35, 36.

all times have been careful and provident for outward things, as Joseph who counselled Pharaoh beforehand to lay up Gen. 41. corn to feed him for seven years space during the famine, but our Saviour Himself gives charge that that which remaineth should be saved, and "nothing lost." And it was His Joh. 6. 12. pleasure that Judas should bear the bag for his and their provision, to teach us that IIe alloweth provident care for things earthly.

But by this word "daily" our Saviour condemneth μepíμvav, or immoderate care for worldly things, whereby the soul is rent and divided, and not that póvoia which is required of 1 Tim.5. S. every man for "his own household," and is both lawful and honest.

Ser. 61.

Here ariseth an objection, how a man having filled his belly, or being ready to leave this world, may say this prayer. The answer is, first, Multi dormierunt divites qui surrexerunt [S. Aug. pauperes; therefore, our desire is, that as we have enough now, 10.j so we may be preserved in this estate, and that God would not change plenty into poverty. Again, though we have bread, and it continue with us, yet it is nothing without that beata par: therefore, though we have the thing itself, yet we are to desire that which is the life of bread, which is a power to nourish; then, that God will give us the sanctified bread, which is the heavenly manna, and grace, that as we work for bread in our vocations, so we remember to sanctify it by invocation; for else it is usurped bread.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SERMON XIV.

SERM.
XIV.

Lu. 4. 25.
[Vid. in
Append.

And forgive us our debts.

AUGUSTINE interpreting our Saviour's words of " the shutting of heaven in Elias' time," compared prayer to a key that hath power to open heaven from whence all blessings descend toin.5.63.] unto us, and to shut the bottomless pit of hell from whence all evils proceed. Prayer is a means not only to draw all Prov. 12.2. grace from God, but it is ober mali, et flagellum dæmonis: Cant. 1. 3. as the name of Christ is oleum effusum, because by it we Prov. 18. receive all good, so the name of the Lord is turris fortissima, for that it saves and defends us from all evil.

10.

As these are both truly affirmed of God's name, so by the invocation of the name of God we have this double benefit, that we do not only receive all good by it, but also are delivered from all evil.

In the three former petitions our Saviour hath taught us to draw grace from God; in these three latter we are taught to use that kind of prayer that concerns the removing of all evil, called Techinah, dénois, and deprecation.

The evil is of three sorts, of sins past, and to come, and of the evil of punishment.

In the first of these three petitions we pray against the guilt of sins past, that God would not charge us with them; in the second, against the running issue of sin to come, that God would not suffer us to sin hereafter; in the third, that God would turn away from us all those plagues that our sins deserve, both in this life and in the life to come: and these three petitions are fitly opposed to the three former.

To the Kingdom of glory we oppose our sins; to the doing of God's will, temptation; to natural good things, the evil of the world to come, and the miseries of this life; from both which we desire to be delivered when we say, "Deliver us from evil.”

The petition consists of debts and forgiveness: but before we handle them we are to speak, first, of the necessity of this petition; secondly, of the goodness of God That penneth the petition for us.

What need we have to pray God for remission of our sins appears hereby, because our sins do make a partition between God and us, the effect whereof is that our misdeeds Isa. 59. 2. do turn God's blessings from us, and do keep "good Jer. 5. 25. things" from us.

Now having already desired at God's hands the glory of God's Kingdom, the good of grace for the doing of His will, and all outward good things necessary for this life, we are of necessity to pray that God will forgive us our sins, which otherwise will hinder us of these good things; and as our sins do hinder God's graces that they cannot come to us, so they hinder our prayers that they cannot come to God, for our sins are as it were "a cloud" to hide God, so that Lam. 3. 44. "our prayers cannot go through." So that except we desire

the forgiveness of our sins, we shall in vain pray for the three former good things.

Besides, our sins are a plain hindrance to God's Kingdom, for none shall come thither but such as are 66

uncorrupt," and Ps. 15. 2.

void of sins in the whole course of their life: et nihil impurum ingreditur illuc, "no unclean thing shall enter thither." Rev. 21.27. Therefore the Prophet saith, Hic est omnis fructus ut Isa. 27. 9. auferantur peccata.

Secondly, the goodness of God appeareth herein, that He hath indited us a prayer to ask remission, telling us that it is possible to obtain remission of sin. It is true that by our sins we have made ourselves incapable of all good things, but yet we see the goodness of God, that as we have still dona, so He teacheth us to say, Condona.

