Some Pious Treatises, Part 6
Properties of the will.
1. Constant; That we have not the will floting hither and thither; not onelyonly when a good mood comes on us, as Balaam had, Psal. 119.106. not for a flash, as he, Mat. 8.19, 20.
2. Free. Many men when they see they must die, they'l part with any thing, any lust, or do any duty, but it's onelyonly so long as they are over-powred with danger, like Jonah's Mariners, that would pray and offer sacrifice, so long as the storm lasts. Our will to good, must be free, out of the exellency we see in Gods waies.
3. Earnest. John 4.32. As a hungry man goes to his meat, or a thirsty man to his drink, Psal. 110.3. Psal. 119.32. Now to run, a man must be earnest; if wicked men come to hinder, he is earnest in the pursuit, Psal. 110.115. if preferments or reproaches come to put the soul off from the object, it will not, Heb. 11.24, 25, 26. he chose to suffer affliction with a good conscience.
4. It is proportionable; as the good is greater, so must the will be enlarged. A childe of God hath a will for every thing that is good: but when it is some great good, then the heart is enlarged.
5. Determinate: Josh. 24.15. Many men approve things good, but dare not chuse them, for fear of crosses and persecutions, or the aversness of the times: but it's otherwise with a regenerate will: Let me do my duty, though I go to prison, or lose preferment. Act. 11.23. they clove with a full purpose. Many a mans will for good, is just like Orpah, that seemed to go along with her mother Naomi, but in a while kiss'd her, and departed away: so do many men: but a right Christian is like Ruth, who was resolved not to leave her mother.
6. Deliberate: that we consider the good, what it is that the soul goes out after. Psal. 4.6. Many say, Who will shew us any good? but Lord lift up the light of thy countenance. Psal. 119.82. Mine eyes fail with looking on this and that good: but Lord, when wilt thou comfort me? Hos. 2.7. When Israel followed after lovers, but could not overtake them, meaning her idols; she saith, I'…l go to my first husband: for then it was better with me. Many are mistaken, so that they take an apparent good for a real; as the malicious thinks there's a real good in revenge, the drunkard in his cups.
Object. But how can we will any thing that is good? we are not able to think any thing that is good, of our selves, 2 Cor. 3.5. much less to will it.
Sol. 1. We will when we will, but God makes us for to will. Phil. 2.12, 13. After he had bid us work out our salvation, he addes, vers. 13. It's God that worketh in you both to will and to do. Yet when God hath wrought upon our will, our will doth co-operate. As my paper whereon I write, receives the ink passively, and brings nothing of its own to the writing; for I could have writ upon another piece of paper: but being written upon, it becomes an instrument with me of the writing; and as I write more and more, so it still co-operates with me, though in it self there be no natural beginning of the writing. So it is with the will of man in conversion: though God might have pitch'd upon another will, when he wrought upon ours, yet ours being wrought on by him, doth co-operate; and as paper can make no resistance, no more can man's will. Not as if mans will had no principle of resistance in it self naturally, but because grace takes off this resistance.
Now God in bending the will to good, doth it three ways.
1. By removing natural rebellion, Acts 9.6. So the Prodigal, Luke 15.
2. By presenting unto us objects of good, Deut. 30.15.
3. By inclining us to the choice of the good proposed, Psal. 119.36.
3 Use Consol. To the Saints that finde their wills for good. It was a principal comfort that stayed the Apostle amidst his infirmities. A holy soul can say, Lord, thou knowest the bent of my heart is for thee. As the creatures, being made alive, are able to produce living actions; so the will of Gods people, being opened, is able to open it self to God. Cant. 5.2.
That which many say formally, a Christian says truly, Mat. 6.10. Thy will be done in earth as it's in heaven. Neither do they stand in some of Gods will, as a wicked man may, but in the whole will of God. Col. 4.12.
Object. But to what purpose is it for regenerate men to have a will for good, when they want power? What comfort can there be hence?
Sol. God looks upon true desires and willings, when a man is able to do no more. Prov. 19.22. The desire of a man is his kindness.
2. They are not onelyonly able barely to will, but also by the Spirit of God, which is a Spirit of liberty, (2 Cor. 3.17.) they are enabled to bring much of that they will into act. Psal. 119.32. Though they cannot do so much as they will, because their will is extended according to the latitude of the Law, but their performance is extended according to the measure of sanctifying Grace. The performance of God's people is something, their endeavours more, but their desires infinite. It is with Gods people in willing and performing good, as it is with a man that i… sick, that rises to walk a journey, and being up, he is hardly able to walk three or four turns in his chamber, much less to walk his journey he propounds; yet doth he walk a little; something is done, though not so much as he would.
3. It is a great consolation to regenerate men, in the smalness of their performances, that they have a will turning from all evil, and closing with all good, Rom. 7.15, 16, 17, 20. though corruption of nature be apt to hinder in the accomplishing of the good willed, vers. 18. The flesh is an impudent guest, that wil… not leave his hosts house, though his host shew a distastful dislike of him.
4. Though the will be so divided in it self, that it seems to go two contrary ways, being like a pot with two ears, on the one of which grace lays hold, and on the other corruption, Gal. 5.17. yet grace gets the upper hand of corruption. Every regenerate man hath as it were two wills striving in him together, like Esau and Jacob in Rebekka's womb, or the disease and the antidote in the body of a sick man: but yet, according to the promise, Rom. 6.14. Sin shall not have dominion over you; the regenerate will gets the mastery.