give thou to us the Spirit of wisdom, by whom we may be made clean from all filth; by whom we may be full filled with thy love, that all other loves, contrary to thine, may be bitter to us.

II. The second asking of this holy prayer, which in some measure pertains to the Son, is said in these words, Thy kingdom come to thee. Since Christ (who is that nobleman of whom the gospel speaketh, Luke xix.) came down from high heaven into this wretched world, to take us for his kingdom who before were lost through Adam's sin; and since he suffered bitter death upon a tree, and bought man again with his precious blood, and after that returned again to his Father, for the salvation of mankind—well may true christian people be called God's kingdom. And therefore, as St. Jerome saith, we here pray generally for the realm of all the world, that the devil may cease to reign therein, or that God reign in each man by grace, and that sin reign not in the mortal body of man. St. John Chrysostom saith, that holy men are called the kingdom of God, and wicked men are called the kingdom of the devil, for he reigneth in them, and they do his will. Therefore, a faithful christian man prayeth of God his Father, that sin, which is the realm of the fiend, may be destroyed, and Christ reign in souls through mercy and grace. And that, as he reigneth in souls of well living men, so also, by turning to good life, and putting away of sin, he would reign in them that still are evil.

Also Christ teacheth us in this prayer to ask the dreadful time of doom, in which the kingdom of God shall fully come; that men may know it behoves them not to live idly or negligently, that this time may not make ready flames and vengeance for them, but to live justly and soberly, that this time bring a crown to them. Here we ask of God, the second gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the Spirit of understanding in our hearts. For as the sun doeth away the darkness, and wasteth away the clouds and the morning dews, so the Spirit of understanding wasteth all the darkness of the heart, and showeth him his sins and defaults. So that he who thought before that he had been all clean, then findeth many faults, and defilements without number, as the sun-beam showeth motes and dust to them that behold it.

This asking is said thus; Fair Father, if it be thy will

enlighten our hearts with the Holy Ghost, and cleanse them and make them fair, that we may be made worthy to see God, and that he deign to reign in us; so that all be his, and he King, and that we may evermore see him. For that it is for us to live without end, and to be the kingdom of God. And as we are taught in the first asking, to restrain the sin of pride by true meekness, when we say, "Our Father," and not "mine," even so we are taught in the second asking to restrain envy against our fellow christian by true charity,* when we say, Thy kingdom come to thee. Merciful Father, vouchsafe to reign in our souls, as a king in his realm, governing us all our lives, that we may reign with thee in bliss without end.

III. The third asking of this holy prayer, which hath some respect to the Holy Ghost, the third person of the holy Trinity, follows in these words, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Here we pray to God, that his will be done and fulfilled here in earth, among sinful men, by amending their life, as it is done in just men, who spiritually are said to be heaven. For God dwelleth in just souls, as it is written, The soul of a just and well living man, is the seat of wisdom, that is of Christ, for he is the wisdom of the Father of heaven. Here we pray also, that our flesh withstand not our spirit, nor hinder it to do God's will. For the spirit desireth contrary to the flesh, and the flesh to the spirit, as St. Paul saith.

Here we pray that God's will be done, that is, as St. Augustine saith, that men obey God's commandments, as angels in heaven obey his commandments, so also that men in earth may obey the same; and as angels serve him in heaven without blame, so also may men serve him in earth. Here we pray God that he quicken our hearts with grace, that we may do his will on earth, as saints do in heaven. Let every man that sayeth this prayer, look that he do in his living; that as he sayeth in word, that God's will be done in him as it is in heaven, so also that his works accord therewith. For God looketh more to the deeds than to words of mouth. For if the words of thy mouth pray God that his will be fulfilled in thee, and thy works say, Nay, through sin contained in them, or through grudgings against him in sickness or in other diseases, thou obtainest nothing of God in thy prayer.

* Love

Here we ask of our Father of heaven the third gift of the Holy Ghost, that is, the gift of counsel-that our wretched will, through counsel of the Holy Ghost, be set fully to do God's will, so that in us, our own understanding or will be not master, but his only. As we are taught in the first and second askings to restrain pride and envy through meekness and charity, so we are taught in this third asking, to restrain wrath with true love of heart. And therefore Christ saith, I give to you a new commandment, that ye love each other, as I have loved you.

