A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

1. There's the Spirit of Christ: The Spirit and the Bride saith, Come. Rev. 22. 17. The Holy-Ghost breedeth this Desire in the Church. Nature saith, It is good to be here; but this is a Disposition above Nature, the Spirit in the Bride. The Flesh and corrupt Nature saith, Depart; but the Spirit saith, Come. The great Work of the Spirit is, to bring us and Christ together; he comes from the Father, and the Son, to bring us to the Father by the Son. All he doth, is to bring Christ and the Spouse together; therefore he enkindleth in the Hearts of God's People, a strong and earnest desire of his Coming.

2. There are Graces planted in us; Faith, Hope, Love, Zeal. Faith, that is the ground of this Desire. Christ saith, he comes quickly; and this provokes and draws up the Desire, to believe Christ will be as good as his Word. John 14. 2, 3. I go to my Father, and will come again to receive you to my self. Christ hath ever been plain-hearted with us: he saith, I come; and the Church saith, Amen, in a way of Faith, Even so, come. If Christ had gone away in discontent, and with a Threatening in his Mouth, that we should never have seen his Face more, then we could have had but cold Hopes, and faint Desires; but he parted in Love, and left a Promise with us. The Church, and the believing Soul saith, I have his Word for it: He hath ever been punctual hitherto, and kept his Word to a tittle, and hath said, I will come again. This upholdeth the Hearts of Believers during his Absence: For they reason thus; What need had Christ to flatter or deceive us, or promise more than he will perform? Would we flatter a Worm, that we can easily crush? He can strike us dead, if we do not please him; He hath been true in all things, and we have ever found him plain-hearted. Then there is Hope planted in the Saints. Hope is Faith's Handmaid, it looks for that which we believe: Faith determines the Certainty of the Thing, then Hope looks for it. This Grace was made on purpose that we might reach out to Heaven, and see if our Beloved be coming, that we might expect our full and future Happiness. God not only provides a glorious Estate for us, but Grace to expect it; he works this Hope in us, that we might look after it: