The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 271

earthly. He had eeen how the fear of poverty influenced men, and seen, by a variety of arguments, to root out undue thought for the morrow. J. IF GOD OIVEB YOU LIFE, HE WILL ALBO GIVE YOU SUITABLE FOOD AND CLOTH- ING, The greater gift implies the less. The heavenly Father who could produce so marvellous o. work e.s the body, and who could originate life, has certainly power for the common, everyday achievement of providing you with food and clothing. II. You ABE MORE VALUABLE IN Gon's ESTIMATION THAN THE LOWER ANnlALS, and, if even they are well provided for, much more will you be cared for. The strength of the argument lies in two points. First, we a.re better equipped for providing against the future than the birds are, and should therefore be more free from care. No doubt their cheerfulness arises from ignorance, but our ability to look forward is abused if it only makes us despondent and fearful. Second, it is your heavenly Father who feeds them. The other creatures a.re only a kinu of step-children. And if God delights in the happiness of myriads of creatures who cannot know and thank him, is it justifiable that we should in any circumstances question his desire to bless us? Clearly this a.mounts to an assertion of the doctrine of special or parLicular providence, and there is no one who may not from our Lord's words draw encouragement to expect providential care and intervention. u III. NDUE BOLIOITUDE A.BOUT THE FUTUBE DOEB NO GOOD. .. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?" There is a legitimate and necessary consideration of the future with which our Lord has no quarrel. Reckless improvidence is II fault no less than over-providence. The taking thought which our Lord rebukes is a vain inoperative brooding over possible disasters-a brooding to which the mind returns for the very reason that nothing is effected by it; were any- thing effected by it, it would cease. IV. EAOD DAY HAB SUFFICIENT BURDEN OF 1TB OWN. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." If the evil that should be met to-day is not to lie over and follow on into to-morrow, then your whole strength is needed for immediate duty. Yon must adopt the great military rule if you are to be successful ; you must break up your life into small portions, and conquer in detail. The best preparation for to-morrow is to do the duty of to-day. This is a great practical rule which, if followed, eases life of most of its burden. For what causes anxiety is commonly something that has not happened, which belongs to to-morrow rather than to to-day. Are you sufficient for the duty of to-day? Then be satisfied, and leave to-morrow till it comes. Learn to live one day at a time. · But all these considerations only serve to lead up to the great precept, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." All men would be willing to make the kingdom of God the second thing, but each man would like to cheese his own first thing. Every man has some first object, it may be life, or honour, self-respect, or a pure conscience which he would rather preserve than anything else. But the demand here me.de is no more than saying we a.re moral creatures, made in God's image; and morality, if not supreme, is not morality. To put it in the second place ls to annul it. Furtber, we all admire the men who have conspicuously pracU~ed this precept; who have shown themselves superior to the world, that they might be free to find the truth or to relieve the miseries of their fellow-men. Such men have shown us how independent of the world II man of free spirit can be, and how he can give himself to the highest work of man as freely o.nd effectively here and now as in any conceivable world. Greatness of character in this respect is nothing else than greatness of love. Practically this precept is in most c,1ses reversed. We must secure food and raiment; wo shall welcome righteousness afterwards. The earthly ia the essential, the heavenly thE1 supplementary. Our earthly interests are so pressing, we must in the first place put them on a satisfactory basis, and we do not recognize the highest conceivable moralit,:r a.s that which can alone put our busi- ness on e. satisfactory footing. But righteousness is not to be postponed to anything else; and if the spirit of Christ cannot be canied into the forms which business has ta.ken, these forms must go. Those who would postpone the kingdom of heaven to other interests should consider whether it is likely that, after they shall have Ii vcd for the world for II few years longer, they will bo more inclined than now to seek the kingdom of God.-D. 264 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ctt. v1. 1-34,