ternal part of God's worship ; how zealou were they in the outward observation of th sabbath, charging Christ with th§ breach of it ? But all this was but outward obedience, there was nothing of spirituality in it; then we do God's will acceptably, when we serve him from a renewed principle of grace. A crab-tree may bear as well as a pearmain, but it is not so good fruit as the other, be- cause it doth not come from so sweet a root: an unregenerate person may do as much external obedience as a child of God, he may pray as much, hear as much, but his obedience is harsh and sour, because it doth not come from the sweet and pleasant root of grace ; the inward principle of obe- dience is faith, therefore it is called " the obedience of faith," Rom. xvi. 26. But why must this silver thread of faith run through the whole work of obedience ?
Ans. Because faith looks at Christ in every duty, it toucheth the hem of his gar- ment ; and through Christ, both the person and the offering are accepted, Eph. i. 6.
A. 2. We do God's will acceptably, when we prefer his will before all other ; if God wills one thing, and man wills the contrary, we do not obey man's will, but rather God's, Acts iv. 19., " Whether it be right to heark- en unto you more than unto God, judge ye." God sjiith, " Thou shalt not make a graven image;" king Nebuchadnezzar set up a gold- en image to be worshipped; but the three children, or rather champions, resolve God's will shall take place, and they would obey him, though with the loss of their lives, Dan. iii. 18., " Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
A. 3. We do God's will acceptably, when we do God's will as it is done in heaven, that is, as the angels do it ; to do God's will as the angels simUitudincm tiotat, non aquali- tatem, Burgensis,- — denotes this much, that we are to resemble them, and make them our pattern. Though we cannot equal the angels in doing God's will, yet we must imi- tate them ; a child cannot write so well as the scrivener, yet he imitates the copy. In particular,
1. We do God's will as the angels do it in heaven, when we do God's will regular-
OF THE THIRD PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
487
)y, — si'ne deflexu, — we "^o according^ to tlie divine institutions, not decrees of councils, or traditions, — tliis is to do God's will as the angels ; they do it rcfjularl y, they do nothing;' but what is commanded ; anp^i^ls are not for cei'emonies ; as there arc statute laws in the land which bind, so the scripture is God's statute law which we must exactly observe. The watch is set by the dial : then our obe- dience is right, when it goes by the sun-dial of the word. If obedience hath not the word for its rule, it is not doing God's will, but our own ; it is will-worshij). The Lord would have Moses make the tabernacle ac- cording to the pattern, Exod. xxv. 40. If Moses had left out any thing in the pattern, or added any thing to it, it would have been very provoking; to mix any thing of our own devising in God's worshij), is to go be- side, yea, contrary to the pattern ; God's worship is the apple of his eye, that which lie is most tender of; and there is nothing he hath more shewed his displeasure against, than the corrupting his worship. How se- verely did God punish Nadab and Abihu for offering up ' strange fire V Lev. x. 2., that is, such fire as God hath not sanctified on the altar ; whatever is not divinely ap- pointed, is offering up strange fire. There is in many a strange itch after superstition ; they love a gaudy religion, and are more for the pomp of worship than the purity ; this cannot be pleasing to God, for, as if God were not wise enough to ajipoint the manner how he will be served, man will be so bold as to prescribe for him. To thrust human inventions into sacred things is a doing our will, not God's ; and he will say, quis qucBsivit hoc ? " Who hath required this at your hand?" Isa. i. 12. Then we do God's will as it is done in heaven, when we do it regulary, we reverence God's in- stitutions, and the mode of worship, which hath the stamp of divine authority upon it. 2. We do God's will as it is done by the angels in heaven, when we do it entirely, — fiine 7nuiilatione, — we do all God's will. The angels in heaven do all that God commands, thev leave nothing: of his will undone : Ps. ciii. 20., " Ye his angels that do his com- mandments." If God sent an angel to the Virgin Mary, he goes on God's errand ; if he gives his angels a charge to minister for the