Where He teacheth all men to pray for good things, we learn that we are all mendici Dei; but in that we are taught to ask forgiveness of sin, we see that we are malefici Dei, ‘the

SERM. malefactors of God,' such as have need of pardon; and the XIV. goodness of God towards us appears to be the greater in this behalf, because there is no Angel nor spirit to whom He vouchsafeth this favour, to have their sins remitted, save only

to man.

Of them it is said, IIe found no truth in IIis Angels; Job 4. 18. in His servants, and in "His Angels" there was "folly;" that is, they had trespasses, but yet God will not forgive them, 2 Pet. 2. 4. nor receive any supplication for pride; but contrariwise, He keepeth "the Angels that sinned in everlasting chains to the Nu. 2716; judgment of the great day." He That is "the God of the 16. 22. spirits of all flesh," will not hear the spirits that sinned against Ps. 63. 2. Him; but, "Thou That hearest prayers, to Thee shall all flesh come."

[Jude

ver. 6.]

There is a way for man to escape the danger of sin, if he ask pardon; but the sins of the wicked Angels shall not be forgiven. The elect Angels do make the three first petitions as well as we, and the petition for the supply of natural defects is common to all living creatures, but this which prayeth for pardon of sins is proper only to man; so we see how God exerciseth His goodness and sheweth it, not only in exercising of liberality to them that have need, but His long-suffering in pardoning them that have sinned against Him. To come to the petition itself. By "debts" our Saviour meaneth "sins," expressly so called, Luke the eleventh chapter and fourth verse, and sinners are called "debtors," Luke the thirteenth chapter and fourth verse; for the Scripture speaks of them, Matthew the eighteenth chapter and twenty-fourth verse. One was brought that "owed ten thousand talents," that is, which had committed a great number of sins; and, [Lu.7.41.] Luke the seventh chapter and forty-first verse, a lender had [S. Aug. two debtors, by which are meant sinners; the reason hereof is because there is a resemblance betwixt "sins" and "debts."

[Lu. 11. 4.]

[Lu. 13. 4. marg.] [Mat. 18. 24.]

de Ser. Dom. 2. 8.]

In the affairs of men the case is thus, that if the condition be not performed they are bound to endure the penalty, and so become double indebted: so it is between God and us, the

sin that we commit by the breach of God's Law is chiroCol. 2. 14. graphum contra nos, "a hand-writing against us." So they Job 13. 26. are called in the Old Testament, "Thou writest heavy or hard Ezek. 2. 9, things against" us, and our sins are compared to "a book"

15, &c.

26.

written on both sides; for we are bound to keep God's commandments because He made us, and not only so but He still doth nourish and preserve us: therefore we ought to do His will. He gives us "talents," which we ought to employ to Mat. 25. His glory; He gives us dwelling-places in the world, as to the Israelites He gave the land of the heathen, "that they might Ps. 105. 45. keep His statutes, and observe His laws." If we fulfil them we discharge our duty to God and are free from all penalty, but if we do it not there is an obligation. "Cursed is every Deu. 27. one that continueth not in all things that are written, to do [Gal. 3. them." If He place us in the "vineyard," He will look to io.] "receive fruit of it." If He give us talents, He will have us Mat. 21. so to employ them as that He may reap gain thereby. The Lu. 19. 23. gifts and graces that God bestows upon us must be employed in hallowing His name, in enlarging His kingdom, in accomplishment of IIis will; if we fulfil this, the penalty of the Law takes no hold on us, but if we do not only not use them to His glory, but abuse them and turn them to the breach of the Law by serving sin, then are we in a double sort indebted to God, and make ourselves guilty of His wrath, Et quis intelligit, &c. "Who understandeth the power of IIis wrath?"

If we consider how grievous plagues God threatened for the breach of the Law, we would be more careful and heedful that we do not offend Him; which because we consider not, we become indebted to God.

33, 34.

Ps. 90. 11.

We are "debtors" to the flesh to provide for it, only so much Rom. 3.12. as is meet for the relieving of it; and the rest of our care must be for the spirit. But because all our care is for the flesh, to satisfy it, in fulfilling the lusts thereof, and [we] are careless of our spirits, therefore we become indebted to God in a third sort by breaking His commandments in that which concerns ourself; but this the Apostle saith, "I am debtor to the wise Rom. 1.14. and the unwise." That is, we must be careful of others, as God said to Cain, "Where is thy brother?" But because omnes Gen. 4. 9. quæ sua sunt quærunt, "all seck their own," and seek not the Phil. 2. 21. good of others, therefore they grow further indebted to God.

These "debts" or sins are properly said to be "ours," because they proceed from us-for there is no member of our body that is not guilty of some sin-and not in that sense that bread is said to be ours which cometh to us and is made