Serro. XXXVI. The Nature ofCovetoufnefs. 255 I. Not a provident Careabout the Things of this prefent Life. This indeed feems to be condemned in Scripture as a Branch of Covetoufnefs ; namely, in our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount, Mat. 6. 25. Take no thought for your Life, what,ye'hall eat, or whatye fhall drink; -nor yet foryour Body, what ye 'hall put en. Here our Saviour feems to forbid all Care, even about the Neceffaries of Life, Meat, and Drink, and Cloathing ; much more about the Delights and Con- veniencies of it. But this is not abfolutely, and in ordinary Cafes, intended byour Saviour to be condemned, as I (hall thew by and by under the next Head. 2. Neither is a regular Induftry and Diligence for the obtainingof thefe Things condemned in Scripture ; tho' this alfo feems to be prohibited by our Saviour in the fame Chapter, ver. 26. Behold theFowls of the Air : for theyfow not, neither do they. reap, norgather into Barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them ; and ver. 28. Why takeye thoughtfor Raiment ? Confider the Lilies of the Field, how theygrow; they toil not, neither do theyfpin. In whichWords our Saviour fcews to intimate, that we ought to depend upon the Providence of God for Food and Raiment, and to ufeno more Industry for the obtaining of them, than the Fowls pf the Air do, or the Lilies of the Field: And the fame anay feem to be collefted out of this Chapter of St. Luke : For after our Saviour had in my Text cautioned them againft Covetoufnefs, and fpoken to them a Parable to that Purpofe, ofaRich Man who enlarged his Barns, and laid up Goods for many years, He infers from thence, ver. 22. that Men fhould take no Thought for the Things of this Life, nor ufe any Industry about them; and he faid unto his Difciples, therefore pfay untoyeti, take no thought for your Life, what ye (hall eat ; neither for the Body, whatyefhall put on. Now to avótd all Inconveniencefromour Saviour's Words, I think that it is com- monly Paid by Interpreters, That he does here only condemn a diftruftful and anxious Care about the Things of this Life, and an over-felicitous Induftry and Diligence for the obtaining of them; but that he allows a prudent Care, and regu- lar Industry about thefe Things : And this were very will Paid, if it would agree with the Scope and Defign of our Saviour's Difcourfe ; but the Inftances which he gives of the Fowls of the Air, and the Lilies of the Field, which are fufiìcient- lÿ provided for without any Care and Induftryof theirs, and which he feems to fet before us for a Pattern, behold ( fays he ) the Fowls of the Air. I fay, thefe In fiances, which he gives, feem to exclude even all regular and ordinary Care and Diligence about thefe Things. What fhall we fay then, that our Saviour intended by his Religion to take Men off fromall Labour and Industry in their Callings ? This feems to be unreafona- ble ; and indeed fo it certainly were, if our Saviour had given this for a ftanding and ordinary Rule to all Chriftians ; and not only fo, but contrary to theApoftle's Doctrine, who conftantly charged Chriftians to labour with great Diligence in their Callings, that they might be able to provide for themfelves, and their Families. .hut this Difcourfe of our Saviour's was not intended for a General and Stand- Mg Rule to all Chriftians ; but only defigned for his Difciples, to take them off from all Care about the Things of this Life, that they mightattend upon his Per- fon, and wholly give up themfelves to that Work to which he had called them. And therefore St. Luke takes notice, that after he had cautioned his Hearers in general againft Covetoufnefs, he applies himfelf particularly to his Difciples, and tells them that he would have them fo far from this Vice of Covetoufnefs, that they fhould not fo much as ufe that ordinary Care and Industry about the Things of this Life, which is not only lawful, but neceffary for Men in all ordinary Cafes, ter. 22. And he unto his Difciples, therefore I fay unto you, take no thought foryour Life, whatyou 'hall eat. And this agrees very well with the Direftion whichour Saviour gave to his Difciples, when he firft fent them forth to preach, Mot. Io. 9. Provide neither gold, norflyer, nor brafs inyour purfes, neither coat, norfcrip ; whichno Man ever understood as a general Law to all Chriftians, but as a particular Precept to the Apoftles at that Time. And if this be our Saviour's Meaning, there is thenno Reafon to think, that this Co-aution againft Covetoufnefs does forbid Men to ufe a provident Care and regular Innduftry about the Things ofthis Life. 3. Nor
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