called the Word of God; and He had on His vesture and on his thigh a Name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!" A mighty army of foes "made war against Him," and were overcome; and "the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet," and were "cast alive into a lake of fire." Then an angel "laid hold on that old serpent, the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection." At the close of this millennium Satan will be loosed, and will make a final effort to deceive the nations and gather them together against the kingdom. Then fire from heaven will consume them, and the Judge will be seen on "the great white throne;" and "the dead, small and great, will stand before God, and be judged according to their works." After this description of the triumph of the kingdom on earth, follows that of the glories of the kingdom in heaven (Rev. 19-22). From this vision of John it is inferred that after an anti-Christian reaction overcome by Christ in person, the powers of darkness will be held in restraint, and the saints then living, with the souls of many of the dead, shall reign with Christ a thousand years prior to the final judgment and to the perfected bliss of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is during this intervening period that the kingdom so graphically predicted in the 72nd Psalm will have its peaceful sway; when Christ "shall have dominion from sea to sea," and "all nations shall call Him blessed." Our Lord frequently spoke of His coming again in connection with the final judgment. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations—and He shall separate them one from another," etc. (Matt. 25:31-46, 16:27, 26:64; Mark 8:38; Acts 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10, 11; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; 2 Thess. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; 1 Pet. 4:5). Such passages seem to many readers to indicate that the judgment will be immediately consequent on the second Advent; and if so, that the millennial age must precede the Advent. To this inference it is objected that our Lord and the apostles spoke of His coming as immediately near, as the first great event to be expected, which would not be the case to our apprehension, if the Millennial Reign were known to precede it. How could the Church be "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God;" how could it be said, "The coming of the Lord draws near;" how could He bid us to "watch, lest coming suddenly He should find us sleeping," if He were not to come until a long period of millennial glory had transpired? It is therefore inferred that our Lord spoke of the event which was the nearer, and not of the one more remote; that which the Church was first to expect. And as His coming would be at once attended with judgments on the rebellious then living, and would be followed by a continued rule of righteousness, to close with the general judgment, He to whom a thousand years are as one day might appropriately speak of coming to judgment, though that judgment would only be completed at the termination of that thousand years. Thus the apostles habitually urged the churches to be living in joyful hope of and diligent preparation for the "glorious appearing" of Christ, as the proximate great event in the history of the Church. From such statements of Scripture it has been inferred that, while existing agencies are to be diligently employed to spread the truth, we are not to be discouraged if the result should illustrate the Lord's words, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations, and then shall the end come;" testimony to all rather than conversion of all. If such universal conversion is the hope that chiefly animates missionary enterprise, a hope so long deferred may make the heart sick and discourage exertion. But does any passage of Scripture represent that by the preaching of the gospel, prior to the Advent, all mankind will be converted? The promise of the "heathen for His inheritance" is immediately followed by the threatening, "You shall break them with a rod of iron;" intimating that such possession of "the uttermost parts of the earth" will be with triumphant judgment on His foes (Ps. 2:8, 9). Jehovah will make the enemies of Christ "His footstool," not necessarily by their willing submission, but by their final punishment; for "He shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath" (Ps. 110:1, 5). Isaiah intimates that when the Lord comes to establish the kingdom, the land will be "full of idols;" multitudes who "worship the work of their own hands," will "hide in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of His majesty." Then "the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day; and the idols He shall utterly abolish." We are not therefore to anticipate the abolition of idolatry prior to the Advent—but as its result (Isa. 2). The deliverance of the Church is to follow the destruction of its foes. "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and He put on garments of vengeance. He will repayfury to His adversaries." As the result of such judgments the kingdom will come, rather than of the universal reception of the gospel. The following chapter is generally regarded as a glowing description of the millennial reign—"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." The Church shall then be made "an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations." "Violence shall no more be heard in the land." "The Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended." This graphic picture of the millennial kingdom does not precede but follow judgments on men then living; "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve You shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly wasted." In the new Jerusalem the voice of weeping will not be heard; "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together;" and none "shall hurt nor destroy." But this condition of things follows the threatening against the enemies of the King—"For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, to render His anger with fury; for by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh." It is after this that in the new heavens and the new earth, "all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the Lord" (Isa. 66:15-24). Zechariah says, "The Lord shall go forth and fight against those nations;" after which "everyone that is left of all nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty." This idea would seem to be expressed by Paul when he cheered the persecuted believers in Thessalonica by the hope of rest after trouble, "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Christ compared His kingdom to a man who sowed good seed, but the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. Both grew together until the harvest. However widely the gospel may spread, its success for a season will only be partial. There will be the wicked intermingled with the righteous. But at "the end of the world, the Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do iniquity. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Our Lord predicted that "all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." This does not indicate a state of universal submission. "Behold, He comes with clouds; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him." These are not friends who "love His appearing," but foes dreading it. The Transfiguration has been regarded as symbolical of the second Advent. Christ appeared in glory, attended by Moses and Elijah, representing the glorified saints who will accompany their Lord in the clouds of heaven. The three disciples represented the Church on earth meeting the Lord in the air, and sharing His triumph. They were those of whom the Lord had said—"There are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." They did see it in vision. Peter refers to this—"We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty." This vision pointed forward to the day for the coming of which believers should be "looking for and hasting," in hope of "the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." But this is connected with great judgments—"the heavens that now are and the earth have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." (2 Pet. 1:16-21, 3:7-14.) Although it is not essential to this theory that there should be any vision of the Lord at one time by all mankind, yet many people do thus interpret the prediction, "Every eye shall see Him." All will know, friends and foes, that the King has come to perfect His kingdom, gladden His loyal subjects, and execute judgment on hardened rebels. This has been objected to on the ground of physical impossibility. But as the sun is seen every twenty-four hours by nearly all inhabitants of earth, the vision of Christ as He approaches to establish His kingdom might be obvious to all. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" His Advent having been witnessed, His subsequent appearances in all parts of the world might be "at sundry times and in diverse manners;" analogous to the appearances of His risen body to the disciples prior to His Ascension. "The Son of man will come in His glory with all the holy angels." The souls of the martyrs and of those who "had not worshiped the beast, shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection." Angels of light will drive away the spirits of darkness; that old Serpent will be bound a thousand years and hardened rebels, still refusing to repent, will be judged and sent to their own place (Rev. 20). Then will commence that glorious era of which Peter spoke, when, filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked forward to "the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets which have been since the world began." Then shall the saints share in the government of the kingdom, according to the words of Paul, "Do you not know that the saints shall judge the earth?" and of John, "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years;" and of the King Himself, "He who keeps my works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations." As, during the Theocracy, Jehovah was visibly present in the temple by cloud and Shekinah, so Christ will be present in Jerusalem; not necessarily in the Syrian city, but in His Church; not subject to material laws, but as His resurrection-body appeared to the disciples unexpectedly in various places, so His whole Church shall know that He dwells among them. Theoretic infidelity will be no longer possible. The question will be, not "Is Christ the King?" but, "Shall I submit to His rule?" The Jews will recognize their long-rejected Messiah, who will now "reign on the throne of His father David." Their conversion will bring in the fullness of the Gentiles. Antichrist will be dethroned, and the spell of the false prophet broken. All the people who sit in darkness will see the great light. The Church, animated by the presence of the King, and filled with the Spirit, will then literally "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," and "all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest." To this theory it is objected that conversion by external vision is inferior to that produced by internal perception of the truth, even as Christ said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." But Saul of Tarsus was converted by the vision of