A Godly and Learned Treatise of Prayer, Analyses · Analysis of a petition 4
The fourth Petition.
HItherto we have spoken of those petitions which immediately concern the glory of God. Now we are to come unto those which moreHow things apperteining to our own good are to be asked. nearly appertein unto our good: Howbeit mediately also they are referred to Gods glory, which must be the main end of all our desires: for whatsoever we are to ask for our selves we are to desire no otherwise but as it is subordinate to Gods glory. Spirituall graces and salvation we are to desire for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in our salvation. And because a Christian man is bound to believe that the Lord harh ordained him to salvation, therefore salvation and those spirituall graces which are necessary thereunto, may be asked absolutely, as being subordinate to Gods glory, with which he joyneth the salvation of the chosen. Temporall benefits are to be asked conditionally, so farre forth as they serve for Gods glory and our spirituall good. Gods glory is to be sought for even in our eating and drinking, and whatsoever we do, 1. Cor. 10. 31. Nay, our life it self is no otherwise to be desired then it is referred to Gods glory, Psal. 80. 19. Preserve, O Lord, our life, and we will call upon thy name. Psal. 119. 175. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee. Isai. 38. 18, 19. Psal. 6. 5. and 30. 9. and 50. 15. Sufficientia vitae, saith Augustine, rectè appetitur, non propter seipsam quidem, sed ut eam habentes commodiùs Deo serviamus: Sufficiencie for life is rightly desired, not for it self, but that we may more commodiously serve God.
Now these petitions are of two sorts: For in them we ask either temporall benefits concerning the body for the maintenance of this life present, or spirituall blessings in heavenly things concerning the soul for the obteining of a better life: Of both which we have a promise 1. Tim. 4. 8. and therefore are to pray for both.
The prayer for temporall blessings is conteined in these words, foreign, Give us this day our daily bread.
But first let us consider the order of the petitionThe ord…. in respect both of those which go before and also which follow. In respect of the antecedents our Saviour speaketh, Matth. 6. 33. First seek the kingdome of God (which is that which we desire in the second petition) and his righteousnesse (which we desire in the third) and then all these things which we begge in the fourth shall be cast unto us. Therefore preposterous is their care and study who first labour for temporall benefits, and post off the seeking of Gods kingdome and his righteousnesse untill the end of their dayes, &c. And whereas this petition is set after the third, we are taught before we ask temporall benefits, to submit our will to the will of the Lord, saying with our Saviour, Not my will, O Father, but thine be done.
As touching those that follow, it may be demandedWhy we ask temporall blessings before spirituall. why we are taught to ask for temporall benefits before spirituall blessings: Is it because we are more earnestly to desire them? Nothing lesse. In the spirituall blessings which afterward we ask, namely, justification and sanctification, the happinesse of a Christian man in this life doth consist: and therefore they are in judgement to be esteemed and in affection desired above all worldly things, which without the spirituall graces are nothing worth; For what will it profit a man to gain the world, and lose his soul? Mark 8. 36. Therefore the Psalmist Psal. 4. 6. saith, Many say, Who will shew …s any good? (that is, worldly profit?) But, Lord, life thou up the light of thy countenance: for so shalt thou give me more joy and gladnesse then when their wheat and wine did abound. So John 6. 27. But the reason why we are first taught to ask temporall things is this; 1. Because it is an easier matter to depend upon the providence of God for the maintenance of this life then to rely on his mercy for the salvation of our souls: and therefore the Lord would have faith trained up by the easier, that we may learn to repose our trust in him for the greater. Therfore those which make profession of their faith in God concerning their salvation, and have not learned to rely upon his providence for temporall matters, but seek the same by unlawfull means, are greatly to fear lest they deceive themselves with an opinion of faith: for if they trust him not for the lesse how will they believe him for the greater? 2. Because the things of this life are amongst those things which we ask of the least value; therefore in medium quasi …gmen conjiciuntur, Homericâ scilicet dispositione, In medio infirma, they are cast (as it were) into the middle ra…k, according to Homers method placing infirm things in the middle. And the rather because in all speeches the heat of affection sheweth it self most in the beginning and in the end: And therefore elsewhere this order is inverted, Prov. 30. 7, 8.
The meaning of the words.
