Doct. Such as do the will of God, are not as the World and lusts of it, of a fading transitory condition, but they stand in a permanent abiding Estate.

Doct. Such as doe the will of God, are not as the World and lusts of it, of a fading transitory condition, but they stand in a permanent abiding Estate.

Q. 1 What is it to abide for ever?

A. 1 It implies, he is not of an unsteady fleeting temper, but of a constant and even frame of spirit and life, not now in and now out, and never of a constant frame, but of an even temper, as mountains are not easily shaken, or driven to and fro, but remain in their strength and place; why so, such as trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that shall not be moved, Psal. 125.1. and he gives the reason, vers. 2. without any changing or removing.

A. 1 It implies, he is not of an unsteady fleeting temper, but of a constant and even frame of spirit and life, not now in and now out, and never of a constant frame, but of an even temper, as mountaines are not easily shaken, or driven to and fro, but remaine in their strength and place; why so, such as trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that shall not be moved, Psal. 125.1. and he gives the reason, vers. 2. without any changing or removing.

2 He is said to remain for ever, because he doth abide in that Estate for ever; there is a difference between constancy and perseverance; a man may be said to go to London, though he keeps not even on, but goes out and in; so such a man as aims at heaven, and goes on as evenly as he can, and if he goes out, he gets in again, such a one perseveres in his way to heaven.

2 He is said to remain for ever, because he doth abide in that Estate for ever; there is a difference between constancy and perseverance; a man may be said to goe to London, though he keeps not even on, but goes out and in; so such a man as aimes at heaven, and goes on as evenly as he can, and if he goes out, he gets in again, such a one perseveres in his way to heaven.

Q. 2 What is it to do the will of God?

Q. 2 What is it to doe the will of God?

A He that doth the will of God, stands in opposition to the World, and the lusts of it, and by this will is not meant only the will of Gods pleasure, but the will of Gods Commandment, for all the Creatures do the will of Gods good pleasure, for they all do things, so far as God wills; so that if a man do his own will, he sh ll not go besides Gods will; but here he means the will of Gods Commandment; Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into Heaven, but be that doth the will of my Father, Mat. 7.21. t•at is, the revealed Will of God, Joh. 8.51.

A He that doth the will of God, stands in opposition to the World, and the lusts of it, and by this will is not m•ant only the will of Gods pleasure, but the will of Gods Commandement, for all the Creatures doe the will of Gods good pleasure, for they all doe things, so far as God wills; so that if a man doe his own will, he sh ll not goe besides Gods will; but here he means the will of Gods Commandement; Not every one that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter into Heaven, but be that doth the will of my Father, Mat. 7.21. t•at is, the revealed Will of God, Joh. 8.51.

For the ground of the point, why they abide for ever?

1 Because they are born of the unchangeable Will of God, of his own Will begat he us, Jam, 4.18. and he means that Will, which is not dependant on the Creature, but free, Rom. 9.15. There is no cause moving, but the only Will of God, he will have mercy, because he will have mercy; therefore when God bestows any mercy on the Creature because he will do it, it puts the Creature on an unexchangeable condition.

1 Because they are born of the unchangeable Will of God, of his own Will begat he us, Jam, 4.18. and he means that Will, which is not dependant on the Creature, but free, Rom. 9.15. There is no cause moving, but the only Will of God, he will have mercy, because he will have mercy; therefore when God bestows any mercy on the Creature because he will doe it, it puts the Creature on an unexchangeable condition.

2 From the vigour and strength of doing the Will of God, no man doth the Will of God, but the more he shall be enabled and caused to do it, the doing of Gods Will, is the ground and strength of a Christian life, Joh. 4.34. he means not only he did it cheerfully, but it was that which refreshed his soul, and strengthened his body, so that he felt neither hunger nor thirst, but it was strength and freedom of spirit to do his Fathers Will, so that though he was thirsty, yet his words to the woman did so refresh him, that it was his strength and refreshment; now if it be so, that the more a man doth the Will of God, the more strength he hath to do it, nay it conveys not only strength to the soul, but also to the body, as a Tree, the more fruit it brings forth upwards, the deeper rooting it takes downwards, so a Christian, the more fruit he brings forth to God, the deeper he strikes his root in Christ, John 14.21, 22. if it be thus, I say, well may he abide for ever.

