The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 3 · Petition 3
THE THIRD PETITION.
THY will be doone in earth as it is in heauen.
The wil of god, ſignifieth, 1 The commandement of god. Pſal. 103.21. Yee his ſeruants that do his will. 2 It ſignifieth euents, or rather gods decree concerning future euents, Mat. 26.39. Not as J will, but as thou wilt. Iſa. 46.10. My counſell ſhall ſtand, And I will doe whatſoeuer I will. Thy will bee doone; that is, Cauſe that vve men may doe thy vvill, and obey thee.
The ſpecial Queſtions in this petition.
1 What wee heere deſire.
WE deſire here, 1 A denial of our ſelues; which cōſiſteth of two parts. The firſt is, That we maie be readie to renounce all our owne affections which are diſagreeing from the lawe of god; and that God will giuegive vsus his grace, whereby we may be able to denie our owne corrupt wil, and denie all things which are repugnaunt to the will of God. The ſecond is, That we maie be readie to execute the will of God, and to vndergoe our Croſſe, and to ſubſcribe and ſubmit our ſelues willingly vntounto god in all things.
2 We deſire the performance of the deitie and calling, both of all in generall, and of each in ſeuerall: that namely wee may rightly and duely perfourme the duetie committed vntounto vsus, whether common, or proper, that eueryevery one may cheerfully ſerue god in his calling, and execute his will. VntoUnto god be committed the care concerning our euents: but let vsus care to doe thoſe labors which properly belong vntounto vsus.
3 We deſire Euents, ſuch as are not contrarie to gods will, that is, that ſuch things may come to paſſe which ſo pleaſe god. 4 We deſire a bleſſing and proſpering of our actions & counſels. For god will hauehave vsus alſo to deſire of him, that hee wil vouchſafe to proſper wel our actions, counſels, ſtudies, labors, and endeuours; that he wil for his exceeding goodnes ſo direct our labours, that no other euents may follow them, but ſuch as himſelfe knoweth may moſt ſerue for his glory and our ſaluation. We in the meane ſeaſon muſt doe our duetie, and leaue the euents to God.
Euerie one hath a double vocation and calling. The one is common, which compriſeth thoſe vertues that are common to all Chriſtians. The other is particular, which belongeth to euerie ones proper calling. Wee aske for both callings and vocations in this petition; namely, that euerie one (as was a little before ſaide) may abide in their proper and common calling committed vntounto them, and doe their duetie. Obiection. But the former petition doth deſire alſo, that we maie rightlie perfourme our duetie. Therefore this petition is ſuperfluous. Aunſwere. In the former wee deſire that God will beginne his kingdome in vsus, by ruling vsus by his ſpirit, who regenerateth our will, that, ſo hence forward we rightly perfourming our duety, may yeeld all obedience to our King, as becommeth the ſubiects of that kingdome. But in this petition wee deſire, that in perfourming rightly and faithfullie our duetie, we may execute the vvil of god.
2 Wherefore we deſire, that gods will be done.
THIS petition is neceſſarie, 1. That the kingdome of god maie come, vvhereof vvee ſpake in the ſecond petition. For except god himſelfe bring to paſſe, that euerie one in his calling & duetie doe diligently his vvill, this kingdome cannot be ſetled, floriſh, and be preſerued. 2. That we maie be in this kingdome. For except vve doe the vvill of god, vve cannot be citizens of his kingdome. And vve are not able of our ſelues, by reaſon of the corruption of our nature, to doe his vvill. Therefore vvee muſt deſire of him that vvee may doe it.
3 Of whom Gods will is done in Heauen.
IN Heauen the will of God is doone, 1. Of the ſonne him ſelfe, who doth all the will of his Father. 2. Of the Angels, and bleſſed men. Of the Angels the will of God is ſo done in Heauen, as that euerie Angel ſtandeth in the preſence of God being readie to doe whatſoeuer God commaundeth. They doe both his generall, and his ſpeciall will: none ſeaſeth vponupon that which belongeth to another; none is aſhamed to ſerue, although we anoy them with the noyſome ſauour of our ſinnes, and offend God. They are miniſtring ſpirites, Hebr. 1.14. Nowe Chriſt addeth heere, as in Heauen, 1. To preſcribe and draw vsus a patterne and example of perfection, whereunto we muſt ſtriue. 2. That by this deſire of perfection, we maie be aſſured that God will giuegive vsus here the beginning, and the perfection in the life come. Obiection. That which is alwaies done, & ſhall certainlie come to paſſe, though we deſire it not; the ſame is not to be deſired. The will of God is doone alwaies, and ſhall certainly be doone, though we deſire it not. Therefore it is not to be deſired. Aunſvvere. The Minor of this reaſon vve denie. For it is falſe, 1. As concerning the calling and vocation of euerie man; becauſe they that deſire not, that they may be able in their vocation to doe their duety rightly, faithfully, and happily, the ſame ſhal neuer doe it. 2. It is falſe alſo, as concerning gods decrees: becauſe god hath decreed many euents, but yet ſo, as that hee hath alſo decreed the meanes of comming thereunto. There is alſo a fallacy in the Maior propoſition, putting that for a cauſe which is no cauſe; becauſe we do not therefore deſire that gods wil be done, as if it ſhould not bee done if we ſhould not deſire it: but we deſire it for other cauſes, namely, that all euents may be good and proſperous vntounto vsus. For euēts ſhal not be good vntounto vsus, neither tending to our ſafetie, except vve ſubmit them to the vvill of god; ſo that vvee deſire that only to be done, vvhichwhich he hath decreed & vvill hauehave done. Reply. The decrees of god are vnchangeable. Aunſvver. The Decrees of god, not only as touching the euents or ends, but alſo as touching the meanes, are vnchangeable. Hee hath decreed to giuegive the ende, but by the meane, vvhichwhich is of this condition, that vvee deſire it and pray for it.
