God. In petition we act like men, in praise we act like angels. Doth God sow seeds of mercy ? Let thankfulness be the crop we bring forth. We are called the temples of God, 1 Cor. iii. 16., and where should God's praises be sounded forth, but in his tem- ples ? Ps. cxlvi. 2., " While I live \^A\\ I praise the Lord, I will sing praises to my God while I have any being." God gives us daily bread, let us give him daily praise. Thankfulness to our donor is the best poli- cy ; there is nothing lost by it ; to be thank- ful for one mercy, is the way to have more. Musicians love to sound their trumpets where there is the best echo, and God loves to bestow his mercies where there is the best echo of praise ; and it is not only of- fering the calves of our lips is enough, but we must shew our thankfulness by impro- ving the gifts which God gives us, and as it were putting them out to use. God gives us an estate, and we honour the Lord with our substance, Prov. iii. 9. ; he gives us the staff of bread, and we lay out the strength we receive by it in his service ; this is to be thankful : and that we may be thank- ful, be humble. Pride stops the current of gratitude; a proud man will never be thankful ; he looks upon all he hath, either to be of hi^ own procuring or deserving. Let us see all we have is God's gift, and how unworthy we are to receive the least favour ; and this will make us much in doxology and gratitude, we will be silver trumpets sounding forth God's praise.
First, give. Hence I note, 1. That the good things of this life are the gifts of God; he is the founder and donor.
2. From this word give, I note, that it is not unlawful to pray for temporal things ; we may pray for daily bread, Prov. xxx. 8., " Feed me with food convenient for me ;" we may pray for health, Ps. vi. 2., ' O Lord, heal me ; for my bones are vexed.' As these are in themselves good things, so they are useful for us ; they are as needful for pi-eserving the comfort of life, as the oil is needful for preserving the lamp from going out. Only let me insert two things. (1.) There is a great dilTerence between our praying for temporal things and spiri- tual. In pi-aying for spiritual things, W3 must be absolute. When we pray for par-
OF THE FOURTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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<!(»n of sin, and (1)c favour of God, and the sanctifyinij graces of tlie Spirit, these are indispensably necessary to salvation, and liere we must take no denial : but when we pray for temporal things, lierc our pray- ers must be limited, we must pray condi- tionally so far as God sees tlieni fjof)d for us. God sometimes sees cause to wiihhold temporal thin<rs from us : tlicy may be snares, and draw our hearts from God, therefore we must pray for these things with submission to God's will. Tiiis was Israel's sin ; they would be jieremptory and absolute in their desire of tem])oral things, God's bill of fare did not please them, they must liave dainties, Numb. xi. 18., " Who shall give us flesh to eat?" God hatli given them manna, he fed them with a miracle from heaven, but their wanton palates cra- ved more, they must have quails : God let them have their desire, but they had sour sauce to their quails, Ps. Ixxviii. 30, 31., *' While the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them and slew them." Rachel was importunate in her desires for a child. Gen. xxx. 1., " Give me children, or I die :" God let her have a child, but it was a Beiioni, a son of sor- row, it cost her her life in bringing forth, Gen. XXXV. 18. We must pray for out- ward things with submission to God's will, else thev come in anger.
(2.) When we pray for things pertaining to this life, we must desire tcmjioral things for spiritual ends ; we must desire these things to be as helps in our journey to hea- ven. If we pray for health, it must be that WQ may improve this talent of health for God's glory, and may be fitter for liis ser- vice ; if we pray for a competency of estate, it must be for an holy end, that we may be kept from the temptations which poverty usually exposeth to, and that we may be in a better capacity to sow the golden seeds of charity, and relieve such as are in want. Temporal things must be prayed for, for 6])iritual ends. Hannah prayed for a child, but it was for this end, that her child might be devoted to God, 1 Sam. i. 11., " O Lord, if thou wilt remember me, and wilt give unto thine hand-maid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life." Many pray for outward things