Again, when he said, Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from Me: yet, not as I will
but as Thou wilt St. Matt. xxvi. 39., is it not clear to all Chyrs. in Cat.
in St. Matt. xxvi. that He said this as a lesson to us to
ask help in our trials only from God, and to prefer God’s will to
our own, and as a proof that He did actually appropriate to Himself the
attributes of our nature, and that He did in truth possess two wills,
natural, indeed, and corresponding with His natures but yet in no wise
opposed to one another? “Father” implies that He is
of the same essence, but “if it be possible” does not mean
that He was in ignorance (for what is impossible to God?), but serves
to teach us to prefer God’s will to our own. For that alone
is impossible which is against God’s will and permission Greg.,
Orat. 36.. “But not as I will but as
Thou wilt,” for inasmuch as He is God, He is identical with the
Father, while inasmuch as He is man, He manifests the natural will of
mankind. For it is this that naturally seeks escape from
death.