Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-11-20
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''Gi'e Us this day our daily
bread
Abstract IF Sermon ty r. " Web
s'er, Grn.'d Rapids, Nor. Oh, '73.

first. the al lress Our Father which
art in heaven second, word Of wor-
ship" Ia"owed be thy name;" third.
! a p!eiye Of loyalty, a committal to
trustfu! obedience. We have now the
first petition n-"Giye Us this day eur
daily bread
This petition is very definite: gireu.,
to day, bread.
1t is also very simple. No request
of ch III cou i be more SO. ANY
chill that can use the words, can un-
lerstand them-Our Father, give US
our bread to-day.
But very much is involved in it.
Our Lord in teaching us thus to pray,
teaches US several things.
First Our Father is the source of
our supply. All bfead is tis, ketore i.
is ours: Nature, indeed; shows US
where he keeps it and how he prepares
it. The Sun. the Ocean, the air, AMI
the soil are each a great store house Of
the materials for bread
The chemical ami vital forces bv
which these become ready for US, we
see to be abundantly adequate, and Of
tie materials themselves there is no
lack.
But the dctrine Of the Bible, clear
ly involved in this petition of the
Lords prayer, is, that all these materi-
ais aud forces are under the control and
management Of our Father and that it
is not to their blind operation, but to
His intelligence and good will that We
are to look for our brea'.
Second. This petition teaches us
that we are to depend upon our Father
for each days supply. Gods materials
for bread are not bread
The materials of which Jesus made
bread for the hungry thousands, (for
we are not obliged to suppose that he
made it out of nething) were all about
them, but they must have gone hungry
bat for The Lords present help. Even
50 our daily bread depends upon Gods
daily providence.
| know it is common notion that
God so arranged things at first, that if
as soon as the earth was prepared and
man put upon it, God had left it and
forgotten all about it. or had ever ceas-
ed to exist, every thing would have
gone on jus: as it has, there being just
so much bread to be secured in just
the same way. Nor car we prove that
it would not be so. by any appeal to
nature, or the natural sciences, or by
an appeal to any ones experience. for
nature is silent, and the question os
experience is the very Question in Dig
pute, for If God is present with, and
managing the world, then no ore has
hal any experience Of the contrary.
The doctrine of the scriptures is
very cle,r, however, and it is the doc
time involved in this petition viz:
Our Father is ever watching our needs
AM he provides each day, for each
lays supply.
That Jesus intended to convey this
idea, is plain by every right principle
of the Interpretation of honest speech,
In Christs use OF language. Civ
rs this day our daily breats' could
revar consist witt, the notion that God
:anrot be snpposeI to do anything in
answer to the request, beyond what he
Ii | thousan Is Of years ago, The Pc
tition plainly supPoses present Father
ready to grant noe, the present re-
quest: ard that We depend upon his
providence of today for to-days sup
ply.
Third. This teaches that our Faith.
er would have us ask Whatever we
nay say about prayer it is clearly His
appointment To refuse to do it is to
lisobcy. It is to set our will above HIS,
1t is to fnl fault with him, the perfect
Wis lon and perfect love. 10 t'es!cct
to pray is simple and foolish.
Sav some,-but our Father knows
what things we have need of before
! we ask him and if he krows our need
and is able to supply it, and is good
enough also, what is she use of asking!
1t will be enough, FIR many, to reply
that our Lord who, to encourage Us
against all anxiety, told US that our
Father kno5's our needs before hand,
told us also to ask His simple COM
mand is assurance of sufficient reason
Reasons, However, are not far to
seek. We may say that .slar Father
knows. ut,of we want befnres We ask