By John Bradford
As thy power is infinite, so is thy wisdom accordingly; whereby, as we may perceive, that nothing is or can be done against thy power, or otherwise than by it; so is there not, nor can be, any thing done against or otherwise than by thy omnipotent and secret will; which is always, as thou art, good, holy, and just, how far soever it seem otherwise to our foolish reason and judgment: and therefore we are taught to pray, that thy will may be done here, without sin, on man's behalf, as it is on the angels' behalf in heaven.
Again, forasmuch as thou art incomprehensible of thyself, as well concerning thy power as concerning thy wisdom, we may not, according thereto, search thee, but rather adore and worship thy majesty, and tremble at thy judgment and works; and therefore we pray always, that we may be content with thy will, and be obedient thereto. And forasmuch as thou hast revealed to us so much of thy will in thy written word as is necessary for us to know in this life, yea, as much as we can attain unto, and even further, we ought to reckon all things done there against as sin and transgression, although thou can use the same sin to serve thy providence. Of which providence we cannot, and may not, judge further than thou hast and shalt open it unto us; so that this petition, Thy will be done, is not simply to be understood concerning thy omnipotent will unrevealed, against which nothing is or can be done; but rather concerning thy will revealed in thy law and gospel, which thou here teaches me, that we should desire, not only to know it, but also to do it, and that in such perfection and willingness as it is in heaven. Which I perceive hereby, that thy children desire daily in and for themselves and others, and lament the contrary in whomsoever it be; so that their eyes often gush out with rivers of tears, because men keep not thy laws. Psalm cxix.
By reason hereof I see that I am far from the sighs and tears of thy people. I see my ignorance of thy will, if thou had not opened the same by thy own mouth. I see my ignorance, how acceptable a service obedience to thy will is, and therefore thou dost place this petition among the first and continual desires of thy children. Again, I see my poverty in godly obedience, who have need to be taught to pray for it, thereby to signify unto me my want and inability to attain it, but by thy gift. Thirdly, I see my disobedience: for thou never wouldst have commanded me to have prayed for the doing of thy will, if I, seeing my want, would have prayed so.
Last of all, I see thy goodness, which will give to me and others to obey thy will; that is, to love thee with all our hearts, to love our neighbour as ourselves, to die to ourselves, to live to thee, to take up our cross, and follow thee, to believe, to repent; for else thou wouldst never have commanded us to pray for a thing which we should not look for.
So that I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament, because of my miserable state and condition, because of my sin, ignorance, poverty, and perversity; also because thy will everywhere is either not known or contemned, and Satan's willothe will of the world and of the flesh, is readily obeyed. To rejoice, I have great cause, for that thou hast opened thyself and thy will unto man-kind; for that also thou peculiarly hast taught me these things, and because also thou wilt grant me grace to do the same. But, alas! how unthankful I am, and how hard-hearted, thou Lord dost know. Oh! be merciful unto me, and forgive me. I pray thee, gracious God, grant me thy Holy Spirit, to reveal to me my ignorance of thy will, my poverty and perversity, that I may heartily bewail it, and by thy help and working of the same Spirit may suppress the will of the flesh. Again, grant me thy Holy Spirit, to reveal to me thy will declared in thy law and gospel, that I may truly know the same, and so inflame my affections, that I may will and love the same, so that it may be my meat and drink to do thy will.
Here call to mind the ten commandments of God, particularly or generally, what he requires therein, and pray for the same particularly as you see your need, and that not only for yourself, but also for others.
Pray for patience to suffer whatever cross God shall lay upon you, and pray for them that are under the cross, that they may be patient. Pray for spiritual wisdom in every cross, privately or publicly, that you may see and love God's will.