Bread, by a Synecdoche, signifieth not onelyonly food (in which sense it is often used in the Scripture, Gen. 31. 54. Exod. 18. 12.) but also all other commodities of this life, serving either for necessity or Christian delight; which the Grecians call foreign, or, as John speaketh 1. Epist. 3. 17. foreign, Luke 15. 12. the Latines victum. So Gen. 3. 19. Prov. 30. 8. Ale me pane demensi mei, Ulpian.foreign, Feed me with bread of my allowance or portion.
The reason why the holy Ghost comprehendethWhy all commoditie… are comprehendedunder the name of bread. all the commodities of this life under the name of bread, is 1. Because of all commodities food is most necessary; and among food, bread. 2. Because he would teach us to moderate our desires, Rom. 13. 14. and not to covet after superfluities, as the Israelites did after quails, and were buried in the graves of lust, Num. 11. Sit oratio quae pro temporalibus est Bernard.circa solas necessitates restricta, Let prayer which is for temporall blessings be restrained to our necessities alone. And so the Syriack readeth, Da nobis panem necessitatis nostrae, Give us the bread of our necessity. 3. To teach us contentation, that if we have but necessaries, as food and raiment, yea but bread, we should be therewith content, 1. Tim. 6. 8. Heb. 13. 5. Phil. 4. 11. If God give more, we are to be thankfull; if but bread, we are to be content. John 6. 11. for the five barley-loaves and two little fishes Christ gave thanks.
foreign, Our.
Our bread, is that portion of temporall blessingsWhat ou… bread signifieth. which God hath assigned to every of us to be atteined by good and lawfull means, Prov. 30. 8.
Whereas our Saviour directeth us to ask for our bread, he teacheth us, 1. To be content with that lot and portion which God assigneth unto us, and not to coyet other mens goods. 2. That we get our goods by lawfull means, Ephes. 4. 28. For that onelyonly is ours which we have got by lawfull means, as by inheritance, or by the works of our calling, &c. that we may eat the labours of our own hands, Psal. 128. 2. And if we must eat our own bread, we must walk diligently in our callings: for he that will not labour let him not eat, 2. Thess. 3. 10. And verse 12. he exhorteth them that lived idly, and therefore inordinately, that they would work with quietnesse, and eat their own bread. 3. That God would give unto us a profitable use of those things which we have. Many men want even that which they have; and therefore had need to pray that God would give them even that which is theirs already, Eccles 6. 2. A man is not said to have that which he doth not use: Matth. 25. But we are to pray not onelyonly that we may use and enjoy his gifts, but also that he would blesse the use and fruition of them unto us. For when a man doth with comfort enjoy that which he hath, it is the gift of God, Eccles 3. 12. and 5. 17, 18. and therefore to be begged of him.
foreign, Our daily bread.
This word is diversly expounded. Some expoundWhat is meant by daily bread. it supersubstantiall or above substance: that is, that bread which is above all substance and better then all wealth and riches; meaning thereby our Saviour Christ, which is that bread of God which came down from heaven, John 6. 33. But this exposition seemeth to be farre fetched, agreeing neither with the words of the Petition, nor yet with the whole body of the prayer. For first the word it self, if you derive it from foreign, signifieth rather agreeing to our substance, or added to our substance, as foreign, (for that sense hath foreign, insum, or adsum, not supersum) then exceeding above substance, as the Gr…k authours teach. Neither do I see how we may aptly desire Christ to be given unto us, whom the Father hath already given unto us. In the second petition we desire that we may be drawn out of the power of darknesse, and given unto Christ, that he may rule in us by his word and Spirit. Neither, as I think, would Christ have taught us to say, Give us that bread of ours, but rather, that bread of thine: For we are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1. Cor, 3. 22. and he is that bread of God which came down from heaven. Neither would he teach us to ask this bread for a day, but rather for ever. And as touching the body of the prayer, which is a summe, not of all Divinity, as they imagine, but onelyonly of those things which we are to ask (as the Decalogue is the summe agendorum, of things to be done; and the Creed, credendorum, of things to be believed) it may not be thought that in this perfect summe our Saviour Christ hath omitted any thing which we are to ask. But if you shall not expound this petition of temporall blessings, you cannot comprehend them in any other petition: for to say that they …e comprehended in the first, it is too violent an exposition.
As for the Papists, that expound this petition of the Sacrament of the Altar; they are more absurd: For bes…des the reasons alledged, they contradict themselves, both by a divers exposition, translating the same word, Luke 11. 3. daily; and by their practice: For if the people ar… to ask that bread every day, then are they bound in conscience to give it them every day, whereas indeed they give it unto them but once a yeare.
