Our Lord repeateth the Precepr before given, v. 23. Where- in he forbids nor all moderate and provident Thoughts for things neceſſary, bur only ſuch Thoughcs as ſhall argue our di/try$ in God, or perplex and diſtract our Minds, or be inconſiſtent wich our Duty, and Imploymenr of our Thoughts abour higher and better things, This he here pretieth by two Arguments: 1. Be- cauſe theſe are the things which People ſpend all their Thoughts upon who are not aware that they have Souls to tabe care for, or do not un derſtand the Providence of God, or have no ſuch Relation to God as Chriſtians have, who call God Father.” 2. You have (faich he) an heavenly Father ; who being the God of Heaven, knoweth
_ you need ; and being your Father, will ſupply alſo your ceds.
33 But * cek ye firſt the Kingdom of God, and * Luk. 13. his Righteouſneſs, and all theſe things ſhall be added 3*:. 5* unto you. 1 RIng. 3.
, | 12. Pl. 37. The Kingdom of God, and his Righteonſneſs, in this Verſe, are PI
Terms Comprehenſive of whatſoever appertaineth to the Honour
and Glory of God, either as Means, or as the End. Let your
principal Care and Srudy be, how ro get to Heaven, and how
ro promoye rhe Kingdom of God in the World, to bring your
Hearrs 1n Subjettion to the Will of God, thar the Kingdom of
God may be within you ; and how to bring others to the Obedi-
ence of Faith, and of the Will of God. And for the Things of
this Life, ic ſhall fare with you as ir did with Solomon, 1 Kings 3.
12, who asked nor Riches and Honour, bur had them. You
ſhall have for your Necefficics, Pſal. 37. 4, Mar. 10. 30. 1 Tim.4.s,
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for themorrow ſhall rake thought for the things of it {elf ; ſufficient untothe day 7s the evil thereof.
No ſuch Thoughts as before-mentioned, for God will provide for you ro Morrow, when to Morrow cometh. Befides, every new Day will bring forth ſome new Cares ; you know nor whar ro Morrow will bring forth, nor whar to Morrow you will have need of; and it you did, why ſhould you torment your ſelves before the time? Ir will be time enough when you feel the Evils of a ſucceeding time; you need nor torment your ſelves with Prophecying againſt your ſelves; what ic may be, ſhall ne- ver be; or it it be, you had not need weaken your ſelves for rhe encountring ſuch Evils by a preyious Diſturbance of your Thoughts about chem.
GHAP. VIE
Chris forbids raſh Fudgment agair# a Brother, 1—5s. Mot to caſt Pearls before Swine, 6. Preſſeth to earneſt and inſtant Prayer,7—12. To enter in at the ftrait gate, 13, 14. To beware of falſe Prophets. in diſguiſe : Who are known by their fruits, 1$—20, Not to be Hearers only, but Doers of God's Word, 21—23. By a Houſe built on a Rock, he ſheweth the benefit of thoſe that hear and d; and by a Houſe on the Sand, the Miſery of thoſe that hear, and do mt, 24—29,
1* FUdge not, that ye be not judged. *Luk.6.34,
J 2 For with whatjudgment ye judge, yeſhall Rom.2.21, bejudged; * and with what meaſure ye metre, it 7 <*-4:3- {hall be meaſured to you again. 9
Our Saviour muſt nor. be underſtood here prohibiting any *Mar.4-24- Judgment, which 1s elſewhere in Holy-Wric allowed, for che Luk. 6. 38. Holy Spiric doth nor Command and Prohibic tne ſame thing , whence it 1s evidenr, that ir is not to be underſtood of Polirical or Eccleſiaſtical Judgments; nor was our Saviour here ſpeaking ro any ſuch Perſons. Ir is therefore to be underſtood of Private Fudgments; nor of them abſolutely, for 1t 1s lawtul for us ro Fudge our ſelves ; yea, 1t 15 our Duty, 1 Cor. 11. 3I. Nor is that ſudg- mentof our Nejghbour's Opinions or Ations here forbidden, which rerminateth in our ſelves, in our SarisfaRtion, as to the Truth or Falſhocd of the former, or the Goodne!s or Badneſs of the latter; we ought ſo ro prove all things, in order to our holding fat that which #s good. Nor is all Judgment of our Neighbour's Aions, with reference to him, forbidden ; how can we reprove him for his Errors, or reſtore him that is fallen, wichour a previous Fudg- ment of his ARions? Bur that which 1s here forbidden, is et- ther, 1. A raſh Tudgment of his State, or a judging him for ding his Duty ; ſuch was Simon's Judging the Woman, Lube 7. 39. or che Diſciples Zudgment of char Woman, Matth. 35. 6,7, Or, 2. A Fudeing of others, tor things which they judge to be indifferent, forbidden, Rom. 14. 1,2, 3- Or, 3. A Fudging them for ſecret things, ſuch as inward Habits of Grace, when no apparent Fruits ro the contrary are ſeen. Or, 4. Condemning orhers tor tingle ARs, or a publick Cenſuring and Condemning others for private Failings; or finally, any open and publick Cenſuring the Attions of others, when and where ir cannor conduce either ro God's Glory, or our Brother's Good. { That ye be not judged. | This is Expounded in the next Verſe, telling us eicher the ordinary
Femper of Men, or the juſt Judgmenc of God, repaying ſuch | uncharitable
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Chap. VI [.
uncharirable ARions, per Leger Taliomis, with ſuffering others to do the like to us, Luke 6. 37.
2 * And why beholdeſt thou the mote that 1s in thy brother's eye, but conſidereſt not the beam that | js in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou fay to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold a beam 7zs in thine own epe ?
- Thou hypocrite, firſt caſt out the beam out of thine own eye : and then thou {halt ſee clearly to caſt out the mote out of thy brother's eye.