Answer. “THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN;” that is, grant that we and all men may renounce our own will, and without murmuring obey thy will, which is only good; that so every one may attend to, and perform the duties of his station and calling, as willingly and faithfully as the angels do in heaven.
Exposition
In considering this petition we must enquire,
I. What is the will of God?
II. What we desire in this petition, and in what does it differ from the second?
III. Why is this petition necessary?
IV. Why is it added, as in heaven?
I. What Is the Will of God?
The will of God signifies in the Scriptures, 1. The commandment of God. “Ye ministers of his that do his pleasure.” “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” (Ps. 103:21. 1 Thes. 4:3.) 2. It signifies the events, or rather the decree of God respecting future events in which it is continually revealing and manifesting itself—“not my will, but thine be done.” “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” “Who hath resisted his will.” (Luke 22:42. Is. 46:10. Rom. 9:19.
II. What Do We Desire in This Petition, and in What Does It Differ from the Second?
Thy will be done. The sense is cause and grant that we may do not our own will, which is corrupt and perverse, but thine which alone is just and holy, and that we may yield obedience to thee. We desire, therefore,
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A denying of ourselves, which consists in these two parts: 1. That we hold ourselves in readiness to give up all our desires and wishes which are in opposition to the law of God. 2. That we hold ourselves in readiness to take up the cross, and submit ourselves willingly to God in all things. In offering up this petition, thy will be done, we pray, therefore, first of all, that God would bestow upon us his grace, so as to enable us to deny and renounce our own corrupt and perverse will, and be willing to suffer the loss of all things contrary to his will.
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A cheerful and proper discharge of our duty, that every one in his appropriate sphere may be able to serve God with diligence, and to do his will, as well in those duties which are common as in those which are special. Those duties are common, which are required not only from us, but also from all christians, and comprise the virtues necessary for all the godly, as faith, conversion, godliness, charity, temperance, &c. Special duties are those which have respect to our own, and to every man’s proper calling in life. In praying, therefore, that the will of God may be done, we desire that all these duties may be properly discharged, and that every one may abide in the calling which has been assigned him, and serve God therein, leaving the final issue of events with God, who disposes and directs all things.
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We desire that such events as are not contrary to the will of God, and which are pleasing to him may come to pass.
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We pray that all our actions and designs may be blessed and prospered, or that God may be pleased, out of his infinite good, to direct and accompany with his blessing all our actions, counsels, desires and labors, so that no other events may follow them but such as he knows will most contribute to his glory and our salvation. God wills that we should desire these things, from him, and leave the final issue of things with himself, we in the mean time properly discharging our duties.
To express the whole in a few words, we may say that when we offer up the petition, thy will be done, we pray that God may, as it were, bury in us all corrupt desires and wishes, and that he alone may work in us by his Spirit, so that we, being sustained by divine grace, may discharge our various duties and carry out the end of our calling.
Obj. But the former petition also contains a request that we may rightly perform our duty. Therefore this seems to be superfluous. Ans. We do not here pray for precisely the same thing, that we do in the former petition: for in the former wo desire that God may commence his kingdom in us, by ruling us by his Spirit, who renews our will, so that we henceforth, rightly discharging our duty, may render such obedience to our King, as becomes subjects of his kingdom. But in this petition we desire that we may all faithfully carry out the will of God respecting us by properly discharging our duties in the different spheres in which we are placed. Or we may express the difference thus; In the former petition we pray that the church may exist, be preserved and glorified: in this we ask of God that every one may properly discharge his duty in the church.
We may here as we pass along notice the connection and difference between the three petitions, which we have been considering. The connection between them is of the most intimate character, so much so that no one can exist without the others. The third contributes to the second, and the second to the first: for the name of God is not sanctified, unless his kingdom come; nor does the kingdom of God come, except by the use of those means by which it is advanced. These means now are the duties which belong to every man’s calling in life. They differ in the following respect: In the first we pray for sanctification, or for the true acknowledgement and praise of God, together with all his works and counsels. In the second we desire the gathering, preservation and government of the church, and that God may rule us by his word and Spirit, defend and protect us, and deliver us from all the evils of guilt and punishment. In the third, we desire that every one may be diligently engaged in his proper place, direct all that he does to the glory of God, and regard whatever God sends upon him as good and calculated to advance his well-being.