forwardnesse of God toward vs. And when we adde which art in heauē I We adde to the good will of God diuine power that he is able to doe and to giue those things we aske hauing al things in his power II. Diuine prouidence that seeth and knoweth our wants that he is present to our requests and heareth the same that he hath a care of vs that he ordereth disposeth administreth and gouerneth all things and more especially in his Church III. Diuine wisdome that he knowes the way to send helpe and deliuerance IV. Diuine rule and dominion to wit that it belongeth to his kingdome office who dwelleth in heauen to heare our prayers to regard our affaires to help to deliuer c. In a word the Lords praier saith that our father whome we call vpon is or doth dwell in heauen I. Lest we should conceiue in our minde any base or earthly thing of God after the manner fashion of this world but all things heauenly and diuine II. To shewe a comparison and a difference betweene our earthly and our heauenly father as Christ expresly opposeth them one to the other Math. 23. v. 9. Call no man your father vpon earth for there is one your father which is in heauē III. That by this title we may be admonished to aske of God heauenly things especially and to referre those earthly things which we aske vnto the heauenly For we are called and borne a new to an inheritance which is laid vp in heauen as it is written 1. Pet. 1. v. 3. IV. That by this title we may be taught to acknowledge our life in this world to be a pilgrimage from God and that our desire to this true heauenly countrey may be stirred vp in vs withall that we may declare that whatsoeuer we aske is for this ende to bring vs to the countrey where our father is in heauen As for that Allegorie of Austine and others that God is in heauen that is by grace he dwelleth in the Saints and those which pray ought to wish for themselues that God may dwell in them as it is not indeede impious so in this place it is forraine and vnfit for it belongeth to the second petition that Gods kingdome may come vnto vs. Hallowed be thy name II. part Nowe followe certaine petitions in this prayer For it is not a true praier when we doe only heap vp the glorious titles of God but praier ought to aske some thing of God or else giue him thankes for benefites receiued Philip. 4.6 and 1. Timoth. 2.1 And vsually here are numbred seauen petitions which are as it were generall seales and markes whereto we may and ought to referre and wherein we must include all those things that we aske For it is writtē 1. Ioh. 5.14 This is that assurance we haue with God that if we aske any thing according to his vvill he heareth vs. and Iam. 4. v. 3. Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye may spende it on your pleasures And therefore out of the petitions of this Lords praier which is the rule of praying we may gather what things we are to aske in praier in what order and for what end we must aske them For they are thus deuided that the former regard the glory of God especially so farre forth as our saluation is ioyned therewith The rest containe our wants our profit saluation whereof some belong to the body others to the soule some to this worldly life some to our spirituall life in this world and others to our heauenly life to come Againe some petitions require the giuing and bestowing of blessings either temporall or bodily or spirituall or heauenly which are to come others doe craue the remoueall of euils eitemporall or spirituall that those which are past may be forgiuen not imputed those which are present may be taken away or lessoned and those which are to come may be kept backe Againe in the Lords prayer we both craue the ende to witte the glorie of God and our owne saluation and those things which tend thereunto The Lords praier also sheweth the order of those things we are to aske For first those things are to be asked which concerne the glorie of God our owne saluation then such things as belong to the necessitie benefite and commoditie of our bodie and of this life may well be asked and ought so to be So likewise in the turning backe of euills such as hinder the glorie of God or our saluation must haue the first place And then we may pray that the aduersities tribulations difficulties and troubles of bodie and of this life may either be taken away or lessened But temporall or bodely benefits must be asked with that condition or moderation If it be the will of God If they will further the glorie of God and our saluation but if God shall know and iudge those things to be hurtfull vnto vs which we thinke to be good and profitable vnto vs when we aske them that he would keepe them backe and hinder them as euill Also temporall blessings must be asked for that end that they may be ordered directed and vsed to Gods glorie and to spirituall heauenly and eternall blessings And thus from the petitions of the Lords praier may wel be gathered what things we may and ought to aske and in what manner according to the will of God Likewise S. Paul in certaine distinct words doth shew and declare the kindes of things that are to be asked in praier Philip. 