A. 4. Beg grace and strength of God to do his will, Ps. cxliii. 10., " Teach me to do thy will :'' as if David had said, " Lord I need not be taught to do my own will, I can do it fast enough, but teach me to do thy will." And that which may add wings to prayer, is God's gracious promise, " I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk In my statutes," Ezek. xxxvi. 27. If the loadstone draw the iron, it is not hard for the iron to move : If God's Spirit enable, it will not be hard, but ra- ther delightful to do God's will.
II. In this petition, " Thy will be done on earth, as It is In heaven," Ave pray that we may have grace to submit to God's will patiently In wiiat he Inflicts. The text is to be understood as well of sufTeiIng God's will as of doing it; so INIaldonet, and tlie most judicious Intorjjreters. I shall speak now of patient submission to Clod's will, in whatever he inflicts, " Thy will be done." This should be the temper of a good Chris- tian, when lie Is under any disastrous pro- vidence, to He quietly at God's feet, and say, " Thy will be done."
OF THE THIRD PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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Quest. 1. What this patient submission to Cod's u'ill is not ?
Ans. There is something looks like pa- tience which is not, namely, when a man bears a thing because he cannot help it ; he takes affliction as his fate and destiny, there- fore he endures that quietly which he can- not avoid ; this is rather necessity than pa- tience.
Quest. 2. What is it may stand with pa- tient submission to God's will ?
Ans. 1. A Christian may be sensible of affliction, yet patiently submit to God's will , we ought not to be Stoics, insensi- ble and unconcerned with God's dealings ; like the sons of Deucalion, who (as the Poets say) were begotten of a stone. Christ was sensible when he swate great drops of blood, but there was submission to God's will, Mat. xxvi. 39., " Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." We are bid to humble ourselves under God's hand, 1 Pet. V. 6., which we cannot do unless we are sensible of it.
A. 2. A Christian may weep under an affliction, yet patiently submit to God's will. God allows tears; it is a sin to be "without natural affection," Rom. i. 31. Grace makes the heart tender ; strangidet inclusus dolor, — weeping gives vent to sor- row,— expletur lachrymis dolor. Joseph wept over his dead father ; Job, when he had so much ill news brought him at once, rent his mantle, an expression of grief, but did not tear his hair in anger ; only worldly gric f must not be immoderate ; a vein may bleed too much ; the water riseth too high when it overflows the banks.
A. 3. A Christian may complain in his affliction, yet be submissive to God's will, Ps. cxlii. 1, 2., " I cried to the Lord with my voice, T poured out my complaint be- fore him." We may (being under oppres- sion) tell God how it is with us, and desire him to write down our injuries. Shall not the child complain to his father when he is wronged ? And holy complaint may stand with patient submission to God's will ; but though we may complain to God, we must not complain of God.
Quest. 3. What is it cannot stand with patient submission to God's will ?
Ans. I. Discontentedness with proA-i-
dence. Discontent liath a mixture of grief and anger in it, and, both these must needs raise a storm of passion in the soul. God having touched the apple of our eye, and smitten us in that we loved, we are touchy and sullen, and (Jod shall not have a good look from us. Gen. iv. 6., " Why art thou wroth ;" like a sullen bird that is angry, and beats herself against the cage.
A. 2. Murmuring cannot stand with sub- mission to God's will ; murmuring is the height of impatience, it is a kind of mutiny in the soul against God, Numb. xxi. 5., " The people spake against God." When a cloud of sorrow is gathered in the soul, and this cloud doth not only drop into tears, but out of this cloud comes hailstones, mur- muring words against God, this is far from patient submission to God's will. When water is hot the scum boils up ; when the heart is heated with anger against God, then this scum boils up. Murmuring is very evil ; it springs, 1st, From pride : men think they have deserved better at God's hand; and, when they begin to swell they spit poison. 2c?. Distrust ; men believe not that God can make a treacle of })oison, bring good out of all their troubles, tliere- fore they murmur, Ps. cvi. 24, 25., " They believed not his word, but murmured." Men murmur at God's providences, be- cause they distrust his promises ; God hath much ado to bear this sin, Numb. xiv. 27. This is far from submission to God's will.