things to each other; for har is the preſent Caſe Rd ns Or, no Man with che like Diligence, and goon and Faithfulneſs, can ſerve two Maſters. Ir 154 prover- al $ cech, and in reafon to be underſtood of contrary _— \. will either pate the one, or the firſt, and love the ſecond), __ ſe h» will cleave 0 the firſt, and contemn the other ; that 1s, 1o 1h 11s ations behave himſelt, that he will appear a true Servant bur to one of them, and deſpiſe, or ſlight the other 5 Tou cannot ſerve God and MUmmmns Ic 1s not improbable, thar ſome of the _ cients have thought, that amongſt fome 'of the Heathen, they n:d an Idol calied 3ſammon, which rhey made the God of Mo- ney; thence Mammn by a Figure ſignifierh Riches, as Luke 16. 9: & as itisof an Equivalent Senſe ro, No Man can ſerve God _ Bacchus, or God and Venrs : Thar 15, none can be a Drunkar Y or an unclean Perſon, and a true Servant of God. So no Man cn ſerve God, and yer make the getring of Riches, right or wrong, t:;5 Srudy ; hencerhe Apoſtle calls Covetouſneſs, Idolatry, Col. 3+ 5+ So that by ſerving here, muſt be underſtood a giving up of our {'ves chierly,or wholly either to the Service of God, orto the Bu- incts of gerring the World ; (or, ſerving the larter,) in what it Tempterh or Commanderh us to, Contrary to the Will of God.
2; Therefore I ſay, * Take no thought for your if, whatye ſhall ear, or what ye {hall drink; nor yer for your body, what ye ſhall put on: Is not the
{2 lite-more than meat, or the body than rayment : 67s
The Text muſt not be interpreted in a Senſe contradictory to thoſe many other Texts, which forbid an 1dle Lite and Com- mand us, 2n the Swear of our Face to eat our Bread, or tO pro- vide for our Families, 2 Theſſ. 3. 10, 11. 1 Tim. 5. 8. Nor did Cirilt himſelf live fuch a Life; he went about doing good, finiſhing the Work which his Father had given him ro do: Ir mult be therefore underſtood, 1. Of no fuch Thoughts, as are incontiſtenc with the Service of God, mentioned in the laſt Words. 2. Of no Anxious and Diſtrating Thoughts. 3. Of no ſuch Thoughts 3s ſhould ſhew any Diſtruſt and Dithdence in God's providing for us. God harh given us our Lives and our Bodies, withour our Care for the Exiſtence of them. Why ſhould we in a Jawtul, and moderate uſe of Means, diſtruſt God for a Subſiſtence tor them? He hath given us the greater, will he nor (think you) give us the leſs?
26 * Behold the fowls of the Air : for they .fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much berter rhan they ?
God takes a care of all his Creatnres. For Example; conſider the F-wls, and thoſe, not che Tame Fowls about your Houſes, bur the Fowls of the Air, for whom the Houſewife's Hand doth not provide, neicher hath God fitted them for any Labour, by which they can procure their Livelihood; nor doth he require any ſuch thing of them, nor do they Labour; yer their Creator (who is your #*avenly Futher) feedeth them. You have much more reaſon to rruſt in God, if you could nor Labour, being kindred by his Providence ; for you are more excellent Beings than brute Creatures, and you have a furcher Relation to God, than that of Creatures to the Creator z for God is your Heaven] Father, You are inthe Order of Nature; and eſpecialiy, conft- dering that God is your Father, much better than chey.
27 Which of you by taking thought, can add one cubir to his ſtature ?
How vain a thing 15 it to diſtrat your ſelves with Anxious Thoughts abour your . Bady, and your Life * All your Thinking will not add a Cubit to your Stature: As your Being and Exi- ſence deriverth from God, ſo the Increaſe of your Stature depend- eth upon him ; likewiſe he makerh che Child to grow to rhe jus? priprrim which he hath intended him, and beyond thar he can« nor paſs, If God's Bleſſing be necefſary to this, and fo neceſſary, that no Thoughts, no Means will add any rhing without the Divine BlejJing, what reaſon have you to take any ſuch Thoughts, as you cannot expe he ſhould bleſs ro their deſired Effe& and Itue ?
28 And why take ye thought for rayment ? Con- lider the Lillies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they ſpin.
29 And ver I fay unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of theſe.
30 Wherefore if God ſo cloath the graſs of the held, which to day is, and to morrow is caft into the Oven, /ha/l he not much more cloath you, O ye of little fairh 2
From S21/;tive Creatures, our Lord proceedeth to Vegetables ; at Order of Creatures which have more than meer Being; they have alſo Life, tho* no Senſe 3 but yet two Degrees beneath Man ; wanring nor only Reaſon, bur Senſe. He ſhews us from an in- ſtance in theſe, that we have no more reafon to be troubled, and anxious about Cloathing, than about Meat or Drink. Cloath- '; 15 of no other uſe, than for Warmth or Ornament ; for ſuch Cioathing as will ſerve us for Warmth, a little Care will ſerve ue turn; Sudames ad Supervacanea, our Sweating Thoughts are moſtly for Supertluiries in Cloathing ; if God ſee them fir for us, he wil alſo give us them, without ſo many Thoughts abour mem, Look upon the Lillies .(wherher he means what we call Tulips, or other Flowers called Lilies, which probably thoſe -ountries had in greatcr Variety and Beauty, is not worth the ar- 84s) God defizninz to glorifie himſelf in choſe Creacures, tho' of meaneſt Orders, hath given chem a greater Beauty, than Solo- mm tad in alt his rich Array ; to ler us know that Art muſt not contend with Nature, and that Beauty and Glory in Apparel » 00 more than is to be found in Creatures much inferiour to
&. MATTHEW
Chap. VII.
our Order, which made Solon (cho? an Heathen) prefer the Sight of a Peacock, to thar of Crzſus ; and therefore this is a thing not worthy of any Anxious Thoughts; for if God ſeeth ſuch things good tor us, hethar ſo Cloatheth the Graſs of the Field, which is bur of a few Days Continuance, will much more Cloath us ; and and it we diſtruſt him for ſuch Proviſion, we ſhe our ſelves Perſons of little Faith.
31 Therefore take nothought, ſaying, Whatſhall weeat? or what ſhall wedrink? or wherewithal {hall we be cloathed ?
32 (For aſter all theſe things do the Gentiles ſcek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all theſe things.