and where we see that none but the active, and sober and industrious thrive; and that no man can support himself and his dependents without exercising these qualities, and that to the best of his power, I am, in the next place to show, in what way all this may be done consistently with our duty to God, and so as to secure our inheritance in the world that is to come.

There is then, but one way of reconciling these two duties: but one way of securing both these objects, (namely, our happiness in God hereafter, and a proper and sufficient portion of the things of this life) and that one way is, to attend to the direction of our blessed Lord : "To seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" for then, and then only, have we any reasonable warrant to expect that "all other things," all necessary temporal and worldly supplies of his bounty "shall be added" unto us. Now if it be your first and chief study and endea vour to love, to please, and to honour God: to obey his will, and to keep his commandments, to seek first his kingdom of grace in your hearts by faith, and prayer, and watchfulness here, that so through his covenanted mercy in Christ Jesus, and by the merits of his death and righteousness, you may attain to his kingdom of glory hereafter: if it be your constant care to

eschew evil and to do good; to be true and just in all your dealings; to bear no malice nor hatred, in your hearts; to love your neighbour as yourşelves, and to forgive your enemies as you yourselves hope to be forgiven of God; to be holy in all manner of conversation, and to walk as children of the light and of the day :-then does your heavenly Father charge Himself and his holy angels with the care of you and yours in this world. Ye shall want no manner of thing that is good. Having called you through his grace, to his kingdom of glory, he will not leave you destitute of those things which are necessary for you, till such time as you arrive there. "He knoweth that you have need of all these things," such as bread to eat and raiment to put on. He has provided richly for your souls in the Gospel of his Son, and he will also make provision for your bodies. If he feed the young ravens that call upon him, much more will he feed you. If he sends rain on the evil and the unjust, much more will he rain down bread from Heaven upon you. If he is good to the unthankful and evil, he will not take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs.

Knowing this, my brethren, ye will not perplex yourselves with anxious thoughts and cares from day to day, and from morning until night,

saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? And why? Because your Saviour tells you that "after all these things do the Gentiles seek." These are the heart-rending thoughts of such as know not God, nor believe the doctrine of an universal Providence, whose mercy is over all his works: who enjoy none of that rich provision which He gives to his children, his truly adopted. sons by Jesus Christ. These know the hand that feeds them, the covenanted mercy that daily sustains their bodies and their souls: and having food and raiment" they are therewith content. They can cheerfully trust that Almighty and gracious Being who first created them from the dust of the earth, who was their hope when they hanged yet on their mother's breast, with the care of themselves and their little ones: knowing and believing that He loves them infinitely better than they love themselves, and will never leave and forsake them that be His.

If such be our trust in God, such our confidence in the good Shepherd; at the same time that we shall be entirely free from those inordinate anxieties and cares about the things of this life which our blessed Lord condemns as unreasonable, unprofitable, and proceeding from a want of faith and which only serve to disquiet

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our minds and to draw them off from our spiritual and everlasting concerns; we shall not be wanting in that proper care and concern, that moderate solicitude to support ourselves and dependents, which, so far from being wrong, criminal, or irreligious, is the height of prudence and wisdom, and also a mark of faith in God, since the contrary, viz. idleness and sloth, are condemned by the Apostle-"If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Though, therefore, it is God that in fact feedeth us, yet must we also reach forth our hands to receive his gifts: we must make a diligent use of all those means which he has supplied us with in order to come at the rich provision he has laid up for us: depending upon Him for the ultimate supply of our wants and necessities, as though we looked to Him alone for our daily bread; and using all present helps and means, such as honest industry and patient labour in our respective callings, as though every thing depended thereon. The consequence will be, that to unbounded faith and simple trust in God, we shall, through his grace, add persevering and unremitting industry in our callings and occupations. We shall labour earnestly for the meat that perisheth,,

as well as for that which endureth unto eternal

life.

Thus seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we shall not only be delivered from the evil of immoderate care and anxiety about the things of this life, which eat out the very soul of religion, and choke the word so that it becomes unfruitful; but also the objects of our care will be brought within their due bounds. We shall neither care immoderately, nor for immoderate things. If the kingdom of God be our grand and chief aim, all other aims and desires, will be brought into subjection to this. We shall desire no more, we shall care for no more, we shall labour for no more, than is sufficient for our pilgrimage here. If our treasure be in heaven, there also will be our hearts. We shall not, therefore, lay up for ourselves treasures upon earth, we shall not seek to join house to house, and field to field, and call the lands after our own name, seeing that these things bring with them increasing cares, are perishable in themselves, and cannot accompany us farther than this life.

"Godliness" brings with it contentment, and that, says the Apostle, "is great gain: for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and