Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Part 9 – Part 10
Thy vvill be done.
1 Coherence.
IN the seconde petition, we desired that God wold let his kingdom come, vz. that he would rule in our harts. If he then must raign we must be his subjects: and therfore, here we craue, that being his subjects, we may obey him, and do his will. Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Father, where is mine honour? If I be a maister, where is my feare?
2. The meaning.
VVIL] Will here signifies Gods worde, written in the old and new Testament. For in his worde his wil is reuealed. Of the whol wil of God, ther be three speciall pointes, which are in this place meant. 1. To beleeue in Christ. Iohn. 6. 40. This is the wil of him that sent me, that euerie one that seeth the Sonne, and beleeueth in him, should hauehave life euerlasting. 2. Sanctification of bodie and soule. 1. Thes 4. 3. This is the will of God, euen your sanctification, &c. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life. Rom. 8. 29 Those which he knew before, he did predestinat, to be made like to the image of his owne son. Phil. 3. 10. That I might know him & the vertue of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his afflictions, and be made conformable to his death.
[Thy will] not mine: For mans owne will is wicked and corrupt; yea, it is flat enmitie to God Rom. 8. 5.
[Done] That is, obeyed and accomplished of men. Then, the effect of the prayer is this; As wee wold hauehave thee our king: so Lord, teach vsus to obey thy holie will.
3 The vvantes to be praied against.
1 HEre first, we are to bewayle this, that our hearts are so prone to vngodlines, and disobedience to Gods commandements. Put a match to an heape of gunpowder, on a sudden it will be all on a flame, and as long as we adde matter to the fire, it burnes: So by nature, we are most ready to sin so soone as the least occasion is giuen. Dauid had experience of this, when he prayed, Knit my heart to thee, O Lord, &c. Psal. 86. 11. and incline mine heart to thy cōmandements. Psal. 119. 37. Those which find not this want in themselues, and the like affection to bewaile it, are in a miserable and dangerous case: euen as a man that hath a great disease vponupon him, & knowes not of it.
2 Againe, we must here bewaile the sinnes of the world, as ignorance, heresies, schismes, hypocrisie, pride, ambition, contempt of Gods worde, couetousnes, oppression, want of louelove of God and his word, &c. 2. Pet. 2. 7. Lot was vexed, and his righteous heart vvas grieued, vvith the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomits from day to day: so ought our soules to bee vexed and grieued continuallie, at the wickednes of our time: and further, in this griefe we are to send vp our prayers to God for them, that they may be brought to the obedience of Gods will, Ezech. 9. 4. In a common judgement vponupon Ierusalem, they are marked in the forehead▪ that mourne and crie for all the abhominations that be done in the middest of it.
3 Here also wee must humble our selues for our vnquietnesse of mind, & greate impatience, when God layes anie crosse vponupon vsus. It is Gods will, that we should suffer affliction. Our Sauiour prayed, that the cup might be taken away, but with submission to his fathers wil, Luke. 22. 42. And this Dauid had learned, when he said, But if he thus say, Beholde, I hauehave no delight in thee, behold, here I am, let him doe to me, as seemeth good in his eies. 2. Sam. 15. 26
4 Graces to be desired.
1 THe first thing which we are here to desire, is, that wee may hauehave grace to denie our selues, wils, and affections: because herein wee are vnlike to God, and like the Deuill. This is the first lesson that our Sauiour doeth giuegive his Disciples, that they must denie themselues, and follow him.
2 The second thing, is the knowledge of Gods will: for otherwise, how shal we do it? How shall that seruant please his maister, which cannot tell what hee would hauehave done of him? Most men will hauehave bookes of statutes in their houses, and if they be to deal in any great matter, they will do nothing vntil they hauehave looked on the Statute. In like maner, men must hauehave the Bible, that is, the booke of Gods statutes in their houses; the lawes of God must bee the men of our counsel: Before euerie action, wee are to searche what is the will of God, and then to doe it. Here thē wee are taught to vse the meanes, and to pray for knowledge.
3 Againe, we are here taught to hauehave a desire in our hearts, and an indeuour in our liues in all things to do obedience to Gods word.
4 Lastlie, we desire patience and strength, when it shall please God at anie time to exercise vsus with the crosse, as Paul prayes for the Colossians, that God would strengthē them by the power of his might, vntounto all patience and long suffering with ioy fulnesse.
5. Errour confuted.
THe Church of Rome teacheth, that men by nature hauehave free-will to good: and that men, being stirred vp by the holy ghost, can of themselues will that which is good. But if this were so, why might we not pray, Let my will bee done? So far foorth as the will of man shall agree with Gods will: but this cannot be, as we see in the tenour of this petition.
In earth as it is in heauen.
1 The meaning.
HAuing shewed the meaning of this petition, thy vvill be done, Now we are to speake of the condition, which is, in what maner we shuld doe it. For the question may be, how we should doe Gods will: the answer is, his wil must be done in earth as it is in heauen.
Heauen] By heauē here is meant the soules of faithfull men departed, and the elect Angels. Psal. 103 20. Praise the Lord ye his Angels, that excel in strength, that doe his commandements, in obeying the voice of his vvord.
Earth] By earth is vnderstood nothing but men on earth, becaus all other creatures in their kind obey God: only man, he is rebellious and disobedient. Then the meaning is, Let thy will be done by vsus men on earth, as the Angels and saintes departed, doe thy will in heauen.
Qu. Do we here desire to do the will of God in that perfection it is done by angels? must we be as perfit as they? Ans. the wordes here vsed (in earth as it, &c.) do not signifie an equalitie, as though our obedience should in this life be in the same degre of perfection with with Angels; but a similitude or the like maner of obeying; it may be said, in what maner do the Angels obey God? Answer. They doe the wil of God willingly, speedily, and faithfully; and this is signified, in that they are saide in the scriptures to bee winged, and to stand continually beholding the face of our heauenly Father. And this is the manner in which we desire to performe Gods will.
2. The wants to be bewailed.
VVE are heere admonished to bee displeased with our selues, for our imperfect obedience to God, & for our hypocrisie, priuie pride, presumptiō, deadnes of spirit▪ and many other wants which breake out, when we are in doing Gods will. There is no seruant of God, but hath wants in his best works, so we must vnderstand, Paul. Ro. 7. 18. he saith as much, as if he culd begin a good thing, but not perfect it, & go through stitch, as we say. Whē the godly do good works, as heare, speak Gods word, pray, praise God, &c. they perform things acceptable to God: but in these actions, they finde matter of mourning; namely; the imperfectiō of the work, therfore, Dauid praieth. Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant, and here we may see, how far wide the Church of Rome is, that holds good works to be any way meritorious, that be eueryevery way imperfect. If the mē of that church had grace, they might see that the corruptiōs of the flesh wer as gynes & fetters about their legs, that when they would faine runne the waies of Gods commā dements, they are constrained to halt downe right, and to trail their loynes after them.
3 Grace to be desired.
THE grace here to be desired, is synceritie of heart in doing Gods will, so as wee may keepe a good conscience before God and men. Act. 24. 16. And for this cause I indeuoured alwaies to hauehave a clear conscience towards God, and towards men. This must we hunger after, & pray for: seing it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill, but also to doe good, and in doing good, striue to come to perfection.