V. Can we do his Will, as the Angels do? 1. By Reason of our own Corruptions. But, 1. We are to endeavour to imitate the Angels herein, Pet. i. 15. 2. And to defire that we may do it, as They do, Phil. iii. 12, 13, 14. 3. We are to do it in the fame manner as They do it, tho' we cannot in the fame measure. VI. What do we pray for in this Petition? 1. That God would acquaint us with His Will, Pfal. cxix. 12, 33, 34. 1. What we are to do. 2. What we are not to do. 2. That He would take from us that natural Aversness we all have to His Will, Rom. vii. 23. Jer. xvii. 9. 3. That He would incline our Hearts to it, Pfal. cxix. 36. 4. That He would create in us a Delight in His Precepts, Pfal. cxix. 35,92. 5. That He would direct us in all our Actions to that End, Pfal. cxliii. 10. 6. That not only we, but that all People may do his Will, Pfal. Ixvii. 2, 3, 4, 5. Motives to do the Will of God. 1. He is our Creator and Preferver. 2. Our Redeemer, 1 Cor. vi. 20. 3. All His Mercies oblige us to it, Rom. xii. 1. 4. And His Judgments, Hebr. xii. 10. He always obferves us, Pfal. cxxxix. 4. 6. Our prefent Comfort depends upon it, 2 Cor. i, 12. 7. As does also our future Happiness, Hebr. xii. 14. US E. Hence we may fee, how great the Folly, and heinous the Crime is, of thofe whọ 1. Never offer up this Petition, nor pray that God's Will may be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. 2. And of those, who, tho' they do pray for this, yet never labour or endeavour to do His Will. S. MATT. S. MATT. vi. 11. Give us this Day our daily Bread. IWHAT does the Word Bread import is Petition? 1. All Things needful for this Life, Deut. viii. 8. 2. And for that to come, 1 Tim. iv. 8. II. What are we to understand by daily Bread? 1. For every Day of our remaining Life. 2. Suficient. Επιέσιθ ἄθ ὁ τῇ ἑκάςη ἐσίᾳ ἡμῶν ἁρμόζων. Phavorin. (—KLOJOO? Jawa .ܗܦܥܢ 1. Sufficient for our Subfiftence, Jer. xlv. 5. 3. For our Condition, Prov. xxx. viii. III. What do we mean, when we pray God to Give us our daily Bread? This fhews, 1. Our conftant Dependence upon God, Act. xvii. 28. Job vi. 9. 2. That we receive all Things from Him, Pfal. civ. 27, 28, 29. 3. That all Things are His Free Gift, S. Luk. xvii, 10. Gen. xxxii. 1o. S. Jam, i. 17. IV. Why are we to pray God to Give, &c. when we have it already in Poffeffion? I. Tho' 1. Tho' we have it in Poffeffion, yet the Property is in God; fo we cannot use it without asking Him Leave, Deut. x. 14. 2. What we have, He can hinder us from ufing. 1. By taking it from us, S. Luk. xii. 20. 、 2. Or us from it, Prov. xxiii. 5. 3. Tho' we do use it, it can do us no Good without His Bleffing, Hag. i. 6. Dan. i. 13, 14, 15. Prov. x. 22. Pfal. Ixxviii. 30, 31. V. How must we pray or offer up this Pe tition ? 1. So pray as to use the Means appointed for the obtaining of it, 2 Theff. iii. 8, 9, 10, 12. 2. In a full Trust in God, that He will blefs thofe Means, Pfal. cxxviii. 1, 2. 3. With Submiffion to the Wisdom of God for Proportioning outward Mercies, S. Matt. viii. 2. S. Fam. iv. 15. 4. That we may apply them to the true and proper End, which God defign'd thefe outward Mercies for, S. James iv. 3. 5. Daily. 6. For others, as well as ourselves. VI. What are the Principal Things, then, we pray for here? 1. That He would continue our Life here, fo long as it is for His Glory and our Good. 2. That He would fupply us with Neceffaries thereto, Prov. xxx. 8. 3. That He would direct us to the proper Means for obtaining them. 4. And give His Bleffing to thofe Means, Dan. i. 13, 14. Pfal. cxxvii. 1,2, 5. That 5. That He would fanctify what we have to us, Tim. iv. 5. 6. That we may truft on Him only, Phil. iv. 6. Pfal. xxxvii. 5. 7. And depend on Him in Plenty, as well as Poverty. 8. That we may be content with, and thankful for, our prefent State and Condition, whatever it be, Phil. iv. 11, 12. 1 Tim. vi. 8. 9. That He would give us spiritual as well as temporal Food. 10. That we may improve all for His Glory. S. MATT. |