Satan's workshop!

(Thomas Watson, "The Lord's Prayer")

"May Your kingdom come." Matthew 6:10

When we pray, "May Your kingdom come," we pray
that the kingdom of grace may come into our hearts.
"The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21.

Why is grace called a kingdom? Because, when
grace comes, there is a kingly government set up in
the soul. Grace rules the will and affections, and brings
the whole man in subjection to Christ. Grace . . .
  kings it in the soul,
  sways the scepter,
  subdues mutinous lusts, and
  keeps the soul in a spiritual decorum.

Unless the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts—
our purest offerings are defiled. They may be good
as to the matter—but not as to the manner; they
lack that which would meliorate and sweeten them.
Until the kingdom of grace is in our hearts, our good
works do not purify us—but we pollute them! Even
the prayer of an ungracious person is sin. "The
Lord hates the sacrifice of the wicked." Proverbs 15:8.

A sinner's best works are 'opera mortua'—dead
works! And those works which are dead, cannot please
God. A dead flower has no sweetness. Hebrews 11:6.

Unless the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts—
we are loathsome in God's eyes. "My soul loathed them."
Zech 11:8. A heart void of grace looks blacker than
hell. Sin transforms man into a devil. So deformed is a
graceless person, that when once he sees his own
filth and leprosy, the first thing he does is to loathe
and abhor himself. "You shall loathe yourself in your
own sight for all your evils!" Ezekiel 20:43.

Unless the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts—
we are of the bastard brood of the old serpent—and
so cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven! "You
are the children of your father the Devil!" John 8:44.

Unless the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts—
the kingdom of Satan is set up in them! They are said
to be under "the power of Satan." Acts 26:18. Satan
commands the will—by his subtle temptations he can
draw it. He is said to take men captive "at his will."
2 Tim 2:26.

The sinner's heart is the devil's mansion-house. "I will
return into my house." Matthew 12:44. The sinner's heart
is Satan's workshop, where he works. "Satan, the mighty
prince of the power of the air, who now works in the children
of disobedience." Eph 2:2. The members of the body are the
tools with which Satan works. He possesses men. In Christ's
time many had their bodies possessed—but it is far worse to
have the souls possessed. One is possessed with an impure
devil, another with a revengeful devil, another with a
covetousness devil, etc.

The ship goes full sail when the wind blows. Just so, men
go full sail in sin when the devil, the prince of the air, blows
them! Thus, until the kingdom of grace comes—men are
under the power of Satan, who writes all his laws in blood.

Unless the kingdom of grace is set up in our hearts—we
are exposed to the wrath of God. What will it be—when
God stirs up all His anger? So inconceivably torturing is
God's wrath, that the wicked call to the rocks and mountains
to fall on them and hide them from it. Rev 6:16. The hellish
torments are compared to a fiery lake. Rev 20:15. Other fire
is but painted fire—in comparison with this! This lake of fire
burns forever. Mark 9:44. God's breath kindles this fire. Isa
30:33. Where shall we find buckets to quench it? Time will
not finish it; tears will not quench it. To this fiery lake men
are doomed—until the kingdom of grace is set up in them.
Hell follows death!