Obiection. God wil hauehave our Parentes to die; Therefore wee muſt deſire that they maie die. Anſwere. I deny the conſequent of this reaſon: for vve muſt ſubiect our ſelues to the vvill of god, and deſire that vvhichwhich hee commaundeth vsus to deſire. So neither doth this follovv: The church ſhall bee ſubiect vntounto the croſſe: Therefore J wil praie for affliction. Neither yet hereof may it be concluded, that our vvil diſagreeth from gods will: becauſe thou deſireſt vvith that end, whereby thou muſt deſire her deliuerie. God vvill hauehave our parents to dy, & yet vvil he not hauehave vsus to vviſh their death: god wil hauehave his church to be vnderunder the croſſe, & yet he wil not hauehave vsus to deſire her croſſe, but to pray for her deliuery, & patiētly to beare it, if it afflict her. In like maner, God wil not in this life giuegive vsus perfect deliuerance frō ſin, & yet wil he hauehave vsus to vviſh it, & eueryevery momēt to deſire that we may be wholy deliuered frō ſin. Wherefore ſome things are to be deſired, which God wil not doe, & ſome things, which hee wil doe, are not to be deſired, but patiētly to be ſuffered. But neuertheleſſe it belongeth nothing at al vntounto vsus to ſearch, what thinges God hath decreed, ſeeing we hauehave this preſcribed vsus for a rule, that wee aske & deſire, but with a condition of gods wil.
Obiection. Vnpoſſible thinges are not to bee deſired: for hee that deſireth thinges vnpoſſible, deſireth in vaine. But to deſire that Gods wil be done in earth, as it is in heauē, or that we maie do our duetie, like as do the Angels in heauen; is, to deſire a thing vnpoſſible; yea it is, to deſire that which is contrarie to Gods decree: Therefore that is not to be deſired, ſeeing God will hauehave this to be our ſtate in the life to come, not in this life. Aunſwere 1. The Maior is to be diſtinguiſhed. Vnpoſſible thinges are not to be deſired, except God will at length graunt them to thoſe that deſire them: but God will giuegive the performance of his will to thoſe that deſire it, and that in this life as concerning the beginning thereof, & in the life to come as concerning the conſummation & ful accompliſhment. Wherfore this conſummation is to be deſired, and the impoſſibilitie is patiently to bee ſuffered in this life. And the conſummation is therefore to bee deſired in this life, that wee may at length obtaine it; becauſe he that dooth not nowe deſire it, ſhal doubtles at no time obtaine it. It is one thing not to be able to attaine vntounto this conſummation; and another thing not to deſire it. 2. We denie the Minor: wherin is a fallacie, putting that for a cauſe, which is no cauſe. For neither doe wee deſire that in this life the conſummation or perfection of our obedience towards God may bee accompliſhed, but that heere may bee wrought the beginning, and continuaunce, and encreaſe thereof, and after this life our obedience being here augmented with continual encreaſes, may bee at length perfected, and conſummated, that ſo we then may no leſſe doe the will of God, than it is alwaies doone of the Angels in heauen. When therefore we pray, That Gods will bee doone in earth, as it is in heauen, this particle, as, dooth not betoken the degree, but the kind of doing it, which is the beginning of performing Gods will. And for theſe cauſes alſo dooth Chriſt ad theſe words, as in heauen, that it may be as it were an example of patiēce, which we ought to folow: & that he might propoſe a goale & mark vntounto vsus, whereunto we ought to ſtriue. We are to obſerue here the difference which is betweene theſe three former petitions. In the firſt we deſire ſanctification, or the true knowledge, & worſhip of god. Jn the ſecond, the gathering, preſeruation, and gouernement of the church: that God would rule vsus by his ſpirit, defend and protect vsus, and deliuer vsus from al euils both of crime and paine. Jn the third, that eueryevery one particularly in their vocation may obey god, that is, that eueryevery man be with diligence occupied in his proper duty & function, and direct al things to the glory of God, & take wel in worth whatſoeuer God ſendeth on him. Moreouer, theſe three petitions are ſo linked together, that one conſiſteth not without the other; and like as the third petition ſerueth for the ſecond, ſo dooth the ſecond for the firſt. For the name of the Lord is not hallowed or ſanctified, except his kingdome come; and the kingdom of God doth not come, except thoſe means be put whereby it is aduaunced. And thoſe meanes are the duties of eueryevery particular mans calling and vocation. Wherefore we deſire that God will bury in vsus euil luſts and deſires, & that himſelfe alone will work in vsus by his ſpirit: that ſo we beeing furniſhed and vphelde with this his diuine grace, may fulfil our duty, & be anſwerable vntounto our calling.