The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 3 · prayer · Question 124
ON THE 49. SABBATH.Queſt. 124. What is the third petition?
Anſw. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven▪ that is, Grant that we and all men, renouncing and forſaking our owne willaMit. 16.24. Tit. 2.11, 12., may readily, and without any grudging, obey thy will, which onelyonly is holybLuke 22.24. Epheſ. 5.10. Rom. 12.2.: and that ſo every of us may faithfully and cheerfully performe that duty and charge which thou haſt committed unto usc1 Cor. 7.24., even as the bleſſed Angels do in heavendPſal 103 20, 21..
The Explication.
HEre we are to conſider: 1. What the will of God is. 2. What we here deſire, and how this petition differeth from the ſecond. 3. Why this petition is neceſſary. 4. Why that clauſe is inſerted, As it is in Heaven.
1. What Gods will is. THe Will of God ſignifieth in Scripture,Pſal 103.21. 1 Theſ. 4.3. 1. The Commandment of God: Ye his ſervants that do his will. This is the will of God, even your ſanctification. 2. It ſignifieth the events, or rather Gods decree concerning future events, in which that his decree is daily revealed:Mat. 25.30. Eſay 46.10. Rom. 9.19. Not as I will, but as thou wilt. My counſell ſhall ſtand, and I will do whatſoever I will. Who hath reſiſted his will?
2. What we here deſire, and how this petition differeth from the ſecond. THy will be done: that is, Cauſe and grant, that we men may do not our will, but thy will, which only is juſt and holy; and that we may obey thee. We deſire then, A deniall of our ſelves, which conſiſteth of two parts: The deniall of our ſelves, which is two-fold.1. That we may be ready to renounce all our own affections, which are diſ-agreeing from the law of God. A right and ready execution of our duty. Our duty is twofold:2. That we may be ready alſo to undergo our croſſe, and to aſcribe, and ſubmit our ſelves willingly unto God in all things. We therefore deſire, that God will give us his grace, whereby we may be able to deny our own corrupt will, and forgo all things, which are repugnant to the will of God. We deſire a right and ready execution of our duty, that every man in his vocation may cheerfully ſerve God, and execute his will, as well in common as generall duties, and in his proper and ſpeciall duty. Common.Our common duty is, that which is required not of us only, but of all Chriſtians alſo, and compriſeth vertues neceſſary for all the godly; as faith, converſion, godlineſſe, charity, temperance, and ſuch like. Proper.Our proper duty is, that which concerneth every mans proper calling. We ask the fulfilling of both duties in this petition, namely, that every one may abide in their proper and common calling committed unto them, and do their duty. Unto God be committed the care concerning the events: but let us care to doe thoſe labours, which properly belong unto us. Events agreeable to Gods wil.We deſire events, ſuch as are not contrary to Gods will; that is, that ſuch things may come to paſſe which pleaſe God. A proſpering of our Actions.We deſire a bleſsing and proſpering of our actions and counſels. For God will have us alſo to deſire of him, that he for his infinite goodneſſe will vouchſafe to proſper well our actions, counſels, ſtudies, labours, and endeavours; that he will for his exceeding goodneſſe ſo direct our labours, that no other events may follow them, but ſuch as himſelfe knoweth may moſt ſerve for his glory and our ſalvation. We in the meane ſeaſon muſt doe our duty diligently, and leave the events to God. The ſumme of all is: we pray that God would bury in us evill luſts and deſires; and that himſelf alone will work perfectly in us by his ſpirit, that ſo we being furniſhed and upheld with his divine grace, may fulfill our duty, and be anſwerable to our calling. Object. The former petition doth deſire alſo, that we may rightly performe our duty: Therefore this petition is ſuperfluous. Anſw. We do not crave here altogether the ſame thing, which in the former we pray for. For in the former we deſire, that God will begin his kingdom in us, by ruling us by his ſpirit, who regenerateth our will; that ſo henceforward we, rightly performing our duty, may yeeld all obedience to our King. But in this petition we deſire, that in performing rightly and faithfully our duty, we may execute the will of God. Or, There we crave, that the Church may be, and be preſerved and glorified: Here we pray, that every man in the Church may performe his duty aright, as becometh him.
The coherence of theſe three firſt petitions.We are to obſerve here by the way, what is the coherence and difference between theſe three former petitions. They are ſo linked together, that one conſiſteth not without the other: but like as the third petition ſerves for the ſecond, ſo doth the ſecond for the firſt. For the name of the Lord is not hallowed or ſanctified, except thoſe meanes be put, whereby it is advanced. And thoſe meanes are the duties of every particular mans calling and vocation. Now theſe petitions differ on this wiſe: In the firſt, we deſire ſanctification, or the true knowledge and magnifying of God,The difference betweene them. and all his works and counſels. In the ſecond, the gathering, preſervation, and government of the Church, that God would rule us by his ſpirit and word, defend and protect us, and deliver us from all evils both of crime and paine. In the third, that every one particularly in their vocation may obey God; that is, that every man be with diligence occupied in his proper duty and function, and direct all things to the glory of God, and take well in worth whatſoever God ſendeth on him.