4.6 and 1. Timoth. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he deuideth praier into petition and thanksgiuing Petitions he deuideth into requests whereby we craue blessings to be bestowed into supplications wherby we craue euills to be turned backe into intercessions whereby we either make request and pray to God for others or else direct the weapons of our praiers against our enemies And he addeth that things to be praied for are such as concerne the knowledge of God and our saluation Also such as pertaine vnto godlines or to the peace and honestie of this life Now that we may the sooner dispatch the exposition of the seuerall petitions I will here declare vnto what general heads of meditations the meaning of euery petition is to be referred as we pray according as I was wont to vse them publikely in expounding the Catechisme and in priuate exercises of religion To wit that first of all we doe consider by godly and deuout meditation what blessings we pray for in euery petition either to be giuen vs or if they be giuen to be preserued and increased Secondly what euills in euery petition we desire to be stopped that they may not happen if they be to come or beeing present to be turned backe that we may be freed and deliuered from them and if the remooueall be begunne that the same may still goe forwarde more and
forgiuenes of our debts in this very thing we doe humbly confesse before God against Popish Satisfaction that we cannot make sufficient paiment or satisfaction for our sinnes but altogether haue neede of free pardon for our Mediatours sake And because our sinnes make a separation betvveene God and vs Isa 59.2 therefore we craue in this petition the fauour of God reconciliation and acceptance And whosoeuer seeketh for these things either by satisfactions or by merits otherwise then from the meere mercie of the father for the paiment satisfaction and merit of Christ alone doth not seeke them well neither shall euer attaine vnto them for we are commanded to aske the forgiuenes of our debts and the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forgiue is opposed to our paiment to our recompence and satisfaction and signifieth a free gift For the Greekes translate the Hebrew worde Salach which signifieth to be sauourable and of mercie to pardon by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.9 Vnto God belong mercies and pardons Numb 14.19 Pardon the iniquitie of the people according to the multitude of thy mercies Hauing thus expounded these things we may easily obserue what we are to aske in this petition VVe pray therefore because our debts are innumerable infinite and vnmeasurable that God will not enter into iudgement with them that he wil not impure them vnto vs that he will not marke them or require them at our hands but for Christ his sake mercifully to pardon them to cast them behinde his backe euen into the bottome of the sea Isa 53.6 Mich. 7.19 And because the wages of sinne are the displeasure the wrath or anger of God the curse of God and condemnation with the punishments of this curse in bodie and soule in this life and in the life to come euen eternall death we therefore beseech the Lord to asswage his deserued wrath not to kindle it against vs or poure it out vpon vs to lay aside his indignation and embrace vs with fauour and mercie to become and to continue vnto vs a gratious and mercifull father and rewarde vs not according to our sinnes neither lay vpon vs the punishment of his curse nor cast vs into prison till we haue made satisfaction Math. 5.25 and 18.34 but pardoning both the fault and the punishment of our sinnes to set vs free from the bonde or obligation thereto that we may say with Paul Who shall accusevs vvho shall condemne vs It is God that iustifieth and forgiueth who shall condemne Rom. 8.33 And seeing they are not generally debts or sinnes but Our debts therefore euery one that is to pray must consider in each commaundement of the law what sinnes he hath runne into and committed he must distinctly obserue whether they be sinnes of presumption Psal 19.14 or sinnes of infirmitie and weaknes for so shall we rightly pray for pardon according to the difference of our sinnes And because sinne is neuer forgiuen vnles we doe repent Ier. 5.7 and we of our selues are carelesse according to our hard heart which can not repent we doe not weigh