large catechism-第23节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


must　be　done　anyway　without　us；　may　also　be　done　in　us。　For　as　His　name
must　be　hallowed　and　His　kingdom　come　without　our　prayer；　so　also　His
will　must　be　done　and　succeed　although　the　devil　with　all　his　adherents
raise　a　great　tumult；　are　angry　and　rage　against　it；　and　undertake　to
exterminate　the　Gospel　utterly。　But　for　our　own　sakes　we　must　pray　that
even　against　their　fury　His　will　be　done　without　hindrance　also　among
us；　that　they　may　not　be　able　to　accomplish　anything　and　we　remain　firm
against　all　violence　and　persecution；　and　submit　to　such　will　of　God。　

Such　prayer；　then；　is　to　be　our　protection　and　defense　now；　is　to
repel　and　put　down　all　that　the　devil；　Pope；　bishops；　tyrants；　and
heretics　can　do　against　our　Gospel。　Let　them　all　rage　and　attempt　their
utmost；　and　deliberate　and　resolve　how　they　may　suppress　and
exterminate　us；　that　their　will　and　counsel　may　prevail：　over　and
against　this　one　or　two　Christians　with　this　petition　alone　shall　be
our　wall　against　which　they　shall　run　and　dash　themselves　to　pieces。
This　consolation　and　confidence　we　have；　that　the　will　and　purpose　of
the　devil　and　of　all　our　enemies　shall　and　must　fail　and　come　to
naught；　however　proud；　secure；　and　powerful　they　know　themselves　to　be。
For　if　their　will　were　not　broken　and　hindered；　the　kingdom　of　God
could　not　abide　on　earth　nor　His　name　be　hallowed。

　The　Fourth　Petition。　

Give　us　this　day　our　daily　bread。　

Here；　now；　we　consider　the　poor　breadbasket；　the　necessaries　of　our
body　and　of　the　temporal　life。　It　is　a　brief　and　simple　word；　but　it
has　a　very　wide　scope。　For　when　you　mention　and　pray　for　daily　bread；
you　pray　for　everything　that　is　necessary　in　order　to　have　and　enjoy
daily　bread　and；　on　the　other　hand；　against　everything　which　interferes
with　it。　Therefore　you　must　open　wide　and　extend　your　thoughts　not　only
to　the　oven　or　the　flour…bin　but　to　the　distant　field　and　the　entire
land；　which　bears　and　brings　to　us　daily　bread　and　every　sort　of
sustenance。　For　if　God　did　not　cause　it　to　grow；　and　bless　and　preserve
it　in　the　field；　we　could　never　take　bread　from　the　oven　or　have　any　to
set　upon　the　table。　

To　comprise　it　briefly；　this　petition　includes　everything　that　belongs
to　our　entire　life　in　the　world；　because　on　that　account　alone　do　we
need　daily　bread。　Now　for　our　life　it　is　not　only　necessary　that　our
body　have　food　and　covering　and　other　necessaries；　but　also　that　we
spend　our　days　in　peace　and　quiet　among　the　people　with　whom　we　live
and　have　intercourse　in　daily　business　and　conversation　and　all　sorts
of　doings；　in　short；　whatever　pertains　both　to　the　domestic　and　to　the
neighborly　or　civil　relation　and　government。　For　where　these　two　things
are　hindered　＇intercepted　and　disturbed＇　that　they　do　not　prosper　as
they　ought；　the　necessaries　of　life　also　are　impeded；　so　that
ultimately　life　cannot　be　maintained。　And　there　is；　indeed；　the
greatest　need　to　pray　for　temporal　authority　and　government；　as　that　by
which　most　of　all　God　preserves　to　us　our　daily　bread　and　all　the
comforts　of　this　life。　For　though　we　have　received　of　God　all　good
things　in　abundance　we　are　not　able　to　retain　any　of　them　or　use　them
in　security　and　happiness；　if　He　did　not　give　us　a　permanent　and
peaceful　government。　For　where　there　are　dissension；　strife；　and　war；
there　the　daily　bread　is　already　taken　away；　or　at　least　checked。　

Therefore　it　would　be　very　proper　to　place　in　the　coat…of…arms　of
every　pious　prince　a　loaf　of　bread　instead　of　a　lion；　or　a　wreath　of
rue；　or　to　stamp　it　upon　the　coin；　to　remind　both　them　and　their
subjects　that　by　their　office　we　have　protection　and　peace；　and　that
without　them　we　could　not　eat　and　retain　our　daily　bread。　Therefore
they　are　also　worthy　of　all　honor；　that　we　give　to　them　for　their
office　what　we　ought　and　can；　as　to　those　through　whom　we　enjoy　in
peace　and　quietness　what　we　have；　because　otherwise　we　would　not　keep　a
farthing；　and　that；　in　addition；　we　also　pray　for　them　that　through
them　God　may　bestow　on　us　the　more　blessing　and　good。　

