Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/74

 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.

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?

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