A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Analyses · Analysis of a petition 3

A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer · Analyses · Analysis of a petition 3

p. 301The third Petition. foreign.

The order.

THis petition is a consequent of the former: For then doth God reigne in the hearts of men when they subject and submit themselves to his will. Therefore as in the former petition we desired that the Lord would reigne in us, so here we pray that we may shew our selves to be his subjects by performing his will. For these two are relatives; if he our King, then we his subjects. And therefore hereby we may discern whether the Lord doth reigne in us, if we have a true desire and endeavour to do his will. And therefore our Saviour Christ, Matth. 6. 33. as he doth bid us to seek first and principally the kingdome of God, so also his righteousnesse.

p. 302foreign, will, signifieth three things: either 1. foreign, that which willeth; or 2. foreign, the …illing; or 3. foreign, the thing willed.

1. foreign, that which willeth, in the creatures is the faculty of the mind whereby it willeth: But in God, whose nature is most simple, and in whom there is nothing which is not himself, it is his essence. In this sense, … Dei e… es…entia Dei v… lens, the will of God is the …ssence of God willing.

2. foreign, or foreign, the willi…g, in the creatures is the act or function of willing proceeding from the faculty: But in the Lord both the act of willing and the faculty whereby he willeth is his essence. Therefore as his essence is one and eternall, so his foreign, his willing, is one and eternall, and without succession. And therefore whatsoever God hath willed, doth, or shall will, that he willeth with one and the same everlasting act of willing. For as u… actu intelligendi unóque intuitu omnia intelligit; so also uno act… volendi omnia vult qua vult: for as with one act of understanding and one view he understandeth all things, so with one act of willing, he willeth all that he willeth. Out of which appeareth the unchangeablenesse of his foreign, his willing. For whereas in ours there is a change, when either we will that which before we did not, or leave to will that which before we desired; God by one eternall act of willing willeth all things, and therefore neither beginneth to will that which before he did not, nor leaveth to will that which once he willed. The consideration whereof ought to be 1. A stay and comfort p. 303to Gods children in any distresse, seeing there doth nothing happen unto them which the Lord hath not willed from everlasting, and that for his glory and their good; 2. An argument of thanksgiving unto the Lord, who before we were willed so well unto us; 3. A confirmation of faith in his promises, because wh… he loveth he loveth to the end; neither is he as man that he should repent. For howsoever repentance be sometime ascribed unto him, yet this and the like passions foreign, are spoken after the manner of men, but must be understood according to the majesty of God. And as sometimes repentance is affirmed of God, so also many times it is denied. Where it is denied, it is to be ascribed to the immutability of his will; where … is affirmed, … acti…is, to the efficacy of his action.

3. foreign, the thing willed, which o…tentimes in the Script…re is called his will, John 6. 39, 40. 1. The…. 4. 3. And in this sense the testament is called the will of the testatour.

The thing that God willet… properly and per se isAll that God willeth is properly good. good, howsoever unproperly & by accid…nt he willeth that which is evil (non quid…m faoere sed, fieri) not to do it but to … it to be done, as it is r…ferred to good ends, vi…. his glory and our good. Bonum est esse malum, It is good there should be evil, that both the glory of Gods …cy in saving …s and of his justice in p…ishing o…r sinnes in Christ might appear: But … the Lord willeth not it, but the end: as when a man is content that some part of …is body should be seared, he doth not properly p. 304desire the searing of the part but the health of his body.