Others derive the word of foreign, which word is used five times in the Acts, foreign, scilicet, foreign, that is, the day following. For of foreign, adventare, to come, the participle is foreign. Now if you expound the word, crastinus, the sense will not agree, that we should ask to morrows bread to day; especially seeing our Saviour biddeth us not to care for the morrow.
But if you expound it, as some do, succedaneus, that succeedeth, which is all one in sense with quotidianus, foreign, daily, the sense will well agree; viz. That we ask that bread which daily we stand in need of; cujus successione atque accessione quotidie egemus, Piscat.whose succession and accession we daily need.
Others expound foreign, quasi foreign, scilicet foreign, convenie…t for substance and being, as Suidas. Basil in his short 252 questions expoundeth foreign to be foreign, that bre…d which fitteth our substance for the maintenance of this temporary life. So Theophylact, and Euthymius. Gr. Schol. foreign foreign, convenient for our substance and being. So that foreign, our daily bread, signifieth that portion of temporall things which thou hast assigned as most fit and convenient for us. Sic Beza foreign interpretatur panem cibarium, vel panem nobis sustentandis idoneum. So Beza interpreteth foreign, bread fit for meals, or convenient to sustein us. This exposition I take to be the safest, not onelyonly because it is made by the Greek writers, whose judgement in this case we are rather to follow then the Latines; but also because it agreeth with the Syriack interpretation, Da nobis panem necessitatis nostrae: But especially because it fully agreeth with that prayer of Agur, Pro. 30. 8. Give me not poverty nor riches, but nourish me foreign, cibo dimensi mei, vel pane praescripti, vel portione quam assignasti mihi: With the bread which thou hast allowed me; or with meat appointed for my portion; or give me the portion which thou hast assigned me: as Gen. 47. 22. or as the LXXII interpret, Give me foreign. August. Constitue mihi quae necessaria sunt sufficienter, Give me those things which are necessary in a sufficient measure.
Now whereas the Lord Jesus doth direct us thus to pray, he teacheth us to avoid two extrem…ties; that we neither covet abundance, nor affect poverty: according to Agurs prayer, Prov. 30. 8. Give me not poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me. For those that desire either of these know not their own infirmity. Wealth many times is accompaniedThe evils that accompany riches. with these vices: 1. Pride, oblivion, and contempt of God, Deut. 8. 11, 14, 17. and 32. 15. 2. Chron. 32. 25. August. Divitiarum morbus superbia, Pride is the disease of riches. 2. Disdain and contempt of our brethren, Luke 16. Dives. 3. Security, Psal. 30. 6. Luke 12. 19. 4. Confidence in riches, Psal. 49. 6. Job 31. 24. 1. Tim. 6. 17. 5. The choking of Gods word in them, Matth. 13. 6. The nailing of men unto the earth, setting their heart and affections upon their pelf, Psal. 62. 10. whereby it cometh to passe that they serve Mammon. And these corruptions are not onelyonly incident to the wicked, but sometimes also to the children of God. And therefore the Lord many times denieth prosperity to his children for their good, and granteth it to the wicked, who have their portion in this life, Psal. 17. 17. Luke 16. 25.
On the other side, poverty is accompanied manyThe evils that accompany poverty. times with 1. murmuring against God; 2. repining at the better estate of others; 3. distrust in Gods providence; 4. using of unlawfull means; 5. abandoning of all religion, taking a desperate course of life, as though they were perswaded that they have served God for nought.
Agur therefore finding these infirmities in himself (which indeed naturally are in us all) desireth the Lord that he would give unto him neither poverty nor riches: left, saith he, I be full and deny thee; and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poore, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain, Prov. 30. 8, 9.
Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned: 1. Those worldlings who covet after abundance of wealth, not knowing that they further and increase their condemnation. 2. Those superstitious Papists that vow voluntary poverty, whereby they become unthankfull to God and unprofitable to men.
But our Saviour teacheth us to follow the middle course, and commendeth to us a moderate desire of that which is necessary and convenient for us, both for our own sustenance and also relief of others.
