were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, › Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be

known.

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

also confess before the angels of God:

9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

a Mat. xvi. 6. Mark viii. 15.-6 Mat. xvi. 12.-c Mat. x. 26. Mark iv. 22. ch. viii. 17.-d Mat. x. 28. Is. li. 7, 8, 12, 13. Jer. i. 8.-e John xv. 14, 15.- See Mat. x. 29.- Mat. x. 32. Mark viii. 28. 2 Tim. ii. 12. 1 John h Mat. X. 19. Mark xiii. 11. ch. xxi. 14.

which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two 'farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many spar

rows.

8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man

i

pany said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

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.

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 with 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, which 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

eth 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. 32 Fear not, little flock; for 'it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 'Sell that ye have, and give alms; "provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth neither moth corrupteth.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

i John xviii. 36.-k1 Tim. vi. 7, &c.- Eccles. xi. 9.

Ecclus. xi. 19. 1 Cor. xv. 32. James v. 5.- Or, do they

require thy soul.-m Job xx. 22; & xxvii. 8. Ps. lli. 7. Jam. iv. 14.-n Ps. xxxix. 6. Jer. xvii. 11.-o Mat. vi. 20 ver. 33. 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19. James ii. 5.-p Mat. vi. 25.q Job xxxviii. 41. Ps. clxvii. 9.- Or, live not in careful suspense.-r Mat. vi. 33-8 Mat. xi. 25, 26 - Mat. xix. 21. Acts ii. 45; & iv. 34.-u Mat. vi. 20. ch. xvi. 9. I Tim. vi. 19.

READER. He said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. -Are you Christians? Then let me tell you, you are sons and daughters of the eternal God, the only monarch of the whole world, and so are heirs apparent to the crown of glory. Tell me then, what an unseemly sight would it be to see a prince doting upon a beggar, and robes enamoured with rags! How much more is it unseemly for you, who have nothing less than heaven entailed upon you, to be doting upon the beggarly vanities of this lower world! which certainly all true

selves as becometh those who expect, ere long, to solace themselves in the

enjoyment of God himself. While David looked to his father's sheep, he carried himself as a shepherd; but when he had mounted the throne, majesty presently sat in his brows, and he behaved himself like a king. So you, although whilst you lived in your sins, and so were strangers unto God, you then lived like earthly creatures, conversing with nothing but dust and clay; yet, now that you profess to have repented, and to believe in Christ, and so to be entitled to the kingdom of heaven, you should live like yourselves, and scorn to stoop so low as to lick up the serd; deporting yourselves as pent's food those who every moment look to be sent for, to go and take possession of your celestial crown. The very thought whereof should make you disdain the highest enjoyments that this world is able to afford you, as things not worthy to be compared with the glory that Christ hath procured for you. So that, let me tell you, so long as your thoughts and affections are taken up with any thing upon earth, you act below yourselves. You who expect ere long to bathe yourselves in those rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand for evermore, can it become you to drown yourselves in a deluge of carnal pleasures and sensual delights? You that have such a plenty of bread and heavenly manna in your father's house; is it not below you to feed like the prodigal upon the husks, with

the swine of this world? You that hope ere long to trample upon the moon, and to be advanced above the stars themselves, is it fitting for you to lie under a clod of earth? In a word: : you that expect ere long to be invested with all the bliss and happiness that a creature is capable of, is it a comely thing for you, in the mean while, to spend your time in running after shadows, and in playing with childish gewgaws; in raking in the dirt, or treading in the mire? Is this proper work for the heirs of heaven to be employed in? Or is this to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called ?" No, surely; and therefore so long as you suffer your affections to be bent upon the things below, you act below yourselves as men, much more as Christians. The things upon earth can never satisfy your desires; for nothing can do that but what is better than yourselves; although you may have too much of them, you can never have enough of them; never so much as to satisfy your souls, and make you happy.

Give me leave to mind you of the Apostle's sayings, that "covetousness is idolatry,” Col. iii. 5; and that whosoever minds earthly things is a shame to the gospel, and an enemy to the cross of Christ, Phil. iii. 18-19; and then, of consequence, in setting your affections upon them, you thwart God's intentions in giving of them; who gave them not but that you should improve them for his glory. And, therefore, have a care lest your table become a snare, and your earthly wealth an occasion of your eternal ruin. Have a care lest in catching

at the shadow, you lose the substance, and exchange your future happiness for present misery.-BEVERIDGE.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.-There is a foolish disposition in the hearts of men to think that they shall ever continue in that state which they are once in. The proud and wicked man hath said in his heart, "I shall never be moved, I shall never be in adversity. God hath forgotten; he hideth his face; he will never see it." Psalm x. 6-11. And David was overtaken with this gross error, "I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved." This was the vain conceit of the fool in the gospel. "Thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Luke xii. 19. This ever hath been the language of secure and wicked men; "None evil can come upon us." Micah iii. 11. "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart," Deut. xxix. 19. "To morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant," Isa. lvi. 12. If men would but consider how easily God can break down all their cobwebs, and sweep away their refuge of lies; how easily he can spoil them of all the provisions of their lusts, they would be more fearful of him, and less dote upon things that will not profit; they would take heed how they abuse their youth, strength, time, and abilities, as if they had a spring of them all within themselves, and consider that their good is not in their own hand; that the scythe can get as well through the green grass as the dry stubble; that

consuming fire can as well melt the hardest metal as the softest wax. What is the reason why men in sore extremities make strong resolutions, and vow much repentance and amendment of life, and yet as soon as they are off from the rack, return again to their vomit, and wallow in their wonted lusts, but because their sense made them feel that then, which if they had faith they might still perceive and so still continue in the same good resolutions, namely, that God's hand was near unto them? But what, is not God a God far off as well as near at hand? Jer. xxiii. 23. Doth not he say of wicked men, that in the fulness of their sufficiency they shall be in straits! Cannot he blast the corn in the blade, in the harvest, in the barn, in the very mouth of the wicked? Did he not cut off Belshazzar in his cups, and Herod in his robes, and Babylon and Tyrus in their pride, and Haman in his favour, and Jezebel in her paint? Have but faith enough to say, I am a man, and therefore no human events should be strange unto me; and even that one consideration may keep a man from outrage of sinning. It may be I have abundance of earthly things, yet am I still but a gilded potsherd. It may be I have excellent endowments, but I have them all in an earthen vessel. And shall the potsherd strive with the potter, and provoke him that made it? This would teach us to fear and tremble at God's power. Though we look upon death and judgment as afar off, yet God can make them near when He will; for he hath said, that the damnation of wicked men is swift, and

that they are near unto cursing. His judgments are like lightning, and have wings suddenly to overtake a sinner. He requires but a month, nay, but a morning, nay but a moment, to consume his enemies, and bring desolation upon those who said they should sit as a lady for ever, and did never remember the latter end. "Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged," namely, by the patience and permission of God, in whose hands his days are, “yet it shall be well with them that fear God." Eccl. viii. 12-13.-REY

NOLDS.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, &c. See Matthew vi. 19-34, and the Commentary.

HYMN.

O happy soul that lives on high While men lie groveling here, Whose hopes are fix'd above the sky, And faith forbids his fear.

His conscience cleans'd from all his sins,
Love, peace, and joy combine

To form a life whose holy springs
Are hidden and divine.

No earthly wealth, nor joy, nor throne, Is his ambition here;

Content and pleas'd to live unknown Till Christ his life appear.

He looks to heaven's eternal hill
To meet that glorious day;
But patient waits his Saviour's will
To fetch his soul away.

WATTS.