IV. In the last four askings of this holy prayer, we pray our heavenly Father, to give us, forgive us, keep us, and deliver us. And unless we have these four, we are dead and ruined in this world. And therefore we say to our Father, Our each day's bread, give thou us to day. Christ saith, Our each day's bread; to restrain lustful meats; that a man eat so much as reason asks, not how much fleshly lust covets. Here we pray for no lordships or riches of this world, but only for needful sustenance, which is understood by bread. Thus prayed the wise man, who was inspired with the Holy Ghost, saying, Beggary and riches, Lord, give thou not to me, but only sustenance; grant thou necessaries. In this asking, covetousness is put under. For here a christian man prayeth by largeness of heart, that God would give these necessaries which are understood by bread, to other men, as well as to him. And since each man, every day hath need of spiritual sustenance of soul, and also of body, therefore these necessaries may well be called our each day's bread. And as man's body is strengthened by bodily sustenance, that it fail not in travail, so man's soul is strengthened by God's word when it is rooted therein, that it fail not from the love of God, in tribulations, or in any anguish.

And therefore, we here ask of our heavenly Father the fourth gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, the gift of strength, which armeth God's knight,* and maketh his soul hardy and strong to suffer divers diseases for God's love. And as the soul passeth the body in worthiness, so this food of the soul passes bodily food. And if he were a cursed man that withheld bodily bread from his brother after the flesh, when he saw him about to perish, how much more are

The soldier of Christ

they accursed, who should feed souls that are on the point of perishing with God's word, and do not. And since this, which is the true food for the soul, hath been withdrawn for many days, through pride, covetousness, ignorance, and lustful living of those who should be teachers, and through unwholesome lore, and leasings* of covetous flatterers, therefore let us pray heartily to Jesus Christ, the true bishop of our souls, that he ordain true teachers for his people, to break to them the bread of God's word, and to warn them of their sins, telling them the very truth of God. And that He who inspired the holy prophets with knowledge and wisdom, and taught the apostles the way of all truth, may enlighten our hearts with understanding of his lore, and grant us grace to work thereafter. And as we each day need this food of body and of soul, therefore let us meekly pray our heavenly Father that he give us our each day's bread to day.

may

V. The fifth is said in these words, And forgive thou us our debts, as we forgive to our debtors. By this wise instruction of Jesus Christ, malicious and revengeful wretches know that they are in the way to hell as long as they dwell in their accursed malice. For by these debts are understood sins which we do against God. And as we sin each day, therefore each day we need to pray to God for forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, St. Cyprian saith, He that is commanded to pray each day for sins, is taught that he sinneth each day. Our Father teacheth us to ask forgiveness of our sins which we have done against him; upon this condition he forgiveth all that we have trespassed against him, that we forgive all others that have trespassed against us. And therefore he that beareth wrath, or desireth vengeance against his fellow christian, in this prayer prayeth God to take vengeance upon himself, as he doth, or as it in his will to do upon his fellow christian. St. John Chrysostom saith, "He that keepeth enmity against any man, lieth when he saith this prayer; for he saith, I forgive, and he forgiveth not; and so he asks forgiveness of God, and it shall not be forgiven to him."

It is not need for thee to forgive debts to each debtor of money, only to him that cannot pay. To him that will not pay, but chides and makes open debate, if thou doest mildly and easily, that money due to thee may be yielded

* Lies.

to thee, proposing not so much the winning of money as the amending him that hath whereof to pay; then not only thou shalt do no sin, but thou shalt profit that man.

St. Augustine saith, "Each sinful man is in great debt to God, which debt he is not able to pay. For though a man should live ever so long, he might not do sufficient penance for one deadly sin, if God used him strait and not in merciful judgment."*

But take good heed how thou sayest this prayer, when thou sayest, Forgive us our misdeeds as we forgive them that have trespassed to us. If one member of thy body chance to hurt another, he that is hurt revengeth not himself therefore. We are members of Jesus Christ, if we are true christian men, as the apostle saith. Therefore we should love each other, and those who do not so are manslayers, and condemn themselves, as holy writ saith.

In this prayer we ask of God a gift of the Holy Ghost, that is called a gift of knowledge, and which maketh a man to bethink himself well, and to be wise in soul. The Spirit showeth to man what he is, and what peril he is in, and when so he came, and whither he goeth, and what he hath done, and what he hath lost, and what he should have done. And when he seeth that he hath not whereof to make good for his sins against God, then this Spirit maketh him weep and lament, and cry mercy of God; and to cast away ire and wrath, and all other such; and to hold himself the foulest and worst of all others. For this Spirit teacheth man what pain and sorrow Christ suffered for him, and in whom never was spot of sin; how he sweat blood and water, how he was bound to a pillar and wounded from the head to the feet; how he was crowned with thorns, how he was nailed hand and foot, and his heart opened with a spear. And yet in all these hideous pains, as a sheep under the hand of his shearer, he was still without murmuring, as the prophet said of him. And he meekly prayed to his Father for his enemies, saying, Father forgive them their guilt, for they know not what they do. This should move all christian men to forgive all trespasses, and to pray meekly, both for enemies and for friends, saying, Fair Father, forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

This plainly shows that by penance Wickliff meant scriptural repentance, not the bodily penances of the church of Rome.