A SERMON Concerning Obedience & Resignation TO THE Will of GOD in Every Thing.
Occasion'd by the DEATH of that Pious Gentlewoman, Mrs. Mariah Mather, Late Consort of INCREASE MATHER, D.D. Who Entred into her Everlasting Rest, On the Lords Day, April. 4 1714.
Rachel dyed, and Iacob [...] P [...]a [...] upon her Grace.
Her Children arise up and [...], her Husband also, and [...] Praiseth [...].
Son of Man, I take away from [...] the desire of thine Eyes.
BOSTON: Printed and Sold by T. Green at his Shop in Middle Street. 1714.
[...] [...]mer Conjuge sua [...] [...]entia Rictera or [...] [...] ac Memoriae hoc [...] [...]it.
[...] [...]bili Conjugiquae [...] [...]tiae, Mastiss. [...] [...]imer, Maritus Quem nunquam nisi Morte sua Turbavit, Monum. posuit.
To my CHILDREN.
YOU are now Motherless. And a Tender Mother (if there was such an one in the world) you have Lost. Be Humbled under the Hand of God, and be Thankful that you were not deprived of her sooner. You will very shortly be Fatherless as well as Motherless. And then you must think on that Scripture (on which one of you has a Sermon Printed) Psal. 27.10. When my Father and my Mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Your Mother Lived Seventy Two Years, Four Months and Sixteen Days. Your Father is Two Years and Eight Months Older than your Mother; and therefore will soon go after her.
Your Dear Mother, did in many things, set an Example before you, worthy to be imitated. In special, She excelled [Page ii] in Humility. Who did you ever know had less Pride in her than she had? You know that she took great pleasure in Reading the holy Scripture. In her latter Years, when her Children being grown up, she had more leisure, she has sometimes Read over the whole Bible, Twice in less than a Years time. She was Constant and Frequent in Prayer to God, delighting in Communion with Him. You know that I have ever since any of you can remember, loved to be in no place on the Earth, so much as in my Study. But now I shall love to be there more than ever; because I find in your Mothers Private Payers, that when I was absent from her Four Years in England, that so I might there do Service for the Churches in New-England, she spent many Whole Days (some Scores of them) alone with God there, with Fastings and Prayers for me, and for you all; as well as for the People of God. Some Particulars referring thereunto, are mentioned in the Sermon which one of you Preached on occasion [Page iii] of his good Mothers Death. Those I shall not here take notice of, but some others which I find in her Reserved Manuscripts.
Decem. 17. 1688 She thus writes; I kept a Fast alone in the Study, to request of God that he would afford Assistance to my Dearest now in England; that he may do Service for God, and for His New-England Israel. And that he and Samuel, might be brought in Safety to us again: And for my dear Son Cotton, that God would abundantly Bless him in the Work of the Lord; and Increase his Family. And for all my Children; and that all of us might be bro't nearer to God by the Death of dear Nathaniel; and that Sin may be Pardoned, which has been the cause of his Death. And I do humbly give Thanks to God this Day, for great Answers of Prayer since I kept a Fast in this Study last.
July 15. Aug. 4. and Aug. 11, 1691. I kept a Fast in the Study, chiefly on Sarahs account, Praying that she may be directed to do in the Momentous Affair before her, what shall be Pleasing to God.
[Page iv]At another time she writes thus: I went thro' many Deaths in the Bearing of Children: But those Deaths have proved the Spiritual Life of some Souls. God has Blessed my Eldest Son, so as that I have often Blessed God for making me the Mother of that Son. I thank God also for bestowing Grace on my other Children. I hope they shall be the Children of God for evermore. God has by a long Sickness taken away my little Catharin. I was earnest with God for the Soul of that Infant Child. And have great hope that she is at Rest in the Bosom of Iesus Christ. It pleased the Lord to afflict my Son Nathaniel with long W [...]a [...]ness of Body: I often Prayed to God for his Recovery; and that the Lord would accept of Service from him: But the Holy God saw meet to Cut down this Young Tree, before it had time to bear Much Fruit to [...] Glory. But he has left great Evidences of Grace; and was willing to Serve God to the uttermost of his Ability. I desire to rest satisfied with the Holy Pleasure of God.