The things willed are either God himselfOf the things which God willeth. and those things which pertein to himself, as his glory, &c. or the creatures, and such things as belong unto them. Himself he willeth most properly: for if bonum cognitum, known good, be the proper object of will, then primum & supremum bonum, the first and supreme good, which is himself, is most properly the object thereof. His creatures he willeth and such things as concern them as means referred to this end, Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. Himself he willeth by absolute necessity, not indeed of constraint but of nature: for most willingly he willeth. His creatures he willeth most freely, having liberty either to will them or to nill them. Howbeit things willed come to passe by necessity, not absolute but ex hypothesi voluntatis Divinae, on the condition of Gods will. Now God willeth the means, not thereby to perfect the end, which is himself, or to purchase any good to himself: for he is foreign, most perfect, and doth not stand in need of any of his creatures, Psal. 16. 2. but he willeth them propter se communicandum, that they by the communication of himself unto them may be perfected. Omnia ordinantur infinem ut à fine perficiantur, All things are ordained unto an end that from the end they may be perfected. So that he willeth and willeth well to his creatures for their good and not for his own: which commendeth the riches of his love towards us.

But to proceed; Those things that God willeth p. 305concerning his creatures are either quae fieri vult de creaturis, aut quae fieri vult à creaturis, the things that he will have done concerning the creatures, or the things which he will have done of the creatures: the knowledge of both which must be sought after so farre forth as it hath pleased him to reveal the same or promised to reveal it, Deut. 29. 29. Rom. 12. 2. That which is voluntas beneplaciti concerning the creatures is the will of his good pleasure; which is called foreign, Matth. 11. 25, 26. and decretum Dei, the decree of God. The which is partly secret, which the Lord will not have foreknown; and therefore we must religiously adore it, not curiously search it, Rom. 11. 33, 34. Acts 1. 7. John 21. 23. partly revealed. And this decretum Dei, decree of God, is either universall, concerning the government of the world; or more speciall, concerning the salvation of the elect or damnation of the reprobate. The former revealed in part, both beforehand to the Prophets, and also by the events: the latter revealed by his Sonne in the Gospel, John 6. 40. Eph. 1. 5. What this foreign, good pleasure, of God is, not onelyonly towards the elect in generall but also towards himself, every Christian ought to know. For besides that it is declared in the Scriptures, sealed by the Sacraments, confirmed by his daily benefits, the holy Ghost also revealeth this knowledge unto us, 1. Cor. 2. 10, 12. Rom. 8. 39. Gal. 20. 20. 2. Tim. 1. 12. Rom. 5. 5.

The will which God willeth to be performed of us, is voluntas signi, foreign, that which is well-pleasing, Col. 1. 10. foreign, that which is acceptable, Ephes. 5. p. 30610. foreign, That will of God which is good, acceptable, and perfect, Rom. 12. 2. foreign. This will we are bound to know, Eph. 5. 17. because he hath revealed it in his word, because we are to practice it, and according to it as the rule of justice are to frame and fashion our wills; not onelyonly to will the same things, but also after the same manner, with love unfeigned; to the same ends, seeking the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. And of this will doth our Saviour speak.

This in generall is whatsoever the Lord requireth of us either in the Law or Gospel: But more specially there are some branches thereof recorded in the word of God. As, it is the will of God that so many as shall be saved, being adulti, come to age, shall come unto knowledge of his truth, 1. Tim. 2. 4. that a sinner should convert unto him, Ezech. 33. 11. that we should believe in Christ, 1. John 3. 23. that we should be thankfull unto him for his mercies, 1. Thess. 5. 18. that we should be sanctified, 1. Thess. 4. 3. and by weldoing stop the mouthes of the ignorant, 1. Pet. 2. 15. that we should patiently and chearfully suffer affliction, Matth. 16. 24, 25.

Unto this will of God are opposed the flesh, which is enmity against God, the desires of the world, the will of Satan, which is sinne, and whatsoever is an enemie to the performance of this will. And therefore as we are taught to pray that Gods will may be done, so also that these things which be contrary and are impediments may be removed.

Thy will: which is not onelyonly just, but also the p. 307rule of all justice: Not our will, nor the will of Satan, or of the world. For here we are taught to pray, that our words and our lives may be framed according to the will of God, which is the rule of justice; and that we may have grace to deny our selves and our own will, renounce the desires of the world, & resist the will of the devil; that he would create new hearts in us, and establish us by his free Spirit; that we may will and desire such things as are acceptable unto him. And surely if our Saviour Christ, whose will was pure, said, Not my will but thine be done, how much more ought we so to desire?