Now the same measure is not necessary and convenientThe same measure is not convenient for all men. for all men in respect of themselves. For there is a necessity 1. of Nature, quatenus homo, as we are men; 2. of Person, quatenus solus est, vel familiam habet, as a man is alone, or hath a family; 3. of State, quatenus est persona publica vel privata, as he is a publick or private person. The necessity of nature, which is content with a little, is satisfied with food and raiment, 1. Tim. 6. 8. But the necessity of an housholder or one that hath a charge, requireth not onelyonly that which is necessary & convenient for himself but also for those that belong unto him: every one being bound to provide for them, 1. Tim. 5. 8. The necessity of state requireth that which is convenient for that condition and calling wherein God hath placed him. Every one therefore is taught to desire and by prayer to ask that portion of temporall blessings which is necessary and convenient in respect of the necessity not onelyonly of nature but also of a mans person and place. And these things we are to desire, not onelyonly for the supplying of our own need, but also that we may have to communicate to the necessity of others: Ephes. 4. 28. Prov. 5. 15, 16. Acts 20. 33. The necessities of others are either private or publick; and those either of the Church or commonwealth: T… whose necessities we are to desire that we may not be wanting.
Give.
God is said to be the giver of these things 1. becauseIn what respect God is said to give. either he giveth them without our means, or else blesseth our means unto us for the obteining of them. 2. because he granteth us the use & fruition of them. 3. because he blesseth the use of them unto us, giving them vertue and strength to nourish and cherish us. 4. And again, that is said to be given which is freely and gratiously bestowed.
Here therefore we are taught I. to ascribe those temporall blessings and good things which we have neither to fortune nor chance, nor to our own labour and industry, nor to our own merit and desert; but to the goodnesse of God freely bestowing them upon us. Now if we cannot deserve a piece of bread of God, but must acknowledge the goodnesse of God therein and our own unworthinesse, Gen. 32. 10. much lesse can we challenge eternall life as our own desert, but must with the Apostle Rom. 6. 23. acknowledge it to be the free gift of God. And as we are to acknowledge God the giver of these things, so II. we are when we want them to beg them of him, and when we have them to return thanks unto him for them: For which cause we are taught to receive the good creatures of God with prayer and thanksgiving. III. If we are to desire temporall blessings as the gifts of God, we are to be carefull to get them by good means. For then we are to esteem them as the gifts of God and pledges of his love and favour towards us when we obtein them by good means and have care to imploy them to Gods glory. But contrariwise, when we get them by wicked means, by deceit, oppression, usury, &c. they are to be esteemed rather the gifts of the devil and earnest-penies of destruction. 4. We are not to trust in the means be they never so good, but in the use of the means we are to crave the blessing of God, and to depend thereon, without which they are nothing worth. Psal. 127. 1, 2. Except the Lord build the house &c. True it is indeed, that we must use good means, (for otherwise we tempt God;) but we must not trust in the means, but depend upon the blessing of God, which, as Solomon saith, maketh rich, Prov. 10. 22. Let us thèrefore remember that exhortation of Moses, as belonging to us, Deut. 8. 17, 18. Beware lest thou say in thine heart, My power hath gotten me this abundance, &c. Hab. 1. 16. 5. We are here taught, not onelyonly to ask these temporall things which we want but also that he would give unto us those things which we have: And that in two respects: 1. That he would give us the use and fruitionGod giveth onelyonly the us… of all. of them: which we have need to pray for, not onelyonly because men oftentimes are deprived of those things which they have before they have use thereof, as the Lord threatneth Mich. 6. 15. Thou shalt sow, but not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with the oyl; and make sweet wine, but not drink it: So Hagg. 1. 6. Ye have sown much, and bring in little: But also because many men deprive themselves of that which they have, as the Preacher saith Eccles 6. 1, 2. There is an evil which I have seen, &c. And elsewhere he affirmeth, that when men with comfort enjoy their goods, it is the gift of God, Eccles 5. 18.
Secondly, that God would blesse the use of hisGod onelyonly blesseth us in the use. gifts unto us, giving them vertue and strength to nourish and cherish us. For without the blessing of God neither will food nourish, nor apparel cherish, nor medicines cure, nor any thing else be effectuall for our good. Hagg. 1. 6. Ye eat, but ye are not satisfied; ye drink, but ye are not filled; ye clothe you, but ye be not warm: and he that earneth wages, putteth it into a broken bag. Mich. 6. 14. The vertue of food in nourishing, as some think, is called the staff of bread; which staff if God shall break, …s he often threatneth in the Scriptures, we shall eat bread and not be nourished therewith, Ezek. 5. 16. Wherefore as those which are in want are to use this prayer, that God would grant unto them such temporall blessings as are convenient for them, and would blesse those good means which they use to that end; so they that have abundance, be it never so great, had need to use this prayer, that God would grant unto them the use of those things which they have, and blesse the use thereof unto them: For without his blessing the greatest provision of all things will not help us, and with his blessing the meanest means are sufficient: for man liveth not by bread alone, but &c. Deut. 8. 3. as appeareth by Daniel and his fellows, Dan. 1. 12. And experience telleth us that the children of the poore, which seldome have a good meals meat, many times are in better plight then the children of the rich, which are both daintily and plentifully fed.
