A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

First; I shall show you how God is interested in the common Mercies we do enjoy; and how every one, high or low, rich or poor, full or in a mean Condition, of what rank soever they be, even those that have the greatest Store and Plenty of worldly Accommodations, they must come from Morning to Morning, and deal with God for daily Bread.

First; I shall shew you how God is interested in the common Mercies we do enjoy; and how every one, high or low, rich or poor, full or in a mean Condition, of what rank soever they be, even those that have the greatest Store and Plenty of worldly Accommodations, they must come from Morning to Morning, and deal with God for daily Bread.

Those common Mercies which we do enjoy,

1. God gives us the Possession of them; for he is the absolute Lord of all Things, both in Heaven and in Earth; and whatsoever is possessed by any ⟨p. 305⟩Creature, it is by his Indulgence; for the primitive and original Right was in him. Psal. 24. 1. The Earth is the Lord's, and the Fullness thereof; the World, and they that dwell therein. It is all God's, we hold it in Fee from him; for he is the great Landlord, who hath leased out all these Blessings to the Sons of Men. The Earth is first the Lord's, and then by a Grant he hath given it to Men to enjoy. Psal. 115. 16. The Heaven, even the Heavens are the Lord's; but the Earth hath he given to the Children of Men. He hath given it to Men, partly, by a general Grant, and Leave given to enjoy and occupy it, as the Place of our Service: But that is not all; he doth not only give the Earth in general to Men, but he makes a particular Allotment; the particular Designation of every Man's Portion of what he shall enjoy in tho World, it is of God. And so it is said, Act 17. 26. He hath determined the Bounds of their Habitation. God hath not only appointed in general, the Earth to be the Place of our Service for a while; but he hath determined how much every one shall possess, what shall fall to his Share. These Things come not by Chance, or by the Gift of others, or by our own Industry, but by the peculiar Designation of God's Providence. However they come to us, God must be owned in the Possession; whether they come to us by Donation, Purchase, Labour, or by Inheritance; yet they are originally by God, who (by these means) bestoweth them upon us. If they come by Donation, or the Gift of others; the Hearts of Men are in God's hands, and he it was that disposed them to be bountiful to us, that appoi ted them to be Instruments of his Providence, to