people with a very great plague (i). Hear St. Paul in his application of the example of the Ifraelites to ourselves: Neither murmur ye, as fome of them alfo murmured; and were deftroyed of the deftroyer (k). Hear St. Jude characterising the finners of the last days as Speaking hard fpeeches against God, as murmurers and complainers, walking after their own lufts (1). Let us beware of being found in the number. Let us have faith in God; and quietly commit ourselves in all things unto Him. us be content with fuch things as we have: for He hath faid, I will never leave thee nor forfake thee (m). (i) Numbers, xi. 10-33. (k) 1 Cor. x. 10. (m) Hebr. xiii. 5. Let SER. SERMON XII. On WORLDLY ANXIETY." PHILIP. iv. 6, 7. Be careful for Nothing: but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving, let your Requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth allUnderStanding, fhall keep your Hearts and Minds through Chrift Jefus. IN N this paffage the Apostle warns us against a frame of mind, which, whether its intrinfic nature or its effect as to morality be regarded, will prove itself intimately allied to a spirit of Discontent. The preceding verfe closes with a very weighty admonition; The Lord is at hand. As though St. Paul had faid; "The present "life is not only fo uncertain, but is like"wife fo fhort, that death, which fixes your "state for Judgement, may well be always contemplated by every one, whether old or 3 young, as near." To the various inftructions which he had before been delivering this confideration would give additional force. Had he thus exhorted the fervants of Chrift: Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice? The more warmly would they rejoice in the promises of the gofpel, when they reflected that it could be but a short time which should pafs before they should depart and be in poffeffion of their inheritance with their Lord. Had he thus addreffed them; Let your moderation be known unto all men? The more eafily would they restrain themfelves through the grace of God from setting their affections on things on earth, when they bore in mind that the period could not be long before they should be feparated from earthly things for ever, The fame confideration would contribute to teach and to enable them to obey the fucceeding command; Be careful for nothing. On another occafion we find the apoftle employing the fame general argument in a manner fubftantially fimilar. When he counfels the Corinthians to be cautious as to the needless aggravation of their difficulties in their Chriftian course, and the accumulation of fresh anxieties respecting temporal concerns, by entering into the married ftate during thofe days of diftrefs distress and perfecution; it is thus that he impreffes the advice. This I fay, brethren ; the time is short. It remaineth that they that weep be as though they wept not and they that rejoice, (not they that rejoice in the Lord, but they that rejoice in the present accomplishment of their worldly wifhes) as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy as though they poffeffed not; and they that use this world, as not. abufing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. But I would have you without carefulnefs (a). a We perceive then how powerful is the motive with which the apostle introduces to the Philippians the directions upon which we are now to meditate: Be careful for nothing: but. in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, fhall keep your hearts and minds through Chrift Jefus. They are directions replete with the foundest advice and the most encouraging confolation. May the divine grace guide us all to apply them aright to our own inftruction and comfort! I. What is the difpofition of mind, against which Saint Paul admonishes us? Carefulnefs; that is to say, harrassing anxiety, whe(a) 1 Cor. vii. 29-32. ther ther under present troubles, or under the apprehenfion of future trials. To fuch anxiety we are all prone. The causes which naturally incline us to it are many. One of them is, the confcioufnefs of our own help-lefsnefs. We discover, that we are open on every fide, within and without, to tribulations, loffes, perils, against which we are unable to guard. Their actual amount, in itself very great, very great, we in fome instances magnify; and in more we magnify the probability of experiencing them, or at least of experiencing them fpeedily. Thus we are cafily drawn into overwhelming folicitude. Another cause is the acknowledged neceffity and duty of perfonal exertion for the purpose of avoiding the evils which we dread, and obtaining the good which we defire. This very habit of exertion has in many cases a tendency to encrease and rivet the anxiety, from which it in part originates. Another caufe is an undue value for earthly objects. Where our treasure is, there also will be our heart. And in proportion to the gratification which we promise to ourselves from any poffeffion will be our anxiety to acquire and to retain it. Another caufe, not, like the laft, blameable in its own nature, but on the contrary amiable in itself and laudable, is affection |