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learn to give up his own will, to overcome self, to gain-oh! the wonderful exchange-the Almighty God for his portion. If, in like manner, any one would wish to know what form of government in the State is best, it must be answered, that which will most of all conduce to our interests for eternity; not that which will most of all furnish wealth, or luxury, or liberty, but that which will best teach men the habit of giving up their own wills, will train them best to dutiful submission; making their will to be the will of God, which alone is perfect freedom.

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But not to go so far abroad, let each one come home to himself if any man is despaired of as to his final hope in the eyes of the holy Angels, it is that man who is the most constantly, and most successfully following his own will, whatever his condition in life may be. On the contrary, if any man is better and holier than others, it is not he that is most busy or laborious in religious duties, but he who most has obtained a habit of sacrificing continually his own will to the will of God. There is one thing which God values, and asks of us all; it is our will: it is this which is perverted and diseased which He wishes us to give up, in order that in its place HE may plant His own will; that it may be our will; that HE HIMSELF may be ours, and we may altogether be His.

I said it was our great danger and misery that we have a will of our own by nature, which is not the same as God's will; whereas, the blessed Angels have no will but His; we are at full liberty to follow our own wills, though it be eternal death. But to the faithful Christian this need not be his danger or his misery, but his great happiness; for the Angels have nothing to offer and give up to Almighty GoD-but we have-in return for all His benefits. For all that He has done and suffered for us, we have a return to make, which is in His sight of great price, which He is pleased to value exceedingly and to accept. And this is our own will. No creature that we know of but man has such an offering to make as this. He daily supports us by His goodness, and asks of us this return. It was this that brought down such a blessing upon Abraham. GOD needed not his sacrifice, but his will. It was for this that Job was so long tried, and being tried his will became conformable to God's will. He was weighed in the balance, and not found wanting.

SERMON VII.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.

PHIL. iv. 6.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

THE first petition which we make for ourselves in the LORD'S Prayer is for our daily bread. But it may be asked why we should be thus constantly praying for that which comes to us, as it were, a matter of course. Daily bread is what we all have, rich or poor, good or bad, except under some extraordinary circumstances. And further, our LORD HIMSELF bids us to expect it, without any carefulness or anxious thought on our part,"Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink1?" And He points to the fowls of the air; which sow not, neither reap, nor gather into barns: but our Heavenly FATHER feedeth them. That is to say, we may fully depend on His Fatherly care and goodness, without any anxiety for these things. Moreover, as GoD "opens His hand and fills all things living with plenteousness"," so He makes no difference in this respect between good Christians and others: "HE maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust 3." If, therefore, we may be fully assured that He will support us, and whether we serve HIM faithfully and look to HIM or not; if HE HIMSELF declares this to us,—and our own experience in the world shows it is the case, for God supports all alike;

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1 Matt. vi. 31.

2 Ps. cxlv. 16.

3 Matt. v. 45.

and the case of any one perishing for want of food for the day is so rare, as not to furnish a rule for the daily Prayers of us all,— how then, it may be said, are we to be thus always praying for our daily bread? Are not such considerations as these, when they come into our minds, a hindrance to the faithful use of it?

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But to this it must be answered, that our Prayers,-the state of our hearts,—do make a vast difference in this matter of our daily bread to look to GOD for it; to receive it from HIM, is to obtain it with His blessing, without which our daily bread will do us no good; for without this it may be to us as to the Israelites, when "He gave them their desire, but sent leanness withal into their soul." Or as to Judas, who carried the bag, and had provision of bread more than the others, but he received it not of God, for it was to support him in life till it would be better for him that he had never been born. Our LORD bids us to consider the birds of the air, which God feeds around us; but by the Psalmist He says that HE "feedeth the young ravens that call upon Him 5;" and that "the lions roaring after their prey do seek their meat from God." By expressions such as these we are taught, that while all creatures seek for their support in the ways which GOD hath appointed them, yet they are to look to Him, to receive it from HIM. To receive it from HIM, is to receive it with His blessing; without which bread itself could not nourish our life; or while it gives life to our bodies may be death to our souls.

