but by every word that proceedeth out of the SERM. mouth of God *.

The Divine benediction and appointment is that which only can fuftain us, and if that be but imparted, whether with or without the use of natural food, the end will be alike fecured and with the fame facility. It is with human bodies, if the will of God be fo, as it was with the gar ments of the Ifraelites, which wore not out, but lafted through the space of forty years in the wilderness, without recruit or reparation.

After all this enlargement concerning the Manna of the Ifraelites, and the ufe or deduction made by Mofes in the Text, it cannot be difficult for me in the

III. THIRD and laft place, to apply it under a few reflections to the ordinary conduct and œconomy of human life. As,

1. First, we learn from hence to whom our praise and thankfulness is due for the good things we enjoy, and whose benediction we should seek and implore in the use of them. We can neither depend upon the skill and industry of men to produce fruits out of the earth, nor upon the natural frame and texture of our bodies to convert them to our nourishment. If God withold his benediction, the force and vir

* Mat. iv. 3, 4.

tue

VII.

SER M. tue of nature must be entirely superfeded; VII. for it is he alone can drop fatness from the clouds, and fill us with the finest of the wheat; or elfe, on the contrary, call for a dearth upon the land, and deftroy all the provifion of bread. It is he alone can make us either pine and languish in the midst of plenty, or enjoy a little to the fatisfying of the foul.

From hence we may perceive our duty to look up to God for the provifion of our daily fuftenance, as well as to receive it at his hands with praise and thankfulness, to beg the Divine bleffing upon what we eat, and not fit down to it without prayer or thanksgiving, as perfons who are infenfible by whofe bounty they receive it.

And fo, in other occurrences of life, as well as in the matter of our food, we fhould learn to confefs that the fuccefs of our endeavours depends upon the bleffing and concurrence of Almighty God. Except the Lord build the boufe, their labour is but loft that build it: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

2. Secondly, When once we are juftly fenfible of this matter, we shall be in a great measure prepared for the next leffon I would propofe; that, whether in poverty or plenty, we should reft fatisfied with God's will and appointment, and improve it to its proper use and defign. It was

ob

obferved of the Manna of the Ifraelites, SERM. that he that gathered much had nothing over, VII. and be that gathered little had no lack. There was neither, on the one hand, any fuperfluity, nor, on the other, any defect. So let us learn, if we abound, to use and apply our enjoyments in fuch manner, that we may not seem to have been entrusted with too large a stewardship: or, if we have but little, to receive it with fuch refignation and contentment, that even that little may fuffice and fatisfy. But more efpecially, they who abound should remember it to be one part of their duty, to as fift and relieve the hardships of the indigent, and that it is one ufual method by which Providence takes care to fupply the poor with neceffaries, to fend more than enough to others, thereby making that trial of the virtue and moderation of them both, which could not poffibly have been if all were on a level. Again,

3. Thirdly, we may learn from hence not to be over-careful for to-morrow, not to be anxious, or too deeply concern'd about the method of our future fubfiftence. The Manna of the Ifraelites fupplied but the provifion of one day at a time, to teach them that they ought not to be uneasy about the time to come, but trust that the fame good Providence which had provided to-day, would extend its goodness thro' VOL. III.

the

SERM. the rest of their lives. We are taught in VII. like manner to put up our petitions only

for daily bread, and not to distract ourselves with anxious care concerning the method of our fuftenance to-morrow. Our bleffed Saviour has admonished us to look how the fowls of the air are fed without their care or contrivance; how the very grafs and flowers of the field are clothed with fuch verdure and beauty, that even Solomon in all his glory was not array'd like one of these; that from hence we may perceive our duty to depend upon the bounty of our heavenly Father, whose watchful Providence will not overlook the meanest of his creatures, but provides for their fupport, in proportion to that rank and degree in which he places them. Only, left this remark be train'd to an ill purpose, it must be added,

4. Fourthly, that we fhould be confcientious and diligent in the use of all lawful endeavours and means for our fupport, and after That, without anxious and doubtful concern of mind, fubmit the iffue and event to God.

We fhould, first of all, be conscientious, and use none but honeft and lawful methods for our support and fubfiftence, because, if we are fenfible that that depends on the bleffing and appointment of God, it must needs be prepofterous to look for it in the

3

tranf

tranfgreffion of thofe rules he has prescribed SER M. us. And if at any time fuch methods VII. fhould be attended with an outward fuccefs, yet that fuccefs itself, if it leads not to repentance, will in the end be hurtful

to us.

We should be alfo diligent in the use of fuch methods as are lawful and honest, fince otherwife we do but tempt, instead of trusting to, our heavenly Father, who has appointed an ordinary method and courfe of things, for the fupply of our neceffities, from which it is not fit he should recede merely to indulge the floth and negligence of men. And therefore, if any man will not work, or refufes to improve the opportunities which Providence has fet before him, it is but juft and equitable that neither should be eat. God was pleased by a miracle to make provifion for his people in the wildernefs, and fupply the barrenness and infertility of the place that they were in. But, as foon as that exigence was over, as foon as they were got into the land of Canaan, immediately the manna ceafed on the morrow: they were left then to fubfift on the provifions of the country, and to raise fruits from the earth in the ordinary course of nature, by toil and cultivation. Which example may inJosh. v. 12.

I