Fiat, be done.] But here it may be demanded,Quest. Whether the will of the Lord be alwayes performedWhether Gods will be alwayes done. or not: and if it be, to what end serveth this prayer? and if not, how can that be verified, Isai. 46. 10. Consilium meum stabit, & omnem voluntatem meam faciam, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my will?

The will of God is diversly taken in the scriptures:Answ. For sometime it signifieth the decree of God, whereby he willeth simply and absolutely: Which is called voluntas Absoluta, Beneplaciti, Consequens, Efficax & Invicta, the Absolute will, of his Good, pleasure, Consequent, Effectuall, and Unresistable. This will of God is alwayes performed, Psal. 115. 3. Quaecunque vult facit, he doth whatsoever he will: and 135. 6. Isai. 46. 10. Omnis mea voluntas fiet, All my will shall be done. Neither is any thing able to resist this will, Isai. 14. 26, 27. Rom. 9. 19. Which also is proved by his omnipotencie. And therefore p. 308we may truly say that voluntas Dei est omnium rerum necessitas, the will of God is the necessity of all things; and that in respect hereof all things come to passe necessarily, howsoever in respect of secondary causes some things are necessary and some contingent. And this will is so effectuall and invincible that whatsoever happeneth cometh to passe according to the will of God, who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will, Ephes. 1. 11. yea, the very enemies of God when they do most oppose themselves against the will of God, do unwittingly perform it, Acts 4. 28. But hence arise two objections;

1. If that which the wicked do happen accordingHow can the wicked sin, seeing they do Gods will? to the will of God, how can they be said to sinne?

Sinne is not the transgression of the secret andAnsw. hidden will of God, which cannot be hindred, but of the revealed will of God, which he hath propounded as a rule to square our actions by: and therefore sinne is called foreign, the transgression of the law: Ad legem & testimonium, To the law and testimony.

2. If all things come to passe as God hath willedHow sinne is by Gods decree. and decreed, then sinne also: and how then is not God the authour of sinne?

Some things God hath decreed to do; someAnsw. things he hath decreed to suffer to be done: Of those things which he hath decreed to do, his will is the efficient cause; as of his creatures, and all good things: Of those things which he hath onelyonly decreed should be effected by such and such causes, his p. 309will is not the cause, as namely sinne. And howsoever sin is evil, yet it is good that sinne should be, for the manifestation of the glory both of the mercy of God and also of his justice: and therefore though the Lord doth not velle peccatum per se, will sinne properly by it self, yet he doth will it per accidens, by accident, as it is referred to good ends. Again, sinne may be considered as it is malum culpae or malum poenae, an evil of fault or evil of punishment. Sinne as it is a punishment is a work of justice in him that punisheth: for it is just that he that doth commit malum culpae, the evil of fault, should suffer malum poenae, the evil of punishment: as it is therefore a punishment, i. a work of justice and not sin, it is willed of God the authour of all good. In sin as it is malum culpae, the evil of fault, three things do concurre: actus, macula, & reatus, the act, stain, & guilt. The action is materiale peccati, the matter of sin: the corruption is formale peccati, the form of sin: reatus est obligatio ad poenam, the guilt is the obligation to punishment; the which is just as the punishment it self. The action as it is an action severed from the corruption is good: Omne ens quatenus ens est bonum, Every being as it is a being is good: and God is the authour of it; for in him we live and move and have our being, Acts 17. 28. But of the corruption wherewith the action is stained God is not the cause. For unto every action concurreth the first cause and some secondary cause depending from him, as being the instrument of the first: The which instrument being bad (as many times it is) there is a double work in the action: one of the first cause, good; p. 310the other of the instrument, evil. God then is the cause of the action, but not of the corruption; but yet useth, ordereth, disposeth the corruption of the instrument for the execution of his own good work. When the Lord gave his Sonne to death, he used Judas as his instrument. The action is the delivering of Christ: which as it came from God, was a most glorious work, John 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. But quem Deus tradidit Judas prodidit, whom God delivered Judas betrayed. When God will chastise his servant, he useth some wicked man as his instrument to afflict him: This affliction, as it cometh from God, is castigatio, a chastisement: but, as from the instrument, persecutio, rapina, &c. persecution, rapine, &c. A man that rideth on a lame horse is the cause why he goeth, but not why he halteth. Again, Deus non est autor ejus cujus est ultor, God is not the authour of that of which he is the punisher and revenger.

