words of our heavenly Teacher amount to much the fame as if He had faid, “ If ye esteem it worth your while to purfue with fuch pains and affiduity the uncertain advantages of a being fo fhort and tranfient; how much more folicitous fhould ye be to enfure that reft and peace, that fulness of joy, which remains for the People of God in a future and eternal existence ?" And in this view of the text who can chufe but acknowledge at firft fight the fair and powerful reafoning contained in it? For furely the more effential any good is to our true happiness, the more highly doth it import us to contend for it. And though the neceffaries and accommodations of our prefent indigent ftate are good and defireable, and fuch as every prudent man endeavours honestly to acquire, according as God has enabled him; yet it must be allowed utterly incompatible compatible with true wisdom, to fet our hearts altogether upon thofe things which perish with the ufing; and in the mean while to neglect the attainments of virtue and holiness; which alone are effectual to give us fatisfaction when all other enjoyments cease, and which are as real and permanent as our immortal fouls. It is confeffedly the part of worldly Prudence indeed to attend to thefe leffer concerns in fubordination to his main end and intereft; and whoever acts otherwise can never manage to any good purpose. He who neglects the business of his particular calling, muft needs in the lower stations of life, come to Poverty. But is it not full as reasonable that the concerns of the prefent life, even life itself (which is defigned as a means not an end) fhould be rendered fubfervient to our expectations of a bet ter? ter? More especially, if we reflect that the interefts of this world and the next are perfectly reconcileable. Our heavenly Father is well acquainted with our wants; He knoweth that we have need of food and raiment, and many other things not of neceffity only, but of comfort and convenience alfo; neither is there any room to doubt but that that beneficent Being, who freely gave us our life, which is more than meat; and our body, which is more than raiment; will alfo blefs our honeft endeavours, and humble truft in his good Providence, for the preservation of them. If we feek first the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs, all those things fhall in their due. proportion be added unto us. To be diligent in our respective occupations, provided always they be fuch as are creditable and ufeful in the world, is indeed so far to do the work of God: Such Such too is the condition of the generality of mankind, that they must labour for their ordinary fubfiftence. But in the mean time, if whilft we are busy to maintain the body, we neglect and starve the foul; if we take no care to keep alive within us our Chriftian graces, Faith, Hope, and Charity; those best preservatives against present temptations, and only fecurities for future happiness; if instead of making our fecular employments a means of procuring the bleffing of Heaven upon our honeft and neceffary labours, we fuffer these to prevent all our Devotion and Religion; allowing ourselves neither thought nor leisure for holy exercifes; we then prepofterously defeat the good effects of a commendable industry, by difregarding the one thing needful; and become justly liable to that reproof of our Lord, by labouring only" for the meat which perisheth.” Proceed Proceed we in the fecond place, to illuftrate the propriety and importance of the exhortation annexed" But labour for that meat which endureth unto everlafting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you." 2. As it has pleafed the divine Wifdom, in many places of Scripture, to comprize all the neceffaries of man's natural life under the fingle article of bread, it's principal fupport; fo likewife to reprefent the entire gofpel of Christ, it's gracious influences and fpiritual advantages, under the fimilitude of bodily food. And in this fenfe are the words before us to be understood. That meat - which endureth unto everlasting life is without doubt a true and stedfast faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift, as He who died for our fins; and withal a fincere obedience to the whole will of God revealed by Him. For whereas it is added VOL. II. I in |