You see, Children, what your now Blessed Mothers Prayers & Hopes were [Page v] for, and concerning you. Now your Mother is gone, I and you must prepare to follow. Notwithstanding the Promise annexed to the Fifth Commandment, and your having been Dutiful to your Parents; I would not have any of you, Lot on a long Life in the Earth. If God, for Christ's sake, shall give you Eternal Life in that World, of which the Land of Canaan was a Figure, that will be sufficient. Four of your Number (there have been Ten, now there are but Six of you) are gone before your Mother; and I trust all of them are with her in a better World. Yet they were Dutiful Children. Your Brother Nathaniel & Sister Ierusha, were Exemplary for their Piety towards God, as well as for their Dutifulness to me and to your Mother. But they are not. God has given Children to the most of you: I doubt not but you are much in Prayer for them, as your Mother was for you. I Bless the Lord that there are hopeful Signs of Grace and Regeneration in several of them. [Page vi] The Lord whose Faithfulness extends to Childrens Children of them that Fear him, remember his Covenant with them all. The Consideration of the Families and Progenitors whom you are descended from, should make you the more careful (not to say, We have Abraham for our Father) but to follow them as they followed Christ. Your Mother, you know, was Pious: Your Grand-fathers were both of them Eminent Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ; and both your Grand-mothers were very Gracious Holy Women. GOD forbid that any of you, or yours, should Degenerate from the Piety of your Ancestors. In hope, that they, and I, and your Mother, and you and your Children, shall Live together Eternally, in the Heavenly World, I Bless you all, and all yours, in His Name; who am,
Let the Will of the Lord be done.
Thy Will be Done.
THE Lord Jesus Christ gave to his Disciples an admirable Platform of Prayer, which in Six short Petitions comprehends what ever it is our Duty to Pray for. In the preceding Verse he shews who is the only Object of Prayer, viz. the God of Heaven: Unto whom the true Disciples of Christ may come as unto their Father. Our Father which art in Heaven. The Three First Petitions have a peculiar reference to God, (1.) To his Name; (2.) To his Kingdom; (3.) To his Will. These are fitly conjoyned: If God's Name is Hallowed, his Kingdom will Come: [Page 2] And where his Kingdom comes in the Power of it, the Subjects therein will do his Will. The Original Word [...], here rendred, Be done; signifieth, Let it be done. It is expressed impersonally, denoting the extent of the Prayer. It is not said, Let us do thy Will; that's but part of what is intended; but, Let it be done, sc. by us and all the Men on the Earth, and that in all things.
The Words may be Opened under the DOCTRINE from them, which is, That all Men, especially the Children of God, ought in all things to Comply with the Holy Will of GOD.
Three Particulars may be Enquired into for the Clearing of the Truth before us. [I.] What Will of God it is that Men, his Children especially ought to Comply with. [II.] After what Manner ought we to do his Will. [III.] The Reason of it.
[Page 3]Quest. I. What Will of God is that that must be Complied with?
Answ. 1. There is the Secret Will of God. His Unalterable Decree is called his Will: Eph. 1.11. Who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will. This Will is in many things kept secret from the knowledge of Angels in Heaven; and much more from the knowledge of Men on the Earth: Rom. 11.34. Who has known the Mind of the Lord? Or who has been his Counsellor? All the Men in the World fulfil this Will, and cannot but do so: For it is Irresistible: Rom. 9.19. Who has Resisted his Will? It is impossible for that Will not to take effect: Isa. 46.11. My Counsel shall stand, and I will do all my Pleasure. Men may purpose and not perform; but it is not so with God. If the Lord of Hosts has purposed, who shall disanul it? The Divine Decree is not the Rule by which we are to act. Men may fulfil that, and yet greatly Offend God in what they do. When Judas Betrayed Christ, and caused him to be [Page 4] delivered into the wicked Hands that Murdered him, never man was guilty of a greater Sin, yet this was by the Determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God. And when Herod Mocked him, and Pilate Condemned him, and the Iews Crucified him; they have been suffering Vengeance for that Sin for more than Sixteen Hundred Years, nevertheless, says the Apostle, They did whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done, Act. 4.28. When the Ten Kings gave their Power to the Beast, they fulfilled the Will of God, Rev. 17.17. Not the Will of his Precept, but of his Decree. Many things are done by the Permissive Will of God, which are not according to his Approving Will. God has Decreed that his Church in this world shall be subject to great Persecutions; that's no Rule for us to Pray that the Church may be Persecuted. On the other hand; we may act Contrary to the Decree of God, & yet as long as it is kept Secret, Please him in what we do. When David [Page 5] Prayed for the life of his Sick Child, it was his Duty to do so; altho' (which he knew nothing of) God had determined that the Child should not live. When he had a purpose in his heart to Build an House for God, the Lord said to him, Thou didst well that it was in thy Heart, 1 King. 8.18. But this was not according to the Purpose that was in God's Heart, who had designed that not David, but Solomon should Build the Temple. Only this further is to be added here; That when the Decreeing Will of God is manifested, we must humbly Comply therewith and Submit thereunto; and say, Let it be done.
2. There is the Revealed Will of God. Not the Secret Will of God which we may not pry into, but his Revealed Will is the Rule of our Obedience, according to which we must Conform our selves. Secret things belong unto the Lord; but those things which are Revealed belong to us, Deut. 29.29.
There are Two ways whereby the Will of God is Revealed; viz. By his [Page 6] Word, and by his Works of Providence.