Thus we see that howsoever God doth voluntarily permit sinne, and also useth, ordereth, and disposeth the same to good ends (for such is his wisdome that he knoweth how to use that well which is evil) yet he cannot be said properly to will sinne, which he hateth; or to be the authour of it, which he revengeth. For this priviledge Gods will hath, Whatsoever it willeth it is therefore good: but sinne as it is sinne cannot be good.

But to return to my purpose: That this absoluteGods secret and absolute will is not here meant. will of God be performed we need not to pray, unlesse it be to shew our affection to Gods glory, and conformity & submission to his will: As in the time p. 311of affliction, The will of the Lord be done. Neither indeed doth our Saviour speak of it; as appeareth by the clause following, in earth as it is in heaven.

Secondly therefore, the will of God which he requireth to be done of his creatures, quatenus praecipit vel prohibet, so farre forth as he commandeth or forbiddeth, which is therefore called voluntas Revelata, Conditionalis, Signi, Antecedens, Inefficax, non quatenus promittit vel minatur absque conditione, est decreti revelatio, the Revealed will, Conditionall, of the Signe, Antecedent, Inesficacious, not as he promiseth or threatneth, and without condition, is the revelation of the decree.

Now the word of God is called voluntas signi, the will of the signe, because it signifieth what our duty is, and what is acceptable unto God: foreign, and conditionall, because it doth not shew simply what God will have done, but upon condition: Si John 6. 4….John 6:4vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata; Si vis servari, crede, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments; If thou wilt be saved, believe: and inefficax, uneffectuall, because it is not alwayes performed: Fit voluntas Dei de omnibus, non ab omnibus, The will of God is done concerning all, though not of all.

To do the will of God, is in respect of the matter, to perform that which he commandeth, after the same manner, to the same end that he appointeth: but if you look into our weakenesse, this doing of Gods will by us is especially to be understood of the will and endeavour, which the Lord in his children accepteth as the deed. Precamur & optamus, ut p. 312non tantùm faciat Deus quod vult, sed nos facere possimus Cyprian.quod vult: We pray and wish not onelyonly that God do what he will, but that we may be able to do what he will.

Whereas therefore this will of God is contemned of men, oppugned by the flesh, the world & the devil, and yet must of necessity be obeyed of us, if either we would be subjects of the kingdome of grace or inheritours of the kingdome of glory, great cause there is why we should instantly make this prayer, &c.

In earth] that is, by us men on earth, and consequently, as Paul speaketh Tit. 2. 12. foreign, in this present world. So as Oecumenius saith on that place, foreign, For this life susteineth the fight; but the life to come shall receive the reward. In this life eternall life is either won or lost: In this life we must do the will of God, or else we shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven, Matth. 7. 22. According to that which every man doth in the flesh shall he be judged, 2. Cor. 5. 10. And therefore whilest we have time let us do good, remembringGal. 6. 10.Gal 6:10 that the Lord hath placed us here on the earth for a short time to do his will: which time if we let passe without repentance, and turning to God, and doing his will, afterwards it will be too late.