What is meant by Give us.
VsUs] that is, not onelyonly me that pray, but also the rest of my brethren. Where 1. we are taught this duty of love (which seeketh not her own) not1. Cor. 13. onelyonly to seek our own good, but also the common good of our brethren. Covetousnesse and selflove say, Give me this day my daily bread, without care of others: but brotherly love and charity saith, That good which I ask for my self, I also beg for others: Give us, &c.
2. We are to pray not onelyonly for private benefits, as food, apparel, health, peace, good name, &c. but also for publick blessings, as plenty, prosperity and peace, Psal. 144. 13, 14. and 122. 6, 7. Jer. 29. 7.
3. We are to esteem that what good thing soever God hath given to any one of us, that he hath given it unto us, that is, the body, whereof all be members: and therefore that we should not envy the prosperity of others, nor yet envy to communicate those good things which we have unto others, considering that what I have received I am to esteem it as given not to me alone but to us. Neither mayest thou think that thy prayer is upright, if having obteined that which thou hadst asked for us, thou shalt keep it to thy self. Thou beggest not onelyonly in thine own name, but also in the behalf of others. Therefore when God heareth thy prayer, he giveth not onelyonly to thee, but by thee he giveth to others; making thee not lord of that which he giveth, but his steward and almoner: and therefore howsoever thy goods be thine foreign, i… possession, yet art thou to make them common foreign, in use, by doing good to all, but especially to those of the hous…old of faith. And as we are to pray that we may be able to help others, so being able we must r…member to distribut… and to do good: for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
What is meant by this day.
This day, foreign, as Matthew, or as Luke speaketh, foreign, that is, in di…m, for a day: h. e. quantum huic diei sufficit, so much as sufficeth for this day; or, as others expound, according to the day: that is, Give unt… us that which is f…t and … for u… in this our present estate. For we need not the same things at all times; the time of adversity requiring other blessings then the times of prosperity. But the sense in Matthew and Luke is the same, Give us that bread which is convenient for us this day; or, Give us that which is convenient and necessary for this day.
Now whereas our Saviour doth teach us thus to pray; First, he putteth us in mind of our frailty and mortality, who have need day by day to be fed and susteined of the Lord. And secondly, he putteth us in mind of our duty, that as children we should come every day to our heavenly Father to …ave those things that be needfull for us. And thirdly, he teacheth us not to be distrustfully carefull for the time to come, but every day to depend upon Gods fatherly providence, being assured that when he hath nourished us to day he will not be wanting to us to morrow. And …, as in ma…y things else, the Israelites were a type unto us, whom the Lord would have every day to gather manna for the day, Exod. 16. 16. And fourthly, he teacheth us to moderate our unsatiable appetite, that we may learn to be content if we have provision for the day. (Whereas we pray for others to whom God giveth by us, we are bound even to day without delay to supply their want, and not bid them come to morrow or another time, Prov. 3. 28.)
But here it may be demanded, if it be not lawfullQuest. to provide for the time to come.
As we are to be content if we have provision forAnsw. the day, so if it please God to give more we are notThat it is lawfull to provide for the time to come. to cast away his good gifts, but reserve them, nor suffer them to be lost, John 6. 12. but to preserve them, or else imploy them to good uses. Yea, if it please God to give means, men are bound to provide for the time to come, rather then by neglecting the means to tempt God, 1. Tim. 5. 8. 2. Cor. 12. 14. the fathers are to lay up for their children. And it is evident, that in summer we are to provide against winter (to which purpose the sluggard is put to school to the ant, Prov. 6. 6.) and in the time of plenty against the time of dearth: Example, Acts 11. 29. Gen. 41. 48. Lawfull therefore it is to provide for the time to come, so that these conditionsCautions. may be observed. 1. That our desire and care in providing be not inordinate, in labouring for the meat which perisheth more, or as much as for that which endureth to everlasting life. After which sort they offend who to gain the world do loose their soul, as those do that stick not to sinne to obtein their worldly desire. 2. That it be not immoderate or joyned with covetousnesse, which is an insatiable desire of having more, foreign. 3. That it be not joyned either with distrust in Gods providence, or trust in our store, Luke 12. 20. 4. That we set not our hearts thereupon, Psal. 62. 10. 5. That it be done neither with injury to our neighbour nor neglect of our poore brethren. 6. That we lay up our goods to good ends, that we may have not onelyonly to supply our own wants and to provide for our family, but also to relieve the necessities of others.
