4., " Ye have brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die there." So God hath brought this af- fliction upon us, because he hates us, and intends to destroy us; and such hard thoughts of God cause sullenness and stub- bornness. O let us make a fair and candid interpretation of providence. Doth God afflict us ? Say thus, perhaps he intends us mercy in this ; he will try us whether we will love him in afflictions ; he is about to mortify some sin, or exercise some grace ; he smites the body, that he may save the soul. Could we j)ut such a good meaning upon God's dealings, we should say, " thy will be done." " Let the righteous God smite me, and it shall be a kindness, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head," Ps. cxli. 5.
II th and ult. Means, if you would submit to God in affliction, believe that the present condition is best for you. We are not com- petent judges ; we fancy it is best to have ease and plenty, and have the rock pour out rivers of oil, but God sees affliction best ; he sees our souls thrive best upon the bare common ; the fall of the leaf is the spring of our grace. Could we believe the present condition is best which God carves out to us, the quarrel would soon be at an end, and we should sit down satisfied with what God doth, and say, " thy will be done." So much for this third petition.
OF THE FOURTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Mat. vi. 11. Give us this day our daily bread.
IN this petition there are two things ob- servable : \st^ The order. 2d, The matter.
I. The order. First we pray " hallowed be thy name," before, " Give us this day our daily bread." Hence we learn, that the glory of God ought to be preferred be- fore our own personal concerns.
First we pray, " Hallo\\'ed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done," be- fore we pray " give us this day our daily bread." God's glory ought to weigh down all before it ; it must be preferred before
our dearest concerns. Christ preferred his Father's glory before his own glory as he was man, John viii. 49, 50., " I honour my Father, I seek not my own glory." God's glory is that which is most dear to him, — it is the apple of his eye, — all his riches lie here. As Micah said. Judges xviii. 24., " What have I more ?" so I may say of God's glory, what hath he more? God's glory is the most orient pearl of his crown, which he will not part with, Isa. xlii. 8., " My glory will I not give to another '*
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OF THE FOURTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
God's glory is more wortli than heaven, more wortli than the salvation of all men's Bouls ; better kingdoms be demolished, bet- ter men and angels be annihilated, than God lose any part of his glory. First we pray that God's name may be hallowed and glorified before we pray, " give us our dai- ly bread." We are to prefer God's glory before our nearest concerns ; before there can be a preferring God's glory before our private concerns, there must be a new birth wrouiiht ; the natural man seeks his own secular interest before God's glory, John iii. 31., " He is of the earth, earthly." Let him Lave peace and trading, let the rock pour out rivers of oil. Job xxix. 6., and let God's glory go which way it will, he minds it not. A worm cannot fly and sing as a lark : a natural man, whose heart creeps upon the earth, cannot admire God, or advance his glory, as a man elevated by grace doth.
Use. Of trial. Do we prefer God's glo- ry before our private concerns? Doth God's glory take place ? Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat, quod von propter te amat, Aug. 1*^ Do we prefer God's glory before our own credit ? Fama parri passu amlm- lat cum vita. Credit is a jewel highly val- ued ; like precious ointment, it casts a fra- grant smell ; but God's glory must be dear- er than credit or applause ; we must be willing to have our credit trampled upon, if God's glory may be raised higher. Acts V. 41., The apostles rejoiced " that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name ;" that they were graced so far as to be disgraced for Christ. 2</, Do we prefer God's glory before our relations ? llelations are dear, they are of our own flesh and bones ; but God's glory must be dearer, Luke xiv. 2G., " If any man come after me, and hate not father and mother, he cannot be my disciple." Here odium in suos, is pietas in Ihuiu. " If my IViends (saith Jerom) should persuade me to deny Christ, — if my wife sliould liang about my neck, — if my mother should shew me her breasts that gave me suck, — I would tram- ple upon all, and flee to Christ." 3(/, We must prefer God's glory before estate ; gold is but shining dust, God's glory must weigh heavier. If it come to this, I cannot keep xny place of profit, but God's glory will be