(1.) The bread of idleness, Prov. xxxi. 27., " She eateth not the bread of idleness." An idle person doth vivere aliend quadrd, he lives at another body's cost, and is at their finding : Prov. xxi. 25., " His hands refuse to labour." We must not be as the drones which eat the honey that other bees have brouglit into the hive ; if we eat the bread of idleness, this is not our own bread, 2 Thess. iii. 11, 12., " There ai'e some which walk amontr you disorderly, working not at all ; such we command and exhort by our Lord Josus Christ that they work, and eat their own bread." The apostle gives this hint, that such as live idly do not eat theii own bread.
(2.) The bread of violence. We cannot call this " our bread," for it is taken away from others; that which is gotten by stealth or fraud, or any manner of extortion, is not our bread, it belongs to another. He who is a bird of prey, who takes away the bread of the v.'idow and fatlierless, he eats that bread which is none of his, nor can he pray for a blessing upon it: can he pray God to bless that wl;ieh he hath gotten unjustly?
A. 2. It is called " our bread" by virtue of our title to it. There is a twofold title to bread. U/, A spiritual title; in and by Christ we have a right to the creature, and may call it " our bread." As we are be- lievers, we have the best title to earthly things, we hold all in capite, 1 Cor. iii. 22., " xVil things are yours ;" by what title ? " ye are Christ's." 2d, A civil title, which the law confers on us ; to deny men a civil right to their possessions, and make all common, opens the door to anarchy and confusion.
Use. See the privilege of believers,^ they have both a spiritual and a civil right to what they possess,— they who can say, " Our Father," can say, " our bread.'* Wicked men, though they have a legal
518
OF THE FOURTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAVEH.
rifrht to what tlicy possess, yet not a cove- the earth, the fire ;" and I may add a fifth naiit rii^lit ; they liave it by providence, not tiling, tlie lieart of a covetous man. Such by promise ; with God's leave, not with his as are not content with daily bread, but
love. Wicked men are in God's eye no better than usurpers ; all they have, their money and land, is like cloth taken up at the drapers, which is not paid for ; but this is the sweet privilege of believers, they can say, " our bread ;" Christ being theirs, all is theirs. O how sweet is every bit of bread dipped in Christ's blood ! How well doth that meat relish which is a pledge and earnest of more ! The meal in the barrel is an earnest of our angels' food in paradise. Here is the privilege of saints, they liave a right to the earth and heaven.
Fifthly. The fifth and last thing in this petition is, the thing we pray for, " daily bread."
Quest. What is meant hy bread?
Ana. Bread here, by a syncchdoche, is put for all the temporal blessings of this life, food, fuel, clothing. Qidcqvid nobis conducit ad bene esse, Austin. Whatever may serve for necessity or sober delight.
Use. Learn to be contented with that al- lowance God gives us. If we have bread, — a competency of these outward things, — let us rest satisfied. We pray but for bread, *' Give us our daily bread ;" we do not pray for superfluities, nor for quails or venison, but for bread, that which may support life. Though we have not so much as others, so full a crop, so rich an estate, yet if we have the staff of bread to shore us from falling, let us be content. Most people are herein faulty : though they pray that God would give them bread (so much as he sees ex- pedient for them) yet they are not content with God's allowance, but overgieedily co- vet more, and with the daughters of the horse-leech, cry, " Give ! give !" Prov. xxx. 15. This is a vice naturally ingrafted in us. Many pray Agur's first ])rayer, " give me not poverty," but fy^w prays liis last prayer, " give me not riches," Prov. xxx. 8. They are not content with daily bread, but have the dry dropsy of covetousness ; tliey are still craving for more, Hah. ii. .5., " Who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied." " There are (saith Solomon) four things say not it is enough, Prov. xxx. 15., the grave, the barren womb.