and consider and count our sinnes how many how great and how grieuous they be we doe not earnestly grieue for our sinnes nor from our heart detest and forsake them we doe not turne from them but delight in our sinnes and declare the same as Sodome Isa 3.9 we haue not the seare of God before our eyes neither be affected with the sense of Gods wrath therefore wheÌ„ we pray for the pardon of our sinnes we doe withall intreat that God by his spirit would cast out of vs all securitie that sinne may not sleepe or lie dead in vs but may be raised by the Law that he would take from vs our stonie and impenitent heart and giue vnto vs a fleshie and repentant heart which may acknowledge and detest it owne sinnes which may bewaile the same and feare in the sense acknowledgement of the wrath of God And likewise we doe also praie that he would lift vs vp againe by true faith and preserue vs from despaire for by saith we receiue the forgiuenes of our sinnes And because this petition of forgiuenes of sinnes is ioyned by a coniunctioÌ„ copulatiue vnto the fourth petition where we pray for daily bread for the day therefore we are commaunded to make this petition for the pardon of our sinnes euery day and withall we be admonished to take heede that we do not so heape our sinnes that we shall be found in the bookes of Gods iudgement Dan. 7.10 without forgiuenes but we must euery day pray that our daily sinnes may be blotted out that they be not written vvith a penne of yron and that we may not heape vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 And because God hath appointed and ordained certaine meanes whereby he will bestow and we must receiue the forgiuenes of sinnes therefore we doe likewise pray that God would giue vs such a minde whereby we may not contemne or neglect but daily exercise the vse of the kaies of heauen the hearing of the word the vse of the SacrameÌ„ts and other exercises of faith and praier that God vvould not giue vs vp to a reprobate sense voide of all griefe not regarding our sinnes or the wrath of god Rom. 1.28 Eph. 4.17 And lastly we pray that we may not be preuented by death before our sinnes be remitted and forgiuen and that before the ende of this life we may vse those meanes whereby the pardon of our sinnes may ordinarily be graunted vnto vs. These so many and so great blessings must we conceiue in our mind when we pray forgiue vs our sinnes whereby we may plainely see what deuotion and intention of minde is required in the very act of praier Now all these things we must aske for the whole bodie of the Church in generall priuately for our selues and namely for those whose necessitie we know for we say Our debts or trespasses And although the three latter petitions be deprecatorie that is such wherein we pray against euills yet they may be well applied to the foure generall heads set downe in the beginning and so ought to be For as we haue shewed that in the former petitorie d that is such petitions wherin we craue some blessings petitions were contained praiers against euills thanksgiuings and confessions of sinnes so there is the same reason in these deprecatorie they containe in them petitions for some blessings thaÌ„ksgiuings and confessions As we forgiue our debters Luke hath it thus καὶ Î³á½°Ï á¼€Ï…Ï„Î¿á½¶ for we also forgiue Now we must not take the similitude according to Matthew to be equall altogether as though God should forgiue with no more perfect measure of mercie then we forgiue others for the flesh fighteth against the spirit in vs euen then when we are reconciled to our neighbour And God himselfe sheweth inequalitie between them Ose 11.8 I should make thee as Adama and Zeboim but I will
Paul saith I thanke my God and so doth euery ones faith by this applicatioÌ„ well conclude say God is my father as Ier. 3.4 Therefore from henceforth at least crie vnto me thou art my father and after v. 19. I did take thee for my children and saide Thou shalt call me my father and Math. 6.6 Pray vnto thy father which is in secret and thy father will reward thee So very many profitable instructions are propounded vnto vs in these fewe words of this preface to the Lords praier which may thus also be considered that by the remembrance of those benefits which God hath heretofore bestowed vpon vs God may as it were be mooued to giue and our confidence stirred vp and confirmed to craue other moe necessaries that seeing of meere fauour he hath bestowed vpon vs the chiefest benefite of adoption because he will be our father and also be so called therefore he will giue vs other things needefull Which art in heauen There be some that by occasion of this verbe substantiue es art doe discourse at large about the immutable essence and those names of God I am