points in the Bible. In heaven, all do it; in hell, none do it; in earth, some do it, others not; and those who do it, do it but imperfectly. So we pray, Thy will be done.

The will of God's commands is exceeding comprehensive Psal. cxix. 96. Thy commandment is exceeding broad.' It is but one will of God; but the objects of it, the things willed are many: but as many as they are sincere Christians do sincerely fulfil them, though not perfectly, Acts xiii. 22. 'I have found David,-a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will,' Gr. all my wills.' This whole will of God, however, may be reduced to two heads, viz. faith, and holiness.

1. Faith, 1 John iii. 23. This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.' And this is comprehended in that, Matth. vii. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven.' Ye are to look on it as the Father's will, the will of God, that ye believe in his Son, 2 Cor. viii. 5.They gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.' It is the great thing which he wills you to do, John vi. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' His dinner is prepared, he wills you to come to the marriage, Matth. xxii.

2.

This answers all the objections, I may not, I dare not, I will not be welcome. It is God's will that ye come forward. And ye have the prayers of all the saints to help you forward, Thy will be done, And the crossing of this will of God will ensure your ruin, more than any thing else, John iii. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already.' Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned.'

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(1.) Faith is the first and leading will of God, 1 John iii. 23. forecited. If ye would do any part of the will of God, believe for ye can do none of it, if ye do not this, Heb. xi. 6. For without faith it is impossible to please God.' John. xv. 5. Without me ye can do nothing.' If ye do not begin with believing, all that ye do is nothing. As in arith metic, if a thousand cyphers be set in a line, they are nothing, but if begun with a figure, they are all something; so believe, and the rest will be the obedience of faith.

(2.) Faith is the last will of God. It is the Lord's last will, that ye believe in Christ, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth

shall be saved.' John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' The Lord's will to man at first was, 'Do this and live.' Now he cannot do that; but that he may not perish, his will now in the second covenant is, ' Believe, and ye shall be saved.' The first not being complied with, the second came for man's help but this second is the last. If ye do not believe, there is no third to be looked for, but fiery indignation, Heb. x. 26, 27.

2. Holiness, 1 Thess. iv. 3. This is the will of God, even your sanctification.' God is a holy God, and cannot will unholiness. It is Satan's will, and your own corrupt will, that ye be unholy. But therein ye contradict the will of God, Rom. viii. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, reither indeed can be. Every unholy thought, word, or action, is a going cross to the will of God, and therefore sinners are said to 'vex his holy spirit,' Isa. lxiii. 10. as men are vexed when their will is still contradicted and crossed. Holiness is,

(1.) The will of God's nature, 1 Pet. i. 16. Be ye holy, as I am holy,' God has willed mer to be holy; and it was inconsistent with his nature to have willed them to be unholy. Faith in a crucified Redeemer is God's will of free choice. He did not will innocent Adam. to believe in a Mediator, He might, if he had pleased, rever have provided that ob ject of faith, and so there might never have been such a thing as faith in a Redeemer. But having once made man, he could not but will him to be a holy man. And fire and water may sooner agree than God's will and unholiness.

(2.) The will of his whole law. It is all pure, Psal. xix. 8. A vein of holiness runs through the whole of it, and through every part. All the ten commandments are so many laws. of holiness; all the enlargements on them in the Bible are so many directions and instructions for holiness of heart and life. There the Lord has parcelled out his will in so many particulars, but holiness is the scope of them all.

(3.) The will of God to all men, yea, all the rational crea tures. That reason, Be ye holy, as I am holy,' 1 Pet. i. 16. reaches all. The devils will not be condemned because they do not believe in Christ; they have no warrant to be lieve in him, the gospel-offer is not made to them, Heb. ii. VOL. III.

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points in the Bible. In heaven, all do it; in hell, none do it; in earth, some do it, others not; and those who do it, do it but imperfectly. So we pray, Thy will be done.

The will of God's commands is exceeding comprehensive Psal. cxix. 96. Thy commandment is exceeding broad.' It is but one will of God; but the objects of it, the things willed are many but as many as they are sincere Christians do sincerely fulfil them, though not perfectly, Acts xiii. 22. "I have found David,-a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will,' Gr. all my wills.' This whole will of God, however, may be reduced to two heads, viz. faith, and holiness.