(1.) By his Word. He hath shewed thee, O man what is good, and what does the Lord require of thee but to do Justly, and to love Mercy, and to walk Humbly with thy God, Mic. 6.8. The Law of God is his Word; and it is declarative of his Will. We are to do all the words of his Law; as in that place mentioned in Deuteromony. There are Affirmative Precepts in the Divine Law, which Reveal unto us what we must do: And Negative Precepts, which Declare what we may not do. The Moral Law of God contained in Ten Commandments, is a standing Rule of Obedience to all the Men in the World. Our Saviour Christ, has reduced it into two general Heads. When there was one that asked him that Question, Which is the great Commandment in the Law? Mat. 22.31. He said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind; this is the First and Great Commandment: and the Second is like unto [Page 7] it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self. On these Two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Moreover, The Gospel as well as the Law is the Word of God; and is sometimes called a Law, Isa. 2.3. Out of Zion shall go forth a Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. When the Gospel was first Preached at Ierusalem, and then at other Places; that Scripture was fulfilled. There is Natural Religion, and there is Revealed Religion. Men have Natural Religion from the Moral Law, which is written in their Hearts; whence they do by Nature the things contained therein: But the Gospel contains a Religion which is Supernatural and of Divine Revelation.
Quest. What does the Gospel Reveal to men to be the Will of God, which they ought to Comply with?
Answ. 1. It is the Will of God Revealed in the Gospel, that men should Repent of Sin: 2 Pet. 3.9. The Lord is not willing that any should Perish, but that all should come to Repentance. God in [Page 8] the Gospel declares it to be his Will, that men should Repent that so they may not Perish. This Commandment of God takes hold not only on some, but on all men wherever the Gospel is Preached, without excepting any man. Now since the Gospel is Published to the Nations in the world, He Commands all men every where to Repent, Act. 17.30. They must Confess their Sins if ever they would have God Pardon them: 1 Joh. 1.9. If we Confess our Sins, he is faithful to forgive our Sins. So he will if they Confess them with a Penitent Broken Heart: For then they will Forsake them as well as Confess them. The Law knows no Repentance; but the Word of the Gospel Chargeth men at their Peril, not only to Confess their Sins, but to Turn from them, which is the principal thing in Repentance: Ezek. 18.30. Repent and Turn your selves from all your Transgressions, so Iniquity shall not be your Ruine. That's Repentance, it is a Turning from Sin, and from all Sin. You must do so, or it will be your Ruine.
[Page 9]2. It is the Commanding Will of God Revealed in the Gospel, that men should Believe on Jesus Christ: 1. Joh. 3.23. This is his Commandment, that we should Believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ. This is an Evangelical Commandment. Only the Gospel Commands us to Believe on Christ. The Law requires that we should Believe on God, depending on his Power and Goodness; but it is the Gospel, and not the Law that Commands us to Believe on Jesus Christ the Son of God. And indeed this is the great Commandment of the Gospel, Obedience whereunto is most pleasing to him. The Iews would fain have been Saved by the Works of the Law: They said to Christ, What shall we do that we might work the Works of God? Joh. 6.27. They meant a work for which God would accept of them and give Eternal Life to them: They would have it by Doing and Working. The Lord said to them, This is the Work of God, that ye Believe on him whom he has sent. No Work will please God like Believing on [Page 10] Jesus Christ: No Obedience so acceptable to him as the Obedience of Faith. As no Sin is so displeasing to him as the Sin of Unbelief. He Sware in his Wrath against the Unbelieving Children of Israel, that they should not enter into this Rest▪ Heb. 3.18. To whom Sware he that they should not enter into his Rest, but to them that Believed not? So nothing pleaseth him like Believing. Let a man do what he will, he cannot possibly do the Will of God so as to find acceptance with him without Faith in Jesus Christ. Heb. 11.6. Without Faith it is impossible to please him.
3. It is the Will of God Revealed in the Gospel that men should be Holy: 1 Thes. 4.3. This is the Will of God even your Sanctification. Not only does the Law Command Holiness, but the Gospel wherever it comes, confirms that Commandment. We do not by Preaching Faith make Void the Law, but Confirm it: Wherefore the Gospel is called the Holy Commandment, 2 Pet. 2.21. The Grace of God which brings Salvation, i. e. [Page 11] the Gospel which is a Doctrine of Grace, teacheth men to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts; that they should live Soberly, Righteously, & Godlily in this present world, Tit. 2.11.12. It teacheth men Sobriety in respect of themselves, Righteousness in their dealings with men, & Piety towards God. It is the Will of God that men should have Holy Hearts, that they should love the things which God loves, and hate the things which God hates; then will they have Hearts after his own Heart, and shall fulfil his Will, Act. 13.22. It is the Will of God that men should be Holy in their Lives and Conversations: 1 Pet. 1.15. Be ye Holy in all manner of Conversation. Thus we see that the Word of God declares his Will.
