Exactly answerable to this, are those awful words, in the prayer, at the burial of the dead; “Beseeching thee, that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom: that we with all those that are departed, in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy everlasting glory.” 9. _Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven._ This is the necessary and immediate consequence, wherever the kingdom of God is come: wherever God dwells in the soul by faith, and _Christ_ reigns in the heart by love. It is probable, many, perhaps the generality of men, at the first view of these words, are apt to imagine, they are only an expression of, or petition for resignation; for a readiness to suffer the will of God, whatsoever it be concerning us. And this is unquestionably a divine and excellent temper, a most precious gift of God. But this is not what we pray for in this petition, at least not in the chief and primary sense of it. We pray, not so much for a passive, as for an active conformity to the will of God, in saying, _Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven_. *How is it done by the angels of God in heaven? Those who now circle his throne rejoicing? They do it _willingly_; they love his commandments, and gladly hearken to his words. It is their meat and drink to do his will; it is their highest glory and joy. They do it _continually_; there is no interruption in their willing service. They rest not day nor night, but employ every hour (speaking after the manner of men; otherwise our measures of duration, days and nights and hours, have no place in eternity) in fulfilling his commands, in executing his designs, in performing the council of his will. And they do it _perfectly_. No sin, no defect belongs to angelick minds. It is true, _the stars are not pure in his sight_, even the morning-stars that sing together before him. _In his sight_, that is in comparison of him, the very angels are not pure. But this does not imply, that they are not pure _in themselves_. Doubtless they are; they are without spot and blameless. They are altogether devoted to his will, and perfectly obedient in all things. *If we view this in another light, we may observe, the angels of God in heaven, do _all_ the will of God. And they do nothing else, nothing but what they are absolutely assured is his will. Again, they do all the will of God, _as_ he willeth, in the manner which pleases him, and no other. Yea, and they do this, only _because_ it is his will; for this end and no other reason.