Life and godliness
By bread we may understand all things needful, whether for our souls or our bodies, the things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We understand not merely the outward bread, what our Lord calls the food which perishes, but much more the spiritual bread, the grace of God, the food which endures to everlasting life (John 6:27). It was the judgment of many of the ancient fathers that we are here to understand the sacramental bread also, daily received in the beginning by the whole church of Christ, and highly esteemed, until the love of many grew cold (Matthew 24:12), as the grand channel whereby the grace of his Spirit was conveyed to the souls of all the children of God.
1771 text
By bread we may understand, all things needful whether for our souls or bodies: τὰ πρὸς ζωὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν· the things pertaining to life and godliness. We understand not barely the outward bread, what our Lord terms the meat which perisheth; but much more the spiritual bread, the grace of God, the food which endureth unto everlasting life. It was the judgment of many of the antient fathers, that we are here to understand, the sacramental bread also: daily received in the beginning by the whole church of Christ, and highly esteemed ’till the love of many waxed cold, as the grand channel whereby the grace of his Spirit was conveyed to the souls of all the children of God.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 26 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 6:1-15.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.