An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

Hence note, First; Service should be done with willingness, or with the will.

It is the commendation of a servant, when he doth his Masters work with his will, more than with his hand. Man should be as willing to serve, as he is to be served, as willing to obey, as to rule; nor doth any man know truly how to command, but he that knows how to obey, and when called, is willing to obey in the service of God; nothing is done to him, unless it be done with the will, and therefore the full effect of the work of the grace of God upon the heart of man, is comprehended in this ⟨p. 359⟩one word (Psal. 110.3.) Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. They were once like the Unicorn in the Text, that will not serve; but in the day of thy power, when the word comes upon them in the power of the Spirit, they shall serve with all manner of dutiful readiness and willingness. Some men are not at all wrought to the service of God; others serve him but are not willing to serve, they do it by constraint, not willingly; for base fear of loss, or for baser hope of filthy lucre, not of a ready mind; upon which carnal terms the Apostle Peter warns the Ministers of the Gospel, to take heed they feed not the flock of God (1 Epist. 5.2.) Nothing but a day of power conquering the will, renders us willing to serve Christ, willing to submit to the yoke of Christ, to be bound in his furrow, and to harrow the valleys after him, that is, to do any work that he calls us to. Service should be with the will, and 'tis so by grace. That's the first thing which the nature of the Unicorn is against, as to the service of man; he hath no will to it.

It is the commendation of a servant, when he doth his Masters work with his will, more than with his hand. Man should be as willing to serve, as he is to be served, as willing to obey, as to rule; nor doth any man know truly how to command, but he that knows how to obey, and when called, is willing to obey in the service of God; nothing is done to him, unless it be done with the will, and therefore the full effect of the work of the grace of God upon the heart of man, is comprehended in this