that I am which is which was which is to come But the Greek words doe neither require nor admit that disputation in this place for the wordes are plaine Our father á½ á¼Î½ τοῖς οá½Ïανοῖς which art in heauen to shew that we doe not call vpon any earthly father but on him who is or who doth dwell in heauen that is an heauenly father For so Christ himselfe expoundeth these wordes Math. 6.26 when he nameth an (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauenly father And whereas Heauen in Scripture is called the throne the seate mansion or dwelling place of God and in this place we call vpon our father which is in heauen the meaning is not that the infinite essence of God is circumscribed or concluded either in these visible heauens or in the heauen called Empyreum that is the highest heauens so as he is not present else where for it is written 1. King 8. v. 27. and 2. Chro. 2. v. 6. that heauen and the heauen of heauens can not containe him For he filleth heauen and earth Ierem. 23. v. 23. yea he is present in heauen in earth in the sea and in hell Psal 139. v. 7. he is higher then heauen deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea That is he is wholly present euery where within all things and without all things as Gregory saith Neither doe we thinke when we call vpon our father which is in heauen in the preface of this prayer that he is seperated and disioyned from vs which pray from our wants and from our prayers being further absent theÌ„ heauen is distant from the earth Like as the thoughts and the sayings of the wicked are described Iob. 22. v. 13. what should God see he walketh in the circle of the heven and considereth not our affaires For in the 145. Psalme v. 18. it is written The Lord is readie at hand to them that pray euen to them that call vpon him in trueth Deut. 4. v. 29. The Lord our God is neere to all our requests and Mathew 18.20 Where two or three are gathered togither in my name and shall aske any thing there am I in the middle among them Nowe whereas our father of whome we make no doubt but that he is present to our requests is said to be in heauen this the schoole men expound after this sort either that the workes of God doe more gloriously and highly appeare in the beutie magnificence harmony and workemanship of the visible or materiall heauens then in earth or els because in those spirituall heauens as they call them he doth by a full communication of himselfe declare exhibite and shew forth all his glorie power goodnesse magnificence not as here on earth by certain meanes and couerings invisible and by sundry lettes but in full shewe and fruition of sight face to face to be seene and enioyed of the blessed Angels and of elect soules so as the very thing is the happines the ioy saluation the eternall life of the saints But I see not what comfort this meaning can affoard vnto vs which pray here on earth vnder the crosse and in much weakenesse A more plaine exposition is this Because the scriptures doe define of heauen wherein God hath his abode not by any locall scituation but by heauenly diuine glory maiestie power and fidelitie Againe that therefore God is said to be in heauen and to dwell in the heauens in the place of his abode to heare in the dwelling place of his abode 3. King v. 30. because all things are vnder his gouernment he hath all things in his hand and in his power he ruleth all things in all places he is able to doe and he doth whatsoeuer he will by his wisdome he foreseeth knoweth beholdeth and heareth all things and knoweth the way how to helpe them all by his prouidence he careth for all and by his power doth order dispose administer and gouerne all things c. Psal 115. v. 3. Our God is in heauen he doth whatsoeuer be will Psal 103. v. 20. God hath prepared his seate in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all in all places of his dominion 3. King 8. v. 39. thou shalt heare in heaueÌ„ thou shalt be fauour able and shalt forgiue sinnes For thou onely seest and knowest the hearts of all the children of men Psal 113. v. 5. which hath his dwelling on high that he may behold things below in heauen and in earth Psal 102. v. 20. The Lord hath looked down from his high sanctuarie out of heauen did he behold the earth that he might heare the mournings of the prisoner and loose the children of death Psal 11.4 The lords seat is in heauen his eyes looke vnto the poore and his eye lids trie the children of meÌ„ Psal 20. v. 6. he will he are froÌ„ heauen by the mightie helpe of his right hand Isa 63.15 Give heede from heauen and behold where is nowe thy zeale thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies And when the Lord sheweth his diuine glory power and mercy by any famous hearing helpe and deliuerance the scripture saith then God hath exalted or aduanced himselfe aboue the heauens and magnified his mercy vp to the heauens Psal 57. v. 6. and 18. v. 5. and 113. v. 4. his glorie is aboue the heauens Psal 68. v. 19. He hath ascended aboue the heauen of heauens These testimonies of scripture doe plainely expound that phrase where God is said to be or to dwell in heauen The consideration hereof will also further vs to expound the doctrine of Christs ascention or exaltation into heauen of his sitting at the right hand of God in heaueÌ„ly places And thus the meaning of this preface of the Lords prayer is euident for when we say Our father we doe by saith conceiue the readie willing minde and the
