the world, and hath given the administration of the kingdom of providence to Christ himself in order to secure the accomplishment of all the glorious promises made to him, the reins of government are put in his own hand, Mat. xxviii. 18. Eph. i. 22. And, to be sure, the great Mediator will see to his own interest.

3. Because Christ is the darling of heaven, dearly beloved of God for undertaking the redemption of a lost world, a work whereby God is highly glorified. In this transaction he cheerfully complied with the divine will, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, and therefore his name must be exalted above every name, and every knee must bow before him, Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10.

APPLICATION.

I. Use may be of information :

1. We here see what encouragement we have to pray as we are taught, Thy kingdom come, and that it may be increased and enlarged: seeing we pray for what God hath decreed, promised and foretold, and must certainly come to pass.

2. It must then be great folly to oppose the flourishing of Christ's kingdom; they who do it have a strong party to fight against, even the omnipotent God, who hath said of Christ and his kingdom, He must increase.

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II. Use may be of reproof and warning to all who would hinder the increase of Christ's kingdom and glory in the world; such as,

1. Those who persecute and oppress his people.

2. Those who promote the violent settlement of ministers contrary to the will of congregations, and thereby put a stop to the conversion and edification of souls.

3. Those who promote infidelity, error, or any doctrine in the church, contrary to the simplicity and purity of the gospel, and the scripture scheme of salvation by Christ and his surety righteousness, whereby free grace is exalted and self debased.

4. Those who refuse to subject themselves to the laws of his kingdom, and will rather obey their own passions and lusts, saying in their hearts, "We will not have this man to reign over us ;" if Christ be a king let him be a king without a kingdom, subjects, or laws; if we could, he should have none. O sinners, take heed what you are doing you directly oppose the will of that God, who saith, He must in

crease.

III. Use of lamentation. We may hear take occasion to bewail the state of Christ's kingdom in divers places, in which it once flourished and increased, but now, alas! decreaseth; as in

France, Germany, Poland, Bohemia, Hungary, Piedmont, and other foreign parts, and likewise in Britain and Ireland, and particularly in our mother church of Scotland! Oh! what a dread-} ful flood of infidelity, atheism, irreligion, damnable heresies, looseness of principle and of practice, contempt of God and religion, scoffings at the truths of God and serious godliness, bath broke out in this age, and swelled to a greater height than at any time since our blessed reformation. Our holy Christian religion, in its firm foundations and infallible proofs, hath been openly attacked and ridiculed by professed infidels and pretenders to reason amongst us, and that notwithstanding the strong obligations they lie under by their baptism and education to adhere to it. And many pretended friends have been undermining and destroying it, by promoting opinions and practices inconsistent with its purity and interest. Yea, all ranks of us, whether magistrates, ministers, nobility, gentry, citizens and commons, are sadly chargeable with the prevailing defections and declensions of the age. Alas, we have left our first love, and have wofully degenerated from our ancestors piety, zeal, and solemn engagements to the Lord! How lamentable is our neglect of family worship, secret prayer, sabbath-sanctification, and gospel holiness! As also our losing our former

liveliness and spirituality in God's worship and service, and letting our devotion dwindle away into a dead formality, and mere bodily service! And, finally, how strong is the propensity of the present generation to vanity, lightness, plays, comedies, romances, idle diversions, contempt of ordinances, lying, cheating, pergury, and all sorts of immoral practices.

Upon account whereof God is provoked to forsake his ordinances, and smite our church with sore judgments, such as a spirit of division, a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts, impenitency and hardness of heart, suspending the Spirit's influences, so as hearts are not melted by the word. The angel descends not to trouble the waters, and the diseased step not in to be healed as in former days. Our hearts do not burn while Christ is talking with us; the times of refreshing come not from the presence of the Lord. And, alas! we who are in the ministry want not reason to fear that we have a hand in bringing on the judgments, by our undertaking the ministry for carnal ends, and without experimental knowledge of the Spirit's work in regeneration; helping in lax men to the ministry, and discouraging the more serious; little reading and studying the scriptures; want of zeal and concern for the conversion and edification of souls: Seeking ourselves in our public

appearances, more than the glory of our blessed Master, not looking to him for furniture, and depending on his presence and Spirit for success: Not labouring more earnestly, and preaching more rousingly for awakening and convincing of souls: laying stumbling-blocks before hearers, by sinful strifes, untender walking, and wrong steps, whereby they are tempted to abhor the offerings of the Lord; not acting as faithful stewards, by rightly dividing the word of truth, and speaking to the different cases of the converted and unconverted, saints and sinners; and not making it the great end of our sermons to convince lost sinners of their misery, to exalt a crucified Christ as their only remedy, and to lead poor souls to him. O that all ranks were brought to acknowledge their guilt, and to lament the hand they have had in stopping the increase of Christ's kingdom!

IV. Use may be of consolation to all the friends of Christ. Though you have cause of fear and trembling, because of the melancholy view you have of the church's case at present, her groans and grievances, defections, and backslidings, and the power and success of enemies ; yet rejoice in the tidings my text brings, Christ must increase." The church shall arise and shine, her light shall come, and the glory of the Lord shall rise upon her. It shall not be in the

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