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The Six and Thirtieth SERMON. PART. I. (Book 36)
MATTH. VI. 11. Give us this day our daily Bread.
WE pass now from the three first Petitions, which looked up directly into heaven upon the face of God, unto the three last, which look up indeed to heaven also, upon the Giver of all things, but withal reflect upon our selves, and on our present necessities. The first where∣of is that I have read unto you, GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. Before we come to handle which words, be pleased to take notice of the method here laid down by our Saviour for us to regulate our Devoti∣on by. Order and Method, as it makes the way easie and plain to every design we take in hand, so it poises our Devotion. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, saith the Historian, There is nothing so fair, nothing so commodious for use, as Order. This is it which hath given prae∣eminence to Aristotle above all the Writers before him, that he brought Nature it self, and all Arts and Sciences, into a certain order and method. Though men pursue knowledge with all eagerness and heat of inquisition, yet, if they begin where they should end, they will be alwaies beginning, and never end; they will but operose nihil agere, take a great deal of pains to be no wiser than they were: And though they strive forwards, and pace over much ground, yet will they be farther off from their wished end then when they made the first onset. Therefore what Vitruvius requireth in Architecture, is necessary in every work we undertake, especially in our Prayers, that there be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, order and disposition. There must be nothing in our Devotion 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ill disposed, or ill placed. For, as the devout Schoolman telleth us, that to incline too much to the sway of Sensuality and neglect the direction of Reason, tam sensualitatem quàm rationem extinguit, so also in our Devotion and Orizons, if we place them on temporal things and not spiritual; or on temporal before spiri∣tual; they never reach the mark, but fall short of both; they neither fill our hands with plenty, nor our souls with that spiritual Manna. If we prefer Mammon before God, we may expect to have leanness enter into our very souls, and to be punisht not only with a famine of bread, but of the Word of God also. The excellency of this method appeareth from the vast distance not only between the Body and the Soul, but also between that bread that