1. Faith, 1 John iii. 23. This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.' And this is comprehended in that, Matth. vii. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven.' Ye are to look on it as the Father's will, the will of God, that ye believe in his Son, 2 Cor. viii. 5. They gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.' It is the great thing which he wills you to do, John vi. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' His dinner is prepared, he wills you to come to the marriage, Matth. xxii. 2. This answers all the objections, I may not, I dare not, I will not be welcome. It is God's will that ye come forward. And ye have the prayers of all the saints to help you forward, Thy will be done, And the crossing of this will of God will ensure your ruin, more than any thing else, John iii. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already.' Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned.'

(1.) Faith is the first and leading will of God, 1 John iii. 23. forecited. If ye would do any part of the will of God, believe for ye can do none of it, if ye do not this, Heb. xi. 6. For without faith it is impossible to please God.' John. xv. 5. Without me ye can do nothing." If ye do not begin with believing, all that ye do is nothing. As in arithmetic, if a thousand cyphers be set in a line, they are nothing, but if begun with a figure, they are all something; so believe, and the rest will be the obedience of faith.

(2.) Faith is the last will of God. It is the Lord's last will, that ye believe in Christ, Mark xvi. 16. He that believeth

6

shall be saved.' John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' The Lord's will to man at first was, Do this and live.' Now he cannot do that; but that he may not perish, his will now in the second covenant is, Believe, and ye shall be saved.' The first not being complied with, the second came for man's help but this second is the last. If ye do not believe, there is no third to be looked for, but fiery indignation, Heb. x. 26, 27.

2. Holiness, 1 Thess. iv. 3. This is the will of God, even your sanctification.' God is a holy God, and cannot will unholiness. It is Satan's will, and your own corrupt will, that ye be unholy. But therein ye contradict the will of Cod, Rom. viii. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Every unholy thought, word, or action, is a going cross to the will of God, and therefore sinners are said to 'vex his holy spirit,' Isa. lxiii. 10. as men are vexed when their will is still contradicted and crossed. Holiness is,

(1.) The will of God's nature, 1 Pet. i. 16. Be ye holy, as I am holy.' God has willed men to be holy; and it was inconsistent with his nature to have willed them to be unholy. Faith in a crucified Redeemer is Cod's will of free choice. He did not will innocent Adam to believe in a Mediator, He might, if he had pleased, never have provided that ob ject of faith, and so there might never have been such a thing as faith in a Redeemer. But having once made man, he could not but will him to be a holy man. And fire and water may sooner agree than God's will and unholiness.

(2.) The will of his whole law. It is all pure, Psal. xix. 8. A vein of holiness runs through the whole of it, and through every part. All the ten commandments are so many laws of holiness; all the enlargements on them in the Bible are so many directions and instructions for holiness of heart and life. There the Lord has parcelled out his will in so many particulars, but holiness is the scope of them all.

i,

(3.) The will of God to all men, yea, all the rational creatures. That reason, Be ye holy, as I am holy,' 1 Pet. i. 16. reaches all. The devils will not be condemned because they do not believe in Christ; they have no warrant to believe in him, the gospel-offer is not made to them, Heb. ii. VOL. III.

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16. Prov. viii. 4. but because they are unholy. The pagans will not be condemned neither for their unbelief, Rom. ii. 12. for the gospel is not revealed to them, but because they are unholy, Rom. i. 8. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.' Secondly, The will of God's providence, Psal. cxxxv. 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.' He sits in heaven universal monarch of the world, and has the disposal of all his creatures, and all that concern them, in his hand, and is accountable to none for his disposals, Dan. iv. 35. forecited. They are all his own, as being created by him, and for him; and so he may do with them as the potter with his own clay, Matth. xx. 15. Now this will of God's providence may be considered two ways.

1. As directing to duty, Psal. xxxii. 8. I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way that thou shalt go.' God speaks by his works as well as by his word. The whole world have this sort of speech made from heaven to them Psal. xix. 1.-3. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-work. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech, nor language, where their voice is not heard.' Providence serves to point men to particular pieces of service, Gal. vi. 10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.' And therefore we must not be idle spectators of Providence, Psal. cvii. ult. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.' But we must observe the language and meaning thereof, proving what is the good and acceptable will of God to us in it.

3. As ordering and disposing of events about ourselves and others, Matth. x. 29, 30. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.' The world is a great family, under the conduct and management of an infinitely wise Master. And, for as broad and wide as it lies, his eye is in every part of it, and his hand too. And there is no person or thing but is under his providence; and whatever befals them is their portion or lot appointed by the great Master.