But Christ forbiddeth to care for to morrow, Object. 1.Matth. 6. 34.
He forbiddeth foreign, which is carking and distrustfull Answ.care.
Christ biddeth us not to lay up treasures on the Object. 2.earth, Matth. 6. 19. and forbiddeth us to labour for the meat which perisheth, John 6. 27.
I answer, Those speeches are to be understoodAnsw. foreign, in comparison of spirituall food and heavenly treasures, &c. And secondly, that we should not affect or esteem any worldly thing as our treasure, but rather the righteousnesse and merits of Christ in heaven, and those spirituall and heavenly graces whereby everlasting life is obteined: For where the treasure is there the heart will be also. And thus have we the meaning of the words.
The duties to be performed in prayer.
1. To ask temporall blessings of God. 2. To askWe ought to ask temporall blessings of God. them aright.
For the first; Men are not to have this conceit, that temporall blessings are not to be asked of God, as being unworthy for him to grant or unnecessary for us to receive. For the Lords providence stoopeth to the smallest things; to the lighting of a sparrow upon the ground, to the feeding of all brute beasts, Matth. 6. 26. Psal. 104. 27. and 145. 15. and 147. 9. Luke 12. 24. And he affirmeth that all both prosperity and adversity proceed from him, Hos. 2. 8. that in adversity we should pray unto him, and in prosperity praise him, and in both acknowledge his mercifull providence. And as for us, certain it is that neither any of us in particular, nor the whole Church in generall can continue our life in this world to the praise of God unlesse it please him to grant unto us a continuall supply of temporall blessings. Therefore seeing God is the giver of them, and we stand in need of them, it behoveth us by prayer to acknowledge him the giver of them, and to exercise our faith in asking them at his hands. And that we are so to do it further appeareth by these reasons: 1. Because Christ in this place commandeth us to ask them. 2. Because we have a promise that we shall receive them, 1. Tim. 4. 8. 3. The examples of the godly; Jacob, Gen. 28. 20. Solomon, 1. Kings 8. 33, 35, 37. Agur, Prov. 30. 8, &c. who have prayed for them.
Secondly, it is not sufficient to ask these things of2. We must ask them aright. God, but we must also be carefull to ask them aright, and according to the will of God: which that we may do, there are duties to be performed both peculiar to prayer for temporall things, and generall and common to all prayer.
The peculiar duties are these: 1. That in askingPeculiar duties. temporall blessings we submit our selves to the will and good pleasure of God, saying with our Saviour, Not my will, &c. And therefore when we ask temporall things, our Saviour teacheth us to deny our own wills, and to desire that not our will but his will may be fulfilled. 2. That we ask them not absolutely, but so farre forth as they are blessings and good things, with this condition, that if they may stand with Gods glory and our own good: For God hath promised to give good things to them that ask them: But these are not simply good, but as they have reference to Gods glory and our spirituall and everlasting good. We must remember, that in temporall matters God heareth men either in mercy as a father, or in wrath as a judge: but we come unto him as a father, and desire him as a father to heare us, &c. 3. That we ask them to good ends; not to spend them on our lusts, but to imploy them to Gods glory in the supply of our own wants and theirs that belong unto us, and also in the relief of other mens necessities, either private or publick, Ephes. 4. 28. Therefore we are to ask, and to ask aright: and this is that which James faith, chap. 4. 2, 3. Ye get nothing, because ye ask not: ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amisse, that ye may consume it on your lusts.
The generall duties to be performed in prayerGenerall duties. for temporall blessings are, that we ask them in fervency and in faith. That we may ask them in fervency, we must have 1. a true fense of our wants, & 2. a true desire that our wants may be supplied by the contrary gifts and graces. We will for brevities sake joyn them together. Every request presupposeth want, Jam. 1. 5. Whereas therefore Christ biddeth us ask, it proveth 1. our nullity, foreign, andJo… 1. 21. poverty in our selves, who neither have any thing but what it pleaseth God to give us; neither can we by our means procure any thing that is good, except it please God to blesse our means; neither can we use and enjoy that which we have, unlesse it please God to grant us the use thereof; neither will the use thereof avail us, except it please God to blesse the use of them, giving them vertue to nourish and to cherish us, and make them effectual to our good.