(2.) His Will is Revealed by his Works of Providence. Providence is the Execution of the Will of his Decree. There is as the Will of his Precept, so the Will of his Providence, which we must in all things submit unto, & comply with. The Providential Will of God [Page 12] is many times very contrary to our Natural Wills; but then we must subject, and humbly resign our Wills to the Divine Will, as the Caesarian Christians did: They were very unwilling that the Apostle Paul should go to Jerusalem, because they knew that if he did, the Jews would put him in Bonds, and deliver him to the Gentiles; the holy Apostle was satisfied that he had a Call from God to go to Jerusalem, so that there was no disswading him from it: And when he would not be perswaded they ceased from using any further disswasives, saying, The Will of the Lord be done, Act. 21.14. If his holy Providence shall disappoint us in any of our Designs or Expectations, we must say, The Will of the Lord be done. When a great Emperor was defeated in a Battle with his Infidel Enemy, it has been reported to his Honour, that returning with Confusion; as he went he kept saying, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven! Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven! If God shall with-hold from us those [Page 13] things which our hearts are most set upon, we must humbly submit to his Holy Providence. So did David, when he knew not whether he should ever see the Ark of God again, which he much desired. With what Resignation to the Will of God does he express himself? 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his Habitation: but if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. If the Lord will take away his Blessings from us; if he will make Breaches in our Families, and deprive us of our dearest Enjoyments, Husbands, Wives, Children, it is for us to acquiesce in the Will of God. When Aaron had Two of his Sons taken from him after an awful manner, 'tis said, Aaron held his Peace, Lev. 10.3. Notwithstanding his Brother Moses, told him that the awful Death of his Sons was a just Judgment of God upon them for their Sin, he was Silent; he did not Murmur against God, nor [Page 14] against his Brother: He considered that the Honour of God ought to be dearer to him, than either the Honour, or the Life of his Sons. When Eli was informed by Samuel, that doleful things were coming on his Family, because of the Crying Sins which his Sons had been guilty of, & he had too much connived at them; how Humbly and Graciously did he express himself? submitting to the Will and Providence of God, 1 Sam. 3.18. He said, it is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. And we have an unparallel'd Example of Submission and Patience under Afflictive Dispensations of Providence, in holy Iob: When his whole Estate, and all his Children were taken from him in one Day, he did never utter a Sinful Impatient Word, nor Charge God Foolishly; as if God had done any thing unbecoming his Wisdom. [...], or Goodness: but instead of [...]rmu [...]ing under the Hand of [...] his Name. This his Pame [...] [...] to the Will of God, is taken notice of by the Apostle, [Page 15] Jam. 5.11. You have heard of the Patience of Iob. We cannot say that the like degree of Patience, under trying Providences, was ever seen in any man that ever was in the world, excepting that Man who is God as well as Man. But thus are we to Comply with the Will of God, in Resigning our selves and all ours to the disposal of his Providence.
We proceed then to the Second Enquiry, viz.
Quest. II. After what Manner ought the Will of God to be done by us?
Answ. We have the Answer to that in the following words in this Third Petition in the Platform of Prayer, which our Lord Jesus Christ has given us: On Earth as it is in Heaven; as it is done by Saints and Angels in Heaven. There will a Day come, when the Will of God shall be done on Earth, with as great Perfection as it is done in Heaven; Namely, in the Resurrection World: For the present we cannot come up to the Perfection of Angelical Obedience; nevertheless, we should aim at it.
[Page 16]Particularly, 1. We should do the Will of God Speedily & without Delay. The Angels in Heaven do so. They wait to know what the Pleasure of God is, and when it is signified, they do it without delaying so much as one Moment. The Angel Gabriel said, I Stand in the Presence of God, Luk. 1.19. As a Servant having done the Business his Master has Employed him, comes and stands in the Presence of his Master, waiting to know what his Pleasure is for him to do next. Psal. 103.20, 21. Bless the Lord, ye his Angels, that do his Commandments, hearkning to the Voice of his Word; ye Ministers of his that do his Pleasure. That hearkning to his Word, implies ready Obedience. When the Great GOD sends his Angels on any Errand to the Earth, they go presently. Therefore in the Scripture they are represented not only as Going, but as Running, as soon as the Lord sends them. It is said of the Living Creatures in Ezekiel's Vision, by which Angels are meant, that they ran and returned as a flash of [Page 17] Lightning, Ezek. 1.14. If they are sent on a Message they Run; and when they have done their Message, they return again as swiftly as a flash of Lightning. They are represented not only as Running, but as Flying swiftly: When the Angel Gabriel was sent on a Message to the Prophet Daniel, he came Flying swiftly, Dan. 9.21. Thus when the Will of God is manifested, we may not stand Considering whether we should do it, but Obey presently: Psal. 119.60. I made haste & delayed not, to keep thy Commandments. Paul as soon as he was Converted, desired to know the Will of God concerning his Duty: he said, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? The Lord told him what he should do, and then he Conferred not with Flesh & Blood. He did not Consult with any man in the world, whether he should do that, which was Revealed to be his Duty, but did it Immediately, Gal. 1.16. We have another Example of ready Obedience in Abraham; when God imposed upon him & on his Family the grievous Commandment [Page 18] of Circumcision, in the self-same Day he did as God had said unto him, Gen. 17.23. And when he was required to Sacrifice his Son, his only Son Isaac, whom he Loved dearly, and that he should do it with his own Hands, which made the Commandment the more difficult to be complied with, he delayed not his Obedience, but rose early in the Morning, and went to the place of which God had told him, Gen. 22.3.
