Consider first, that a conformity of our will in all things with the holy will of God is the sovereign perfection of a Christian life, inasmuch as it is the very perfection of divine love and charity, which is the queen of virtues. For there can be no greater love than to have no other will than the will of our divine lover; so as ever to adore in all things his holy will, ever to embrace and love His holy will. This kind of love is perfect indeed--it resembles the love of the angels and saints of heaven. The most acceptable offering we can make to God out of our poor stock is that of our will; whatsoever else we give Him, as long as we keep any part of our will from Him, will never content Him. He claims our whole will without reserve when He says: 'My son, give me thy heart,' Prov. xxxiii. Now this we give Him when we conform our will in all things with His blessed will, but if we refuse to submit our will in anything to His holy will we refuse Him our heart; or, at the best, we only offer Him a divided heart, which He will never accept of. O my god, let my whole heart be ever Thine! Let my whole soul be ever subject to Thee. Let my will be ever a faithful servant and true lover of Thy ever-blessed and holy will.

Consider 2ndly, the great advantages that come to our souls from a perfect conformity with the will of God. It gives a certain dignity and perfection to all, even the meanest of our actions, and to all our sufferings, by making the will of God the rule of them all. It purifies our intention in all things by continually directing the eye of the soul towards God. It brings with it a certain uprightness and simplicity of heart which is highly agreeable to God; it makes us even, as the Scripture says of David, 'men according to God’s own heart.' It places the soul in the hands of God, for Him to dispose of her in all things according to His holy will and pleasure. It brings along with it a perfect peace and tranquility of mind in all events, as being all ordered and directed by Him who is infinitely good and infinitely wise, and who orders all things for the good of them who cast their whole care upon Him and seek to have no other will but His. O blessed conformity, how rich, how sweet and delicious to the soul are thy happy fruits! Thou makest us enjoy even a heaven upon earth.

Consider 3rdly, that this conformity of the soul with the will of God rids her of all her evils, and puts her in possession of all other virtues. 'Tis the sovereign means to bring all our passions into order and subjection, and to mortify all our irregular inclinations. For that which makes them disorderly and irregular is their opposition to, or their resistance of, the will of God; whereas this blessed conformity obliges them all to stoop down and submit to His sacred will. It humbles the soul under the mighty hand of God; it teaches her to be meek under all injuries, affronts, and provocations, considering them all as coming from the just appointments of heaven; it makes her willing to take up her cross, and to bear it till death, with perfect patience and resignation: in a word, it teaches her to be obedient unto death. O grant us, dear Lord, this blessed conformity.

Conclude to set a great esteem upon this excellent virtue of conformity with the will of God: it is the greatest treasure thou canst enjoy in this mortal pilgrimage. But then it is not to be obtained without thy being in earnest in seeking it, fervent in praying for it, and ready to part with thy own will and humour for the purchasing of it.

Consider first, that all kinds of motives concur in recommending to a Christian this best of all devotions, which has for its object the holy will of God. ‘Tis our greatest honour and glory ever to follow God, to submit to Him, to be servants of His divine will, to be servants of His divine love, to be so closely united to Him as to have no other will but His. 'Tis our greatest interest to conform ourselves in all things with His blessed will; it brings with it all kind of good to our souls, both for time and eternity; for by giving up our will without any reserve to God, we engage Him to give Himself without reserve to us. 'Tis the source of the greatest, and indeed the only true and solid pleasures, to embrace the will of God in all things; forasmuch as it unites the soul with the fountain of all sweetness, which is God. The will of God is always right, always wise, always good, always beautiful. The will of God is God Himself. What motives then have we not to conform ourselves continually with this ever right, ever wise, ever good, ever beautiful will of our ever-loving God; how wicked it is to rebel against this sovereign will! How mad it is for us to pretend to withdraw ourselves from the will of the Almighty!

Consider 2ndly, that the only business for which we come into this world is to do in all things the holy will of God. The Son of God Himself had no other business during His mortal life than to do the will of His father. 'I came down from heaven,' says He, John vi. 38, 'not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.’ And Ps. xxxix., 'In the head of the book,' says he, 'it is written of me, that I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it--in the midst of my heart.’ In this same good book of life it is written also of all the children of God, that they likewise should do the will of their heavenly Father; this is the test by which we are all to be examined; all they that, with Jesus Christ, desire in the midst of their hearts, and like Him, embrace and love the holy will of God, and always conform themselves to it, shall be acknowledged for the true children of God, and the brethren of Jesus Christ; but as many as shall revolt and fall off from their allegiance to the blessed will of God, shall have their name blotted out of the book of life. See then, my soul, that the true way to heaven is to conform thyself with the divine will.

Consider 3rdly, that by all manner of titles God claims of us a conformity with His heavenly will. He claims it as our creator, because he made us to serve Him, and gave us our will, with the rest of the powers of the soul, only to be employed in the service of His holy will. With what face then can we refuse Him the sacrifice of that will which He made for Himself? Or how can we pretend that His divine will should at any time stoop to our silly will, and not rather we give up at all times our whole will, by a perfect conformity to the will of our Creator? The Son of God also claims our will as our redeemer, by the title of purchase; because He has ransomed our souls--enslaved before to Satan and sin--and bought them for Himself and His father, at a great price, even with His own most precious blood. So that our will ought always to be at His disposal as His property; and therefore ought ever to conform itself with His blessed will. The Holy Ghost also claims our will by the title of sanctification; because our whole soul has been at our baptism dedicated, sanctified, and consecrated by the Spirit of God to be the eternal temple of God. And therefore our will, which is the principal power of the soul, and which commands the rest, is strictly bound to be ever obedient to the will of Him who has chosen and sanctified it for Himself.

Conclude to give always to God what upon so many titles belongs wholly to Him, and never more to be a rebel to the will of God; or to give the preference to thy own will, or any other creature, before the will of God.

Prayer for Grace to do the Will of God

Grant me grace, O merciful God,
to desire ardently all that is pleasing to Thee,
to examine it prudently,
to acknowledge it truthfully,
and to accomplish it perfectly,
for the praise and glory of Thy name.