Luke 11:2 And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done… #NAME? I. The matter — "doing of God's will. II. The manner — "as it is in heaven." I. The matter of this petition is, "the doing of God's will": "Thy will be done." 1. What is meant by the will of God? 2. What do we pray for in these words, "Thy will be done"? We must know God's will before we can do it; knowledge is the eye which must direct the foot of obedience. Knowing God's will may make a man admired, but it is doing God's will makes him blessed. (1) The bare knowledge of God's will is inefficacious; it doth not better the heart. Knowledge alone is like a winter-sun, which hath no heat or influence; it doth not warm the affections, or purify the conscience. (2) Knowing without doing God's will, will make one's ease worse. Many a man's knowledge is a torch to light him to hell. Let us set upon this, the doing of God's will, "Thy will be done." 3. Why is the doing of God's will so requisite? (1) Out of equity. God may justly claim a right to our obedience; He is our founder. God is our benefactor; it is but just that, if God give us our allowance, we should give Him our allegiance. (2) The great design of God in the Word is to make us doers of His will. If you tell your children what is your mind, it is not only that they may know your will, but do it. All God's providences are to make us doers of His will. As God makes use of all the seasons of the year for harvest, so all His various providences are to bring on the harvest of obedience. Afflictions are to make us do God's will. (3) By doing the will of God, we evidence sincerity. (4) Doing God's will much propagates the gospel; this is the diamond that sparkles in religion. (5) By doing God's will, we show our love to Christ — "He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, He it is that loveth Me." What greater love to Christ, than to do His will, though it cross our own? "We do not revere the Prince if we hate His laws." It is a vain thing for a man to say he loves Christ's person, when he slights His commands. Not to do God's will on earth is a great evil. It is sinful, foolish, and dangerous. Either we must do God's will, or suffer it. (6) Whatever God wills us to do is for our benefit; behold here self-interest. As if a king commands his subject to dig in a mine of gold, and then gives him all the gold he had digged. God bids us do His will, and this is for our good. (7) To do God's will is our honour. (8) To do God's will on earth makes us like Christ, and akin to Christ. (9) Doing God's will on earth brings peace in life and death. (10) If we are not doers of God's will, we shall be looked upon as contemners of God's will; let God say what He will, yet men will go on in sin. This is to contemn God — "Wherefore do the wicked contemn God?" 4. In what manner are we to do God's will, that we may find acceptance? The manner of doing God's will is the chief thing. The schoolmen say well, "The manner of a thing is as well required as the thing itself." If a man build a house, if he cloth it not according to the mind of the owner, he likes it not, but thinks all his charges lost; so if we do not God's will in the right manner, it is not accepted. We must not only do what God appoints, but as God appoints; here lies the very life-blood of religion. So I come to answer this great question, "In what manner are we to do God's will, that we may find acceptance?"(1) We do God's will acceptably when we do duties spiritually — "which worship God in the spirit." To serve God spiritually is to do duties from an inward principle. A crab-tree may bear as well as a pearmain, but it is not so good fruit as the other, because 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 obedience is faith; therefore it is called "the obedience of faith."(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. (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, 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 imitate them. A child cannot write so well as the scrivener, yet he imitates the copy. In particular — (a) we do God's will as the angels do it in heaven when we do God's will regularly; we go according to the Divine institutions, not decrees of councils, or traditions. This is to do God's will as the angels: they do it regularly; they do nothing but what is commanded. Angels are not for ceremonies; as there are 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 obedience is right when it goes by the sundial 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-worship. 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 appoint 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 of our will, not God's; and He will say, "Who hath required this at your hand?"