2. Our Obedience to the Will of God ought to be not only without Delay, but a Willing Obedience: Isa. 1.19. If you be willing & obedient, you shall eat the good of the Land. A Servant may do what his Master Commands him Presently, but Unwillingly: It may be a forced Obedience for fear of Punishment. Thus do many yield a Servile Obedience to the Commandments of God: They perform External Duties of Religion, but as a Task which they would be glad to be eased of the burden of it: Mal. 1.13. They say, What a weariness is it? Such have no reason to think that their Obedience [Page 19] will find any acceptance with God, or be rewarded by him: 1 Cor. 9.17, 18. If I do this willingly, I have a Reward; but if against my will, a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed to me; what is my Reward? If there is a willing Mind, God accepteth according to what a man has, and not according to what he has not. It is the Will of God that men should not only promote works of Piety, but that they should do it willingly with their Hearts. It is the Will of God that they should do works of Charity; that according to their Ability they should relieve the Poor, but that they should do it not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a chearful giver, 2 Cor. 9.7. It is not enough for us to do the Will of God, but we must do it with Delight: Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy Will, O God. This are we taught not only by the Word, but by the Example of our Lord Jesus Christ: He was so set upon doing the Will of God, that sometimes he would neglect his necessary Food, to do Service for the Name [Page 20] of God. When the Disciples said to him, Master, Eat; He replied, I have Meat to eat that ye know not of: My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me, and to finish his Work, Joh. 4.34. Yea, if it be the Pleasure of God that we shall Suffer for his sake, we should do it Willingly. So did Moses: He chose to suffer affliction with the People of God, Heb. 11.25. He was not forced to it, but it was his Choice. Nay, we should suffer his Will Joyfully, which denotes a great Compliance of the Will: Jam. 1.2. Count it all Ioy when you fall into diverse Temptations. Joy, and all Joy; Temptations, and diverse Temptations; These are Paradoxes of Christianity. The Apostle could say, I take pleasure in my Infirmities, 2 Cor 12.10. In what Infirmities? Not in his Sinful Infirmities. They were the greatest Grief and Burden which he had in the world. By his Infirmities, he means the Afflictions and Persecutions which he endured. Since it was the Will of God that he should be Reproached, and Abused, and all [Page 21] manner of Evil spoken of him falsly because of his Christianity; he took great pleasure therein.
3. Our Obedience to the Will of God should be Universal: We must Comply with his whole Will. We may not pick and chuse among the Commandments of God. That was Jehu's Obedience, which discovered the Insincerity of his Heart. He walked not in the Law of the Lord with all his Heart; for he departed not from the Sin of Jeroboam, 2 King. 10.31. God Commanded him to destroy the Worship of Baal; that he Obeyed. God Commanded him to execute Judgment on the House of Ahab; that he Obeyed. He ought to have departed from the Sin of Jeroboam; but that Commandment he would not Obey, because it did not Comport with his Worldly Interest to do it. If we would be the true Disciples of Christ, we must observe All his Commandments: Joh. 15.14. You are my Friends, if you do whatsoever Command you. We must do all the Commandments of God; and forbear doing [Page 22] every thing that he has Forbidden: Psal. 119.128. I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. If we do so, we may hope for acceptance with God; and we shall not be put to shame by a disappointment of our hope. Then shall I not be Ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments, Ver. 6.
4. Our Obedience to the Will of God must be Constant. So is the Will of God done in Heaven: The Glorified Souls they never do any thing else but the Will of God; and they are always doing that: Rev. 7.15. They Serve him day and night in his Temple. The holy Angels are Constant in their Obedience: They Always behold the Face of God, Mat. 18.10. If they Always behold his Face, they Always do his Will. When God employs them in any Service, they go on with it, & never turn aside or desist from it, until they have done it. It is therefore said of the Living Creatures that they turned not when they went, Ezek. 1.9. Thus should we do the Will of [Page 23] God on Earth with Constancy & Perseverance: Psal. 119.112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes always, even to the end. God Promised Solomon the Kingdom, on condition of Constancy in Obedience: 1 Chron. 28.7. I will establish his Kingdom for ever, if he be Constant to do my Commandments. Nor has God Promised the Kingdom of Heaven to any other Obedience but that which is Constant and Persevering. If men would have Eternal Life, they must seek it in a way of Patient Continuance in well doing, Rom. 2.7. They that thus keep the Commandments of God; that Fear him & keep all his Commandments always, it shall go well with them forever.
