*

tefignation whatever, in any kind, God fees proper to inflict; and, though we may with and pray for the prevention or removal of fufferings, yet to be content, nay, defirous that his will thould be done, not ours ; may often prove a difficult, but is always an evident and neceffary duty. For to indulge a contrary difpofition, is to set up ourselves above our Maker; to rebel against his authority, deny his wisdom, and distruft his goodness. The ability therefore of fubmitting meekly to his pleasure, is undoubtedly one great thing that we are to request, and endeavour to obtain.

But ftill, as the bleffed inhabitants of heaven surely have little or no occafion for this kind of obedience, we have reason to think that the other, the active fort, is the point which our Saviour defigned we should principally have in view, when we beg, that God's will may be done by us, as it is by them: by his angels that fulfil his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his words; thofe minifters of his, that do his pleasure +. Not that we can hope to equal the fervices of beings placed fo much above us: but only afpire to fuch resemblance of them, that our obedience may bear the fame proportion to our abilities, which that of the heavenly spirits doth to theirs. Their know ledge of God's will is clear and diftinct: on which account, the highest character given of human wisdom is, to be as an angel of God, to difcern good and bad t. It should therefore, when we make use of this petition, be our defire, that we alfo, in our degree, may be not unwife, but understanding what the will of the Lord is §, and may abound, more and more, in knowledge and all judgment ||. They do every thing, without exception, which they know to be God's pleafure: whereas we are very apt to omit part, and perform the rest but imperfectly. They do it with alacrity and chearfulness: whereas we too often show great backwardness and reluctance. They do it alfo from a real principle of duty: whereas, were the truth but known, as to God it is known, a great fhare of the good actions, upon which we value ourselves, are perhaps only good appearances; proceeding fome from conftitution, fome from worldly prudence, fome from vanity; few, it may be doubted, principally, and fewer yet, entirely, from the love or fear of God,

*Luke xxii. 42.

Pfal. ciii. 20, 21.

2 Sam. xiv. 17.

§ Eph. v. 17.

Phil i. 9.

God, from efteem of virtue, or hatred of fin. In thefe refpects then we must earnestly pray, and diligently endeavour, to be like the holy angels: and were we but like them in one thing more; that they all, without exception, do the will of God, and have none amongst them difobedient to it; then would our earth refemble heaven indeed. How far this is from being the cafe, we know too well. But notwithstanding, let us comfort ourselves with confidering, that as the time was, when even these blessed spirits had a mixture of evil ones amongst them; so the time will be, when we shall have no fuch mixture amongst us: but fhall become, in this and all refpects, as the angels of God in heaven *.

Give us this day our daily bread: And forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us.

HE three former of the fix petitions of the Lord's Prayer exprefs our earneft defires, that we, and all our fellow-creatures, may attain the great end of our creation, that is, may understand, receive, and practise, true religion, to God's honour and our cwn eternal happiness: after which we proceed, in the three laft, to ask of him the means to this end; fuch fupplies of our wants, as will be needful for the performance of our duties. And they are comprehended under three heads more: The relief of our temporal neceffities, the forgiveness of our past fins, and the affiftance of his grace against future temptations.

The

The first of these bleffings we requeft, by faying, Give us this day our daily bread. All the good things of life, and all of our capacity of receiving fupport and comfort from them, proceed, as every thing doth, from God's free gift; and therefore depend, as every thing doth, on his free pleasure: for what he hath bestowed, he can, with just the fame ease, at any time, take away. He hath placed things indeed in a regular, and what we call natural, courfe and order. But this order is not only of his own appointing, but his own preferving too, He it is, that maketh his fun to rise*; that giveth us rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons, filling our hearts with food and gladnefst. Were he only thus kind to us all in general, it would certainly be our duty to acknowledge his kindness, and pray for the continuance of it. But as we learn from fcripture further, that his providence extends, even in the minutest inftances, to each of us in particular; and that not the smalleft thing comes to pafs, but by his appointment, or wise permiffion; this furnishes additional reafons for applying to him, that his continual fuperintendency may be ever exercifed towards us for our good. We know not indeed with certainty, in these matters, what will be good for us. But ftill, fince he hath given us defires, infeparable from our frame, of enjoying life to its ordinary term, with a competent share of the feveral accommodations which contribute to make it agreeable; it must be lawful to exprefs thofe defires to him in a proper manner. And this our Saviour directs us how to do,

when he bids us petition for our daily bread.