2 From the vigour and strength of doing the Will of God, no man doth the Will of God, but the more he shall be inabled and caused to doe it, the doing of Gods Will, is the ground and strength of a Christian life, Joh. 4.34. he means not only he did it chearfully, but it was that which refreshed his soul, and strengthened his body, so that he felt neither hunger nor thirst, but it was strength and freedome of spirit to doe his Fathers Will, so that though he was thirsty, yet his words to the woman did so refresh him, that it was his strength and refreshment; now if it be so, that the more a man doth the Will of God, the more strength he hath to doe it, nay it conveyes not only strength to the soul, but also to the body, as a Tree, the more fruit it brings forth upwards, the deeper rooting it takes downwards, so a Christian, the more fruit he brings forth to God, the deeper he strikes his root in Christ, John 14.21, 22. if it be thus, I say, well may he abide for ever.

3 From the near union which such have with Christ, that do the Will of his Father, Christ came for that end, to do his Fathers Will, Joh. 6.38 therefore he that doth the Will of his Father, is near to Christ, he is Father, and Mother, and Brother, and Sister, Mark. 3. ult, because they are born of the same Father, of the same Spirit, and they do the same work, if therefore we do his Will, not as Servants, but as Children, then we are as heirs, and remain in the house for ever, Joh. 8.35, 36.

3 From the near union which such have with Christ, that doe the Will of his Father, Christ came for that end, to doe his Fathers Will, Joh. 6.38 therefore he that doth the Will of his Father, is near to Christ, he is Father, and Mother, and Brother, and Sister, Mark. 3. ult, because they are born of the same Father, of the same Spirit, and they doe the same work, if therefore we doe his Will, not as Servants, but as Children, then we are as heirs, and remain in the house for ever, Joh. 8.35, 36.

4 From Gods readiness ever to hear the prayers of such as do his Will, as the blind man said, Joh. 8.34. If any man do the Will of God, him he hears, wherein he shows that suitable to our hearing of God, God hears us; if we hear God in his Commandments, he will hear us in our petitions, if ⟨p. 139⟩we take up Gods Word, he will take up our prayers that they be not lost; if we be sinners God hears not us, why? because we hear not him, God is as ready to do our wills, as we are to do his, Mat. 7 2. with what measure we meet to him he will meet to us; if we be careful to attend to his Word, and industrious to do his Will, God will certainly do our wills, as we have done his, Psal. 139. ult. he desires to be led in everlasting ways, that is the Will of God, for that is only everlasting, and a Christian praying to do Gods Will as the Angels, God will fulfil his will, and his Will is to abide for ever, and so it is Gods Will that he should abide for ever.

4 From Gods readinesse ever to hear the prayers of such as doe his Will, as the blind man said, Joh. 8.34. If any man doe the Will of God, him he hears, wherein he shews that suitable to our hearing of God, God hears us; if we hear God in his Commandements, he will heare us in our petitions, if ⟨p. 139⟩we take up Gods Word, he will take up our prayers that they be not lost; if we be sinners God hears not us, why? because we hear not him, God is as ready to doe our wills, as we are to doe his, Mat. 7 2. with what measure we meet to him he will meet to us; if we be careful to attend to his Word, and industrious to doe his Will, God will certainly doe our wills, as we have done his, Psal. 139. ult. he desires to be led in everlasting wayes, that is the Will of God, for that is only everlasting, and a Christian praying to doe Gods Will as the Angels, God will fulfil his will, and his Will is to abide for ever, and so it is Gods Will that he should abide for ever.

Obj. Doth not David complain, I am tossed to and fro as a Grasshopper? Psal. 109.22.

Obj. Doth not David complain, I am tossed to and fro as a Grashopper? Psal. 109.22.

Ans. He speaks not there of his inward estate, which was constant and even, but his outward estate, which was very unconstant, sometimes pulled from the Ordinances, he hopped from one place to another, from Mountains to Woods, and Caves, from place to place like a Grasshopper, but his inward frame was constant and even.

Ans. He speaks not there of his inward estate, which was constant and even, but his outward estate, which was very unconstant, sometimes puld from the Ordinances, he hopt from one place to another, from Mountains to Woods, and Caves, from place to place like a Grashopper, but his inward frame was constant and even.