We proceed to the Third Enquiry proposed, viz. The Reason of the Doctrine before us; Why we should do the Will of God: There is infinite Reason for it.
Reas. 1. Absolute Sovereignty and Almighty Power belongs to God. Since he is an Absolute Sovereign, He may Command what he Pleases; and it is [Page 24] for his Creatures not to Dispute his Commandments, but to Obey them. His Will is Reason sufficient: Wherefore he said to Ioshua, Have not I Commanded thee? Josh. 1.9. That's ground enough for thee to Obey. And because of his Absolute Sovereignty, he may bring upon men what Afflictions he shall please, and their Duty and Wisdom is not to find fault with his Providences; but to say, Let the Will of the Lord be done. When Patient Iob, after long and sore Trials made some Complaints of hard Measure, Elihu Silenced him by putting him in mind of the Uncontroulable Sovereignty of God: Job 33.12, 13. God is greater than Man. Why dost thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of any of his matters. God, if he sees meet, may bring upon thee the sorest Afflictions, and not tell thee why: He is not bound to give an account of his proceedings to thee, or to any man: It is enough that a Sovereign God will have it be so: And therefore hold thou thy Peace. Has not the Potter power over [Page 25] the Clay, to do what he will with it? God has a greater power over thee his Creature, than the Potter has over the Clay. And because of his Almighty Power, it is a vain (as well as a wicked) thing to Contend with him. The greatest Emperor in the world was made to Confess it. Nebuchadnezzar makes an humble Acknowledgment, & has Proclaimed it to all Nations on the Earth, That the High God, does according to his Will in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth; and none can stay his Hand, or say unto him what dost thou? Dan. 4.35. Wherefore they that will Contend with him, will but bring Wo & Misery upon themselves. Is any Creature a fit Match for him? Isa. 45.9. Wo unto him that strives with his Maker. Let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the Earth. Men are but Potsherds of the Earth: Let them strive with their Fellow-Creatures if they will, but let them not think to Contend with their Almighty Creator. The Will of Providence cannot be disappointed, [Page 26] therefore our work & wisdom is to submit to it.
Reas. 2. The Will of God is Good, and for that Reason should be Complied with. The Wills of men are sometimes Good, and sometimes Evil: Sometimes they Command that to be done which is Good, & sometimes that which is Evil. We may not then live to the Lusts of men, but to the Will of God; for His Will is always Good, and it cannot but be Good because it is his Will, which is the Rule of Goodness: Rom. 7.12. The Commandment is Holy, Just, & Good. And not only the Will of his Precept, but the Will of his Providence is Good, altho' never so adverse to our Wills. When the Prophet Predicted to Hezekiah, that sad things would come on his Posterity after his Death, he said, Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken: he said moreover, For there shall be Peace & Truth in my Days. If the Calamities Threatned shou'd come in my Days, the Word and Will of God would be Good; but there is a further manifestation of the Divine [Page 27] Goodness, in that there shall be Peace until I am gone, Isa. 39.8.
Reas. 3. Obedience to the Will of God will prove Beneficial to those that shall duly Comply with his Will. It is not only in it self Good; but it is Good for us that we should do so. This is the way to be Blessed: Joh. 13.17. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. It is not the Hearer of the Word, but the Doer of the Work, which that requires that shall be Blessed in his Deed, Jam. 1.25. Would we know who shall go to Heaven, or whether we our selves are like to go thither when we leave this world? Then Consider, are we Doers of the Will of God? Christ says, Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord; that is to say, not every one that calls himself a Christian, or owns Christ to be his Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Who then? He that Doeth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven, Mat. 7.21. Would we have our Prayers heard? The Scripture says, That whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his Commandments; and do [Page 28] those things which are Pleasing in his sight, 1 Joh. 3.22. The best way in the world for us to have our Wills, is to be willing that God should have His Will in all that he does concerning us. And if we do his Will in respect of Passive Obedience, we shall be no losers by it. It was an hard Obedience which God put Abraham upon, when he was Commanded to Sacrifice his only Son Isaac, & that he should do it with his own Hands too; but when the Lord saw that he was in Earnest set upon Complying with the Will of God, he spared the Life of Isaac, and Promised that he should be Blessed with a Numerous Posterity; and that one of his Posterity should be the Man in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be Blessed, Gen. 22.18.