hinder by the contrary act As when it is said God would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth How often would I haue gathered thee and thou wouldest not I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he may conuert and liue God would haue none to perish but all men to come to repentance Where we pray that this wil of god may be mercifully fulfilled in vs and not remooued from vs by the suggestions of Satan by the allurements of the world and the concupiscence of the flesh In earth as it is in heauen The Hebraisme in this place is more fully expressed thus euen as it is in heauen so also in earth Chrysostome thinketh that this clause is to be referred as it were in common vnto the former petitions Hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come in earth as it is in heauen Nowe here we haue very good occasion to consider of that which Paul saith that in Christ are reconciled and set at one things in heauen and things in earth and that there shal be one companie of blessed angels and of men and we as Christ saith shall become like vnto the angels We are therefore taught to pray that this conformitie betweene the companie of angels and of men may be begunne in this life that we may make toward and sigh after that blessed communion And because the Angels doe readily and chearefully without all stubburnnesse and resistance of meere loue and obedience execute those things which they know God willeth as it is saide psal 103.20 The angels excell in strength that doe his commaundement in obeying the voyce of his word to doe his will therefore we doe pray that this also may be begunne in vs. Againe we are admonished considering we doe belong to this communion that we should conforme our selues thereunto and not vnto this world because we are not of this world but belong vnto an heauenly citie Now this conformitie or likenes is begunne in this life but it shall at length be perfect in the life to come which is eternall Further as the Angels thinke reuerently of the iudgements of God and in all things approoue of that which God willeth euen so we desire that by the grace of god and the worke of his spirit we may doe the same here vpon earth And so this clause containes a very profitable admonition that while we liue in the flesh here on earth we should beginne to lift vp our head and our soule to desire and to thinke vpon our conuersation in heauen with the blessed angels and labour to beginne our conformitie therewith here on earth Here againe this exposition is to be applied to those foure heads of godly deuotion and meditation to wit what blessings we are to craue in this petition what euills we are to pray against for what benefits we must giue thanks what contrarie sinns of ours we must acknowledge and confesse And that either in generall and for the whole Church or in particular for our selues and for others Giue vs this day our daily bread That we may come to the true meaning of this petitiō first we are to expoūd the words And first of all Lechem the word translated bread doth properly signifie ordinarie bread for foode which is cut and chawed as when there is distinctly named bread and water 3. King 13.9 Bread and wine Gen. 14.18 wheat bread and meate Gen. 45.23 But by a Metonimie it is taken for corne whereof bread is made Gen. 47.13 psal 104.15 and by a synecdoche for any kinde of meate as 4. King 6.22 Set before them bread and water then it followeth and he made great preparation for them It is likewise taken for the whole prouision of a banket in meate and drinke as Luk. 14.1 to eate bread with one Exod. 18.12 Also goates milke is called bread Prov. 27.27 The roote of Iuniper is called bread Yea fodder for cattell is called bread psal 147.9 and the fruit of trees is called bread Ier. 11.19 So that by the name of bread in this petition we vnderstand all things that belong and are necessarie to the sustenance of the bodie and of this life Our Sauiour Christ Math. 6.25 Iacob Gen. 28.20 and Paul 1. Tim. 6.18 doe containe thē generally vnder