Christ, and his subsequent career did not suggest inferiority in the method of his spiritual birth. Surely the expectation of a personal reign of Christ on the earth will not necessarily tend to render those who share it less spiritual, inasmuch as all Christians are looking for the personal reign of Christ in heaven, and to the beholding Him "face to face" as the consummation of their purity and bliss. In support of the objection that conversion by a personal revelation would be a retrogression instead of an advance in method, it has been urged that "we are not to expect a future dispensation in which the Savior will subdue unbelievers by that visible sign from heaven which He always refused because it was contrary to His method of dealing with souls" (Monsell). But our Lord refused the sign from heaven to Pharisees who were "tempting Him." Yet even to these He predicted "the sign of the prophet Jonah;" and fulfilled it when He rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven in the sight of His disciples. This manifestation gave new vigor to their faith; it caused a resurrection of their own spiritual life; it was the mighty truth with which they went forth on their gospel mission to the world. The sign which the Pharisees were denied, was distinctly promised to be given at the coming of the Son of man—"Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." Inasmuch as the sign from heaven heralded the Mosaic dispensation, and the sign from heaven in the Resurrection and Ascension prefaced the publication of the gospel to the world, the sign of the visible Advent of Christ to introduce the millennial reign would not be a "retrogression," but an advance; not a new method, but a further development of the old. The Spirit and the Word, the only present agencies, existed in the Old Testament dispensation, yet the fuller manifestation of both was accompanied by the outward signs of the first Advent, and may also be by those of the second. And the Apostles, when they sought help to speak the word, asked for outward signs, saying, "Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching forth Your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Your holy Servant Jesus." There is no evidence that such signs will never be renewed. If "majestic steps in Providence, startling men from their stupid slumbers, awing their spirits and constraining their attention," if such aid may supplement the Word and the Spirit, why not the aid of "supernatural signs"? Although some millenarians carry too far the system of literal interpretation, we are reminded that the prophecies respecting the first Advent were fulfilled literally, although such fulfillment had seemed impossible. The Jewish scribes could not comprehend how the glorious Messiah could come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, how His garments should be divided by lot, how He should "make His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death;" yet these and other predictions were literally accomplished. Why, then, should all predictions respecting the second Advent be interpreted spiritually, because their literal fulfillment is attended with difficulties which we cannot as yet explain? It has been objected that "millenarianism is inconsistent with the scriptural doctrine of the nature and growth of Christ's kingdom;" that "it implies failure in the Divine methods of working hitherto;" and that "its practical influence is evil, by discouraging present efforts to bring it about" (Harris). All are agreed that the kingdom now grows from heart to heart by purely spiritual means; but it is nowhere in the Bible declared that by these means alone the kingdom is to become universal. For nearly nineteen hundred years the gospel has been preached, yet the vast majority of those who have known something of it have rejected it, but this failure has resulted not from imperfection in the methods, but from the wickedness of men. This general rejection of the message until the coming of our Lord verifies the predictions of God's own Word. It is discouraging; but greater discouragement would arise from the expectation of the kingdom by present agencies alone; whereas the expectation of the personal Advent animates us with the certainty of a triumph which may speedily be accomplished; and prompts to diligence, "lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping." Present methods will only be supplemented. The Word of God will still be circulated, the gospel will be preached, the Church still bear witness; but this will be accompanied with visible tokens of the presence of the King and more abundant outpourings of the Holy Spirit. It is to the possible nearness of this personal coming of Christ that many are looking. They do not consider that the golden age, so slowly advancing, must first intervene. They hope that very soon the King will appear who shall "judge the people with righteousness, and break in pieces the oppressor, and save the souls of the needy; whose Name shall endure forever, and all nations shall call Him blessed." Before the enjoyment of the kingdom in heaven, the kingdom of God on earth will come. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them; and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Each theory has its difficulties. There are texts which are not easily explained in harmony with either view. But all believe that some day, remote or near, the kingdom of God will come. Milton shared this hope when, impatient of the level plains of prose, he soared aloft in such rhapsodies as when he pictured his country casting away from her the rags of vice, and pressing on in happy emulation "to be found the soberest, wisest, and most Christian people at that day, when You, the shortly-expected King, shall open the clouds to judge the several kingdoms of the world, and distributing national honors and rewards to religious and just commonwealths, shall put an end to all earthly tyrannies, proclaiming Your universal and mild monarchy through heaven and earth; where they, undoubtedly, that by their labors, counsels, and prayers, have been earnest for the common good of religion and their country, shall receive, above the inferior orders of the blessed, the regal addition of principalities and thrones into their glorious titles, and in supereminence of beatific vision, progressing the dateless and irrevoluble circle of eternity, shall clasp inseparable hands with joy and bliss, in overmeasure forever." Poetry, when not apprehending the higher and spiritual blessings which the coming of the kingdom will bring, has delighted to extol that Golden Age when— "All crimes shall cease, and ancient Fraud shall fail; Returning Justice lift aloft her scale; Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend, And white-robed Innocence from heaven descend."—Pope But that of which philosophers and poets have dreamed and sung, is to be realized only by the coming of Christ. It is the acceptance of His salvation, the recognition of His authority, the prevalence of His kingdom—it is this which will secure all other blessings to mankind. The believer, praying, working, waiting—rejoices in hope of the day when— "One song employs all nations; and all cry, 'Worthy the Lamb, for He was slain for us!' The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks Shout to each other, and the mountain-tops From distant mountains catch the flying joy; Until, nation after nation taught the strain, Earth rolls the rapturous Hosanna round. Bright as a sun the sacred city shines; All kingdoms and all princes of the earth Flock to that light. From every climate they come To see Your beauty and to share Your joy, O Zion! an assembly such as earth Saw never, such as Heaven stoops down to see. Come then, and, added to your many crowns, Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth; Your word fulfilled, the conquest of a world!" —Cowper What Christian does not long for such a millennium of blessedness to dawn? O for the time when the Right shall reign, and not mere Might; when distinctions of station, endowment, nationality, shall not be the destruction of brotherhood; when men shall everywhere show that they are children of one Father; trusting, not fearing one another, and each seeking his own good only in alliance with that of his neighbor; when fortresses shall no longer frown defiance; when boundaries of mountains, rivers, and oceans shall no longer separate the human family into antagonistic rivalries; when swords shall indeed "be turned into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks;" when thrones shall never be symbols of pride, objects of fear, and prizes of ambition; when laws and rulers shall no more be needed to resist violence or punish wrong, but only to guide and assist in common action for the common weal! O for the time when holy love shall no longer be debased to brutish lust, nor strength of body or brain be used to injure or distress; when Science shall pour fresh light on Religion, and every new discovery evoke new hallelujahs to the Creator; when the pen and the press shall never be employed to assail the truth of God or corrupt the minds of men; when speech shall never utter what is false, impure, or unkind; when music shall never lend its charms to licentiousness or stir the passions of war, and painting and sculpture shall portray only what is beautiful and pure; when commerce in all its transactions shall be honest and beneficent; when labor shall never be oppressive and irksome, but give joy to the producer as well as to the purchaser; when amusement shall be only an exchange of pleasure, recreating for fresh toil, and never stooping to give delight by stimulants that enervate the body or corrupt the mind! O for the time when in the Church there shall be no more sectarian rivalries, bitter controversies, worldly expedients, mammon-worship, ambitious intrigues, popularity-courting, secret envyings, personal jealousies; when, though all may never think and worship exactly alike, varieties of method shall only the more illustrate unity and stimulate love—when all will rejoice in each other's fellowship, promote one another's usefulness, and fulfill the Savior's prayer "that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and You in me, that they may be perfected in one"! How blessed the day, Lord hasten it! when there shall no longer be the Church and the world, but when the Church will have absorbed the world, and God be all and in all. Then at length shall the glowing prophecy of Isaiah become an accomplished fact—"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the lamb; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain—for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." "Now, O earth! You may resume the place you had lost. You have borne our revolts and our sorrows through the depths of measureless space; you may now advance all adorned through the still heavens, bearing the pennon of a Redeemer" (Monsell) V—PRAYER FOR THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM 1. Necessary—All acceptable prayer must be for what is the Will of God. Such prayer benefits ourselves by blending our will with His; and thus promotes obedience, because, as He rules in a universe of mind, the fulfillment of His purposes involves our accord, which prayer promotes and so helps on the accomplishment of His Will. We are thus "fellow-workers with God." 2. What the prayer includes—We