(b) We do God's will as it is done by the angels in heaven when we do it entirely, without mutilation; we do all God's will. He who is to play upon a lute must strike upon every string, or he spoils all the music. God's commandments may be compared to a ten-stringed lute — we must obey God's will in every command, strike upon every string, or we can make no good melody in religion. The badger hath one foot shorter than the other; hypocrites are shorter in some duties than others. Some will pray, not give alms; hear the Word, not forgive their enemies; receive the sacrament, not make restitution. How can they be holy who are not just? But who is able to do all God's will? Though we cannot do all God's will legally, yet we may evangelically, which is — First: When we mourn that we can do God's will no better; when we fail, we weep. Second: When it is the desire of our soul to do God's whole will. Third: When we endeavour to do the whole will of God. (c) We do God's will as it is done in heaven by the angels when we do it sincerely. First: To do God's will out of a pure respect to God's command. Thus the angels do God's will in heaven; God's command is the weight that sets the wheels of their obedience a-going. Second: To do God's will sincerely is to do it with a pure eye to God's glory. (d) We do God's will as it is done in heaven by the angels when we do it willingly, without murmuring. The angels love to be employed in God's service; it is the angels' heaven to serve God. "There is no virtue in that to which we are compelled." A pious soul goes to the Word as to a feast, or as one would go with delight to hear music. Not that a truly regenerate person is always in the same cheerful temper of obedience: he may sometimes find an indisposition and weariness of soul; but his weariness is his burden — he is weary of his weariness; he prays, weeps, useth all means to regain that alacrity and freedom in God's service that he was wont to have. Love is as musk among linen, that perfumes it; love perfumes obedience, and makes it go up to heaven as incense. (e) We do God's will as the angels in heaven when we do God's will fervently. The angels serve God with fervour and intenseness. Formality starves duty; when we serve God dully and coldly, is this like the angels? Duty without fervency is as a sacrifice without fire; we should ascend to heaven in a fiery chariot of devotion. (f).We do God's will as the angels in heaven when we give God the best in every service. The Jews might not offer to the Lord wine that was small or mixed, but the strong wine, to imply that we must offer to God the best, the strongest of our affections. Domitian would not have his image carved in wood or iron, but in gold: God will have the best we have; golden services. (g) We do God's will as the angels in heaven when we do it readily, and swiftly. The angels do not dispute or reason the case, but as soon as they have their charge and commission from God, they immediately obey. (h) We do God's will as the angels in heaven when we do it constantly. The angels are never weary of doing God's will; they serve God day and night. Constancy crowns obedience. Our obedience must be like the fire of the altar which was continually kept burning. Use 1. Branch 1: See hence our impotency; we have no innate power to do God's will. What need we pray, "Thy will be done," if we have power of ourselves to do it? Branch 2: If we are to do God's will on earth as it is done by the angels in heaven, see then the folly of those who go by a wrong pattern; they do as the most of their neighbours do. We must make the angels our patterns, and not our neighbours. If our neighbours do the devil's will, shall we do so too? If our neighbours go to hell, shall we go thither too for company? Branch 3: See here that which may make us long to be in heaven, then we shall do God's will perfectly as the angels do. Alas, how defective are we in our obedience here I Let us be doers of the will of God — "Thy will be done." First: It is our wisdom to do God's will. Keep and do these statutes, "for this is your wisdom." Second: It is our safety. Hath not misery always attended the doing of our own will, and happiness the doing of God's will? (a) Misery hath always attended the doing of our own will. Our first parents left God's will to fulfil their own, "in eating the forbidden fruit." And what came of it? (b) Happiness hath always attended the doing of God's will. Daniel did God's will contrary to the king's decree; he bowed his knee in prayer to God, and did not God make all Persia bow their knees to Daniel? (c) The way to have our will is to do God's will. You see you lose nothing by doing God's will. This is the way to have your will: let God have His will in being obeyed, and you shall have your will in being saved. 5. How shall we come to do God's will aright? (1) Get sound knowledge; we must know God's will before we can do it. (2) If we would do God's will aright, let us labour for self-denial; unless we deny our own will, we shall never do God's will. God's will and ours are contrary, like the wind and tide, and till we can cross our own will, we shall never fulfil God's. (3) Let us get humble hearts. Pride is the spring of disobedience. (4) Beg grace and strength of God to do His will. 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 rather delightful, to do God's will. II. In this petition, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," we pray that we may have grace to submit to God's will patiently in what He inflicts. The text is to be understood as well of suffering God's will as of doing it. 1. What this patient submission to God's will is not. There is something looks like patience which is not, namely, when a man bears a thing because he cannot help it; he takes affliction as his fate and destiny, therefore he endures that quietly which he cannot avoid. This is rather necessity than patience. 