Lect. XXIV. fhould make no provifion for the Flesh to fulfil the Lufts thereof: But that the God of Peace would Sandifie us throughout, that our whole Spirit, and Soul and Body may be kept blameless to the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. And therefore as we Pray for Holiness, let us alfo endeavour to pralife it. For 'tis but Hypocrifie, to pretend to ask a thing, and at the fame time a&t ágainst it: And 'tis but a Mocking of God, to fay, Thy Will be done, and yet take no care to do it in a Holy Life. Ler us therefore Pray with Cleanthes in Seneca, Let God lead me whither be will, and command me what he pleafe, I am ready to follow and to obey him. Or rather with the Pfalmift, in Pfal, 139. 23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my Heart; try me and know my Thoughts, and fee if there be any way of Wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 2. 'Tis the Will of God that we should take up our Crofs and follow him That through many Tribulations we should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: That all that will live Godly in Chriff Jefus, muft fuffer Perfe cution; and that if we be Sons, we shall not be without Correction, but fometimes that we fhould be Chaft'ned of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the World. In a word, that we should patiently and chear. fully bear whatever Aflictions God fhall pleafe to lay upon us, and exercife us with. And this feems to be the principal Defign of this Petition. And therefore we ought chearfully to fubmit to his Will, and quietly acquiefce in all his Difpenfations towards us. And of this we have feveral famous Inftances among the very Heathens. I endeavour, not meerly to fubmit to God, * Duc me Parens, celfiq; dominator poli Quocunque placuit, nulla parendi mora eft. fays me; fays* Seneca but to Affent to him in his Dealings with and to follow him, not only out of Neceffity, but our of Choice. Lead me whetherfoever thou wilt (fays Epictetus) and put me into what Condition thou pleafeft; let me be in a private, or a publick Station, in Wealth, or Poverty, Iwill not only confent to it, but make it my business to Apologize for it, and to juftific and main tain before all Men, that thy Dealings with me are most Wife and Prudent, moft fuitable and advantageous for me. But alas! how few are there, even among Chriflians, who come up to this height of Refignation to the Will of God! How many will fay, Thy Will be done, and yet defire nothing lefs when they find they are like to fuffer by it! To whom it may be faid, as Samuel did to Saul, when he boafted to have perform'd the Commandment of the Lord, I Sam. 15. 13, 14. What meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep in mine Ears, and the Lowing of the Oxen which I hear! What meaneth this Repining and Murmuring at the Hand of God? Whereas we fhould rather fay with old Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good: And with our Bleffed Saviour Chrift himfelf, when he was about to Suffer for us, Not my Will, but thine be done. And thus much for thofe Petitions which have refpe&t to God. Non Parco Deo, fed affentior; ex animo illum, non quia neceffe eft, Sequor. Epift. 96. † Εγώ ύπερ απάντων τόλων προς τις ανθρώπες ἀπολογήσια LECT LECTURE XXV. →→→Give us this Day our Daily Bread; and forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we forgive them that Trelpafs against us: And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil. WE are come to those Petitions which more im mediately concern our felves, which yet we are not to defire meerly for our own fakes, but that we may be the better enabled to ferve God by them. But before we come to the Petitions themfelves, it will not be amifs to take notice of one little Objedion that may be made against the Order of them. For whereas one would think that Spiritual things ought to be defir'd before Temporal, which are far inferiour to them, here on the contrary, we are taught by no lefs a Mafter than Chrift himself, in that very Form which he left as a Pattern to direct us in our Prayers; I fay we are taught to defire the good things of this Life before Par don of Sin, Deliverance from Temptations, and other Spiritual Bleffings. Now in Answer to this, many think that under this Expreffion of [of our daily Bread is comprehended continual Supplies of Grace fufficient for every Condition. And accordingly we find it in this Catechifm hereafter interpreted by [all things that be needful both for our Souls and Bodies.] But tho' we fhould understand it only with relation to our Bodies, and the Conveniencies of this Life, it may very well be that God may fo far indulge our Infirmity, as to give us leave to confult the Neceffities of our Bodies before the Intereft of our Souls; fince thefe are fometimes atfolutely neceffary to the other. For we muft have wherewith to live, or elfe we can never pretend to live well; well; and our Lives must be preferv'd in Being, or else we can never perform the Duties requir'd of us. But fince God is pleafed fo far to gratifie our Defires in things that are prefing and necessary, we ought therefore (as I have faid) to be careful that we do not ask them only for themfelves, but as we may beft promote his Service and Intereft by them. And now for the Petitions themfelves. Pet. IV. Give us this Day our Daily Bread] Now by Bread in this place is meant all the Neceffaries and Conveniencies of this Life. For even in this Sense alfo it is true, that Man liveth not by Bread alone. But as Bread is defervedly called the Staff of Life, fo under the name of Bread, is comprehended Food and Cloath ing, Comfortable Habitation, Peace and Quietness, Health and Strength, and whatever Earthly Bleffings are neceffary and convenient for us, and for our comfortable Serving him in our Generation, according to that Rank and Condition wherein he has plac'd us in the World. And this we are to beg [every day] or [day by day] as the other Evangelift has it, Luke 11.7. And that not only for our felves, but for others alfo, that they may partake with us, and have a competent Share of the fame kind of Bleffings as we enjoy. And on the other fide, we Pray against Want and Poverty, and whatever elfe may unfit us for the Duties of our several Callings: And this we defire may neither befal our Selves nor others. Now for the Use of this, every Word in this Petiti on will afford us matter of Inftruction. As, 1. We are taught to Pray only for [Bread] that is, for fuch things as are useful and necessary, not for . Dainties and Superfluities, not for Gold and Silver, not for ftately Houses, and Rich Apparel, and great At tendance, &c. But only that God wonld feed us with Food convenient for us. And this ought to help to check our immoderate Defires, lo as if he give us but little, we may be content and defire no more. For as * St. Austin obferves, He that would fay in his Prayers, Lord, give me as much as fuch aone, or fuch a one, İn think that Man in the Lord's Prayer would find no fuch Warrant or Direction. And therefore (as the Apoftle fays, 1 Tim. 6.8.) Having Food and Rayment, let usbe therewith content. 2. We are taught to Pray for [daily] Bread. And in this will teach us feveral things, as (1.) This may help to put us in mind of our Mortality, and that our Bodies would foon perish and decay, if they were not daily fed, and nourish'd, and repair'd by the Hand of God. And therefore we thould not fo over-value them as People generally do, and at the fame time neglect their precious and immortal Souls. As if they had nothing else to do, but to mind their Bodies, and make Provifion for the Flesh; or, as if all their Care could keep it from perifbing, fo as they might hope to live here for ever. How much better Thoughts might they learn from a ↑ Heathen! Why Should I please my Self with being among the number of the Living? Is it * Da mihi tantas opes quantas illi, vel illi dedifti, puto eum non invenire in oratione Dominica, quo poffit hæc vota co-optare. + Quod erat cur in numero viventium, me pofitum effe gauderem ? An ut cibos & potum percolarem? ut hoc Corpus cafurum ac fluidum, periturumq; nifi fubinde impleatur, farcirem ? ut viverem ægri mini. fer? ut morte timerem, cui omnes nafcimur? Detrahe hoc inefti. mabile bonum, non eft vita tanti ut fudem, ut æftuem. O quam con tempta res eft Homo, nifi fupra humana se erexerit. Sen. Præf. ad Nat. Queft. に only |