A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

First; That this Kingdom may be begun, and a Throne erected for Christ in our Hearts. The great Necessity of this Request will be evidenced in these Considerations.

1. That every Man by Nature is under another King, under the Kingdom of Sin and Satan. Satan is the Monarch, and Sin is the Sceptre. Christ and the Devil divide the World; either we belong to the one, or the other. Now the Devil, by reason of the Fall of Adam, he hath the Start of Christ; and the Lord Jesus coming to possess the Heart, doth not seize upon it as a Waste which belongeth to the next Occupier, but he seizeth upon it as already possessed by Satan. The Devil quietly ruleth in the Hearts of the Unregenerate, he keeps House, and all the Goods are in Peace. Luke. 11. 21. And therefore wicked Spirits are called, The Rulers of the Darkness of ⟨p. 199⟩this World, Eph. 6. 12. All the ignorant and carnal part of the World falls to his share, and he doth not easily quit possession. Christ indeed employeth Men to wrestle with Principalities and Powers. The Work of the Ministry is to shake and batter the Empire of the Devil. You must be turned, you must be rescued. You must be turned: Acts 26. 18. To turn them from the Power of Satan unto God. You must be rescued, and plucked out of this Captivity by strong hand. Col. 1. 13. Who hath delivered us from the Power of Satan; who hath taken us out of Darkness by a powerful Rescue. Even as the Israelites were brought out of Egypt by a strong Hand, and stretched-out Arm; so are we brought out of the Power of Darkness. By such an irresistible Power of Grace must God recover you, otherwise Men yield themselves up to his Sceptre. Look as the Spirit of God works holy Motions, and gracious Desires in the Hearts of God's Children: So the Devil is at work in the Children of Disobedience,