{"number":203,"title":"THE THIRD PETITION","part":"THE THIRD PART OF MANS THANKFVLNES","questions":[124],"paragraphs":[],"clauses":[],"items":[],"text":"*Thy will be doone in earth as it is in heauen.*\n\n*The wil of god,* signifieth, 1 *The commandement of god.* Psal. 103.21. *Yee his seruants that do his will.* 2 It signifieth *euents, or rather gods decree concerning future euents,* Mat. 26.39. *Not as J will, but as thou wilt.* Isa. 46.10. *My counsell shall stand, And I will doe whatsoeuer I will. Thy will bee doone;* that is, Cause that we men may doe thy will, and obey thee.\n\nThe special Questions in this petition.\n\n## 1 What wee heere desire\n\nWe desire here, 1 *A denial of our selues;* which cōsisteth of two parts. The first is, *That we maie be readie to renounce all our owne affections which are disagreeing from the lawe of god;* and that God will giue vs his grace, whereby we may be able to denie our owne corrupt wil, and denie all things which are repugnaunt to the will of God. The second is, *That we maie be readie to execute the will of God,* and to vndergoe our Crosse, and to subscribe and submit our selues willingly vnto god in all things.\n\n2 We desire *the performance of the deitie and calling, both of all in generall, and of each in seuerall:* that namely wee may rightly and duely perfourme the duetie committed vnto vs, whether common, or proper, that euery one may cheerfully serue god in his calling, and execute his will. Vnto god be committed the care concerning our euents: but let vs care to doe those labors which properly belong vnto vs.\n\n3 We desire *Euents, such as are not contrarie to gods will,* that is, that such things may come to passe which so please god. 4 We desire *a blessing and prospering of our actions & counsels.* For god will haue vs also to desire of him, that hee wil vouchsafe to prosper wel our actions, counsels, studies, labors, and endeuours; that he wil for his exceeding goodnes so direct our labours, that no other euents may follow them, but such as himselfe knoweth may most serue for his glory and our saluation. We in the meane season must doe our duetie, and leaue the euents to God.\n\n*Euerie one hath a double vocation and calling.* The one is common, which compriseth those vertues that are common to all Christians. The other is *particular,* which belongeth to euerie ones proper calling. Wee aske for both callings and vocations in this petition; namely, that euerie one (as was a little before saide) may abide in their proper and common calling committed vnto them, and doe their duetie. Obiection. *But the former petition doth desire also, that we maie rightlie perfourme our duetie. Therefore this petition is superfluous.* Aunswere. In the former wee desire that God will beginne his kingdome in vs, by ruling vs by his spirit, who regenerateth our will, that, so hence forward we rightly perfourming our duety, may yeeld all obedience to our King, as becommeth the subiects of that kingdome. But in this petition wee desire, that in perfourming rightly and faithfullie our duetie, we may execute the wil of god.\n\n## 2 Wherefore we desire, that gods will be done\n\nThis petition is necessarie, 1. *That the kingdome of god maie come,* whereof wee spake in the second petition. For except god himselfe bring to passe, that euerie one in his calling & duetie doe diligently his will, this kingdome cannot be setled, florish, and be preserued. 2. *That we maie be in this kingdome.* For except we doe the will of god, we cannot be citizens of his kingdome. And we are not able of our selues, by reason of the corruption of our nature, to doe his will. Therefore wee must desire of him that wee may doe it.\n\n## 3 Of whom Gods will is done in Heauen\n\nIn Heauen the will of God is doone, 1. *Of the sonne him selfe, who doth all the will of his Father.* 2. *Of the Angels, and blessed men. Of the Angels* the will of God is so done in Heauen, as that euerie Angel standeth in the presence of God being readie to doe whatsoeuer God commaundeth. They doe both his generall, and his speciall will: none seaseth vpon that which belongeth to another; none is ashamed to serue, although we anoy them with the noysome sauour of our sinnes, and offend God. *They are ministring spirites,* Hebr. 1.14. Nowe Christ addeth heere, *as in Heauen,* 1. *To prescribe and draw vs a patterne and example of perfection, whereunto we must striue.* 2. *That by this desire of perfection, we maie be assured that God will giue vs here the beginning, and the perfection in the life come.* Obiection. *That which is alwaies done, & shall certainlie come to passe, though we desire it not; the same is not to be desired. The will of God is doone alwaies, and shall certainly be doone, though we desire it not. Therefore it is not to be desired.* Aunswere. The Minor of this reason we denie. For it is false, 1. *As concerning the calling and vocation of euerie man;* because they that desire not, that they may be able in their vocation to doe their duety rightly, faithfully, and happily, the same shal neuer doe it. 2. It is false also, *as concerning gods decrees:* because god hath decreed many euents, but yet so, as that hee hath also decreed the meanes of comming thereunto. There is also a fallacy in the Maior proposition, putting that for a cause which is no cause; because *we do not therefore desire that gods wil be done, as if it should not bee done if we should not desire it:* but we desire it for other causes, namely, that all euents may be good and prosperous vnto vs. For euēts shal not be good vnto vs, neither tending to our safetie, except we submit them to the will of god; so that wee desire that only to be done, which he hath decreed & will haue done. Reply. *The decrees of god are vnchangeable.