Your Father knows how to give
To cut off every pretense for unbelief, our blessed Lord, in the following verses, illustrates yet farther what he has said by an appeal to what passes in our own breasts. What man, he says, is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Will even natural affection permit you to refuse the reasonable request of one you love? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? Will he give him hurtful instead of profitable things? So that even from what you feel and do yourselves, you may receive the fullest assurance: on the one hand, that no ill effect can possibly attend your asking; and on the other, that it will be attended with that good effect, a full supply of all your wants. For if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven, who is pure, unmixed, essential goodness, give good things to those who ask him? Or (as he expresses it on another occasion) give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11:13)? In him are included all good things: all wisdom, peace, joy, love; the whole treasures of holiness and happiness; all that God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
1771 text
20. To cut off every pretence for unbelief, our blessed Lord, in the following verses, illustrates yet farther what he had said, by an appeal to what passes in our own breasts. What man, saith he, is there of you, who if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Will even natural affection permit you to refuse the reasonable request of one you love? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? Will he give him hurtful, instead of profitable things? So that even from what you feel and do yourselves, you may receive the fullest assurance, as, on the one hand, that no ill effect, can possibly attend your asking, so on the other, that it will be attended with that good effect, a full supply of all your wants. For if ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven, who is pure, unmixt, essential goodness, give good things to them that ask him? Or, (as he expresses it on another occasion) give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him? In him are included all good things; all wisdom, peace, joy, love: the whole treasures of holiness and happiness: all that God hath prepared for them that love him.
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 30 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 7:1-12.
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