the name of food and raiment Those things also whereby prouision is gotten as husbandrie traffique and such like are comprehended vnder the name bread Prov. 31.14 And because our Sauiour Christ in this petition would cōtain al bodily things which are requisite for the cōueniēt leading of this life as whē Isac praieth for his wife Gen. 25.21 the Cēturion for his seruant Math. 8.6 Paul commandeth to pray for the magistrate that we may lead a quiet life in all godlines and honestie 1. Tim. 2.2 And Salomon praieth for seasonable weather and for the fruitfulnes of the earth 3. King 8.36 therefore the word bread in this petition may well be taken in a larger sense for all those things which are required to the necessarie peaceable and honest ordering of this life in the common wealth in the familie in the fruitfulnes of the earth in seasonable weather c. Further whereas Christ calleth this bread 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not agreed on among all what that word doth properly signifie Before Ieromes time the latin translation had panem quotidiaenum our daily bread taking the reason of their interpretation without all doubt out of Luke which addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which daily or euery day is needfull Ierome translated it Supersubstantiall whome Ambrose followeth in the fift booke of the Sacraments adding that this is not the bread which goeth into the bodie but the bread of eternal life Ioh. 6.40 which susteineth the substance of the soule And because the hebrew worde Segullah signifieth our owne proper goods or a peculiar treasure which Symmachus translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cheife singular peculiar and the Septuagints translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he thinketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be all one to witte that which excelleth all substances or creatures So that Cyprian Ierome Ambrose and Austin doe here vnderstand the meate of the Lords bodie Yet Ambrose addeth and Ierome concealeth not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth also comming to for the Greekes call the day ensuing or the morrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7.26 and Xenophon speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the instant or present yeare And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the winter following For those things which are to come are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Demosthenes against Midias calleth the next assembly following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue also sought this word in the translation of the Seauentie and haue found it vsed in this sense Deutr. 32.2.9 Oh that they would vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time that ensueth Hence 1. Chron. 20.1 In the yeare
things according to his good pleasure For vnles God keepe the citie and build the house men labour in vaine Psal 127.1 So in Daniel we shall finde how the states of kingdomes are disposed of God And Prov. 22.2 The rich and the poore meete togither the Lord is the maker of them both Deutr. 28.12 The Lord openeth his treasures and giueth rain and sendeth the windes out of his treasures Psal 135.8 Neither may we thinke that God hath remooued from himselfe as things not beseeming his high maiestie the care of bodily temporall and earthly blessings and hath distributed the charge thereof amoÌ„g the Saints for he doth seriously affirme that prosperitie and aduersitie euen in these things doth come from him Levit. 26.3 Deutr. 28.12 And he is angrie if we doe not acknowledge the same Hose 2.8 Ioel 2.23 Our Sauiour Christ ascribeth vnto our heauenly father the care of our soule and bodie of our life foode and raiment Matth. 6.32 Nay he saith that he hath numbred the haires of our head Mat. 10.30 And therefore we are commanded to craue of him in praier the bestowing of these blessings and the remooueall and deliuerance from calamities and if these things thus happen vnto vs by heartie thanksgiuing to acknowledge them for his peculiar blessings Withall we pray that God would take from vs all vngodly care doubting distrust and couetousnes That we may be vndoubtedly perswaded that our heauenly father is both willing and able to giue daily bread vnto his children that in quietnes and hope may be our strength Thus Moses praieth for the fruits of the earth Deutr. 