harlots; he gives them bread to loser by his mercies! Praise is a eat, and they lift up the heel more illustrious part of God's against him, Deut. xxxii. 15., worship. Our wants may send "Jeshurun waxed fat and kick- us to prayer, nature may make us ed." These are like Absalom, beg daily bread; but it shews an who, as soon as David his father heart full of ingenuity and grace kissed him, plotted treason against to be rendering praises to God. him, 2 Sam. xv. 10. Like the In petition we act like men, in mule, who kicks the dam after praise we act like angels. Doth she hath given it milk. Those God sow seeds of mercy? Let who sin against their giver, and thankfulness be the crop we bring abuse God's royal favours, the forth. We are called the temples mercies of God will come in as of God, 1 Cor. iii. 16, and where witnesses against them. What should God's praises be sounded smoother than oil? But, if it be heated, what more scalding? What sweeter than mercy? But, if it be abused, what more dreadful? It turns to fury. 6th. If God gives us all, let God's giving excite us to thanksgiving; he is the founder and donor of all our blessings, let him have all our acknowledg ments. cond causes. forth but in his temples? Ps. cxlvi. 2., "While I live will I praise the Lord, I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." God gives us daily bread, let us give him daily praise. Thankfulness to our donor is the best policy; there is nothing lost by it: to be thankful for one mercy, is the way to have more. "All the rivers come Musicians love to sound their from the sea. And thither they trumpets where there is the best return again," Eccl. i. 7. All echo, and God loves to bestow his our gifts come from God, and to mercies where there is the best him must all our praises return. echo of praise; and it is not only We are apt to burn incense to our offering the calves of our lips is own drag, Hab. i. 16.; to attri- enough, but we must shew our bute all we have to our own se- thankfulness by improving the gifts which God gives us, and as it were putting them out to use. God gives us an estate, and we honour the Lord with our substance, Prov. iii. 9.; he gives us the staff of bread, and we lay out the strength we receive by it in Or, (2) We oft ascribe the his service; this is to be thankpraise to second causes, and for- ful; and that we may be thankget God. If friends have be- ful, be humble. Pride stops the stowed an estate, we look at them current of gratitude; a proud and admire them, but not God, man will never be thankful; he who is the great giver; as if one looks upon all he hath either to be should be thankful to the stew- of his own procuring or deserving. ard, and never take notice of the Let us see all we have is God's master of the family that pro-gift, and how unworthy we are to vides all. O if God gives all, receive the least favour; and this our eye-sight, our food, our cloth- will make us much in doxology and ing, let us sacrifice the chief gratitude, we will be silver trumpraise to him; let not God be a pets sounding forth God's praise. (1.) Our own skill and industry. God is the giver; he gives daily bread, Ps. cxxxvi. 25. ~ He gives riches, Deut. viii. 18., “ He it is that giveth thee power to get wealth.' G g First, give. Hence I note, 1. That the good things of this life are the gifts of God; he is the founder and donor. 2. From this word give, I note, that it is not unlawful to pray for temporal things; we may pray for daily bread, Prov. xxx. 8., "Feed me with food convenient for me;" we may pray for health, Ps. vi. 2., "O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed." As these are in themselves good things, so they are useful for us ; they are as needful for preserving the comfort of life as the oil is needful for preserving the lamp from going out. Only let me insert two things. lxxviii. 30, 31., "While the meat (2.) When we pray for things pertaining to this life, we must desire temporal things for spiri tual ends; we must desire these things to be as helps in our journey to heaven. If we pray for (1.) There is a great difference health, it must be that we may between our praying for temporal improve this talent of health for things and spiritual. In praying God's glory, and may be fitter for for spiritual things, we must be his service; if we pray for a comabsolute. When we pray for par-petency of estate, it must be for don of sin, and the favour of an holy end, that we may be kept God, and the sanctifying graces from the temptations which po of the Spirit, these are indispen-verty usually exposeth to, and sably necessary to salvation, and that we may be in a better capahere we must take no denial; but city to sow the golden seeds of when we pray for temporal things, charity, and relieve such as are in here our prayers must be limited, want. Temporal things must be we must pray conditionally, so far prayed for, for spiritual ends. as God sees