As it is in heaven] that is, as the Angels in heaven do perform it. And they perform Gods will, Psal. 103. 20, 21. 1. Scienter, knowingly. 2. Sincerely and uprightly. 3. Willingly and chearfully. 4. Readily, expecting the beck of the Lord, Matth. 18. p. 313For which cause they are said to stand before the Lord, Dan. 7. 10. Revel. 5. 11. 5. Speedily, without delay: For which cause wings are attributed unto them. 6. Fully, and not by halves. 7. Constantly, till the Lord bid them cease. 8. Faithfully, doing all to Gods glory, assuming no glory to themselves, Revel. 19. 10.

foreign,] As, here signifieth not equality but similitude; as 1. John 3. 3. For if we should understand it of equality, we should pray for an impossibility, Eccles 7. 20. No man on the earth doth good, and sinneth not. True it is indeed, that we should contend and aspire towards angelicall perfection; although whilest we are on the earth we cannot attein thereunto.

In this petition therefore we pray that we may perform the will of God on earth after an heavenly and angelicall manner.

Of this obedience there are two degrees: the matter and manner. First we will speak of the obedience it self; and then of the manner.

Of the matter of obedience.

As touching the former; Whereas our Saviour teacheth us thus to pray, it is evident that of our selves we are not able to do his will: and therefore the doctrine of Freewill is here refuted. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh (foreign) in us foreign, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Vt voluntatem Dei faciamus facit hoc ipse D… us in nobis, God himself doeth this in us that we do the will of God.

p. 314Wants to be bewailed.

The defects therefore which we are to bewail are these: 1. Our inability through our own default to perform obedience to the will of God. 2. Our pronenesse to sinne and to transgresse the will of God, being stirred thereunto by every occasion. By our corrupt nature we are as apt to sinne as a bird to flie. 3. The frowardnesse of our wills, rebelling against the will of God, Rom. 7. 23. and our preposterous affections, the law in the members. foreign, The carnall mind is enmitie against God, Rom. 8. 7. 4. The disobedience also of others must wring tears from us, Psal. 119. 136. 5. Our impatience in troubles.

2. In respect of the matter wants to be bewailed.

In respect of the matter we are to bewail our imperfect obedience; our righteousnesse being like a polluted cloth. Velle praestò est, sed perficere bonum non invenio, To will is present, but I find not how to perform that which is good, Rom. 7. 18. Our best actions, if God should enter into judgement with us, are not justifiable.

The Graces which we ask.

We ask 1. in respect of obedience it self, That the Lord would vouchsafe us this grace to deny our selves, our own wills and affections, which are opposite to his will, Matth. 16. 24. 2. That we may labour in all things to perform simple obedience to the Lord, Heb. 13. 21. more especially, That he would convert us, and we shall be converted, Ezek. 33. 11. 3. That he would bring us to the knowledge of his truth, 1. Tim. 2. 4. 4. That he would give us p. 315faith, which is the gift of God, 1. John 3. 23. 5. That he would make us thankfull, 1. Thess. 5. 18. 6. That he would sanctifie us, 1. Thess. 4. 3. 7. That he would arm us with patience, that in all afflictions we may say with Christ, Not my will, O Father, but thine be done, Matth. 26. 39, 42. 8. That we may not be in subjection to sinne and Satan, and carried away captive to the obedience of his wil…, 2. Tim. 2. 26. but that he would renew, stablish, and guide us by his free spirit, that we may will and do those things which are acceptable in his sight. 9. That we may not be carried away with the world, or conformed thereunto, but transformed by the renewing of our minds; and that we may prove what is the good will of God, acceptable, and perfect. And 10. That we may give up our selves a lively, holy, and acceptable sacrifice unto God, that is our reasonable service of him, Rom. 12. 1, 2.