26.15 In the storie of the Gospel the diseased leapers the blinde c. doe pray Isaac Gen. 25.11 and Hannah 1. Sam. 1.11 pray against barrennesse Paul praieth for Magistrates 1. Tim. 2.2 Ieremie for the peace of the citie Ier. 29.7 And because God wil haue vs to labour and to vse ordinarie meanes for the getting of such things we pray that he would lay such things before vs and blesse them that he would giue increase vnto him that planteth and to him that watereth 1. Cor. 3.6 for the blessing of the Lord maketh rich without adding sorow thereto Prov. 10.22 And because we are commanded to aske Daily bread it teacheth vs that we may not pray for delights for store and aboundance to serue for riot and for pride And in a word according to Salomons interpretation Prov. 30.7 we pray that we may not be ouercharged with too much wealth nor oppressed with ouermuch want And Salomon there addeth that we doe also pray against those euills or sinnes which arise of excesse either in wealth or pouertie Likewise according to S. Paul Philip. 4.18 and 1. Tim. 6.6 we praie for contentation for a godly and wholsome vse of euery estate that our soule doe not loath Manna nor we desire the flesh pots of Egypt nor quailes grudgingly Numb 11.5 but may referre it to his good pleasure to distribute of the fishes among the companie so much as he will Ioh. 6.11 for to this petition also belongs that which went before that the fathers will be done Nowe we call this our bread not for that it is gotten by our owne industrie or is due vnto vs by some kinde of right but because God of his goodnesse hath ordained and appointed the same for the sustenance of this life and so is made ours by the free gift of God or els because it is necessarie to euery one in regard of his calling Againe God hath decreed what and how much he will dispence to euery one out of his treasures of his good pleasure And because S. Paul opposeth against the idle and against vnlawfull meanes to get foode the commandement of labouring that euery one may eate his owne bread Eph. 4.28 2. Thess 3.8 we doe also well vnderstand our bread of that which is not violently taken from others by wrong or gotten from others in idlenes but as it is written Thou shalt eate the labours of thy hands Againe when as we pray for our bread it teacheth vs to be carefull also for the necessities of others Yea that those things which are giuen to me and giuen to thee are so bestowed vpon vs that we should impart thereof vnto other Eph. 4.28 for it is not mine or thine but our bread And therefore it is the poore mans bread which thou detainest when thou doest not bestow it on the poore This bread we are commaunded to pray for this day Math. 6.12 Luke saith for the day and daily to teach vs that God hath care ouer vs euery moment And this very word This day serues to be a bridle to all foolish and vngodly care for the morrow whereby a man may restraine and moderate that excessiue desire after the things of this life wherewith al of vs are troubled And we may not thinke when we haue some goods and wealth in readines as it were in a treasury that then we neede not to make this petition but euen then also must we euery day vse this praier that we may acknowledge our store to be the gift of God and our selues to be the Lords beggers as Austine saith and that those things which are alreadie giuen vs may be kept safe but especially that out of those things that he hath giueÌ„ he may make daily supply of things needefull for vs with a blessing whereby he giueth strength to bread for the sustenance of this life and causeth the vse thereof to be holesome vnto vs lest that should come to passe which is written Levit. 26.26 Ye shall eate and not be satisfied Ezek. 4.16 I will breake the staffe of bread ye shall eate with care and with astonishment lest we should be fouÌ„d in the number of those that seeke for and receiue their goodes their whole portion in this life and are barred from the inheritance of heauenly and eternall blessings Psal 17.14 Luke 16.25 Which are fatted for the day of slaughter Ier. 12.3 The auncient writers as may be gathered by their interpretations read simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daily Luk. 11. But all copies haue not the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should be referred to bread but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is either so much as will suffice each day continually or els so much as is sufficient for this day that it may agree with that which Matthew hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to day And yet with Aristotle politic 2. βίος ὠκαθ ' ἡμÎÏαν signifieth daily foode Also our Sauiour Christ to put vs in mind of this petition hath obserued and foreshewed this custome in that before meate he blessed it and gaue thankes Math. 14.19 and 15.36 and Luke 24.31 And therefore Paul saith Tim. 4.2 It is a doctrine of deuils that biddeth men abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued of the faithfull with thankesgiuing And nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing