Had this man been a disciple of Christ Jesus, he would have learnt of him to consider life as a stewardship of which he must give account; to consider wealth as a talent, which he who lends it expects to receive again with usury. The Lord has not said, Take the portion of goods which falleth to thee; but he has said, "Occupy till I come." The Lord has not said, Enjoy thyself, but, Deny thyself. The Lord has not said, Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry, but, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

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With these general remarks before his eyes, he would have asked advice of God, and of the Scriptures, and of his conscience, and of pious men, how in his particular station he might so order his goings, as to be rich towards God, and make to himself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. So Job used his wealth; (Job xxxi. 16-19;) "He did not withhold from the poor their desire, or cause the eyes of the widow to fail: he did not eat his morsel by himself alone, without sharing 'it with the fatherless, or see any perish for want of clothing." And so it was the first inquiry of David, when God had blessed him with wealth and power, how he could manifest his gratitude by promoting God's honour; (1 Chron. xvii. 1;) “Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains: " he who has caused me to lodge in a palace has no temple worthy of his name.

2 Eph. v. 15.

When the summons of death is sent to one who has thought and acted thus, it is in terms very unlike those of the parable, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Such an one does not indeed expect eternal life as the reward of what he has done, or the recompense for what he has denied himself. He has a better and more enduring trust, founded on "the unsearchable riches of Christ;" but still the words are designed for him, "Come, thou blessed servant of my Father; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

So is he which layeth up treasure for himself, not on earth but in heaven, where he shall find it after many days.

LECTURE XLVI.

THE DISCIPLES ARE WARNED AGAINST ANXIOUS CARE OF EARTHLY THINGS.

LUKE Xii. 22—34.

22. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

23. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.2

1 Mǹ μepiμvâte. Be not anxious concerning those things. See Matt. vi. 25, &c.

* Of more consequence, more deserving thought; and besides, he who gave the one may surely be depended upon for the other.

24. Consider the ravens : for they neither sow nor reap ; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them; how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25. And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26. If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27. Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28. If then God so clothe the grass, whcih is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

A precept is given here which is not easy to follow, and which even the sincerest Christian is long in learning. Take no thought for your life: be not careful, anxious, cumbered with anxiety about the future. And yet it is our nature to look towards the future; it is the point in which men differ from the brute creation, which has no power to look beyond the present; mankind take a prospect of time to come. Nay, in our faculty of doing this all religion depends: which makes provision for things not seen as yet, and teaches us to walk by faith and not by sight.

Still we are here enjoined to indulge no anxiety about to-morrow. And St. Paul teaches the same lesson: "Be careful for nothing, but in everything,

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by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."

But how to effect this? Precepts are easily given, but how are they to be acted upon? When it is natural for us to feel anxiety, or desire, or sorrow; when there is much to make us wish, and fear, and grieve how are we to subdue these feelings? For many will say, Difficulties press upon us the burthen of a family; the uncertainty of health; the advance of life; all these things fill us with care, not only beyond what is good for us, but beyond and against our will.

Our blessed Lord, however, was aware of this; he pities our infirmities, for he knows that we are but dust, and that while we are in the flesh, the flesh must trouble us. While, therefore, he issues a precept, and prescribes a duty, he also gives reasons which may enable us to obey it. Your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things; he knoweth your wants, and he will provide for them. A lively perception of this gives that peace which passeth all understanding. Those who have "acquainted themselves with God," and become reconciled to him through the Redeemer, are lifted above earthly cares, and enabled to repose with perfect confidence upon Him who "careth for them."

And there is as much reason as there is comfort in such peacefulness. "Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Ye can secure nothing for yourselves; all your care, all your diligence, may be frustrated by one breath of the divine will. But he can do all for you, as easily as he has ordained that the flowers of the field shall grow, aud the fowls of the air be nourished, by the wise arrangements of his providence. The poor or the distressed man thinks himself happy if he can obtain the protection of a fellowcreature who is richer than himself, and a little higher in the world. How much more reason have they for ease and comfort, who have placed themselves in the hand of an Almighty Protector!

But it will be said, Troubles, after all, do not spare the Christian; he is often in pain, distress, and poverty. True; but these are as much the fruits of paternal care, as the temporal blessings which he would prefer to them. If our heavenly Father sends these things, it is because he knoweth we have need of them: and there is the same love in the provision which chastens, as in that which rewards. In that affecting history in Genesis, where Abraham sets out to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice to God, we read that Isaac attends his father willingly, and submits, without murmuring, even to the moment when the knife was in the father's hand; knowing that what a parent did, must be done in tenderness and wisdom. And he who has committed himself to God, will feel, or strive to feel, the same.

There must, indeed, be the heart converted to God before this confidence can exist. We do not pretend to say to the careless or the ignorant, to those who are only Christians because they are