Reas. 4. God is our Father: Therefore we should Comply with his Will and Pleasure. Our Saviour Christ has taught us the greatest Submission & Resignation to the Will of God our Heavenly Father. When the bitterest Cup that ever could be tasted of, was given [Page 29] to him, He said, The Cup which my Father has given me, shall I not Drink it? Joh. 18.14. God is a Father to all the men in the world in respect of Creation. Have we not all one Father? has not one God Created us? Mal. 2.10. And if he is our Father, where is that Honour of Obedience which we all owe to him? But as for Believers on Christ, He is their Father not only in respect of Creation, but of Adoption; on which account they are under the greatest Obligation to Obedience that possibly can be. It is very grievous to God when they that are his Adopted Children, altho' it be only in respect of an External Adoption; much more if they are Savingly Adopted, & yet shall by Disobedience to his Will Dishonour his Name. They Provoke him most bitterly. Deut. 32.19. He greatly abhorred them, because of the Provoking of his Sons, and of his Daughters. If Children that have a good & a loving Father, shall disobey him, they are very Criminal. But what shall be said then, of those who are Disobedient to a Good [Page 30] and Loving God and Father? Heaven and Earth may be astonished at it, that ever such Ungrateful Wretches should be found among the Children of men: Isa. 1.2. Hear O Heavens, and give ear, O Earth; for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have Rebelled against me.
We proceed to the APPLICATION.
USE I. How should we Long to be in Heaven? For this reason we should do so, that we may become Perfectly Conformed to the Will of God; which whilest in this world we cannot be. But the Saints in Heaven, Angels and Glorified Souls are so; and when God shall bring us thither, we shall be so. A Perfect Conformity to the Will of God, is Heaven. It is rightly spoken by one of the Ancients, That if there were no Contrariety in our Wills to the Will of God, there would be no Hell: All would then be Heaven: The Happiness of Heaven does very much consist in the Perfect [Page 31] Holiness which is there. The Scripture says, That God has Chosen us that we should be Holy, Eph. 1.4. God has Chosen us that we should be Happy in Heaven for ever. Holiness in the Perfection of it, is Heavenly Happiness. Therefore should we Long to be in Heaven, that so we might obtain that Perfection. It will be a good Sign that we are really Bound for Heaven, if we Long to be there for this reason, Because we would fain obtain a Perfect Conformity to the Holy Will of God.
USE II. It is matter of Lamentation that the Blessed Will of GOD is no more Complied with by Men on the Earth. Alas! For the greatest part of Men on the Earth, who instead of doing the Will of God, have been doing the Will of Satan all their Days: They are in the Snare of the Devil, taken Captive by him at his Will, 2 Tim. 2.26. They are the Slaves of Hell, & (which is strange) they are willing Slaves, have no mind to come out of their Slavery; but they Live so, they Die so. It is yet sadder, when this [Page 32] shall be true of those who pretend to be the Children of God; as it was with the Iews, Joh. 8.41. They said, We have one Father, even God. Whereas in Ver. 44. Christ says to them, You are of your Father the Devil; and the Lusts of your Father you will do. Is it not a sad tho't, that the greatest part of the Children of men, are Ignorant of the Will of God concerning the Way to Salvation? They are shut up in a dark Dungeon of Unbelief: 2 Cor. 4.4. The god of this world has blinded the Eyes of them that Believe not. And many there are, who notwithstanding they know the Will of God, they do it not. They know that they should Confess their Sins and Forsake them, yet they do it not. They know that they should Give themselves to Christ, but they will not do it, tho' they Perish Eternally for not doing it. They know that they should Pray in their Families, & in their Closets, but they will not do it. Such Sinners have a double Guilt upon them; and will fall under a double Condemnation: Luk. 12.47. [Page 33] That Servant which knew his Lord's Will, & prepared not himself, neither did according to his Will, shall be beaten with many Stripes. But then as to a Submission and Resignation to the Providential Will of God in Bereavements, and Afflictive Dispensations, how many are there that do it not? God must do nothing but what they would have him: And if he does not do what they would have in the time they would have, they will not humbly wait his Time. Like that wicked Prince, who when there had been a terrible Famine, said, This evil is of the Lord; what should I wait on the Lord any longer? 2 King. 6.33. It seems the Prophet Elisha, had put him in hopes that relief would come; but when it did not come just when he would have it, he would wait on the Lord no longer. And how apt are men to be discontented & find fault with the Providence of God? How often did the Children of Israel Murmur in the Wilderness, expressing great Dissatisfaction with the Providential Will of God? Sinful Creatures are not [Page 34] quiet under the Will of God, but struggle against it; and thereby bring themselves into greater Perplexities: Isa. 51.20. As a wild Bull in a Net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of God. The Bull in the Net, by strugling does but entangle himself the more. And so it is with men which strive against the Will & Providence of God. And if Persons who pretend to be the Children of God, shall thus Rebel against him, they sometimes Provoke him to leave a signal Mark of his Displeasure on them. I could tell you of a Person of Quality, a Lady who made a Profession of Religion: She had a Son who was her Idol; whom she Doted on. The Lovely Youth fell Dangerously Sick with the Small Pox. The Mother desired some Godly Ministers to spend some time in Prayer for the Child's Life; which they did. One of the Ministers in Prayer, saying, If it is the Wilt of God to take the Child from her, may she humbly Submit thereunto. Her unruly Passion was such, as that she [Page 35] interrupted him in his Prayer, and said, If He will Take him away; Nay, He shall then Tear him away whether I will or no. What was the Event? The Child Died: Some time after, the Mother being with Child, the time for her Delivery came, but Delivered she could not be: The Child was Violently Torn from her; so she Died. This was the fruit of Rebellion against the Will and Providence of God.
