on the Lord's Prayer. Bread of Life, John 6. 35· and Living Bread _whicb came dow_n /romlteaven, Verfe 5r. But here fi~emerh no Place for any fuch Myfhcal lnrerprerauon, the Word Stead lxc ing pur wirhout any Addition, or like Circumfiance, that migbt ref~r it to Chrift, of w Spiritual Things,_ and ~herefo~e ?ugh_t to be under~ood a~cordmg w die Words l iterally and in thetr ordwary Srgmficauon, although wdeed 1t be here ufed by Way of Sync;docbc, one Part of Temporal Good Things being put for the whole Acaetlion of them. Now from this we are taught thefe Three Things. . . Firjl, That Temporal Mercies and Bleffings may lawfully be prayed for. And altho' we ought not to be moft earnefr and tmportunate, nor to enlarge and expatiate moft upon thefe Requefrs, but more: e~rnefily to covet th~ be_fi ~ifrs, yet neither is unworthy of a Chrifrbn, whofe Af!eEhons and Converfmon IS In Heaven, to beg at God'• Hands thofe Mercies that he knows needful for the Support and Comfort of this Pre· fent Life· Y,ea we read of nothing more frequent than the Saims praying either for rhe Rem;vai of fome Temporal Evil ar Punilhment, or the Receiving of fome Temporal Blefling or Favour. If I !hould quote the Scriptures I might rranfcribe a great Part of rhe Bible; nay, fo far were they from looking upon ir as below eh em, that we find Jacob purring ic into his Indentures when he bound himfelf to God, and made h as it were the Condirion of his Obligation to God's Service, Gen. 28. 20. Then Jacob vowed a Vow, Jayin~, if God w{/1 be with me, and keep me in tbit W~y tbat I t.,o, and will give me Bread to cat, and Raiment to put on, fo tbtJt I come agarn to my fa.. rber's HoJije in Peace, tben jhalf the Lord be my God. And indeed there is a great deal of Reafon and Ground to pray for thefc Things, for they are both needful for us and God bath promifed to give.them to us. . 'Firlt, They are needful for us as rhe Means that God bath appointed for the Pref.:rvation of our Temporal Life and Being, on which we have to many Opponunitie• to ferve and glorifie him, and fo many Advantages ro :t'ecure Heaven and Glory to our Souls: And therefore as we tender either the obtaining of Heaven, or the Additional Degrees of Glory and Happinefs there, fo we fiand obliged ro pray that God would afford us thofe Necelfaries that may conduce to the prolonging of our Natural Lifo, till havingfinHhed our Work we are made fi[[o receive our Wages and Reward. Tour Heavenly f'azbcr knowezb that you have need of all thife Thing1, fays our Saviour , Mmh. 6. 32. And therefore thocgh Miracles be a Kind of a Non·obj/anrc ro the Law of Nature, and a Sufpenfion of the Ordinary Courfe of Providence, yet we often find God working a ll1irac!c to fupply rhefe Wams of his People, whereas it had been alike eafie by another Miracle to have caufed them not to want; fOr it had been no more difficult for God to have kept Elijab froin hungering than it was to make the Ravens h1s fprveyors, or to make a Barrel of Mea1 become a whole Han•efi, or to open a Spring and Fountain in the Cruifc of Oil; but he chufeth rather to fupply rhefe Wants than to ceafe them, to keep us in acontinual Dependance upon him, that the Senfe of our Neceflities might engage us to have conrin~:Ial Recourfe unto God for Relief. Secondly, As Temporal Good Things are needful for us, fo·God bath promifed to give us: Pfalnz 50. I). Call upon me m the Day of Trouble and I will deliver .thu. And, My God; fays rheApoftle, jhallfuppf)> al!yourWonrs,Phil.,lf. 19. Tbe LoJd will giveGrace and Glory, and no good Thing wdl he withhold from the~ that walk uprightly; Pfa/m 84. r 3· Thus we fee Temporal Good Things may be ptay'd for, both becaufe they are needful for us, and becaufe God bath promifed them to us: Yet, Secondly, They muft be prayed for only conditionally, for they are only conditionally promifed. Ani thefe Conditions are Twofold, if they be confifieMt with God's Pleafiue, and if they be conducible ~o our Good; for wirhout rbe obferving the one we fhou\d nor fa rrtuch fe(;:m to petirion as to invade> and without obferving the other we fhould but beg a Curfe innead of a Bletling. ' Thirdly, We may learn likewife that God is the Giver of every Temporal Mercy and Good Thing: Whateve r thou enjoyeft iris from his meer Free Bounty 1 he fp:ead• thy Table, filiSthy Cup, makesrhy Bed, purs on thy Garments, is the God of thy Heal rli and Screngt b,and loadeth theeda~ly wnh hJSBenetirs. If thou hall Riches it is the Blcfjing of God tbat makerh Ricb, Prov. 10. 22. It i.r God that givetb the( Power to get Wealth, Deur.S. J 8. Halt thou Credit and Reputation? his God that hideth thee froJt the Scourge of Tongues, Job 5. 21. Hafi thou Friends? Iris God thar giveth theeFa\tOUr in their Sight. HaH thouGifrs and Pans? It i.r the AhnigbtyGodrhat givetbtbeeUnderj/anding,Jo>h 32. 8. And hall thou Joy and Comfort in all tbefe? It is God, who~ot only filleth thy Mouth wuh Food, butrhy Heart wtth Giadnefs. Now God isfaid to Give us 011r Dail)> Breod,and all theNeceffaries of Life, efpeciallyTwo Ways. L 11 2 Firfr ,
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