Wants to be bewailed.
In true sense therefore of this our want we are to pray that it may be supplied by the contrary gifts; namely, that God would be pleased to give unto us that portion of temporall benefits which he knoweth to be most fit and convenient for us; and to that end that he would blesse our means for the obteining of that which we have not, and also grant unto us the use of that which we have, and lastly, that he would blesse the use thereof unto us, making them effectuall to our good.
2. Whereas Christ teacheth us every day to say, Give us this day, &c. it argueth our mortality and frailty, who cannot continue our lives, except it please God to make a daily supply of his temporall benefits whereby we may be susteined. In sense of which our frailty we are day by day to poure forth our souls before the Lord, saying, Give us this day our daily bread, that is, that bread which we have need of every day, as the Syriack readeth, Luke 11.
3. As we are to acknowledge 1. our own nullity, who have nothing of our selves, and 2. our frailty and mortality, who cannot continue except we have a daily supply; so in the third place, whereas our Saviour doth teach us to ask these things not as our own desert but as the free gift of God, we must confesse our own unworthinesse, who cannot truly challenge unto our selves the least temporall benefit that may be as our own desert, but must, as our Saviour hath taught us, beg it of God as his undeserved gift: Therefore we are to come unto God not in our own worthinesse but in his manifold mercies, acknowledging with Jacob that we are lesse then the least of his mercies, that we are not worthy to breathe in the air, not to dwell upon the earth, or to enjoy any of his blessings; which therefore we humbly beg of him that he would give them unto us for his mercies fake in Christ Jesus.
4. Whereas our Saviour teacheth us to ask our bread, which we have gotten by good means, to be given us of God, this argueth 1. our coveting of other mens goods, & 2. our diffidence and distrust in Gods providence, which maketh us ready in time of our need to use unlawfull and indirect means: In sense of which want we are to pray, that we may depend upon his providence, and cast our care upon him, expecting with all the creatures our daily food from him; and in all our need may be carefull to▪ use good means, and with quietnesse to work that is good, that we may eat our bread given us of God: For that is onelyonly ours which we have by good means; and that onelyonly is given of God which is well gotten.
5. Whereas we are taught to desire God to give us these things notwithstanding our means and the abundance of goods which we possesse, this argueth our confidence in the means for obteining our desire, and our trusting in the goods once gotten: In respect whereof we are to pray, that both in the means and in the use of the things we may learn to depend upon Gods blessings, without which all means are uneffectuall and unprofitable; and therefore we must desire, notwithstanding all our means and abundance of goods, that God would give us our daily bread.
6. Whereas he biddeth us ask bread, teaching us to bridle our desires and to be content with a little, this sheweth our covetousnesse and discontentednesse many times with our present estate: In sense whereof we are to desire, that as we do ask our daily bread of God, so having that which we have asked we may not onelyonly rest contented but give thanks to God that heard the voice of our prayer.
7. When he directeth us to ask foreign, daily bread, it bewrayeth our either superstitious and phantasticall contempt of Gods gifts, with them that affect voluntary poverty, or else our worldly and immoderate desire of more then is sufficient; that in sense thereof we may with Agur pray, Give me not poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me.
8. Where he biddeth us say, Give us, this pointeth at our self-love, whereby every man desireth good things for himself although many times it be with the losse of others: And in acknowledgement of this our evil inclination, we are to pray unto God, that he would give unto us, &c. that is, not onelyonly to me that pray, but also to others; and not onelyonly private blessings to private men, but also publick to the commonwealth, as peace, plenty, prosperity.
9. When we are taught to ask bread to be given to us, and others by us, to day, this sheweth 1. our immoderate desire in providing for the time to come, and 2. our delay in helping and relieving the necessities of our brethren: In respect whereof we are to pray, that the Lord would this day give unto us, and by us unto others as occasion shall be offered.
These wants we are taught to bewail, and in the sense of them we are taught fervently to ask in this petition those gifts and graces.
The second common duty is, That we ask theseThe second common duty is Faith: blessings in faith. And this faith is twofold: 1. generall, whereby we are to be perswaded that these1. generall. blessings do not happen by chance, nor are purchased by mens industry and means, but that they are the gifts of God, and that he both can and will bestow these blessings upon his children as is most expedient for them, Heb. 11. 6.
