'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — March 4

We may judge how we respect God’s name and kingdom by our obedience to his will. This request in the Lord's prayer seeks a soft and pliable heart that we might be ruled by him. Christ is not our king when we do our own will. The ‘will' here intended is mainly our active obedience to his revealed Word. Certainly our passive obedience to God's providence is also intended. We show as much obedience in the one as in the other, in patience, as in holiness. In holiness we own God as the supreme lawgiver, and in patience we own him as our supreme Lord. Our active obedience has respect to his laws and his commands. As we pray 'Your will be done', we are not only to obey actively, but to love the commandments of God, and to have our hearts carried out in greater desire for them, and to prefer them before liberty itself. We pray for his will over ours. Our will is the proudest enemy Christ has on this side of hell, and the cause of all the mischief that befalls us. The great contest between God and us is whose will shall stand: God's will, or ours? In every sin we slight the will of God, and set up our own will. When we pray that God's will be done, we do in effect renounce our own will. Self-denial is one of the first principles of Christianity. When we choose our will, we choose Satan's will too. Wicked men are at Satan's beck and call. When we so pray, we are begging for a willing heart to do his will (Psa. 143:10) and for skill to carry it out: ‘Now may the God of peace... equip you with everything good that you may do his will' (Heb. 13:20-21). God will give us a heart to do his will, and the skill and strength. He will draw us off from other things—pleasures, honours, and profits—and draw us to himself: 'Draw me after you' (Song of Sol. 1:4).

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Thomas Manton, Works, I:120-123
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