ask the King to control the powers of Nature and events in Providence to promote His kingdom. He rules supreme, and everything may become a minister in His service. He who bade the waters of the Red Sea overthrow Pharaoh, and gave Israel streams from the rock, can interpose to preserve His Church in the wilderness which still separates us from the land of promise. If Satan may corrupt the Church within, or stir up enemies from without, much more may the Divine Head of the Church maintain its internal purity and strength. We pray that whatever is intended by the foe for harm may be overruled for good; and that even ambition and war may be overruled to hasten the final victory of Christ. We pray especially that "the Spirit may be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest." The disciples were commanded not only to proclaim the kingdom, but to expect the promise of the Spirit, and we know that while they prayed the Holy Spirit was given, and they saw "the kingdom of God come with power." We hear Him say, "I come quickly;" and we respond, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 3. A test of character—If we are truly regenerate, we do not simply submit to the kingdom of God because we cannot help it, but we welcome it because we love it. If we truly say "Our Father," we, as His children, naturally desire the coming of His kingdom, because, being "heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ," it is our own. Subjects may submit, but the children of the king are identified with Himself, and share His honor. Some people yield to His will as inevitable; others accept it merely as just and beneficent; those who share the adoption of sons long for His kingdom, and rejoice in it as their Father's. 4. Personal concurrence—All prayer is practical, for, if sincere, it is accompanied by corresponding efforts. There are three stages in the coming of the kingdom, involving three several kinds of exertion. It comes to our own soul experimentally, to the world by the diffusion of the Truth, and universally in the final Advent. The prayer therefore involves efforts to promote the kingdom in our own hearts and lives, by study of its laws, observance of its precepts, response to its claims. "In Worship, we give our homage to God; in the Word, we come to learn His laws; in the Sacraments, we renew our oath of allegiance; in Alms and Charity, we pay Him tribute; in Prayer, we ask His sanction, acknowledging His dominion; and Praise, it is our rent to the great Lord from whom we hold all things" (Manton). The kingdom is all-comprehensive, and demands entire subjection. We cannot truly pray for it to come unless we open the door of every part of our nature to its entrance, that its principles may permeate every thought, motive, and action. "A good Christian is like a pair of compasses, one foot of the compass stands upon the center, the other part of it goes round the circle" (Watson). We should give "all diligence," "For so an entrance shall be ministered to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The life of its subjects best recommends the kingdom to others, as it also best hallows the Name. When we "shine as lights in the world," with a flame clear, strong, constant, we attract others to the safe harbor of the kingdom. When we are "living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men," we become emissaries, recommending His rule wherever we go. Loyal tribute to the King on the part of all who breathe this prayer will promote the kingdom in the minds of strangers and even foes, who, "seeing our good works, will glorify our Father who is in heaven." Alas, how many utter this petition without any intention to submit to the rule of God! What multitudes salute the Monarch with formal gestures while plotting against His throne! How many, while repeating with their lips "Your kingdom come," say by their actions, "We will not have this man to reign over us"! To be self-pleasers instead of God-pleasers is self-exile from the kingdom. We are banished by our own act. We are outlawed by refusing to come within the law; and our own petition is our self-pronounced doom. 5. The prayer thus prompts to missionary zeal—It is hypocrisy to pray for the coming of the kingdom if we are not helping to promote it. To be content with the saving of our own soul without caring for others, shows how little that kingdom has come to ourselves. There are various offices in the Church to which all are not called, but every man, until all shall know Him, is to "say to his neighbor, Know the Lord." "Let him who hears say, Come." This prayer, then, should prompt those who offer it to extend the kingdom—by evangelizing the multitudes who are still outside the Church; by circulating the Scriptures and religious literature; by teaching the young; by rescuing the fallen, reclaiming the drunkard, saving the lost. Sincerity in offering this petition involves efforts, personal or monetary, to send the gospel through the world. The command of the King is clear—"Preach the gospel to every creature." Christianity is necessarily aggressive. It is intended for the world, and its adherents are bound to propagate it. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they are sent?" Who is willing to go? Who will spare his son? Who will deny himself to provide the cost? The prayer asks for fresh openings for service at home. Who is willing to enter the open door; to give up time and ease; to spare some personal comfort, and not merely give a part of his surplus? Again and again the King repeated the emphatic word—"Except a man take up his cross and deny himself, he cannot be my disciple." And except we are willing to make sacrifices to promote it, we cannot consistently pray—"Your kingdom come." Our chief inquiry should not be, "When will Christ come?" but, "What is my present duty?" Christ reproved idle curiosity for all time when He said to His disciples—"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons; but you shall receive power, and you shall be witnesses unto me." Their duty was to bear testimony even as martyrs, relying on the promised power; not to relax their energies in service by speculations about "seasons." Zeal in extending the kingdom should be stimulated by either of the views held. If that reign of righteousness is to be expected as the result of present agencies, how earnest should they be who pray "Your kingdom come," to promote an event the means of hastening which are already entrusted to the Church! But if the personal appearing of Christ is expected to introduce the millennial reign, and if such Advent may be very near, what an incitement to be at our post of duty, watching, waiting, working! Whether we expect the whole world to be won to the kingdom by missionary zeal or by the Advent of Christ, it is His imperative command that we make known the truth. If we relax our efforts because His appearing will at once accomplish what He designs, we are desisting from the work which He has entrusted to us, and thus we cannot be ready for His Advent. "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when He comes shall find so doing;" so doing our present duty, not idly dreaming of what may happen in the future. 6. The prayer also admonishes to preparedness for the final coming of the kingdom—"We pray that it may come in us, we pray that we may be found in it; for come it certainly will, but what will it profit you, if it shall find you at the left hand!" (Augustine). By many a mourner at the open grave the prayer is offered with solemn emphasis, "We beseech You, that it may please You, of Your gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Your elect and to hasten Your kingdom." Do we really desire this? Are we of the number of the elect of whom Jesus said, "They cry day and night unto God"? Suppose the kingdom should come while we are neglecting its claims and trampling on its laws! Suppose it should come while we are discussing the method and the time of it, but are neglecting to prepare for it! The premillennial Advent of our Lord may appear to many, as to good Matthew Henry, a "doubtful notion," but all should resolve, "I will so live that I may live with Him, come when He may, and reign where He may." The kingdom of Glory can only be enjoyed by those who have already become subjects of the kingdom of Grace. Grace is glory in the seed; glory is grace in the flower. The King gives both grace and glory; but those who reject the former are not fit for the latter. If we would reign with Christ, we must ourselves be subject to Christ. Those who breathe this prayer should be "looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God. What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy living and godliness! We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, give diligence that you may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in His sight." In closing this meditation, let us be encouraged by thinking of the great congregation by whom this petition has been and is presented to God. Though many never utter it at all, and many repeat it without thought, yet from what multitudes of true hearts during nearly nineteen centuries has it gone up to God, its volume and fervor still increasing to the present day! It is ascending now from every climate, in varied accents of human speech. Greenlander and Eskimos echo it back to Bechuana and Hottentot; learned Brahmin and cultured Chinaman respond to the same litany with Caifres and Zulus; the prayer, wafted to heaven in our dear English tongue from both sides the Atlantic, is swollen by the voices of a "great multitude which no man can number, of every tribe and people and kindred and nation;" many an earnest Christian worker breathes it, from Sunday school class and motley throng in mission-hall or gathered crowd by the wayside; it ascends from rustic meetinghouse and city temple, from village church half hidden by ancient yews, and from dome-crowned cathedral and venerable minster; there are babes in Christ who lisp it, and veterans of service who, with ever-increasing fervor, plead "Your kingdom come;" there are poor saints unable to do anything for it by money, but who do very much for it by prayer; there are the sick and infirm ones no longer capable of actively promoting it, but who, from chambers of weakness and beds of pain, speed all the workers by giving this petition precedence above any personal request for health and life. And while it ascends from earth, it mingles with the same petition from angels and saints in heaven. O that we may share in this "Communion of the saints"! That God may reign in our own hearts, throughout the world, and in the latter day glory, let us ever pray, "Your kingdom come." Come, Lord, to earth again; Come quickly, come and reign: Lord Jesus, come! Enthrone the struggling right, Make clear the clouded light, In victory close the fight Lord, quickly come! The love of some grows cold; Your foes are waxing bold: Lord Jesus, come! They mock our hope delayed, Our little progress made, Your precepts disobeyed Lord, quickly come! Bid war and faction cease, Bring in the reign of peace: Lord Jesus, come! Set every captive free; Let all men brothers be; Heal earth's long malady: Lord, quickly come! Assert Your right divine; O'er all the nations shine: Lord Jesus, come! Then earth like heaven shall sing, With hallelujahs ring, And hail her rightful King Lord, quickly come!" —Newman Hall