A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

2. As God's Children, so we must do his Will. Mal. •. 6. If I be a Father, where is mine Honour? and if I be a Master, where is my Fear? Relations to God are not bare Titles, and grounds, whereby we may expect favour from God; but they carry in their Bosom Obligations to Duty on ⟨p. 259⟩our part. Many will give God good Words, and fair Titles, but there is no care had of complying with his Will. Nay, your owning that Relation will aggravate your Sin, and be a Witness against you: You owned me your Father, and have not done my Will. So Matth. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my Brother, and Sister, and Mother. These may be sure of a comfortable Relation to God, and that God will own them in that Claim, when they make it their Business to do his Will; otherwise you reproach God, rather than worship him. When you do your own Will, and call God Father, you lay the Devil's Brats at his Door; you pretend to God, and take his Name upon you; therefore those that say, Our Father, must also say, Thy Will be done.

3. Those that would have respect to God's Glory, must do his Will. This is the Honour of God, when you are at his Command. God gloried in Abraham; rather Cyrus than Abraham is there meant, as the Context shows; see Isa. 46. 11. Isa. 41. 2. The Man from the East, whom I have called to my Foot. When you are at his beck, ready to go step by step with God; as God leads you, you are ready to follow. It was the Honour of the Centurion, that had his Soldiers at such a Command, that when he said to one, Go, he went; and to another, Come, and he came: Matth. 8. So it is God's Honour, when he can bid you do nothing but you are ready to obey, though with the greatest hazard and loss of all.