2. Of the manner of our obedience.

As touching the manner, We are here taught that we are not to rest in opere operato, in the deed done; but that we are to be carefull as of the matter so also of the manner. It is not sufficient that we do the will of God, unlesse we do it after a spirituall manner, 2. Chron. 25. 2. Many think if they heare, it is sufficient; and care not how: but Christ saith, Luke 8. 18. Take heed how ye heare. Therefore we must pray, That we may do the will of God as the angels do it in heaven, with knowledge, faithfulnesse, sincerity, uprightnesse, with willingnesse, alacrity, chearfulnesse, readily, speedily, fully, constantly, doing all to the glory of God: And, whereas he p. 316hath appointed us to salvation that we may be foreign, like the angels, Matth. 22. 30. that it may please him to begin our conformity with the angels in this life. These wants then we are to bewail, and these graces we are to crave in this petition.

Duties in prayer.

Further, we are in these words taught to performWe must pray according to Gods will. these duties in prayer: 1. That we pray according to Gods will, 1. John 5. 14. asking such things onelyonly as he hath promised to grant. Otherwise in this petition we pray against our own desires, namely, that not our will but the will of God may be performed. 2. That in our prayers, especially for temporall matters, we do humbly and willingly submit our selves to his will, and wholly resigne over our selves to his good pleasure, saying with our Saviour Christ, Not my will, &c. because we ought to be assured, that as for his wisdome he knoweth what is best for us, so also for his fatherly love he is most ready to grant good things unto us, Matth. 7. 11. Rom. 8. 32. and therefore if he deny our requests, that the deniall is better then the grant. And we are to remember that here we pray not that God would alter his will according to ours; but contrariwise, that our will may be conformable unto his.

Duties in our lives.

As we pray that we may do Gods will on earth as the angels do it in heaven, so must we have a true desire, an unfeigned care, and an upright endeavour in our selves to perform holy obedience to Gods will. Otherwise how can we perswade our selves p. 317that we pray in truth, being not willing to obtein that which we our selves do ask.

Duties respecting the matter.

And therefore, as it is the duty of every one to make this prayer, so none of us ought to think our selves exempted from doing the will of God: Neither may we think it sufficient in words to professe God, and in prayer to crave good things of him, unlesse we be carefull in our lives to do his will. Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, &c. Matth. 7. 21. yea those that make a profession of religion and obedience, as though they would perform obedience to Gods will, and yet do it not, are many times further from salvation then open sinners: as appeareth by the parable of the two sonnes, and the application thereof, Matth. 21. 28, 29, 30. Neither may we think that we shall obtein our prayers, unlesse we be desirous to perform Gods will. For if we will not do his will, why should we think that he will do ours? Prov. 28. 9. John 9. 31. We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will, him he heareth. If we ask any thing, saith S. John, 1. Epist. 3. 22. we receive it from him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are acceptable in his sight. If therefore we be desirous and carefull to obey Gods will, we need not doubt, having these testimonies of a true faith, but that both we and our prayers are acceptable unto God. For our selves, our Saviour affirmeth, that those be his brothers and sisters that do the will of his Father that is in heaven, Matth. 12. 50. And the holy Ghost giveth this testimony unto David, p. 318that he was a man according to Gods own heart, who would do all his will, Acts 13. 22. And elsewhere the Scriptures ascribe blessednesse to those that do the will of God, Luke 11. 28. For our prayers; John 15. 7. Psal. 34. 15, 17. And as we are to do the will of God in generall, so more especially those branches of his will which after a more speciall manner are called his will. His will is, if we would be saved, we should come to the knowledge of his truth, and not live in ignorance, 1. Tim. 2. 4. that we should turn unto him, and not go on in our sinnes, Ezek. 33. 11. that we should believe in Christ, 1. John 3. 23. that we should be sanctified, dying unto sinne, and living unto righteousnesse, 1. Thess. 4. 3. Mich. 6. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 15. that we should be patient in troubles, and thankfull unto him in all things, 1. Thess. 5. 18. And as we are to do the will of God, so must we deny our own wills and renounce the desires of the world.