2. What is it may stand with patient submission to God's Will? (1) A Christian may be sensible of affliction, yet patiently submit to God's will. We are bid to humble ourselves under God's hand, which we cannot do unless we are sensible of it. (2) A Christian may weep under an affliction, yet patiently submit to God's will. God allows tears. Grace makes the heart tender; grief shut up chokes us; weeping gives vent to sorrow. (3) A Christian may complain in his affliction, yet be submissive to God's will — "I cried to the Lord with my voice, I poured out my complaint before Him." 3. What is it that cannot stand with patient submission to God's will? (1) Discontentedness with Providence. Discontent hath a mixture of grief and anger in it, and both these must needs raise a storm of passion in the soul. (2) Murmuring cannot stand with submission to God's will. Murmuring is the height of impatience; it is a kind of mutiny in the soul against God. Murmuring is very evil; it springs — First: From pride: men think they have deserved better at God's hand. Second: Distrust; men believe not that God can make a treacle of poison, bring good out of all their troubles. Men murmur at God's providences, because they distrust His promises. (3) Discomposedness of spirit cannot stand with quiet submission to God's will. To be under a discomposure of mind is as when an army is routed, one runs this way, and another that, the army is put into disorders: so when a Christian is in a hurry of mind his thoughts run up and down distracted, as if he were undone. This cannot stand with patient submission to God's will. (4) Self-apology cannot stand with submission to God's will; instead of being humbled under God's hand, a person justifies himself. 4. What is this patient submission to God's will? (1) In acknowledging God's hand; seeing God in the affliction — "Affliction cometh not forth of the dust."(2) Patient submission to God's will lies in our justifying of God. Patient submission to God's will lies in the accepting of the punishment. This patient submission to God's will in affliction shows a great deal of wisdom and piety. The skill of a pilot is most discerned in a storm, and a Christian's grace in the storm of affliction; and indeed this submission to God's will is most requisite for us while we live here in this lower region. In heaven there will be no need of patience more than there is need of the starlight when the sun shines. In heaven there will be all joy, and what need of patience then? When do we not, as we ought, submit to God's will in our affliction? 1. When we have hard thoughts of God, and our hearts begin to swell against Him. 2. When we are so troubled at our present affliction that we are unfit for duty. 3. We do not submit as we ought in God's will when we labour to break loose from affliction by indirect means.The means for a quiet resignation to God's will in affliction are — 1. Judicious consideration — "In the day of adversity consider." Consideration would be as David's harp to charm down the evil spirit of frowardness and discontent. Frowardness and unsubmissiveness of will to God is very sinful. (1) It is sinful in its nature; to murmur when God crosseth us in our will shows much ungodliness. (2) To quarrel with God's providence, and be unsubmissive to His will, is sinful in the spring and cause; it ariseth from pride. (3) Quarrelsomeness and unsubmissiveness to God's will is sinful in the concomitants of it. It is joined with sinful risings of the heart. Evil thoughts arise; we think hardly of God, as if He had done us wrong, or as if we had deserved better at His hands. Passions begin to arise; the heart secretly frets against God. (4) Frowardness and unsubmissiveness to God's will is evil in the effects. It unfits for duty; it is bad sailing in a storm. Unsubmissiveness to God's will is very imprudent. We get nothing by it; it doth not ease us of our burden, but rather makes it heavier. The more the child struggles with the parent, the more it is beaten. The mischief of being unsubmissive to God's will in affliction, it lays a man open to many temptations. To bring our wills to God in affliction doth much honour the gospel; an unsubmissive Christian reproacheth religion, as if it were not able to subdue an unruly spirit. It is weak physic which cannot purge out ill humours; and surely it is a weak gospel if it cannot master our discontent and martyr our wills. We may the more cheerfully surrender our souls to God when we die, when we have surrendered our will to God while we live.The second means to bring our will to God in affliction is to study the will of God. 1. It is a sovereign will; He hath a supreme right and dominion over His creatures. A man may cut his own timber as he will. 2. God's will is a wise will; He knows what is conducive to the good of His people. 3. God's will is a just will — "shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 4. God's will is a good and gracious will; it promotes our interest. God's flail shall only thrash off our husks. 5. God's will is an irresistible will; we may oppose it, but we cannot hinder it. The rising of the wave cannot stop the ship when it is in full sail; so the rising up of our will against God cannot stop the execution of His will — "Who hath resisted His will?" Who can stay the chariot of the sun in its full career? The third means to submission to God in affliction is, get a gracious heart; all the rules and helps in the world will do but little good till grace be infused. The bowl must have a good bias, or it will not run according to our desire; so till God puts a new bias of grace into the soul, which inclines the will, it never submits to God. The fourth means to submission to God in affliction is, to get an humble spirit; a proud man will never stoop to God. Fifth means: Get your hearts loosened from things below; be crucified to the world. (T. Watson.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. |
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