First, the heart is willing to do the will of God in laying down its own will, so far as it may be a hinderance from doing Gods will, for oftentimes our will and the will of God are contrary: there is naturally a sturdy toughness that lifts up it self above the LORD, this must be removed, Not my will, (saith our Saviour) but thy will be done. If our will and Gods will cannot stand, we must lay down ours; but sometimes we say desperately, (as they did) We will walk in our own ways &c. and we will have a King as other Nations, we will have our base lusts to sway and rule us. But so long as this is in us we cannot do the will of the LORD, we cannot serve two masters: I came not (saith our Saviour) to do ⟨p. 38⟩my own will, but my fathers that sent me. It is often times with our will, and the will of GOD, as with two buckets; the letting down of one is the lifting up of the other; and the lifting up of the other is the letting down of that; so when we let down our own wills, we lift up Gods; but the lifting up of our own wills, is the letting down of the good will of the Lord. Now the cause why we stick in service, and cannot come off, is because we would have our pleasures, we would be this and that; so that the will of God is jostled against the wall, and shut out of doors; but let this distemper be crushed, and then the will of God will take place. When we have done this, then we must repair to the Lord to know what his pleasure is, take his Warrant before we set upon the work; conscionable attendance of Gods will should be the root and spring of all our actions, not to go without it, but to have our spirits carried by it. This is as a Master-comptroller that sways the balance, and bears all before him. Tell me not, I cannot do it for my liberties sake, &c. But, I have no Warrant of Gods will; unless the good will of the Lord go before me, I dare do nothing, Eph. 5.10.11. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. As a Gold-smith lays the gold to the touch-stone, so prove yourselves, and find out what is acceptable to the Lord. In the time of the old Law they put on the linen Ephod, and went to inquire of the LORD whether the men of Kedar would come up; so should we come to the LORD, (that is the touchstone) and see what the LORD will have us to do, ⟨p. 39⟩and not to go to a company of carnal Counsellors, to consult with honour, ease, wife and family, &c.
First, the heart is willing to do the will of God in laying down its own will, so far as it may be a hinderance from doing Gods will, for oftentimes our will and the will of God are contrary: there is naturally a sturdy toughnesse that lifts up it self above the LORD, this must be removed, Not my will, (saith our Saviour) but thy will be done. If our will and Gods will cannot stand, we must lay down ours; but sometimes we say desperatly, (as they did) We will walk in our own waies &c. and we will have a King as other Nations, we will have our base lusts to sway and rule us. But so long as this is in us we cannot do the will of the LORD, we cannot serve two masters: I came not (saith our Saviour) to do ⟨p. 38⟩my own will, but my fathers that sent me. It is often times with our will, and the will of GOD, as with two buckets; the letting down of one is the lifting up of the other; and the lifting up of the other is the letting down of that; so when we let down our own wills, we lift up Gods; but the lifting up of our own wills, is the letting down of the good will of the Lord. Now the cause why we stick in service, and cannot come off, is because we would have our pleasures, we would be this and that; so that the will of God is justled against the wall, and shut out of doores; but let this distemper be crush't, and then the will of God will take place. When we have done this, then we must repaire to the Lord to know what his pleasure is, take his Warrant before we set upon the work; conscionable attendance of Gods will should be the root and spring of all our actions, not to go without it, but to have our spirits carried by it. This is as a Master-comptroler that swayes the ballance, and beares all before him. Tell me not, I cannot do it for my liberties sake, &c. But, I have no Warrant of Gods will; unlesse the good will of the Lord go before me, I dare do nothing, Eph. 5.10.11. Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. As a Gold-smith laies the gold to the touch-stone, so prove yourselves, and find out what is acceptable to the Lord. In the time of the old Law they put on the linnen Ephod, and went to inquire of the LORD whether the men of Kedar would come up; so should we come to the LORD, (that is the touchstone) and see what the LORD will have us to do, ⟨p. 39⟩and not to go to a company of carnall Counsellors, to consult with honour, ease, wife and family, &c.