The word bread, as it frequently fignifies in fcripture all forts of food, fo it may very naturally fignify, what it doth in this prayer, all forts of things requifite in human life. This Agur meant, when he prayed, that God would feed him with food (in the original it is bread) convenient for him §. And this we mean in common difcourfe, as often as we speak of perfons getting their bread. But then it must by no means be extended beyond things requifite; thofe, without which we are unable either to fubfift at all, or however conveniently and comfortably. Not that defires of further advantages in the world are univerfally unlawful. But they are fo apt to enlarge,

Mat. v. 45.

Mat. x. 29, 30. Luke xii. 6, 7.

† Acts xiv. 17.
§ Prov, xxx, 8,

large, and fwell into extravagant and finful paffions; into fchemes of luxury, or vanity, or covetousness; that we have ufually much more need to restrain and check, than authorize them, by afking the accomplishment of them from God; left we be guilty of what St James condemns asking amifs, that we may confume it upon our lufts*,

It is therefore only for fuch a fhare of worldly good, as to a reasonable and moderate mind will appear fufficient, that our Saviour allows us here to pray; in the spirit which Agur, in the prayer just mentioned, expreffes; Give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me. Left I be full and deny thee, and fay, who is the Lord? or left I be poor, and fieal, and take the Name of God in vain t. For indeed, though the temptations of extreme poverty are very great; yet the tendency of wealth and ease, and power, to fenfuality and pride and forgetfulness of God is so exceeding strong, that a wellinftructed and confiderate mind would rather submit, than* chufe to be placed in a condition of abundance and eminence. For preferving the order, and conducting the affairs of the world, fome must be in fuch ftations: but let all who are, look well to their ways; and let none of their inferiors envy

them.

It ought to be further obferved here, that our bleffed Lord hath not only confined us to pray for our bread, but our daily bread; to be given us, as we ask for it, day by day: intending, doubtlefs, to make us remember and acknowledge, that our dependance on God is continual, from one moment to another that they, who have the most of this world, have it only during his pleafure; and are bound, both to afk, and receive every day's enjoyment of it, as a new gift from him: while, at the fame time, they who have leaft may be affured, that what he hath commanded them to pray for, he will ordinarily not fail to bestow upon them; by bleffing their endeavours; or by ftirring up the charity of others towards them, if they are not.

For as to those who can labour, induftry is the method by which God hath thought fit to give them their bread; and therefore, by which they ought to feek it. They have no title to it any other way; St Paul having directed, that if any

one

* James iv. 13.

† Proy. xxx. 8, 9.

one will not work, neither should be eat*. Nor muft they work only to supply their prefent neceffities: but, by diligence and frugality, lay up fomething, if poffible, for future exigencies alfo learning of the ant, which provideth her meat in the fummer, and gathereth her food in the harvest †.

So that applying for our daily bread to God, is far from excluding a proper care to use the appointed means of procuring it for ourselves. But if our care be a prefumptuous one, and void of regard to the difpofer of all things; we provoke him to blaft our faireft hopes. And if it be an anxious and distrustful one, we think injurioufly of him to whom we pray: who can as eafily give us the bread of to-morrow, as he gave us that of yesterday. Nay, if our worldly cares, though they do not difquiet our minds, yet engrofs them: if we carry our attention to this world fo far as to forget the next; or imagine ourselves to be fecure in ftores laid up for many years ‡, than in God's good providence: this alfo is very unfuitable to the spirit, both of our Lord's Prayer, and of his whole religion; which commands us to feek fire the kingdom of God and his righteousness §, and not to trust in uncertain riches, 'but in him, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ||.

I fhall only add two obferva ions more, which have been made very juftly on this petition : that, fince we ask our bread from God, we ought not to accept it from the devil; that is, to gain our fubfifiance by any unlawful means: and that, fince we do not fay, Give me my daily bread; but, give us ours; we entreat God to fupply the wants of others, as well as our Now the means which he hath provided for fupplying the wants of the helplefs poor, is the charity of the rich.

own.

nd

to pray him, that they may be relieved, and yet withhold from them what he hath designed for their relief, is just that picce of inconfiftence, or hypocrify, which St James fo ftrongly expofes. If a brother or a fifier, be naked, and dejb.tute of duily. food; and one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, be ge. warmed, and be ye filled; notw:ikjtanding ye give them not thoje things which are needful to the body: what doth it profit 4? From our temporal wants, we proceed next to a much more

VOL. IV.

3 N

+ Prov. vi. 8. † Luke 2:1. 19.

By Bp Blacknall.

*