torment us before the time. He forbids only that care, which poisons the blessings of to-day, by fear of what may be to-morrow; which cannot enjoy the present plenty, through apprehensions of future want. This care is not only a sore disease, a grievous sickness of soul, but also an heinous offence against God, a sin of the deepest dye. It is an high affront to the gracious Governor and wise Disposer of all things; necessarily implying, that the great Judge does not do right, that he does not order all things well. It plainly implies, That he is wanting, either in wisdom, if he do not know what things we stand in need of: or in goodness, if he do not provide those things, for all who put their trust in him. Beware, therefore, that you take not thought in this sense: be ye anxiously careful for nothing. Take no uneasy thought this is a plain, sure rule, Uneasy care is unlawful care. With a single eye to God, do all that in you lies, to provide things honest in the sight of all men. And then give

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all into better hands: leave the whole event to God. 18. "Take no thought," of this kind, no uneasy thought even "for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ?" If, then, God gave you life, the greater gift, will he not give you food to sustain it? If he hath given you the body, how can ye doubt, but he will give you raiment to cover it? More especially, if you give yourselves up to him, and serve him with your whole heart. "Behold," see before your eyes, "the fowls of the air: for they sow nor, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;" and yet they lack nothing," yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" Ye that are creatures capable of God, are ye not of more account in the eyes of God? Of a higher rank in the scale of beings?" And which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature?" What profit have you then from this anxious thought? It is every way fruitless and unavailing.

"And why take ye thought for raiment ?" Have ye not a daily reproof, wherever you turn your eyes? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven," (is cut down, burnt up, and seen no more,) "shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith?" You, whom he made to endure for ever and ever, to be pictures of his own eternity! Ye are indeed of little faith otherwise, ye could not doubt of his love and care, no, not

for a moment.

19. "Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat," if we lay up no treasure upon earth? "What shall we drink," if we serve God with all our strength, if our eye be singly fixed on him? "Wherewithal shall we be clothed," if we are not conformed to the world, if we disoblige those by whom we might be profited? "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek," the heathen who know

not God. But ye are sensible, "your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." And he hath pointed out to you an infallible way of being constantly supplied therewith. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

20. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." Before you give place to any other thought or care, let it be your concern, that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who "gave his only begotten Son," to the end that "believing in him, ye might not perish, but have everlasting life," may reign in your heart, may manifest himself in your soul, and dwell and rule there: that he may "cast down every high thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.' Let God have the sole dominion over you. Let him reign without a rival. Let him possess all your heart, and rule alone. Let him be your one desire, your joy, your love; so that all that is within you may continually cry out, "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.'

"Seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." Righteousness is the fruit of God's reigning in the heart. And what is righteousness but love? The love of God and all mankind, flowing from faith in Jesus Christ, and producing humbleness of mind, meekness, gentleness, long-suffering, patience, deadness to the world; and every right disposition of heart, toward God, and toward man. And by these, it produces all holy actions, whatsoever are lovely or of good report; whatsoever works of faith and labour of love are acceptable to God and profitable to man.

His righteousness: this is all his righteousness still it is his own free gift to us, for the sake of Jesus Christ the righteous, through whom alone it is purchased for us: and it is his work: it is he alone that worketh it in us, by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit.

21. Perhaps the well observing this, may give light to some other Scriptures, which we have not always so clearly understood. St. Paul, speaking in his epistle to the Romans concerning the unbelieving Jews, saith, "They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." They were "ignorant of God's righteousness," not only of the righteousness of Christ, imputed to every believer, whereby all his sins are blotted out, and he is reconciled to the favour of God: but (which seems here to be more immediately understood) they were ignorant of that inward righteousness, of that holiness of heart, which is with the utmost propriety termed, God's righteousness, as being both his own free gift through Christ, and his own work, by his almighty Spirit. And because they were ignorant of this, they "went about to establish their own righteousness." They laboured to establish that outside righteousness, which might very properly be termed their own. For neither was it wrought by the Spirit of God, nor was it owned or accepted of him. They might work this themselves, by their own natural strength and when they had done, it was a stink in his nostrils.

And yet trusting in this, they would "not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God." Yea, they hardened themselves against that faith, whereby alone it was possible to attain it. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth." Christ, when he said, It is finished! put an end to the law, to the law of external rites and ceremonies, that he might "bring in a better righteousness," through his blood, by that one oblation of himself once offered, even the image of God, into the inmost soul of " every one that believeth."

22. Nearly related to these, are those words of the Apostle, in his epistle to the Philippians. "I count all things but dung that I may win Christ," an entrance into his everlasting kingdom, "and be found in him," [believing in him,] "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."-" Not having my own righteousness which is of the law;" a barely external righteousness, the outside religion I formerly had, when I hoped to be accepted of God, because I was, "touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless:"-" but that which is through the faith of Christ, that righteousness which is of God by faith :" that holiness of heart, that renewal of the soul, in all its desires, tempers, and affections, "which is of God:" it is the work of God and not of man, " by faith" through the faith of Christ, through the revelation of Jesus Christ in us, and by faith in his blood; whereby alone we obtain the remission of our sins, and an inheritance among those that are sanctified.