2. But especially there is a speciall faith required, 2. speciall.whereby we are in particular to be perswaded and assured, that the Lord will grant unto us our particular request, yea and in that form which we make it, if we make it as we ought; viz. That God would grant outward and temporall blessings so far forth as they stand with Gods glory and our good. And this condition, If it may stand with thy glory, O Lord, and our eternall good, is in all petitions for temporall blessings either to be expressed or to be understood: and according to it doth the Lord heare our prayers, granting either that which we do desire or that which is better, &c.
Duties to be performed in our lives.
Duties to be performed in our lives if we would make this prayer uprightly and in truth, are
I. To have a true desire and care to get our goods by good and lawfull means, because we ask our bread, and that to be given us of God: and therefore that every man walk diligently in a lawfull calling, that he may eat the labour of his own hands, and working with quietnesse that which is good may eat his own bread, 2. Thess. 3. 10, 12. Ephes. 4. 28.
II. And to this end every one of us must endevour to be indued with these vertues, which are the inward duties of the eighth commandment. The 1. is foreign, the not setting our hearts and affections upon the things of this life, so that neither inordinately nor immoderately we desire or seek more then is expedient and necessary for us. This our Saviour teacheth us when he directeth us to ask for bread, & that bread which is necessary for us: Whereas contrariwise if once we set our hearts upon riches, &c. thereupon wil follow an immoderate desire of having more, that will not be satiffied with abundance; which if we be once attainted withall we cannot make this prayer in truth. 2. foreign, contentation, which is a consequent of the former, Heb. 13. 5. foreign, Let your conversation be without covetousnesse, and be contented with your present estate. For we ask but that bread which is necessary and convenient for us. Therefore if we make this prayer in truth, we will be well contented if the Lord heare our prayer, and grant unto us no more but that which is necessary. And therefore we ought not to covet other mens goods or that which is unnecessary, knowing that our lot is befallen us by the most just and wise providence of God: who if he saw it expedient for thee, would grant unto thee greater abundance; but if not, thou must say with David, Here I am; let him do with me as seemeth good in his eyes, 2. Sam. 15. 25, 26. And withall consider, that if thou art such an one as fearest the Lord, thou wouldst not change thine estate with some of them that have the world at will. For, as Solomon saith, Prov. 15. 16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, then great treasure and trouble therewith: and, as his father before him, Psal. 37. 16. A small thing which the righteous hath is better then the great riches of the ungodly. 1. Tim. 6. 6. foreign, Godlinesse with content is great gain. 3. A moderate desire of that which is fit and convenient for us; and therefore not to affect voluntary poverty, which the Spirit of God, Prov. 30. 8. and in this place, doth teach us to pray against. 4. A moderate care to provide that which is convenient, that we may not be burdensome but rather helpfull unto others: And therefore we are to avoid two extremities: first, to have no care of that which we here desire, 1. Tim. 5. 8. secondly, with carking care to hoard up that for many years which we ask but for a day.
III. In the use either of those means which we use for the obteining of our desire, or of the thing obteined, we are to crave the blessing of God, and thereupon to depend. Therefore the temporall blessings of God must be received with prayer and thanksgiving. And in this behalf not onelyonly the poore and needy but also the rich and wealthy are to make this prayer, who cannot in truth make this prayer to God, if either they rely upon their own means or trust in their own store.
IV. We must cast our care upon the Lord, Psal. 37. 3, 5. and 55. 22. and in all our need flie unto him for supply.
V. As we are taught to pray not onelyonly for our selves but also for others, so must we be desirous and carefull of other mens good, and be ready to communicate those good things which we have to the supply of others need, and that without delay.
Here therefore the hypocrisie of worldly andHypocrisie of worldlings discovered. carnall men is discovered; 1. Who ask bread, as though a little would content them, and yet are not satisfied with abundance. 2. They ask their bread, and yet covet yea take and retein other mens goods; yea some, the goods of the Church, which they cannot call theirs. 3. They ask foreign, daily bread, that is, as Agur speaketh, neither poverty nor riches, but that which is convenient and necessary; and yet some (as phantasticall Papists) do affect poverty, and others (as all worldlings) desire abundance. 4. They desire that it may be (given them of God; and yet either get it by unlawfull means, or relying upon the means, or trusting in their abundance, find no need of the blessing of God. 5. They ask for us, which they desire for themselves alone, which when they have got they keep to themselves. 6. They ask but for a day, and with distrust they hoard up for many years.