The divine life in three treatises

2. The Knowledge of God as our Sovereign King, must bring the whole man in subjection to him. Our Understandings must be subject to his Doctrine; and resigned to him, as teachable and tractable: When we know what is his Law and Will, we must rest in it, though we know not the Reasons of it. We take not on us to be competent Judges of all the Reasons of the Laws of men, but must obey them without disputing the Reasons (with the limitations after to be mentioned.) How much more must we submit to the wisdom of the Infallible Lawgiver, that cannot deceive, or be deceived! Our Wills also must be fully subject to his Will, revealed by his Precepts. We must desire no more to move us, or to stop us, but to know what God would have us do. As the first wheels in a watch or other engine moveth all the rest, so the Will of God must move all our Wills, and Rule our Lives. We must take heed above all things in the world, lest our Wills (which are the lower Wheels) should have any such defects, distempers, reserves, any carnal bias, interest, or inclination, that makes them unfit to receive the Law of God, or be Ruled by his Will. We must imitate our Lord (Heb. 10. 7.) and learn of the Prophet, Psal. 40. 8. [I delight to do thy Will, O God.] With cheerful readiness to obey, we must stand waiting for the word of his Command; and say as Psal. 143. 10. Teach me to do thy Will, for thou art my God:] And as Samuel, (1 Sam. 3. 9.) Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth.] When a ⟨p. 119⟩mans selfish carnal Will is mortified, and his Will lies flat before the Lord, and wholly applieth it self to his Will, and it is enough to a man to move him in the greatest matters, to know that it is the Will of God, this is a state of true subjection. Thus must we be in subjection to the Father of Spirits, submitting even to his sharpest dispensations, Heb. 12. 9. And all the Church is subject unto Christ, Ephes. 5. 24. And this is essential to our holy Covenant and Christianity it self. When God is taken to be our God, and we give up our selves to be his People; when Christ is taken to be our Saviour, and we give up our selves to him as his members, and redeemed ones, it essentially containeth our taking him for our chief Governor, and giving up our selves to him as his subjects.