* Aunswer. The Decrees of god, not only as touching the euents or ends, but also as touching the meanes, are vnchangeable. Hee hath decreed to giue the ende, but by the meane, which is of this condition, that wee desire it and pray for it.\n\nObiection. *God wil haue our Parentes to die; Therefore wee must desire that they maie die.* Answere. I deny the consequent of this reason: for we must subiect our selues to the will of god, and desire that which hee commaundeth vs to desire. So neither doth this follow: *The church shall bee subiect vnto the crosse: Therefore J wil praie for affliction.* Neither yet hereof may it be concluded, that our wil disagreeth from gods will: because thou desirest with that end, whereby thou must desire her deliuerie. God will haue our parents to dy, & yet wil he not haue vs to wish their death: god wil haue his church to be vnder the crosse, & yet he wil not haue vs to desire her crosse, but to pray for her deliuery, & patiētly to beare it, if it afflict her. In like maner, God wil not in this life giue vs perfect deliuerance frō sin, & yet wil he haue vs to wish it, & euery momēt to desire that we may be wholy deliuered frō sin. Wherefore some things are to be desired, which God wil not doe, & some things, which hee wil doe, are not to be desired, but patiētly to be suffered. But neuerthelesse it belongeth nothing at al vnto vs to search, what thinges God hath decreed, seeing we haue this prescribed vs for a rule, that wee aske & desire, but with a condition of gods wil.\n\nObiection. *Vnpossible thinges are not to bee desired: for hee that desireth thinges vnpossible, desireth in vaine. But to desire that Gods wil be done in earth, as it is in heauē, or that we maie do our duetie, like as do the Angels in heauen; is, to desire a thing vnpossible; yea it is, to desire that which is contrarie to Gods decree: Therefore that is not to be desired, seeing God will haue this to be our state in the life to come, not in this life.* Aunswere 1. The Maior is to be distinguished. Vnpossible thinges are not to be desired, except God will at length graunt them to those that desire them: but God will giue the performance of his will to those that desire it, and that in this life as concerning the beginning thereof, & in the life to come as concerning the consummation & ful accomplishment. Wherfore this consummation is to be desired, and the impossibilitie is patiently to bee suffered in this life. And the consummation is therefore to bee desired in this life, that wee may at length obtaine it; because he that dooth not nowe desire it, shal doubtles at no time obtaine it. It is one thing not to be able to attaine vnto this consummation; and another thing not to desire it. 2. We denie the Minor: wherin is a fallacie, putting that for a cause, which is no cause. For neither doe wee desire that in this life the consummation or perfection of our obedience towards God may bee accomplished, but that heere may bee wrought the beginning, and continuaunce, and encrease thereof, and after this life our obedience being here augmented with continual encreases, may bee at length perfected, and consummated, that so we then may no lesse doe the will of God, than it is alwaies doone of the Angels in heauen. When therefore we pray, *That Gods will bee doone in earth, as it is in heauen,* this particle, *as,* dooth not betoken the degree, but the kind of doing it, which is the beginning of performing Gods will. And for these causes also dooth Christ ad these words, *as in heauen,* that it may be as it were an example of patiēce, which we ought to folow: & that he might propose a goale & mark vnto vs, whereunto we ought to striue. We are to obserue here *the difference which is betweene these three former petitions. In the first we desire* sanctification, or the true knowledge, & worship of god. *Jn the second,* the gathering, preseruation, and gouernement of the church: that God would rule vs by his spirit, defend and protect vs, and deliuer vs from al euils both of crime and paine. *Jn the third,* that euery one particularly in their vocation may obey god, that is, that euery man be with diligence occupied in his proper duty & function, and direct al things to the glory of God, & take wel in worth whatsoeuer God sendeth on him. Moreouer, *these three petitions are so linked together, that one consisteth not without the other; and like as the third petition serueth for the second, so dooth the second for the first.* For the name of the Lord is not hallowed or sanctified, except his kingdome come; and the kingdom of God doth not come, except those means be put whereby it is aduaunced. And those meanes are the duties of euery particular mans calling and vocation. Wherefore we desire that God will bury in vs euil lusts and desires, & that himselfe alone will work in vs by his spirit: that so we beeing furnished and vphelde with this his diuine grace, may fulfil our duty, & be answerable vnto our calling."}