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to erect his throne in the hearts of others; by endeavouring ourselves to promote Christian knowledge at home, and encouraging those who strive to propagate it abroad, administring such means to them as may render their labours eafy, and pave the way for their success, so that the word of God, and the kingdom of his Christ, may grow mightily and prevail.

It is our intereft, as well as duty, to pray for the coming of Chrift's kingdom, both in regard of the happy confequences attending his univerfal dominion in the ftate of Grace, and our speedier admiffion into that of Glory. Univerfal Happiness must be the result of universal Christianity, and the world fhall enjoy uninterrupted peace, when that religion which forbids all the motives to war, is fincerely profeffed by all; the wolf fhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with the kid, and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. All racking and malevolent paffions

fhall

fhall then be extinguished, all base and dishonest actions fhall then cease, and true religion fhall fanctify the hearts, prefide over the actions, and blefs the lives of all

men.

Thus univerfally happy, thus univerfally good shall the state of Grace be, when the fullness of the Gentiles come in, and the remnant of Ifrael is gathered together; and as the time of this great reformation is uncertain, as it may be even now at our doors, how much is it our duty, how much is it our intereft to contribute every one of us his mite towards the haftening of this happy period.

And do thou, O God, who feeft how low religion is funk, both in our minds and practice, be pleased to impart to us and to all people, fuch portions of thy grace as may purify our hearts, and amend our lives; as may incite us to the converfion of others, as well as the reformation of ourselves; quicken our endeavours to this

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this good work, affist our infirmities, and in thy good time crown us with fuccefs, and bring all mankind under the dominion of thy bleffed fon; and when this happy time is arrived, then be thou pleased, of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom of Glory, that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect confummation and bliss, both in body and foul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed, &c. &c.

SERMON

SERMON VI.

MATTHEW vi. 10th.

Thy Will be done in Earth, as it is in

TH

Heaven.

HIS is the laft of those petitions which relate immediately to God, and is the best proof we can give of our being fincere in the foregoing.

The will of God may be understood either of those laws which he has given us for the direction of our lives, or of those difpenfations which in the course of them he is pleased to lay on us.

In the first of these fenfes our fincere Obedience, in the laft our chearful fubmiffion is required. Both thefe duties I shall confider in my prefent discourse, subjoining such considerations as are proper to enforce them.

And first, Of obedience to the will of God, as it means the obfervation of those laws which he has given us for the direction of our lives.

These laws are contained in the holy fcriptures; and as it is neceffary that we should know the good, perfect, and acceptable will of God, before it is poffible that we can do it, it is our duty to make ourselves thoroughly acquainted with these books, that we may have a competent knowledge of thofe laws which are to be the ftandard of all our actions. In order to acquire this, we fhould be diligent in reading them ourselves, and attentive to fuch expofitions as are delivered by others,

for

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