From this it will appear, that although this Prayer may at first seem to be for the well-being of the body, yet it is in fact for the right keeping of the soul with regard to the things of the body. And this is shown, not only by the first word of this petition, whereby we pray that God will give it to us-that it may be, as it were, a gift from HIM, from Whom alone cometh " every good gift and every perfect gift"." But observe all the words of the Prayer. How short, how comprehensive, how divine a petition it is," Give us this day our daily bread." By the word "bread," is commonly understood all that is needful for our bodies, including those wants which our LORD refers to, "Take no thought

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your life what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;" and "for your body, what ye shall put on." Of both of which St. Paul speaks, "Having food and raiment let us be therewith content "." To these we may, perhaps, add, health also; without which even meat and clothing would be of no service to us. But at all events, it can signify nothing more than is merely necessary for our bodily support and comfort. In the words of St. Chrysostom, Mark, I pray thee, how even in things that are bodily, that which is spiritual abounds. For it is neither for riches, nor for delicate living, nor for costly raiment, nor for any other such thing, but for bread only, that He hath commanded us to make our Prayer"."

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Moreover there is no selfishness, no self-seeking even in this :— it is a Prayer of charity also:—the word "mine" does not come in even here, but "our"—it is our daily bread. And again, how does it cut off carefulness and anxiety for the morrow by the word

daily;" it is but "for this day our daily bread!" Our LORD has said much to us against care for the morrow in these matters; but He has made this single word to be of itself like a continual sermon to us, teaching all the many precepts which He has given us on this subject, in that most living manner which a Prayer to God is.

This short Prayer does, indeed, contain in it so much, and implies a standard of duty so high and heavenly, that it becomes difficult to apply and explain it in the present state of the Christian world. It will, therefore, be the safest and best course, merely to draw out, and put with it other parts of our LORD'S teaching on the same subject. Now our LORD opens His Evangelical instructions with blessings; and of those the first is, "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven '." In another Gospel it is not "poor in spirit," but poor"Blessed be ye poor'.' Those, therefore, who are actually poor in this world, or are so in heart and desire, i. e. well contented and willing to be so, with their minds disengaged from all such cares, such have the first place in the Kingdom: it is therefore to such more especially that this Prayer is given; and any one will

81 Tim. vi. 8.

1 Matt. v. 3.

2

9 Hom. xix. in Matt. vi. ad loc.

2 Luke vi. 20.

see at once how natural and proper such a Prayer is to them, for they have no further desire than for their daily bread, and do no doubt receive the same as from GOD, with thanksgiving, in a way that none but themselves can sufficiently understand. The Prayer comes home to them. It is their own especial Prayer. Their feeling of helplessness makes them to depend on GOD. "I am poor and needy," says David, "but the LORD careth for me." In like manner, on more than one occasion, our LORD took little children, and drew attention to them, saying, that "of such is the kingdom of Heaven," i. e. of humble-minded persons, like them, in distinction from the worldly great; and, indeed, HE awfully added, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven"." But one great point in children is that they have no possessions, no property, nothing strictly their own: they depend from day to day on others; like those perfect Christians whom St. Paul describes

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as having nothing, and yet possessing all things"." Children have no anxieties for the morrow; if they have sufficient for the day it is all that they want or care for. This is evidently that temper of mind which our LORD requires in a Christian; and to one thus minded this Prayer would be very suitable.

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Many are our LORD's expressions which imply this same entire dependance on GoD, from resigning all trust and confidence in earthly possessions; as, "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple ".' And when those who then heard these things, had themselves, after the day of Pentecost," sold their possessions and goods;""continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart," it was surely with that temper of mind which this Prayer expresses. The children of Israel were supported by the manna which fell daily from Heaven; for which they could make neither storehouse nor barn; which would not endure till the morrow without corruption. And our LORD'S Disciples were sent forth by HIM during His stay upon earth, without scrip or purse, or any provision, and were supernaturally sustained by HIM. As HE said at last, "When I sent you

3 Matt. xviii. 3.

Mark x. 15.

4 2 Cor. vi. 10.

5 Luke xiv. 33.

6 Acts ii. 45,

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