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and labour, and the gifts of God, which he enjoys already: but now he lifts his soul up to the Father, that he may obtain his blessing; and when his Father bestows his blessing, he then acknowledges in his heart," that it is the Lord his God, who giveth him power to get wealth," Deut. viii. 18. From which it followeth, that they withdraw their trust from all creatures, and place it in him alone;" for they frequently see that those things on which they depend, as their own care, industry, yea, even the gifts of God, in which they often used to trust and with which they frequently encouraged them. selves, do all fail and forsake them. This causes them to look unto and trust only in the Lord, the everlasting rock, especially when they have frequently discovered, that he provides them with temporal necessaries, without their own care, and beyond their own expectation. David, having by the help of the Lord, "slain the lion and the bear," trusted that he would also "in the name of the Lord, slay the giant," 1 Sam. xvii. 36, 37, 45, 46.

In order that they may acknowledge this, they pray that the Father would give "them" bread. Give "us" say they. The Lord sometimes gives it to their enemies, either their private, or public enemies, when his anger is kindled against them, on account of their sins; but they pray that he would not do this, according to his promises, which he hath made to them, Isaiah Ixv. 22. "They shall not build, and another inhabit: they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." And they pray thus, not only each for himself, but also for one another, as children of one family, who do not nourish any envy or illwill toward each other. As soon as they see any one of the Lord's household in want, if they cannot themselves communicate to the necessities of the saints, they will have compassion on him and will pray to the Father for him, that he may provide for him also. "They pray for all the saints," Eph. vi. 18, for "they have been taught of God to love one another," 1 Thess. iv. 9. And therefore "they look, not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," as Paul teacheth, Philip. ii. 4.

But when do we wish God to give us bread? according to the prescript of the Saviour we must pray that God would give it us "this day," that is "each day,"* as it is explained, Luke xi. 3. And so our great Advocate chooses that we (a) should depend upon the Father, and go to him for our bread every day. (b) He teaches

* According to the Dutch translation.

us that we are so necessitous, that we need bread day by day. The bread of yesterday cannot profit us to day, it must be renewed, and given again and again. (c) He forbids us to ask for much bread, or bread for a long time, and (d) he chooses that we should not have any anxious or cumbering concern for the morrow, but live day by day from our Father's hands. Therefore he saith, Mat. vi. 34. "Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

III. As the Lord Jesus doth not enjoin aught upon the children of God to no purpose, therefore he had also certain reasons for enjoining on them to pray for their daily bread; for (1) they have need of it: God hath created them with such needy bodies, that they cannot subsist without daily food. (2) He chooses that they should hallow his Father's name, promote his kingdom, and do his will. How shall they do this, while they have neither food nor raiment? will they not, when they are poor, be seduced to "steal and take the name of their God in vain ?" Therefore Agur. prayed to be preserved from poverty, Prov. xxx. 8, 9. (3) We cannot provide our selves with bread, no creature can furnish us with it: all our own care and industry, and that of others; yea, and the gifts of the Lord are to no purpose without his blessing. Whither shall we then go? must we not pray to the Father for bread? (4) We have wasted and forfeited all that we had: how shall we obtain it again, but by praying to the Father? (5) God is the Father of his children; doth it not now. become children to seek their bread of their Father? (6) He gives bread upon our praying ::" he provides even the raven with food, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of meat," Job xxxviii. 41. God hearkened to young Ishmael, and showed his mother a well, that she might give him drink, Gen. xxi. 15-19. Will he not then attend to the prayer of his children, and provide them with daily bread? and shall not this induce them to call on him for bread? (7) Though a man should have exceedingly many goods, and be free from all care, how shall his food be blessed to him, except by prayer; for "it is sanctified by prayer," as Paul teacheth, 1 Tim. iv. 5.

Ought men, yea, ought even the children of God to pray for their daily bread, how senseless then are the Papists, who think that they will merit heaven by their works, which they call good, but which are only superstitious! We cannot merit so much as a morsel of bread of God, but must pray for it day by day, yea, beg, as it were, at the door of heaven; how then shall we merit that eter nal weight of glory?

But, hearers, how few are there of you, who, like true children of God, pray for their daily bread! It is true, ye utter these words every day; but when your behaviour is rightly considered, it will appear that the most of you do not pray aright for that which they need. For (a) of whom do ye seek your bread? of him, who is the only fountain of all good? do ye depend in all things on him, living only from his hand, and not from your own industry and care, and his gifts, which ye possess? Surely many do not act thus; for the most look to their own store, and to nothing besides; if they have nothing, they attend then to their own contrivance, health, wisdom and strength, and think that their own hands are sufficient for them, to provide them with bread: and when they obtain aught by these means, they thank themselves, and say in their hearts, "My power, and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth," Deut. viii. 17. And they do thus, like the king of Babylon, Hab. i. 16, "sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag: because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous." (b) Perhaps ye say, We know that we must seek our bread of God alone, and not from our own industry, and anxious care, and therefore we are easy. But how are ye easy is not your easiness only carelessness and slothfulness? is it not a depending upon the labour, or kindness and gifts of others, eating the bread of idleness, and neglecting every proper opportunity to eat your own bread? for ye do not thus eat your own bread, but that of others. He who prays, and doth not work as he ought for bread, his prayer displeaseth the Lord, and he eats that which is not his own: "If any man will not work, neither ought he to eat. For we hear that there are some among you which walk disorderly, not working at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, VOL. 11.