Duties respecting the manner.

And as touching the manner; We are not to rest in opere operato, in the deed done: but as we pray that we may do the will of God on earth as the angels do it in heaven, so must we endeavour to imitate their manner of obedience. And albeit we cannot attein to that full perfection which is in them, yet we are to strive towards it: and therefore we are not to content our selves with that smal measure whereunto we have atteined, but still we are to labour that we may grow up in grace, seeing whilest we live here we are in our foreign and growing age.

But let us come unto particulars. 1. The AngelsWe must do Gods will as the Angels, p. 319do the will of God in knowledge; and so must we,1. In knowledge. or else all our worship of God is but will-worship, and all our religion but superstition. Knowledge is the stern, without which we rove and wander like a ship wanting a stern: it is the light, without which we walk in darknesse not knowing whither we go. Without knowledge we have no faith; and without Heb. 11. 6.Heb 11:6faith it is impossible to please God. And therefore miserable is our estate if we please our selves in ignorance.

2. The Angels do the will of God sincerely, uprightly,2. In sincerity. labouring alwayes to approve their obedience to the Lord: so must we obey the Lord foreign, but foreign, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but from our soul and heart, Ephes. 6. 6. Rom. 6. 17. in singlenesse and uprightnesse of heart labouring to approve not onelyonly our outward actions but also our inward affections and cogitations to the Lord, knowing that he looketh not as man looketh, but he especially respecteth the heart, and according to the disposition of the heart esteemeth of men. Without this uprightnesse all our obedience is but hypocrisie; and all the graces which we seem to have, but glorious sinnes, &c.

3. The Angels do the will of God willingly and3. Willingly chearfully; their whole delight being to do Gods will: so must we worship the Lord with upright hearts and willing minds, 1. Chron. 28. 9. knowing that forced obedience proceeding onelyonly from servile fear, as it is violent, so it is but momentany, and therefore but counterfeit. But we must worship the Lord in faith, love, and hope, and consequently p. 320chearfulnesse, willingnesse, and delight: for when the love of God is shed abroad in mens hearts by the holy Ghost, men have assurance that their obedience and service is acceptable unto God, and so they are encouraged in all chearfulnesse to offer their obedience as a free-will-offering to the Lord. First, To whom much is forgiven they love much, Luke 7. 47. and secondly, those that have true love, to them the commandments of God are not grievous, 1. John 5. 3. the yoke of Christ is light. Nihil difficile … anti, Nothing is hard to a lover. To Jacob his seven yeares troublesome service seemed to be short and pleasant, Gen. 29. 20. If therefore we truly love God, we will take delight to do his will. And thirdly, if we have assured hope of salvation by Christ, and live in expectation of happinesse, we shall contemne all the difficulties of this life as not worthy the glory that shall be revealed, and joyfully proceedRom. 8. 18.Rom 8:18 in our way to life, because of the joy that is set before us. Let us therefore hold fast by this anchor: for if we leave this hold, we shall eftsoon fall away into worldlinesse, whither the surges of worldly desires carry us. And in this behalf as we are to imitate the example of the Angels, so also of Jesus Christ, whose meat it was to do his Fathers will, John 4. 34. and therein also was his delight, Psal. 40. 8. Facere voluntatem tuam, Deus mi, delector, O my God, I delight to do thy will: Psal. 122. 1. Isai. 54. 13.

