fhould in Hope and Patience poffefs our own Souls.

But, alas! tho' we call our felves Chriftians, yet few of us do practise this Point of Chriftianity, or fo much as endeavour to do it: Where is our Indifference to the World, and our Dependence on God? Where is that Moderation of ours which St. Paul, in the Verfe before my Text, requires us to make known unto all Men; that Equanimity and Contentedness which we ought to exprefs in every Estate and Condition in which God hath placed us; that abfolute Refignation of our Souls to the Will of God? alas! we are fo far from letting this be known unto all Men, that on the contrary we live in the World, and purfue our Designs, as if there was no God that took care of Human Affairs, or from whom we were to expect either Rewards or Punishments. Our Life is a perpetual Drudgery, our Heads are always full of Care and Thoughtfulness, anxioufly labouring for this or the other Thing, carrying on this or the other Project, without either looking up to God in the Choice of our Defigns, or depending upon him in the Management of them, or acquiefcing in the Succefs and Event that he gives them.

But fince we are thus affected, what wonder is it that the most of us live miferable all our Days, fome ftarving in the midft of Plenty, others murmuring at their B 2

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low Condition, both Sorts difcontented at every Thing, fearful of every Thing, restless and impatient, and ever complaining? Thefe are the natural Effects of Carefulness, without depending upon God.

Let us all therefore, if we mean either to live like Chriftians, or to enjoy a tolerable happy Life in this World; let us, I fay, charge ourselves with the Practice of St. Paul's Advice in my Text, To be careful for nothing; but in every Thing, by Prayer, and Supplication, and Thanksgiving, to make our Requests known unto God.

Be careful for nothing, that is the first Part of the Advice here given us; and of this Point I fhall treat at this Time : And that which I shall now do, is to give an Account of this Precept or Advice, and with what Limitations and Restrictions it is to be understood: Indeed, if we do not rightly inform ourselves about this, we fhall make mad Work of it.

Some, when they hear it faid, be careful for nothing, in general Terms, take no Thought for your Lives, and the like, will be apt to draw very comfortable Doctrine from hence to themselves, in favour of their idle diffolute Lives. This Advice fuits with their Humour as much as is poffible, for they matter not how little Care they take. All the Happiness they court in this World, is a Life free from Thoughtfulness and Bufinefs, and wholly employ'd

in the prefent Pleasures that are before them.

These are the Sluggards that Solomon so often speaks againft, that would spend their Days in a profound Eafe and Reft, without forecafting or defigning, without employing either their Heads to think, or their Hands to labour, but living from Hand to Mouth, and taking what Chance, or their provident Forefathers, without any Care of theirs, have given to them.

But this Precept we are upon gives little Encouragement to Men to live at this rate. For tho' the Propofition be fo worded as to feem to forbid all manner of Carefulness, yet it means nothing lefs.

Indeed it is impoffible to live without caring, at least to live happily: The Souls that God Almighty hath given us are in their own Nature infinitely active and vigorous, and their Powers must constantly be exercifed in pursuing fome Defign or other,doing fome Work or other, otherwise we shall live the Lives of Plants or brute Creatures, but not of Men: And what Defigns foever they purfue, their Natures will incline them to attend to, and lay out themselves vigorously upon. The Bleffedness of Mankind doth not confift in fitting ftill, but in being constantly bufy, constantly in Action; only that Action and Business ought to be fuch as is fuitable to the Nature of our Spirits, that is to fay, fuch as is exercifed about the nobleft

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and beft Objects, and is managed by the Rule of Reafon and Virtue.

Careful then we must be. But what then doth St. Paul mean when he faith, be careful for nothing? Why certainly he doth not exclude all Objects from our Care, but only thofe of one kind, that is to say, the things of this World, the things that concern our Bodies, and our outward Condition; fuch as Food or Raiment, Wealth or Reputation, the Succefs of our Designs, and the like. We are to be careful for none of these things, but to refer our felves wholly to God's Pleafure concerning them. But there is another fort of things which it concerns us all to be infinitely careful about, that is to fay, the Affairs of our Souls; to ferve God, to do good in our Generation, to get virtuous Habits, to live innocently, and pioufly, and usefully, and by that means to lay up a good Foundation against the time to come, that we may obtain Eternal Life. As to these things, we muft not say we will refer it to God to work them in us; he made our Souls, and we will truft them with him. No, (as one of the Ancients expreffeth it) he that made us without ourselves, will not fave us without our felves. Our Care about thefe things cannot be too great? nay, in truth, if we do not lay out the greatest part of our felves about them, we are in danger of falling fhort of our Aims. For the

Gate

Gate that leadeth to Life is (as our Saviour tells us) a ftreight Gate, and whoever will enter into it must not only feek, but ftrive; that is, must use the fame Diligence and Earneftness, and vigorous Application, that thofe do who ftrive for Mastery. We muft prefs forward, as St. Paul teftifies of himself, towards the Mark, in order to our obtaining the Prize of our high Calling in Jefus Chrift, imitating those that run in a Race, who put out their whole Strength to be firft at the Goal. Laftly, if we will obtain Salvation, we must work it out with Fear and Trembling, as the fame Apostle hath told us; that is, our highest Care, Sollicitude, and Watchfulnefs, will be little enough to effect it.

This therefore is the firft thing to be observed in the Explication of this Text, that it is the Care of worldly Things only that is here forbidden us. But what then is all Care for worldly things forbidden us by our Religion? God forbid. For that would open a Door to Sloth and Laziness, and all the evil Confequences of it. No certainly, (which is the fecond thing I defire to take notice of in the Exp ication of this Text) for all this Command of being careful for nothing, a juft Care even for worldly Things, is not only allowable to Chriftians, but incumbent as a Duty upon them. We are fo to take care of Food and Raiment, as honeftly to labour for them; and

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