USE III. Let us Endeavour after a Perfect Conformity to the Will of God. It is true (as before was said) whilest in this world, we cannot attain to that Perfection: Only in Desire we may, tho' not in Performance Rom 7.18. To Will is present with me; but how to Perform that which is good, I find not. Altho' we can not attain it, we should endeavour after it. The Apostle could not as long as in this world attain unto that Perfection which Saints in the Resurrection World, & so in Heaven for ever, shall be blessed with; nevertheless, he endeavoured after [Page 36] it. Phil. 3.12. Not as tho' I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend, that for which I am apprehended by Christ Jesus. Passive Obedience is the most difficult. If the Lord will take from us our Estates, and bring us to Penury; or if the Lord will take from us our Health, & afflict us with painful Diseases, to say, The Will of the Lord be done; is an hard Lesson. If the Lord will bereave us of our dearest Relations & Enjoyments, to Acquiesce in his Will, to take up the Cross, is one of the hard Lessons in the School of Christ. Yet this Grace Old Jacob had attained unto: He said, If I be Bereaved, I am Bereaved, Gen. 43.14. The Lord (says he) has taken away Two of my dear Children, & if he will bereave me of more, I submit to his Will. Yea, and if the Lord will call for our Lives, we must willingly Sacrifice them to his Pleasure. I have often thought of that holy man of God, and Mr. Eliot: whom many of you [...] cannot but remember: Once, [...] with several other worthy [Page 37] Persons, in a small Boat, to one of the Islands hard by; there came a bigger Vessel under full Sail, running directly on them; the Boat was over-set, & they all thrown into the Sea, the Good Old Man, when he tho't he should not speak one word more, lifted up his Hands to Heaven and said, The Will of the Lord be done. On this Resignation to the Divine Will, he & all the rest were wonderfully Preserv'd from being Drowned.
Quest. What shall we do that the Will of God may be done by us?
Answ. Let us look to Jesus Christ: Look up to him with an Eye of Faith for supplies of his Spirit. What can we do without him? Nothing at all as we should do. But (says the Apostle) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13. He could Acquit himself both as to Active & Passive Obedience, as became him; performing all Duties, bearing all Afflictions, through Christ strengthning him. And we should look on His Example: [Page 38] He was the most Perfect Pattern of Obedience to the Will of God, that ever was in the world. He was so as to [...] Active Obedience: He said of God, I d [...] always the things that Please him, Joh. 8▪29. We should endeavour an Imitation. And as to Passive Obedience, never man in the world was exposed to such Sufferings, as our Dear Lord Jesus Christ endured. He Prayed with Tears of Blood, O my Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass from me: But he said also, Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt, Mat. 26.39. And in Ver. 42. O my Father If this Cup may not pass from me, except drink it, thy Will be done.
And now, My Brethren; what I Preach to you, let me Practise my self. I would never Exhort you to any Duty, but what I would endeavour my self to Practise. You know that God has lately (even the last Lord's Day) taken from me one that has been the Dear Companion of my Pilgrimage on Earth for Two and Fifty Years; and she was a great [Page 39] Blessing to me, & to my Family, and to the Church of God. If I had not been at all Related to her, I ought to Honour her Memory; because she was the Daughter of the most Eminent Man of God that ever New-England saw; and much more on the account of those Gracious Qualifications with which she was Endowed: For she was Singularly Conscientious, Humble, Pious, Prayerful. It was her Custom to be with God Six Times every Day; and very often in a Years time, to spend whole Days alone with God, in Prayer with Fasting; where (as I find in her Private and Reserved Papers) she was wont to Pour out her Soul in Supplications to God, for his Church in general, for New-England in special, and for Me, and for her Children. These Prayers will certainly Live, tho' she is Dead. The Reason why I mention these things, is, not only to set before you an Example of Piety, but because the Scripture has said of the Vertuous Woman, Her Children rise up and call [Page 40] her [...]ssed: her Husband also, and he Praiseth her. The Woman that Feareth the Lord, She shall be Praised. It becomes me to Comply with the Will of God in a Sorrowful Bereavement; and to say, The Lord gave me a great Blessing, Blessed be the Name of the Lord; the Lord continued that Blessing to me for more than Fifty Years. Blessed be the Name of the Lord; and the Lord has now taken away that Blessing, I yet say, Blessed be the Name of the Lord. And as David said of his Dead Child, so say I concerning my Dear Dead Consort, I shall go to her; (I trust in Christ that it will not be long first) but she shall not return to me. Let the Will of the LORD be Done.
Preached at Boston April 11. 1714.