Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/35

 this kingdom of Christ, but Jesus Christ came into the world with such power that he overcame him in all his attempts to seduce him, and on the cross he spoiled the principalities and power, and conquered, and deprived Satan of his power and led captivity captive, and wherever be sent his gospel he proclaimed liberty, free grace unto Jew and Gentile, and whenever he gives his grace to any person, there Satan is dethroned, and being made willing to submit to Christ as a believer that is translated out of Satan's kingdom of sin and darkness into the holy kingdom of God's dear son; when we say thy kingdom come, we pray that the light and power of liberty and glory of Christ's spiritual kingdom may be more fully experienced in our own hearts, for as one observes in worship, we pay our homage to God in the world, in the sacrament we renew our oath of allegiance; in alms giving we pay him tribute; in prayer we ask his leave, and praise is our rent to the great God from whom we hold all our rights; thus also we express our soul's desire for our poor fellow sinners, deeply affected with the state of the heathen Jews, Mahometans and wicked men; we, as men fearing God pour forth our souls in holy longing for their conversion, earnestly desiring the joyful day when it shall be said, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our God and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever, Rev. 11 c. 1 5 v. "thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." God the glorious maker of the world has aright to, govern all his subjects, and it is his will that they should prosper in the ruling of his creatures, and it is obeyed by them all except by man and the devil, for God has made known unto us his will concerning us in his word; the law of the ten commandments showeth what obedience he requireth of us as fellow creatures, we have rendered ourselves incapable of perfect obedience to it, so of obtaining life by it; God has graciously given us the law of faith or the gospel of salvation by Jesus Christ, and this is his commandment that we should believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another; but natural men refuse obedience to this, he is either unconcerned about salvation or dislikes the way of it; while he remains in this state he cannot do the will of God in any respect acceptably, for without it is impossible to please God, in