thought within himself, faying, What fhall I do: for I have not whither to gather my Fruits? And he faid, This will I' do, I will pull down my Barns and build greater, and thither will I gather all my Fruits and my Goods. And I will fay to my Soul, Soul, thou haft much Goods

laid up for many yearr: take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But, God faid to him, Thou fool, this night fhall they require of thee thy Soul; and the things thou haft provided, whofe fhall they be? So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is no rich towards God.

Refp. Thus are we apt to abuse our profpe= rities, and thus our profperities are apt to abuse us. O my God, may this excellent Parable thorowly convince me, that Wealth confifts not in abundance of poßeffions, but only in being rich towards Thee. From It let me learn, how vain and incertain are the projects of this worlds from It conclude, bow short and dangerous are the enjoyments of this life. O my God,

Befon

Leffon 169.

And He faid to his Difciples, Therefore I fay to you, Be not folicitous for your life, what you fhall eat; nor for the body, what you fhall put on. The life is more then meat, and the body is more then raiment. Confider the Ravens, for, they neither fow nor reap, have neither ftore-house nor barn; and God feeds them how much more are you of greater value then they! Befides, which of you, with taking thought, can add to his ftature one cubit? If then you be not able to do that which is the leaft, why are you folicitous for the reft? Confider the Lillies how they grow; they labour not, neither do they fpin: and yet, I fay to you, that Solomon in all his Glory was not array'd like one of thefe. If then God fo cloath the Grafs, which to day is in the Field, and to morrow caft into the Oven; how much more you, O you of little faith! And you, feek not what you shall cat, or what you fhall drink, neither be you of doubtful mind: for, all these the Nations of the world feek after; and your Father knows you have need of thefe, But,

But, feck you first the Kingdom of God and its Juftice, and all Thefe shall be: added to you. Fear not, little flock; for, it it your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell what you have and give Alms: provide your felves bags which grow not old, a treafure in the Heavens that fails not, where no thief approaches nor moth corrupts. For, where your treasure is, there will your heart be alfo.

Refp. My God! if Thou haft made me rich, give me race to be free and charitable; if Thou hast made me poor, give me Grace to be bumble and induftrions: Whatever Thou ordereft concerning me bere, make me place my Treafure with Thee. For, where my treasure is, there will my heart be alfo. Thon cloatheft the Lillees, and feedeft the Ravens; never let me doubt Thy Providence Thou preparest for us Eternal Riches in Heavens never let me doat on these perishable trifles upon earth.

where

LeBon 170.

* For,

Let your Loins be girt, and lights burning in your hands; and you like

Men

Men who wait for their Lord, when he returns from the Wedding: that, when he fhall come and knock, they may open. to him immediately. Bleffed are thofe fervants, who, when their Lord comes, He shall find watching, Verily I fay to you, He fhall gird himself, and make them fit down to meat, and fhall go by. and ferve them. And if he come in the second watch, or in the third, and find them fo; bleffed are thofe fervants. Watch, therefore; for you know not is what hour your Lord will come. But this know, that, if the good man of the houfe could tell what hour the thief would come, he would furely watch, and not fuffer his house to be broken through Therefore, be you also ready'; for, the Son of Man will come at an hour when you think not.

Resp. Awake, my Soul, and take Thy Lords advice: gird thy Loins with cha ftity, and kindle in thy mind a burning and a faining charity, and fo ftand prepared continually against the day of that glorious Appearance. * For, the Son

of God will come at an hour when we sbisk not. Let not fecurity.caft

fleep; nor idleness make us drowsy, nor temptation debauch us from our duty: but let us always watch, that when ever we are fummon'd, we may fill be ready. *For, the Son

Leffon 171.

Then Peter faid to Him, Lord, speakeft Thou this Parable to us, or likewise oall? And our Lord faid, Who,thinkeft hou, is a faithful and wife Steward, whom his Lord appoints over his houfeld, to give them their meat in duc cafon? Bleffed is that fervant, whom, when his Lord comes, he shall find fo loing: Verily I lay to you, he shall ftablish him over all his goods. But, f that evil fervant fay in his heart, My Lord delays his coming, and shall begin to beat his fellow fervants, and the maids, nd to eat and drink, and be drunk with runkards: The Lord of that fervant hall come in a day when he looks not for im, and at an hour which he knows not: And fhall cut him in funder, and appoint in his portion with unbelievers: there hall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth. And that fervant, who knew the will of his Lord, and prepar'd not himself, nor