16. Moreover, we ask that the will of God may be done both in heaven and in earth, each of which things pertains to the fulfilment of our safety and salvation. For since we possess the body from the earth and the spirit from heaven, we ourselves are earth and heaven; and in both—that is, both in body and spirit—we pray that God’s will may be done. For between the flesh and spirit there is a struggle; and there is a daily strife as they disagree one with the other, so that we cannot do those very things that we would, in that the spirit seeks heavenly and divine things, while the flesh lusts after earthly and temporal things; and therefore we ask40 Some add “earnestly.” that, by the help and assistance of God, agreement may be made between these two natures, so that while the will of God is done both in the spirit and in the flesh, the soul which is new-born by Him may be preserved. This is what the Apostle Paul openly and manifestly declares by his words: “The flesh,” says he, “lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adulteries, fornications, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, murders, hatred, variance, emulations, wraths, strife, seditions, dissensions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, magnanimity, goodness, faith, gentleness, continence, chastity.”41 Gal. v. 17–22. And therefore we make it our prayer in daily, yea, in continual supplications, that the will of God concerning us should be done both in heaven and in earth; because this is the will of God, that earthly things should give place to heavenly, and that spiritual and divine things should prevail.
XVI. Fieri autem petimus voluntatem Dei in coelo et in terra; quod utrumque ad consummationem nostrae incolumitatis pertinet et salutis. Nam, cum corpus e terra et spiritum possideamus e coelo, ipsi terra et coelum sumus; et in utroque, id est et corpore et spiritu, ut Dei voluntas fiat oramus. Est enim inter carnem et spiritum colluctatio, et discordantibus advers us se invicem quotidiana congressio, ut non quae 0530A volumus ipsa faciamus, dum spiritus coelestia et divina quaerit, caro terrena et saecularia concupiscit. Et ideo petimus impense inter duo ista ope et auxilio Dei concordiam fieri, ut dum et in spiritu et in carne voluntas Dei geritur, quae per eum renata est anima servetur. Quod aperte atque manifeste apostolus Paulus sua voce declarat: Caro, inquit, concupiscit adversus spiritum, et spiritus adversus carnem. Haec enim invicem adversantur sibi, ut non quae vultis ipsa faciatis. Manifesta autem sunt opera carnis, quae sunt adulteria, fornicationes, immunditiae, spurcitiae, idololatria, veneficia, homicidia, inimicitiae, contentiones, aemulationes, animositates, provocationes, simultates, dissensiones, haereses, invidiae, ebrietates, comessationes, et his similia, quae praedico vobis sicut praedixi, quoniam 0530B qui talia agunt regnum Dei non possidebunt. Fructus autem spiritus est charitas , gaudium, pax, magnanimitas, bonitas, fides, mansuetudo, continentia, castitas (Gal. V, 17-22). Et idcirco quotidianis, immo continuis orationibus hoc precamur, et in coelo et in terra voluntatem circa nos Dei fieri, quia haec est voluntas Dei, ut terrena coelestibus cedant, spiritalia et divina praevaleant.