3. Why this petition is neceſſary. THis petition is neceſſary, 1. That the Kingdome of god may come, whereof we ſpake in the ſecond petition. For except God himſelf bring to paſſe, that every one in his calling and duty do diligently his will, this kingdom cannot be ſettled, flouriſh, and be preſerved. 2. That we may be in his kingdome. For except we do the will of God, we cannot be Citizens of his kingdome. And we are not able of our ſelves, by reaſon of the corruption of our nature, to do his will, if God miniſter not ſtrength unto us: and he giveth us not ability, except we deſire it. Therefore we muſt deſire of him, that we may do it. Object. That which is alwaies done, and ſhall certainly come to paſſe, though we deſire it not; the ſame is not to be deſired. The will of God is done alwaies, and ſhall certainly be done, though we deſire it not: Therefore it is not to be deſired that it be done. Anſw. There is a fallacy in the Major propoſition, putting that for a cauſe, which is no cauſe: becauſe we doe not therefore deſire, that Gods will be done, as if it ſhould not be done, if we ſhould not deſire it: but we deſire it for other cauſes; namely, that all events may be good and proſperous unto us. For events ſhall not be good unto us, neither tending to our ſafety, except we ſubmit them to the will of God; ſo that we deſire that only to be done which he hath decreed, and will have done. The Minor alſo of this reaſon we deny. For it is falſe, 1. As concerning the calling and vocation of every man; becauſe they that deſire not, that they be able in their vocation to do their duty rightly, faithfully, and happily, the ſame ſhall never do it. 2. It is falſe alſo, as concerning Gods decree: becauſe God hath decreed many events, but yet ſo, as that he hath alſo decreed the meanes of comming thereunto. Repl. The decree of God is unchangeable: Therefore what God hath decreed, ſhall be done, even without our prayers. Anſw. The decrees of God, not only as touching the events or ends, but alſo as touching the meanes, is unchangeable. He hath decreed to give the end, but by the meane; which is of this condition, that we deſire it, and pray for it.
4. Why that clauſe is inſerted, As it is in heaven. Two cauſes hereof.CHriſt addeth here this clauſe, As it is in heaven, for two cauſes: 1. To deſcribe and draw us a patterne and example of perfection, whereunto we muſt ſtrive. 2. That by this deſire of perfection we may be aſſured, that God will give us here the beginning,Luke 8.18. Of whom Gods will is done in heaven. Pſal. 40 10. John 6.38. and the perfection in the life to come. To him that hath it ſhall be given. The reaſon of both is, becauſe in heaven the will of God is moſt perfectly done. Of whom ſay you? 1. Of the Son himſelf, who doth all the will of his Father. Loe, I come, O God, to fulfill thy will. Not to do mine owne will, but his will which hath ſent me. 2. Of the holy Angels and bleſſed men. Of the Angels the will of God is ſo done in heaven, as that every Angel ſtandeth in the preſence of God, being ready to do whatſoever God commandeth. They do both his generall and his ſpeciall will moſt readily: no one of them ſlacketh in his function, none ſeiſeth upon that which belongeth to another, none is aſhamed to ſerve us; though we annoy them with the noyſome ſavour of our ſins,Heb. 1.14. and offend God. For they are miniſtring ſpirits. So then we deſire, that we may alſo obey God, that we may execute his will, as the holy Angels fulfill it in heaven.
Object. Ʋnpoſsible things are not to be deſired: for he that deſireth things unpoſsible, deſireth in vaine. But to deſire that Gods will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, or that we may do our duty like as doe the Angels in heaven; is, to deſire a thing unpoſsible: yea, it is to deſire that which is contrary to Gods decree. Therefore that is not to be deſired, ſeeing God will have this to be our ſtate in the life to come, not in this life. Anſ. 1. The Major is to be diſtinguiſhed. Unpoſſible things are not to be deſired, except God will at length grant them to thoſe that deſire them: but God will give the performance of this will to thoſe that deſire it; and that in this life, as concerning the beginning thereof; and in the life to come, as concerning the conſummation and full accompliſhment. Wherefore this conſummation is to be deſired: and the impoſsibility is patiently to be ſuffered in this life. And the conſummation is therefore to be deſired in this life, that we may at length obtaine it: becauſe he that doth not now deſire it, ſhall doubtleſſe at no time obtaine it. It is one thing, Not to be able to attaine unto this conſummation, and another thing, Not to deſire it. 2. We deny the Minor, wherein is a fallacy, putting that for a cauſe, which is no cauſe. For neither do we deſire that in this life the conſummation or perfection of our obedience towards God may be accompliſhed, but that here may be wrought the beginning, and continuance, and increaſe thereof, and after this life our obedience being here augmented with continuall increaſes, may be at length perfected and conſummated, that ſo we then may no leſſe do the will of God, then it is alwaies done of the Angels in heaven. When therefore we pray, That Gods will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, this particle (as) doth not betoken the degree, but the kind of doing it, which is the beginning of performing Gods will. And to crave and obtaine this at Gods hands is not againſt Gods decree. And as touching our conſummation, it is our part to pray every moment that we may be altogether freed from ſin. For God will that we wiſh it, though he will not performe it unto us in this life. For it belongeth nothing at all unto us to ſearch what things God hath decreed; ſeeing we have this preſcribed us for a rule, that we pray for things on condition of Gods will. We muſt therefore ſubmit our ſelves unto Gods will, and deſire what God willeth us to deſire, whether God hath decreed it or no. God will have our Parents to die, and yet will he not have us to wiſh their death: God will have his Church to be under the croſſe, and yet he will not have us to deſire her croſſe; but to pray for her delivery, and patiently to beare it, if it afflict her. In like manner, God will not in this life give us perfect deliverance from ſin, and yet will he have us to wiſh it, and every moment to deſire that we may be wholly delivered from ſin. Wherefore, ſome things are to be deſired, which God will not do: and ſome things which he will do, are not to be deſired, but patiently to be ſuffered. And yet hereof it followeth not that we aske contrary to the will of God; becauſe in our prayers we alwaies ſubmit our ſelves to Gods will.