mon, and, as it were, necessary portion, without which we cannot live. If of bodily food, not that which abounds for the supply of luxury and merriment, nor to be laid up for many years, but for our daily use and necessity.
6. Give us; for we must pray for all as our brethren, even although they hate us. Pray for them that persecute and calumniate you . And if thou see thine enemy hungry, feed him.
7. This day, because he would have us ask every day, and be always dependent on his providence. He also calls us off from an unnecessary anxiety for to-morrow, after the example of the manna which, of old, was given day by day. The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord. Give thou them food in due season. Open thy hand, and fill with blessing every living creature .
V. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
1. Many are the debts we owe to God: in many things we offend all, both by evil done, and by good left undone, which we ought to have done. Unless God of his mercy forgive, who can endure? If he will deal with us in the rigour of justice, who will answer one of a thousand? So that our only refuge is his mercy.
2. But this will fail us, if we do not forgive our neighbours their offences, which are small, however compared with our debt of ten thousand talents, which we owe to God. Yet such is the goodness of God, that he is ready to forgive ten thousand, if we remit the thousand.
3. But see and beware. He will forgive as thou forgivest, and this conditional clause thou addest to thy prayer. If thou forgivest grudgingly, slowly, insincerely, and imperfectly, expect and fear to receive the same measure from God. He merely pronounces sentence against himself, who asks for his debts to be forgiven him, while he does not forgive his own debtors, and that from his heart. If thou wilt mark iniquities, O Lord, Lord, who shall endure it?
VI. And lead us not into temptation.
We do not pray not to be tempted, because it is often good for us to be so, and God therefore wisely permits it. But we pray not to yield to temptation, and also that he may not suffer us to be tempted, when he sees that we shall give way. Temptation is often the occasion and ground for the exercise of virtue; but it belongs to God so to moderate temptation, and to help our weakness, that we may not be tempted above that we are able, but may come off unhurt. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn
