all the contrary Interefts in the present S ER M World. THIS therefore being the case, that we cannot attend wholly to two contrary things at once; and that it cannot be imagined, but that one or the other of them muft in many circumftances and upon many occafions be poftponed our Saviour proceeds to advise us, ver. 25. which of the two oppofite Interefts 'tis of the greatest importance for us to fecure. He admonishes us, that our main and principal Intentions ought always to be fixed upon our Chief, that is, our future Happinefs; without being unreasonably and anxiously follicitous, concerning the tranfitory Injoyments of this prefent life 3 Therefore I Say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what shall ye eat, or what ye fhall drink; nor yet for the body, what ye fhall put on. With respect to the Apoftles, to whom these words were more immediately directed, they are to be understood in the ftrict and literal Senfe ; that being in a perpetual Progress from one place to another to preach the Gospel, they were not to make any provifion at A a 3 all XVI. SERM.all for their own maintenance, but to re XVI. ly entirely upon the Providence of God, by whofe appointment they were imployed in that fpiritual work. But as the words express the duty of Chrißians at all times and in all places, they must be underftood in a larger and lefs ftrict Sense: to fignify, that, after we have used a reafonable industry to obtain the necessaries of this prefent life, we ought not to be any further anxious and follicitous about them; but to rely on the Providence of God, for a continual fupply of these things by his bleffings upon our just Indeavours, and to be content with what proportion of them he is pleased to beftow upon us in the ways of Righteoufness. THE Reasons or Arguments, why we ought thus contentedly to rely upon the Providence of God, our Saviour adds in the 25th and following verfes : Is not the Life more than meat, and the Body than raiment? He that firft gave you Life and Being, without your contributing any thing towards it yourselves; will he not much more bestow upon you, in the XVI. the ways of Virtue and Integrity, things SER M. neceffary for the support and preservation of that Life? Behold the fowls of the Air; for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; they forefee not their own Wants, nor are able to make any provifion against them; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them; Are ye not much bet ter than they? And why take ye Thought for raiment Confider the Lillies of the Field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they fpin; and yet God gives them a continual increase, and clothes them with inimitable Beauty; so that even Solomon himself in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of thefe: Wherefore if God fo clothe the grafs of the Field, which to day is, and to morrow is caft into the oven; Shall be not much more clothe you, O ye of little Faith? AFTER which Reafonings he repeats again the admonition itself, ver. 31. Therefore take no Thought, faying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after these things do the Gentiles feek ;) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye A a 4 have SERM. bave need of all these things; (Which ad'XVI. monition, if it be applied, not to the then prefent circumstances of the Apoftles only, but to all Chriftians in general; it must be understood with some limitations in the fente before explained;) And then he adds, in the Words of the Text, But feek ye first the Kingdom of God, and bis righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. THE Kingdom of God, in Scripturephrase, fignifies, fometimes the Glory and Happiness of Heaven; fometimes the ftate of the Gospel, the establishment of the Religion of Chrift upon Earth; and very frequently Both of them together; they being in reality one and the fame thing, differing only in time and in degree. For God carries on one uniform and regular design of bringing all his Creatures to Righteoufnefs and Happiness; and these are infeparable the one from the other. Righteoufnefs is the only poffible foundation of true Happinefs; and Happinefs is, both in the nature of things and by the appointment of God, the Fruit and the Effect of Righteoufnefs. They differ differ only, as Seed-time and Harveft, as SER M. Childhood and the State of a Man; XVI. Grace or Virtue, being the beginning, the ground and principle of Happiness, growing up and improving towards the Perfection of Glory. The Kingdom of God therefore, when it fignifies Both, is not used in different Senfes, but in its most proper and natural fignification: On the contrary, when it seems reftrained to One fignification, it is then rather taken figuratively, and put only as a Part for the Whole. In the Text, it is of little importance in which of the two Senfes we understand it: For if, by the Kingdom of God, be meant the ftate of the Gospel or the Religion of Christ here; yet without doubt 'tis principally with regard to its final iffue and perfection in Heaven: And if thereby be meant the Glory and Happiness of Heaven, yet this always prefuppofes the foregoing eftablishment of true Righteousness and Holinefs upon Earth. Or, they may seem Both to be expreffed in these words of our Saviour, The Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs; the Glory of Heaven, and the |