Let　this　be　a　very　brief　explanation　and　sketch；　showing　how　far　this
petition　extends　through　all　conditions　on　earth。　Of　this　any　one　might
indeed　make　a　long　prayer；　and　with　many　words　enumerate　all　the　things
that　are　included　therein；　as　that　we　pray　God　to　give　us　food　and
drink；　clothing；　house；　and　home；　and　health　of　body；　also　that　He
cause　the　grain　and　fruits　of　the　field　to　grow　and　mature　well；
furthermore；　that　He　help　us　at　home　towards　good　housekeeping；　that　He
give　and　preserve　to　us　a　godly　wife；　children；　and　servants；　that　He
cause　our　work；　trade；　or　whatever　we　are　engaged　in　to　prosper　and
succeed；　favor　us　with　faithful　neighbors　and　good　friends；　etc。
Likewise；　that　He　give　to　emperors；　kings；　and　all　estates；　and
especially　to　the　rulers　of　our　country　and　to　all　counselors；
magistrates；　and　officers；　wisdom；　strength；　and　success　that　they　may
govern　well　and　vanquish　the　Turks　and　all　enemies；　to　subjects　and　the
common　people；　obedience；　peace；　and　harmony　in　their　life　with　one
another；　and　on　the　other　hand；　that　He　would　preserve　us　from　all
sorts　of　calamity　to　body　and　livelihood；　as　lightning；　hail；　fire；
flood；　poison；　pestilence；　cattle…plague；　war　and　bloodshed；　famine；
destructive　beasts；　wicked　men；　etc。　All　this　it　is　well　to　impress
upon　the　simple；　namely；　that　these　things　come　from　God；　and　must　be
prayed　for　by　us。　

But　this　petition　is　especially　directed　also　against　our　chief　enemy；
the　devil。　For　all　his　thought　and　desire　is　to　deprive　us　of　all　that
we　have　from　God；　or　to　hinder　it；　and　he　is　not　satisfied　to　obstruct
and　destroy　spiritual　government　in　leading　souls　astray　by　his　lies
and　bringing　them　under　his　power；　but　he　also　prevents　and　hinders　the
stability　of　all　government　and　honorable；　peaceable　relations　on
earth。
There　he　causes　so　much　contention；　murder；　sedition；　and　war　also
lightning　and　hail　to　destroy　grain　and　cattle；　to　poison　the　air；　etc。
In　short；　he　is　sorry　that　any　one　has　a　morsel　of　bread　from　God　and
eats　it　in　peace；　and　if　it　were　in　his　power；　and　our　prayer　（next　to
God）　did　not　prevent　him；　we　would　not　keep　a　straw　in　the　field；　a
farthing　in　the　house；　yea；　not　even　our　life　for　an　hour；　especially
those　who　have　the　Word　of　God　and　would　like　to　be　Christians。　

Behold；　thus　God　wishes　to　indicate　to　us　how　He　cares　for　us　in　all
our　need；　and　faithfully　provides　also　for　our　temporal　support。　and
although　He　abundantly　grants　and　preserves　these　things　even　to　the
wicked　and　knaves；　yet　He　wishes　that　we　pray　for　them；　in　order　that
we　may　recognize　that　we　receive　them　from　His　hand；　and　may　feel　His
paternal　goodness　toward　us　therein。　For　when　He　withdraws　His　hand；
nothing　can　prosper　nor　be　maintained　in　the　end；　as；　indeed；　we　daily
see　and　experience。　How　much　trouble　there　is　now　in　the　world　only　on
account　of　bad　coin；　yea；　on　account　of　daily　oppression　and　raising　of
prices　in　common　trade；　bargaining　and　labor　on　the　part　of　those　who
wantonly　oppress　the　poor　and　deprive　them　of　their　daily　bread！　This
we　must　suffer　indeed；　but　let　them　take　care　that　they　do　not　lose　the
common　intercession；　and　beware　lest　this　petition　in　the　Lord's　Prayer
be　against　them。

　The　Fifth　Petition。　

And　forgive　us　our　trespasses；　as　we　forgive　those　who　trespass
against　us。　

This　part　now　relates　to　our　poor　miserable　life；　which；　although　we
have　and　believe　the　Word　of　God；　and　do　and　submit　to　His　will；　and
are　supported　by　His　gifts　and　blessings　is　nevertheless　not　without
sin。　For　we　still　stumble　daily　and　transgress　because　we　live　in　the
world　among　men　who　do　us　much　harm　and　give　us　cause　for　impatience；
anger；　revenge；　etc。　Besides；　we　have　Satan　at　our　back；　who　sets　upon
us　on　every　side；　and　fights　（as　we　have　heard）　against　all　the
foregoing　petitions；　so　that　it　is　not　possible　always　to　stand　firm　in
such　a　persistent　conflict。　

Therefore　there　is　here　again　great　need　to　call　upon　God　and　to　pray：
Dear　Father；　forgive　us　our　trespasses。　Not　as　though　He　did　not
forgive　sin　without　and　even　before　our　prayer　（for　He　has　given　us　the
Gospel；　in　which　is　pure　forgiveness　before　we　prayed　or　ever　thought
about　it）。　But　this　is　to　the　intent　that　we　may　recognize　and　accept
such　forgiveness。　For　since　the　flesh　in　which　we　daily　live　is　of　such
a　nature　that　it　neither　trusts　nor　believes　God；　and　is　ever　active　in
evil　lusts　and　devices；　so　that　we　sin　daily　in　word　and　deed；　by
commission　and　omission　by　which　the　conscience　is　thrown　into　unrest；
so　that　it　is　afraid　of　the　wrath　and　displeasure　of　God；　and　thus
loses　the　comfort　and　confidence　derived　from　the　Gospel；　therefore　it
is　ceaselessly　necessary　that　we　run　hither　and　obtain　consolation　to
comfort　the　conscience　again。　

But　this　should　serve　God's　purpose　of　breaking　our　pride　and　keeping
us　humble。　For　in　case　any　one　should　boast　of　his　godliness　and
despise　others；　God　has　reserved　this　prerogative　to　Himself；　that　the
person　is　to　consider　himself　and　place　this　prayer　before　his　eyes；
and　he　will　find　that　he　is　no　better　than　others；　and　that