4. The holy Angels do the will of God readily4. Readily and speedily & speedily: so ought we without delay put in execution the cōmandments of God, behaving our selves towards our heavenly Master as the Centurions servants p. 321to their master, Matth. 8. 9. Doth the Lord call thee? thou must answer with David the type of Christ, Ecce venio, Behold I come, Psal. 40. 7. Doth the Lord bid thee seek his face? answer with that heavenly echo of the Psalmist, Psal. 27. 8. Thy face, Lord, will I seek. It is the will of God that thou shouldst turn unto him: break off without delay the course of thy sinne, and turn unto the Lord. Knock at the doore of thy heart; Open thine immortall gate, that the King of glory may come in. Doth he call thee to repentance to day, If yee will heare his voyce, harden not your hearts? Deferre not repentance; but to day, before to morrow, repent. Seek the Lord whilest he may be found, and call upon him whilest he is near, Isai. 55. 6. Doth he call us to triall and affliction? let us take up our crosse and follow him, submitting our selves willingly to his will, 1. Sam. 3. 18. Acts 21: 14. 2. Sam. 15. 26.

5. The Angels do the will of God fully, accomplishing5. Fully and totally. whatsoever the Lord commandeth; so ought we to do it fully and not by halves: otherwise he will say to us as to them of Sardis, Revel. 3. 2. I have not found thy works foreign, complete, before God. Remember the example of Herod, Mark 6. 20. who albeit hearing John Baptist he did many things, and heard him gladly, foreign, yet because h… continued in that sinne of incest, his partiall obedience did nothing avail him. He that keepeth all the law, and faileth in some one commandment, is guilty of all, Jam. 2. 10. And he that truly repenteth of any one sinne, repenteth of all. Where there is upright obedience, there is intire obedience: but where there p. 322is halving, there is halting between God and Mammon, between Christ and Antichrist. The covetous man thinketh well of himself, because he is not a whoremaster or a drunkard: the riotous person thinketh well of himself, that he is not covetous, no extortioner, &c. the Pharisee because he is no Publicane, Luke 18, &c. Many separate justice and holinesse, &c. But herein we are as much as we are able to follow the example of Christ, who did foreign, fulfill all righteousnesse, Matth. 3. 15. For if we will be men according to Gods own heart, we must desire and endevoúr to do all his will, Acts 13. 22.

6. The Angels of the Lord do his will constantly,6. Constantly. never giving over untill they have accomplished the will of the Lord: so must we be constant, persevering in obedience, being not weary of weldoing, knowing that we are redeemed of the Lord to worship him &c. all the dayes of our lives, Luke 1. 74. Our obedience must not be like the morning mist. Remember that religion is a way to the end, whereto we cannot come untill the end of our lives; and therefore if we set down our staff before we come to the end, and will go no further, what will all our former pains avail us? If we run in this race, and faint before we come to the goal, how shall we hope to obtein the garland? Be faithfull unto death (saith our Saviour) and I will give thee the crown of life, Revel. 2. 10. and Matth. 24. 13. He that continueth to the end he shall be saved.

7. Lastly, the holy Angels do the will of God7. Faithfully faithfully, and in all their doings seek the glory of p. 323God that sendeth them, not assuming unto themselves any part of the praise: So must we, 1. Cor. 10. 31. For if therein we shall seek our own praise or other sinister respects, we have our reward.

Thus must we truly in our lives desire and endevour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels do it in heaven; otherwise when we make this prayer we do ask with our mouthes that which we desire not with our hearts. Here therefore is discoveredThe hypocrisie of many discovered. the hypocrisie of many men, who pray that they may do the will of God, which they will not do. God would have thee to turn unto him; thou prayest that thou mayest do the will of God: and yet wilt not turn to him, &c. What is this then, but to mock God, when thou askest that of him which thou hast neither desire nor purpose to do? But here especially appeareth the hypocrisie of obstinate and stiff-necked sinners, who will seem so forward as to desire that they may do the will of God even as the Angels do it in heaven, and yet in very truth obey the will of God no otherwise on earth, then the devils in hell: who although they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God, yet willingly, though unwittingly, perform his secret will, which no creature is able to disannull. If therefore we would be thought to pray in truth, let us desire and endeavour to do that in our lives which in prayer we ask and desire. So having imitated the obedience of the Angels on earth, we shall be made foreign, like the Angels, and fellow-citizens with the Saints and Angels in heaven, &c.