What Do We Pray for in the Second Petition?

Answ. In the second petition (which isy Thy kingdom come,) we pray, That Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

Qj What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. The destruction of Satan’s kingdom, and the coming of the kingdom of God, Psalm lxxxiii. 17, 18.

Qj What for a king is Satan?

A. A most base, wicked, and cruel king, Rev. XXs. 2..

Q. How is he a most wicked king?

A. As he commands nothing but sin, 1 John iii. 8.

Q^How is he a most cruel king?

A. He continually seeks the destruction of the sotils and bodies of all his subjects, 1 Peter v. 8.

Q. What kingdom hath Satan in the world?

A. A visible and invisible kingdom, 2 Cor. iv. 4.

Q. What is the visible kingdom of Satan?, A. All the world without the visible church.

Q. What are the badges of Satan’s visible kingdom?

A. The open profession and practice of error, idolatry, profaneness, superstition, Sic.

Q. Who are the subjects of Satan’s visible kingdom?

A. Pagans, Mahometans, modern Jews, and heretical, profane, and grossly ignorant Christians.

Q. What is meant by praying, that Satan’s visible kingdom may be destroyed? A. Our praying that ■-

God would root out all idolatry, superstition, error, delusion, ignorance, and profaneness from the world.

Q. What is Satan’s invisible kingdom?. A. His power and dominion in men’s hearts, 2. Cor. iv. 4.

Q. Who are the subjects of Satan’s invisible kingdom?

A. All unbelievers, 1 John iii. 10.

Qj What are the great supports of this kingdom?

A. The curse of the law lying on our conscience, with, our own indwelling lusts, 1 Cor. xv. 56.

Q. What kingdom of God are we to pray for the coming of? A. His kingdom of grace and of glory,

£K What are the properties of God’s kingdom?

A. It is a kingdom of riches, righteousness, peace, high dignity, and eternal duration, Rom. xiv. 17. Isa. ix. 7.

Q. What is the external form of God’s kingdom of grace? A. Preaching of the word, administration

of the sacraments, with church-government and discipline.

Q. What is the internal form of it? A. Regeneration, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Qj. Wherein doth God’s kingdom more generally come to men? A. In the conversion of the Gentiles,

overthrow of Popery and Paganism, recovery of the Jews from their infidelity, universal spread of the gospel, &c.

O. How doth the kingdom of God come to a particular person? A. In his receiving the means of grace, and in his conversion, sanctificatian, and glorification.

<J. What influence hath the coming of Christ’s kingdom en the kingdom of Satan? A. It destroys it.

£). What destroys Satan’s visible kingdom?

A. The coming of God’s visible kingdom of grace.

(X What destroys Satan’s invisible kingdom?

A. God’s setting up his invisible kingdom of grace in our heart, Col. i. 13. See Quest. 26, 31.

Q. By what is Satan’s kingdom wholly destroyed? * A. By the coming of God’s kingdom of glory.

Q. What do we request in praying for the coming of God’s visible kingdom of grace?

A. We request that the gospel may be preached in all nations in plenty, purity, and power, and that all people may flow unto it; that the church may be purged from profane and erroneous persons, and have faithful ministers and magistrates; and that professors may stedfastly maintain, and faithfully convey to posterity the whole of

God’s truths and ordinances, Psal. cxxii. and cxxxvii. Dan. ix.

Q. What do we request in praying for the coming of God’s invisible kingdom of grace r* A. That ourselves and others may be brought into it, and kept in it.

Q. How are persons brought into God’s invisible kingdom of grace? A. By regeneration, justification, and adoption, Col. i. Acts xxvii. See Quest. 31, 33, 34. Q. How are they kept in it?

Q. By sanctification, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. See Quest. 35, 36.

Qj. Why need believers pray for the coming of God’s invisible kingdom of grace with respect to themselves, when they are already in it? A. They need to pray that

it would come in them more and more, Phil. iii. 9, — 14. Q. Wherein doth God’s kingdom of glory come? A. In believers receiving benefits from Christ at deatbp and at the resurrection. See Quest. 31, 38.

Q. What are we to pray for with respect to God’s kingdom of glory? A. That it may be hastened, Rev. xxii. Q. What is meant by the kingdom of glory being hastened? A. Not its coming before God’s set time; but his quick ordering of things in the world, and our heart, to make way for its coming in due time.

Q. Are believers to long for death and judgment? A. Yes, if they do it with submission to God’s will, and from an ardent desire to be like and with Christ.