7. Lastly, Our comforts and fupports of life are never out of God's reach. If they were in ever fuch a flourishing condition, he can blaft them to us in a moment. One day faw Job exceeding rich and poor to a proverb, Job. i. 13. &c. having feven thoufand fheep in the morning, and not a living one among them all at night. How often has it been that a fair braird has brought little into the barn yard? When it has been ready for the hook, or cut down in the field, fhaking winds and rotting rains have made it little worth, Hof. ii. 9. When it is brought to the barnfloor, even then we are not fure of it, Hof. ix. 2. The floor and the wine prefs fhail not feed them, and the new wine fhall fail in her. When the corn is made in bread, the Lord can take away the whole flay of bread, If. iii. 1. When it goes down the throat, he can make it choke us; and when it is in the belly, he can turn it, and make it the gall of afps within us, Job xx. 14. I proceed to the petition itself, in which we pray, that, of God's free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy "his blefling with them." In difcourfing from this petition, I fhall fhew, I. What is meant by bread in it. II. What is the import of this petition for bread. I. I am to fhew what is meant by bread in this petis tion. Not the fpiritual bread, which is Jefus Chrift; that we pray for in the fecond petition. Not the facramental bread neither; that is prayed for in the fifth petition, being a feal of the pardon of fin. But, as I have already obferved, bread for the fuftenance of our bodies, bread for our own tables, for nourishing the clay bodies in their preíent earthly state. So this petition concerns our bodies. Hence Obferve, That we are allowed to be concerned for our bodies, and their fuftenance. The neglect of it is a fin against God, Col. ii. ult. And the care of it is VOL. III. 3 Z neceffary to fit us for ferving God in our feveral ftations, as the horse must be seen to, by him who would make out his journey. And if we be the Lord's children, our bodies are the Lord's by a peculiar title; they are the members of Chrift, and temples of his Spirit. And therefore we owe them a particular honour and regard. Yet there is but one petition here for the body, while there are two for the foul, Forgive us our debts, &c. And lead us not into temptation, &c. Whence, Obferve, Our main concern fhould be for our fouls; and fo it is indeed with the faints. This is that better part of the man, which is worthy of double honour, double care and concern, Matth. xvi. 26. 1. The body is of the earth, the foul is from heaven. By the body we are allied to the beafts, but by our fouls to the angels. The one is the brutal part of the man, the other the angelical part. And as heaven is above the earth, fo fhould the care of our fouls be beyond that of our bodies. 2. Our bodies are mortal, but our fouls immortal. When one dies, his body goes to fleep in the duft till the refurrection; but his foul goes to God who gave it, to live either in heaven or hell. Shall we not then have a greater concern for the immortal inhabitant, than the clay cottage, the weak tabernacle in which it dwells? 3. Caring chiefly for the foul, we fecure the happinefs of the body too, in this life, Matth. vi. 33. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all thefe things fhall be added unto you; and alfo in the life to come, Rom. viii. 11. But if the Spirit of him, that raised up Jefus from the dead, dwell in you; he that raifed up Chrift from the dead, fhall aljo quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. But caring chiefly for the body, we lose the foul and the body too, Matth. x. 39. He that findeth his life fhall lofe it. And there is no compentating of this lois. 'SE. How far are the moft part of men from this duly-divided concern! Alas, does not the body get the double portion of defires, cares, and concern; and is not the foul admitted only to the leaft part? For the quantity it gets more, and for the quality too; we being vigorous and lively in our concerns for ti e bɔ. dy, but carelefs and indifferent in thofe for the foul: which is the very reverfe of the frame which gac puts the heart into. Under the name of bread here is comprehended not only bread ftrictly fo called, but generally the good things of this life for the fupport of our bodies. 