Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

[ 1245] To regulate our Wills by Gods Will.

IF a Man lay a crooked stick upon an eeven levell ground, the stick and ground ill suit together,* 1.1 but the fault is in the stick; And in such a case, a Man must not strive to bring the even-ground to the crocked stick, but bow the crooked stick eeven with the ground: So is it between Gods will and ours, there is a discrepancy and jarring betwixt them; But where is the fault, or rather, Where is it not? Not in the will of God, but in our crooked and corrupt affections, in which case we must not like Balaam, seek to bring Gods will to ours, but be contented to rectifie and order the crookednesse of our Wills, by the rectitude and sanctity of the Will of God, which must be the Ruler and Moderator of our wills; for which cause we are to

cry out with David, Teach me, O Lord, to do thy will; and with the whole Church of God,* 1.2 in that pattern of wholsom words, ••iat voluntas tua, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; never forgetting that too of Christ Iesus himself, in the midst of his agony and bloody sweat, Non mea sed tua siat voluntas, Father, Not my will, but thine be done, Luk. 22. 42.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Augustin. in Psal. 44. 6.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 143. 10.