A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

Use 1. The Use is, to press you to come under this Kingdom. Consider what God hath proffered, to draw you off from your carnal Delights, and sinful Pleasures: No less than a Kingdom to bear you out, to call you off from your Sins. O do not answer, as the Olive-Tree and the Vine in Jotham's Parable, Judg. 9. 9. Shall I leave my Fatness, and go to be promoted over the Trees? God comes to a Worldling, and makes him a Proffer of this blessed State, which is represented by a Kingdom, Shall I leave all my Sports, and worldly Hopes? (according as the Man is affected) Shall I renounce my Pleasures? live a strict and austere Life? Must I leave off Projects, saith a Worldling, and depend upon the Reversion of Heaven? O consider it is for a glorious Kingdom. Men will do much for an Earthly Crown, tho lined with Cares, for this Golden Ball, which all hunt after, and doth occasion so many Stirs in the World. Turn your Ambition this way, you may aspire to a Crown, to the Kingdom of Heaven, without the Crime of Treason; this is a faithful Ambition: It is indeed Treason against the Kingdom of Heaven, not to look after this Crown, and plot, contrive, and act, and offer violence for the obtaining of it. And therefore come under this Kingdom; if you do not, you will be left under the Power of a worse. 2 Chron. 12. 8. God saith, he would give them up to the King of Egypt; why? They shall be his Servants, that they may know my Service, and the Service of the Kingdoms of the Countries: That they might ⟨p. 195⟩see what difference there is between serving God, and serving others. If you refuse God's Government, you are under a worse, under Sin, and the Power of Darkness; you are under your own Lusts; nay, (and by a just Judgment) God may give you over to live in Bondage to unmerciful Men. How many Kings and Lords doth he serve, that will not serve one Lord? O therefore renounce those other Lords that have Dominion over you, and come under this Kingdom which God hath set up.

Vse 1. The Use is, to press you to come under this Kingdom. Consider what God hath proffered, to draw you off from your carnal Delights, and sinful Pleasures: No less than a Kingdom to bear you out, to call you off from your Sins. O do not answer, as the Olive-Tree and the Vine in Iotham's Parable,