them good for us. Hannah prayed for a child, but it God sometimes sees cause to was for this end, that her child withhold temporal things from might be devoted to God, 1 Sam. us; they may be snares, and i. 11., "O Lord, if thou wilt draw our hearts from God, there- remember me, and wilt give unto fore we must pray for these things thine handmaid a man child, then with submission to God's will. I will give him unto the Lord all This was Israel's sin; they would the days of his life." Many pray be peremptory and absolute in for outward things only to gratify their desire of temporal things. their sensual appetite; God's bill of fare did not please ravens cry for food," Ps. cxlvii. them, they must have dainties, 2. To pray for outward things Numb. xi. 18., "Who shall give only to satisfy nature, is to cry us flesh to eat?" God hath rather like ravens than Chrisgiven them manna, he fed them tians. We must have an higher with a miracle from heaven, but end in our prayers, we must sim their wanton palates craved more, at heaven, while we are praying they must have quails; God let for earth. And must we pray for them have their desire, but they temporal things for spiritual ends, had sour sauce to their quails, Ps. that we may be fitter to serve «the question. God? Then, how wicked are bread." And this may answer a they who beg temporal mercies that they may be more enabled to sin against God? James iv. 3., "Ye ask that ye may consume it upon your lusts." One man is sick, and he prays for health that he may be among his cups and harlots; another prays for an estate, he would not only have his belly filled, but his barns. And why would he be rich? that he may raise his name, or that, having more power in his hand, he may now take a fuller revenge on his enemies. This is impiety sion." "Man shall not live by joined with impudence; to pray to God to give us temporal things, that we may be better enabled to serve the devil. QUEST. Some may say, we have an estate already, and what need we pray, Give us daily bread?' Ans. Supposing we have a plentiful estate, yet we need make this petition, " give us daily bread," and that upon a double account. (1.) That we may have a blessing upon our food, and all that we enjoy, Ps. cxxxii. 15., “I will abundantly bless her provi bread alone, but by every word Use. If we are to pray for temporal good things, then how much more for spiritual? if we are to pray for bread, then, how much more for the bread of life? if for oil, then, how much more for the oil of gladness? if we pray to have our hunger satisfied, much more should we pray to have our souls saved. Alas! what if God should hear our prayers, and grant us these temoral things, and no more, what were we the better? What is it to have food, and want grace? What is it to have the back clothed and the soul naked? to have a south land, and want the iving springs in Christ's blood? What comfort could that be? O therefore let us be earnest for ¿piritual mercies! Lord, do not only feed me, but sanctify me; rather an heart full of grace, than an house full of gold; if we are to pray for daily bread, the things of this life, much more for the (2.) Though we have estates, things of the life that is to come. yet we had need pray, give, that 3. From this word give, I note, we may hereby engage God to that they whom God hath given continue these comforts to us. a large measure of outward things How many casualties may fall to, yet must pray, "give us daily out? How many have had corn like Judas, whose bowels fell out. Use 2d. Let us pray for others as well as for ourselves, "give us:" vir bonus aliis prodest æquæ ac sibi. Spiders work only for themselves, but bees work for the good of others; the more excel in their barn, and a fire hath commiseration or pity; they are come on a sudden and consumed all? How many have had losses at sea, and great_estates boiled away to nothing? Ruth i. 21.. "I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty." Therefore, though we have estates, yet we had need pray, lent any thing is, the more it ope"give us," Lord, give a continuance of these comforts, that they may not, before we are aware, take wings and fly from us. So much for this first word in the petition, give. Secondly, us. "Give us." QUEST. Why do we pray here in the plural? Why give us?' Why is it not said, 'give me?' 66 rates for the good of others. The springs refresh others with their chrystal streams, the sun enlightens others with its golden beams,-the more a Christian is ennobled with grace, the more he besiegeth heaven with his prayers for others; if we are members of the body mystical, we cannot but have a sympathy with others in their wants, and this sympathy sets us a praying for them. David had a public spirit in prayer, Ps. cxxv. 4., "Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good." Though he begins the psalm with prayer for himself, Ps. li. 1., " Have mercy upon me, O God;" yet he ends the psalm with prayer for others, v. 18., "Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion." Ans. To shew that we are to have public spirits in prayer; we must not only pray for ourselves, but others; both the law of God and the law of love bind us to this, "we must love our neighbour as ourselves;" therefore we must pray for them as well as ourselves. Every good Christian hath a fellow-feeling of the wants and miseries of others, and he prays that God would extend his bounty to them, especially, he Use 3d. It is matter of comfort prays for the saints, Eph. vi. 18., to the godly, who are but low in Praying always for all saints." the world, yet they have the These are children of the family. prayers of God's people for them; Use 1st. Should we have public they pray not only for the inspirits in prayer, "give us ?" It crease of their faith, but their reproves such narrow-spirited food, that God will give them men as move only within their " daily bread." He is like to be own sphere; they look only at rich who hath several stocks themselves, but mind not the case going; so they are in a likely of others; they leave others out way to thrive who have the prayof their prayers; if they have ers of the saints going for them daily bread, they care not though in several parts of the world. So others starve; if they are clothed, much for this second word in the they care not though others go petition, "give us." naked. Christ hath taught us to pray for others, "give us ;" but selfish persons are shut up within themseves, as the snail in the shell, and never speak a word in prayer for others; these have no Thirdly. The third word in the petition is, "this day." We pray not, give us bread for & month, or a year, but a day; "give us this day.' QUEST. Is it not lawful to lay up for afterwards? Doth not the Apostle say, He who provides not for his family is worse than an infidel, 1 Tim. v. 8. Ans. It is true, it is lawful to lay up for posterity, but our Saviour hath taught us to pray, "give us this day our bread," for two reasons: more than they deserve. 2. God gives them more than they pray for. Fourthly. The fourth thing in the petition is, "Our bread." QUEST. Why is it called “ Our bread," when it is not ours, but God's? Ans. 1. We must understand it in a qualified sense; it is our bread, being gotten by honest industry. There are two sorts of bread that cannot properly be called our bread: 1st. The bread of idleness. violence. 2d. The bread of (1.) The bread of idleness, Prov. xxxi. 27., " She eateth not the bread of idleness." An idle 1st. That we should not have carking care for the future. We should not set our wits upon the tenter, or torment ourselves how to lay up great estates; if we do vivere in diem,-if we have but enough to supply for the present, it may suffice, "give us this day:"" take therefore no thought for to-morrow," Mat. vi. 34. God fed Israel with manna in the wil-person doth vivere aliená quadrá, derness, and he fed them from hand to mouth; sometimes all their manna was spent; and if any one had asked them where they would have their breakfast next morning, they would have said, our care is only for this day, God will rain down what manna we need; if we have bread this day, do not distrust God's providence for the future. 66 2d. Our Saviour will have us pray, give us bread this day," to teach us to live every day as if it were our last. We are not to pray, give us bread to-morrow, because we do not know whether we shall live till to-morrow; but, Lord, "give us this day;" it may be our last day we shall live, and then we shall need no more. he lives at another body's cost, and is at their finding: Prov. xxi. 25.," His hands refuse to labour." We must not be as the drones which eat the honey that other bees have brought into the hive; if we eat the bread of idleness, this is not our own bread, 2 Thess. iii. 11, 12., "There are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all; such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that they work, and eat their own bread." The Apostle gives this hint, that such as live idly do not eat their own bread. (2.) The bread of violence. We cannot call this "our bread,” for it is taken away from others; that which is gotten by stealth or Use. If we pray for bread only fraud, or any manner of extorfor a day, "give us this day," tion, is not our bread, it belongs then you who have great estates to another. He who is a bird of have cause to be thankful; you prey, who takes away the bread of have more than you pray for; you the widow and fatherless, he eats pray but for bread for one day, that bread which is none of his, and God hath given you enough nor can he pray for a blessing to suffice you all your life. What upon it; can he pray God to bless a bountiful God do you serve! that which he hath gotten unTwo things may make rich men justly? thankful: 1. God gives them A. 2. It is called "our bread" |