perhaps, no one branch of it was more furprising to that worldly minded people, immerfed deeply in the cares of life, and in a restless concern for earthly things, than the rule given by him in the text; Take no thought for the morrow. A rule, which even to Christian ears may feein fomewhat harsh at first hearing; and will, therefore, deferve to be a little explained, in order to its becoming a fure foundation of duty, and the proper fubject of those reafoninings and exhortations, with which I propofe to enforce it.

-Take no thought for the morrow.

The meaning of our Saviour in thefe words, cannot be, that we are to live at random, fecure and carelefs of whatever may befal us; that we are not to look into the confequences of our own or other men's actions, nor endeavour any ways to foresee and prevent approaching dangers : That we are to make no manner of provifion for future events, to lay up nothing, and concern ourfelves about nothing, but what is prefent, and immediately before us: For this is no part of the character either of a wife or good man, nor agreeable to many other rules and directions given us in holy feripture. Doubtlefs, fagacity in difcerning, and a prudent forecast towards declining evils, are not only allowable, but commendable qualities; frugality and diligence are certainly virtues: And therefore the prudent man is thus defcribed by Solomon, that he forefeeth the evil, and hideth himfelf:" Prov. xxii. 3. And the ant is recommended to us, as a pattern of providence and parfimony; "Go

to

to the ant, thou fluggard, confider her ways, and and be thou wife." Prov. vi. 6. Even our Saviour had a bag, wherein there was probably a fup-ply for more than one day. And as he allows us to forefee perfcecutions at a diftance, and to efcape them by an early flight; fo he himself took that method of declining them, and cannot therefore be supposed to condemn what he frequently practised. But his meaning plainly is, to forbid fuch a care and concern for future accidents, as is attended with uneafinefs, diftruft, and defpondency; fuch a degree of thoughtfulness, as takes up, and dejects, and diftracts the mind. We are not too curioufly to pry into the remote iffues of things, nor to perplex and afflict ourselves with the forethought of imagined dangers. We are not to guard against want, by an eager anxious purfuit of wealth, nor be fo careful in providing fupplies for the neceffities of this life, as to forget that we are defigned for another. In this fenfe we are obliged" to take no thought for the morrow." And indeed this is the fenfe which the original naturally carries: For what our verfion renders by taking thought, is in the Greek, a word of much greater force and compass, fignifying a reftlefs folicitude, and diftraction of thought; and by the morrow, is not meant the very next day only, but according to import of the eastern phrase, all the time to come, any future event, at what diftance foever. The defign of the text therefore is, to prohibit all anxious and perplexIng cares; whether as to the good things of life, the neceffaries and firft conveniences of it, how we fhall be furnished with them; or whether as

to the ill things, the poffible dangers, and diftant evils of life, how we fhall bear them; A disease very incident to good and virtuous minds, when they happen to be a little tinctured with melancholy; and veryapt, where it gets poffeffion, to poison all the enjoyments of life, and even to make life itself fometimes a burthen to the owner. It has been known, when an exceffive love of fome earthly good [as perhaps of a near and dear rela tion or friend] has in tender tempers raifed fuch a dread of lofing that happiness, as hath been more than equal to the pleafure they took in enjoying it. And there have been instances of thofe, who under all the affluence and and plenty in the world, have fancied to themselves fome accident, that might rob them at once of all they poffeffed; and have, by fuch an imaginary fcene, made themselves as truly miferable, as if it were real. Nor is it an unusual thing for men to be influenced fo far, by reflexions on fuch poffible accidents as thefe, as to fhut up their hands and their bowels to the poor, and to think then felves excufed from relieving other men's wants, left they themselves fhould one day want what they are invited to beftow. However, fhould fome of these be thought rare cafes, yet nothing is more common, than to fee men, who are at cafe, difquieting themselves with remote profpects, and with the vain fear of future evils: Efpecially if they live in doubtful and distracted times, when the fpitit of diffenffion reigns epenly, and parties of men are loud and violent against each other: Then they fink under the fad view of things, and are ever fcaring themfelves with the forethought

of

of the very worft, that can befal themselves or others, particular families or cities, curches or kingdoms. To thefe (and to all fuch as thefe) we may prefame that our bleffed Lord directs the precept of the text- "Take no thought for

the morrow."

It shall be my bufinefs to fhew both the evil and the unreasonablenefs of fuch anxious thoughts and how little they are to be juftified, either in point of piety or prudence.

First, The evil of them lies in these particu lars: That they are oppofite to feveral plain precepts of holy writ; that they often invade the peculiar province and prerogative of God, and are always built on a fecret diftruft of his providence,

Several exprefs commands there are in fcripture of the fame import with that of the text: "Be careful for nothing (fays St. Paul) but, in every thing, by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Phil. iv. 6. "Caft all your care upon him (fays St. Peter, Pet. v. 7.) for he careth for you. "Commit thy way unto the Lord (fays good David Pf. xxxii. 5.) trust to him, and he fhall bring it to pafs." Can a man tranfgrefs thefe commands, without guilt; or entertain any degree of anxiety, without tranfgreffing them?

Indeed, when we indulge ourselves too far in thefe melancholy prefages, and pretend to see a great way off the evils that fhall happen to us,we are guilty of impiety on another account; inafmuch as we proudly and arrogantly pretend to what

doth

4

doth not lie within the compafs of our knowledge, and effect to partake with the Almighty in one of his great attributes. "Secret things belong unto the Lord our God:" Deut. xxxix. 29. He alone, who orders and difpofes futurities, can foresee them at a distance: But man is a short-sighted and Blind creature; and never more blind, than when he pretends to fee furtheft, and to fet up for prophefying. It is the kind defign of God, to wrap up things to come in clouds and darkness, left we hould arrive at the knowledge of that, which, when known, would certainly trouble us. The fcheme of fucceffive angry providences, by which God muft govern a wicked world, would be fo terrible and amazing a fight, that, in pity to us, God has shortened and bounded our view. And what madness, what wickednefs is it then, to pry curiously into thofe arcana of providence, which we can never find out, and which were hidden from us on purpofe that we might not find them out! "Secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but thofe that are revealed, belong unto us and to our children:" And one of these revealed truths is, the wife aphorifm of the text, "Take no thought for the morrow."

That fuch anxiety is irreligious, will further appear, if we confider it as built always on a fecret diftruft of God's goodnefs towards, and perpetual watchfulness over us. It hath indeed fomewhat of the nature of infidelity; and therefore our Saviour applies himself those who give way to it, under this compellation: "O ye of litt e faith!" Did we repofe an entire confidence in God; were we thoroughly perfuaded,

that