1. Neceffaries, without which life cannot be fuftained, viz. food and raiment. For, as I formerly noticed, a man may be killed with thirft, and ftarved by cold, though he had plenty of other things, 2 Tim. vi. 8. Thus the fcripture ufes the word bread, Eccl. xi. 1. Caft thy bread upon the waters: for theu fiait find it after many days. 2. Conveniencies, which one cannot live comfortably without, Prov. xxx. 8. Feed me with food convenient for me. God does not pen up his people to what is abfolutely neceffary for keeping in their life, but allows them for conveniency and delight, both as to defire and ufe. This varies according to the feveral ftations in which men are placed in the world, that being abundance to one, which would quite hamper another. And fo in this men are allowed to beg of God, such a portion of the good things of this life, as is agreeable to the condition which he has placed them in. Now all neceffaries and conveniencies of life are comprehended under bread; (1.) Becaufe bread is, generally speaking, the moft neceffary fupport of life. (2.) The molt common and ordinary, the entertaininent of the poor and of the rich, and what, by a fpecial providence fo ordering it, men are leaft apt to loath. II. I proceed to fhew what is the import of this pe tition for bread. That I may the more diftinctly handle this, I shall confider it in the feveral parts thereof, by fhewing the import of the words, Give bread, Give us bread, Give us our bread, and, Give us our daily bread. First, fhall fhew what is the import of these words, Give bread. Our Lord teaches all his people to come unto God, and fay, Our Father, give us bread. It imports, 1. That we are allowed to lay our temporal concerns and wants before the Lord in prayer, as well as our fpiritual concerns, Prov. iii. 6. In all thy ways acknowledge him. The praying Chriftian is a trader with heaven, and he may trade there in fmall things as well as in great things; nay, he ought to do it. For the covenant comprehends the fmall things of this life, the bread and the water, If. xxxiii. 16. difcretion in managing of his affairs, Pfal. cxii. 5. and the fuccefs of his management, Pfal. i. 3. as well as the great things of eternal falvation, Tim. iv. 8. And much of God may be feen in anfwers of prayers of that kind, Gen. xxxiii. 10.. 2. That men depend entirely on heaven for the means and comforts of life. Our country in this world is nourished by the King's country; and if the communication betwixt them were ftopt, we would all ftarve, Hof. ii. 21. 22. He is the Creator, Preferver, and Proprietor of all the crcatures, and their provifor. There are fome who having nothing of their own, do live by hanging on about the hands of their friends. And that is the cafe of all men with refpect to God, the great Friend of the creatures. 3. That we need bread. While we are in this world, we will need it. The clay tabernacle in its prefent ftate hike an old ratched houfe is ftill needing reparation but in a little time we will need no more. Death puts an end to all thefe needs; and after the refurrection our bodies will be fupported without these things which are now neceffary. 4. That it is God who giveth us bread. The neceffaries and conveniencies of life are diftributed by his hand, Pfal. cxlv. 16. Though you get your bread by your labour, you have it from God; for it is God that gives fuccefs to your labours. Though others give it you of their own, it is from God; for it is he that opens their hearts to beftow it on you, Deut. viii. 17. 18. Neither your induftry nor intereft can procure it without him. The leaft Lastly, That our bread is God's free gift of mercy, without any merit of ours, Gen. xxxii. 10. rag for our cloathing, crumb for our food, breathing in God's air, &c. is what we deserve not at the hand of God, Luke xvii. 10. In Adam we forfeited our right to God's creatures, Gen. ii. 17. and by that fin of breaking the firft covenant, and many other rebellions against the Sovereign God, we have deferved, to be fript of all our comforts: So that all that we get is God's free undeferved gift. Quest. What needs one pray for bread, when he has it already? He that has it in his house, yea upon his table, has good reafon to pray for it; becaufe, 1. Without the efficacy of the divine appointment, it cannot be bread to us, it cannot nourish us, Matth. iv. 4. Without that our bread will not ftrengthen us, more than ashes, if God break the ftay and ftaff of it, If. iii. 1. 2. Without God's good will and favour with it, there is a curfe it, Mal. ii. 2. And curfed bread makes but a fad meal. Secondly, What is the import of these words, Give us bread? It imports, 1. That we may and ought to look to the Lord, not only for our own provision, but for the provision of our families, 1 Pet. v. 7. He that has laid it on mafters of families to provide for their families, will make them welcome to pray for their provifion. They who have had nothing to provide them with, Lave |