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and eat their own bread," according to 2 Thess. iii. 10-12. (e) Some among you are exceedingly industrious, yea, root like moles in the earth with their whole heart. But for what purpose? not that they may have daily bread, but that they may obtain an abundance, more than is sufficient for them. They are not satisfied with daily bread, but they endeavour by scraping and scrambling, by fair and unfair means, to heap up much: "They covet with an evil covetousness, that they may set their nest on high, and may be de livered from the power of evil," Hab. ii. 9, or that they may eat and drink luxuriously and when it happens, that the food, which is prepared for those dainty persons, is not tasteful enough, they become wonderfully peevish, and even intolerable to those who prepare their meat and drink for them: It is still more unsuitable, that some dare not make a moderate use of the gifts of God, but endeavour to hoard all up, that they may be rich, which they will call frugality and thriftiness, when it is indeed a vile niggardliness, "vanity and an evil disease," as Solomon speaks, Eccl. vi. 2. (d) Many will disapprove of this, yea, detest it; but do ye not decline to another extreme? I mean you, who, when God gives you his gifts, employ them against him by being proud of them, by squandering them in making a parade with your furniture and clothing.. by eating and drinking to excess, and by taking your pleasure, Men employ thus the blessings of God as weapons to fight against him, and provoke him to anger, like "Jeshurun, who when he was waxen fat, kicked, and forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation," Deut. xxxii. 15, and like "Israel, who, when they were increased, sirned still more against the Lord," Hosea iv. 7. (e) But those are not less worthy to be reproved, who do indeed provide bread for themselves, but have nothing for their neighbour. Every man. think they, for himself and God for us all, as if man were created only for himself, and not for his neighbour, and as if he might hide himself from his own flesh. Doth God give your neighbour bread, ye will presently repine at it, and "your eye will be evil because God is good," Mat. xx. 15. But how do ye then pray, "Give us this day our daily bread?" Ye do not mean it, your mouth saith it, but your heart and actions do not agree with your mouth.

Know then, friends, ye who are thus disposed, that the bread which ye have, and of which ye partake, is not yours. Perhaps ye have a lawful right to it before men, but ye have not before the Lórd since ye evidence that he is not your father in Christ; and therefore ye possess and partake of it unjustly like robbers: "God

will also curse your blessings, yea, he hath cursed them already," Mal. ii. 2. I beseech you, read what is said, Deut. xxviii. 16-20. Perhaps ye laugh at the time to come, because ye have a great store for a long time but know that if ye remain as ye are, ye may yet suffer want: "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away as an eagle toward heaven," Prov. xxiii. 5.. If your store be not taken away from you, ye will be snatched away from it, like the rich fool, Luke xii. 20. What comfort will there then be for your soul? surely not even a drop of water. See this in that rich man, Luke xvi. 24.

Be then concerned for your souls that they may become hungry, and may seek to have God for their father, that he may “ fill them,” according to his promise, Mat. v. 6. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and other things shall be added to you,” Mat. vi. 33.

With respect to you, true believers, who have God for your father and faithful provider:

Behold his wisdom and goodness, that he hath created, and that he continues all his creatures, and you also so dependent and needy, that ye must be provided by him with bread repeatedly. It is bet ter, that ye must be sustained by his gifts, than that he should sup port you immediately without them for ye not only obtain thus continually a new refreshment by a variety of gifts, but ye have also by your continual renewed neediness an inducement to apply unto, and to praise his allsufficiency, power, and goodness, and to "trust in the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy," as the apostle speaks, 1 Tim. vi. 17.

2. Therefore depend also continually in an active manner on him, seeking to obtain of him all that ye need, and living not from your care and industry, but only from him, and from his hand, as a child lives from his father's hand; "He giveth to all life, breath and all things. And in him we live, move, and have our being," as Paul saith to the Gentiles at Athens, Acts xvii. 25, 28. But is it enough to depend on him, and to be provided by hlm in this passive manner? ought not the children of God to depend on him for all things also in an active and operative manner? certainly they ought. Therefore when ye have need of any thing, let not your souls look too much to your care, nor to your labour, nor to the gifts of the Lord, and suffer not yourselves, when ye are in want, to be disquieted with anxious solicitude; but look up continually to him with sighing and praying, that he may give it you, having an undisturbed trust