23. Seek ye first this kingdom of God in your hearts, this righteousness, which is the gift and work of God, the image of God renewed in your souls: "and all these things shall be added unto you ;" all things needful for the body; such a measure of all, as God sees most for the advancement of his kingdom. These shall be added, they shall be thrown in, over and above. In seeking the peace and the love of God, you shall not only find what you more immediately seek, even the kingdom that cannot be moved; but also what you seek not, not at all for its own sake, but only in reference to the other. You shall find in your way to the kingdom all outward things, so far as they are expedient for you: this care God hath taken upon himself cast you all your care upon him. He knoweth your wants: and whatsoever is lacking, he will not fail to supply. 24. "Therefore, take no thought for the morrow." Not only, take ye no thought, how to lay up treasures on earth, how to increase in worldly substance: take no thought how to procure more food than you can eat, or more raiment than you can put on; or more money than is required from day to day, for the plain reasonable purposes of life: but take no uneasy thought, even concerning those things which are absolutely needful for the body. Do not trouble yourself now, with thinking what you shall do at a season which is yet far off. Perhaps that season will never come or it will be no concern of your's: before then you will have passed

through all the waves, and be landed in eternity. All those distant views do not belong to you, who are but a creature of a day. Nay, what have you to do with the morrow, more strictly speaking? Why should you perplex yourself without need? God provides for you to-day what is needful to sustain the life which he hath given you. It is enough give yourself up into his hands: if you live another day, he will provide for that also. 25. Above all, do not make the care of future things a pretence for neglecting present duty. This is the most fatal way of "taking thought for the morrow." And how common is it among men? Many, if we exhort them to keep a conscience void of offence, to abstain from what they are convinced is evil, do not scruple to reply, "How then must we live? Must we not take care of ourselves and of our families ?" And this, they imagine to be a sufficient reason, for continuing in known, wilful sin. They say, and perhaps think, they would serve God now, were it not that they should, by and by, lose their bread. They would prepare for eternity; but they are afraid of wanting the necessaries of life. So they serve the devil for a morsel of bread: they rush into hell, for fear of want; they throw away their poor souls, lest they should, some time or other, fall short of what is needful for their bodies.

It is not strange, that they, who thus take the matter out of God's hand, should be so often disappointed of the very things they seek; that while they throw away heaven, to secure the things of earth, they lose the one, but do not gain the other. The jealous God, in the wise course of his providence, frequently suffers this. So that they who will not cast their care on God, who taking thought for temporal things, have little concern for things eternal, lose the very portion which they have chosen. There is a visible blast on all their undertakings: whatsoever they do, it doth not prosper. Insomuch, that after they have forsaken God for the world, they lose what they sought, as well as what they sought not. They fall short of the kingdom of God and his righteousness; nor yet are other things added unto them.

26. There is another way of "taking thought for the morrow," which is equally forbidden in these words. It is possible to take thought in a wrong manner, even with regard to spiritual things to be so careful about what may be by and by, as to neglect what is now required at our hands. How insensibly do we slide into this, if we are not continually watching unto prayer? How easily are we carried away, in a kind of waking dream, projecting distant schemes, and drawing fine scenes in our own imagination! We think, what good we will do, when we are in such a place, or when such a time is come! How useful we will be, how plenteous in good works, when we are easier in our circumstances! How earnestly we will serve God, when once such a hinderance is out of the way!

Or, perhaps, you are now in heaviness of soul: God, as it were, hides his face from you. You see little of the light of his countenance; you cannot taste his redeeming love. In such a temper of

mind, how natural is it to say, "O how will I praise God, when the light of his countenance shall be again lifted up upon my soul ! How will I exhort others to praise him, when his love is again shed abroad in my heart! Then I will do thus and thus: I will speak for God in all places: I will not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Then I will redeem the time. I will use to the uttermost every talent I have received." Do not believe thyself. Thou wilt not do it then, unless thou dost it now. "He that is faithful in that which is little," of whatsoever kind it be, whether it be worldly substance, or the fear or love of God, "will be faithful in that which is much." But if thou now hidest one talent in the earth, thou wilt then hide five: that is, if ever they are given; but there is small reason to expect they ever will. Indeed "unto him that hath," that is, uses what he hath, "shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly. But from him that hath not," that is, uses not the grace which he hath already received, whether in a larger or smaller degree, "shall be taken away even that which he hath."

27. And take no thought for the temptations of to-morrow. This also is a dangerous snare. Think not, "When such a temptation comes, what shall I do? how shall I stand? I feel I have not power to resist I am not able to conquer that enemy." Most true; you have not now the power which you do not now stand in need of. You are not able at this time to conquer that enemy; and at this time he does not assault you. With the grace you have now, you could not withstand the temptation which you have not. But when the temptation comes, the grace will come. In greater trials you will have greater strength. When sufferings abound, the consolations of God will, in the same proportion, abound also. So that in every situation, the grace of God will be sufficient for you. He doth not suffer you "to be tempted" to-day, "above that ye are able to bear." And "in every temptation he will make a way to escape." "As thy day, so thy strength shall be."

28. "Let the morrow," therefore, "take thought for the things of itself;" that is, when the morrow comes, then think of it. Live thou to-day. Be it thy earnest care to improve the present hour. This is your own; and it is your all. The past is as nothing, as though it had never been. The future is nothing to you: it is not your's; perhaps it never will be. There is no depending on what is yet to come; for you "know not what a day may bring forth." Therefore, live to-day: lose not an hour: use this moment for it is your portion. "Who knoweth the things which have been before him, or which shall be after him under the sun?" The generations, that were from the beginning of the world, where are they now? Fled away: forgotten. They were; they lived their day; they were shook off the earth, as leaves from off their trees. They mouldered away into common dust. Another and another race succeeded; then they "followed the generation of their fathers, and shall never more see the light." Now is thy turn upon the earth. "Rejoice, O young man, in the days of thy youth." Enjoy the VOL. 5.-SS