There is one Corollary or Inference will naturally rife from this Argument, which I wish were better confidered; for it would be an excellent Remedy of all our inordinate Cares; it is this; that the more we are furnished with Helps and Means against Want, fo much the more ought we to be delivered from Anxiety and Solicitude. And an Obfervation it is highly agreeable with Reason, the more we are furnished and provided against Want, the lefs to fear it. Yet how ftrange is it to obferve that the common Practice of Men, especially of covetous Men, is directly contrary? elfe, why should many rich Men who have Wealth enough laid up for many Years, be more troubled with anxious and vexatious Cares about the World, than several poor Men, who though they live from hand to mouth, yet live cheerfully and contentedly? Why should many Old-men, the greater Part of whofe Life is already paft, confequently provided for, be much more anxious and follicitous about the World, than Young-men whofe Wants are far greater, and like to be much longer upon their Hands? Why are Men who profess that they believe a Providence, and know how to addrefs themselves to God in the Name of Chrift, and are furnished with all Capacities and Endowments of Body and Mind to make use of the Means, as anxious and diftrustful as if there were neither a God to provide, nor any Means and Opportunities put into their Hand, to do any Thing towards the Staving off of Want? This is one of the best uses of Wealth, next to the doing good to others, of any I know; to moderate our own Cares: Not that Riches are to be trusted to for the Supply of our Wants, but that God who gave

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them may be depended on for the continuing to us a competent Portion out of them, and that Experience as well as Religion and Reafon doth then teach us to devolve all our Cares upon him who careth for us. So much for the firft Confideration of the Words, that we excell the Fowls of the Air, as being in better Circumftances to provide for our felves than they, and therefore have lefs occafion to be anxious.

(2.) But fecondly, thefe Words, Are ye not much better than they? do fignify likewife the greater Dignity of Men above Fowls, and that upon that Account likewife they may expect to be more immediately taken Care of by God's Providence. Our Saviour purfues much fuch an Argument as this, Matt. x. 29. Are not two Sparrows, fays he, fold for a Farthing? and one of them fhall not fall on the Ground without your Father; but the very Hairs of your Head are all numbred; fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many Sparrows. I might illuftrate this Observation of the Dignity of Man by several Obfervations taken from his Creation, Redemption, Prefervation, and Provifion: But it is Time to conclude this Argument. Natural Philofophy has many pretty Things to this purpose, fhewing what wonderful care Nature, or rather the God of Nature has taken for the Maintenance of Individuals, and the Prefervation of the Species; from which one that duly obferves and confiders, may eafily learn that there is an infinite wife Providence which fits and directs us to our Duty and Bufinefs, and takes Care that in doing that cheerfully and contentedly, we shall want none of the Neceffaries for our comfortable Subfiftence.

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To conclude then, Away with all distracting Fears and carking Cares about what we shall eat or drink, and wherewithal we shall be cloathed, in which fo many Men beftow all their Thoughts and Time. (a) The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want, O fear the Lord, ye his Saints: For there is no Want to them that fear him. (b) The young Lions do lack and fuffer Hunger: but they that feek the Lord fhall not want any good Thing.

Now to this great and good God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Praife, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

(a) Pf. xxiii. 1.

(b) Pf. xxviv. 9, 10,

SERM.

SERMON XXV.

MATT. VI. 27.

Which of you by taking Thought can add one Cubit unto his Stature.

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The Seventh Sermon on this Text.

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UR Saviour goes on here with his Arguments against Anxiety and the inordinate Cares of the World. One of these I confidered at the laft Occafion; taken from the Wisdom and Goodness of God, that he who made the Body,and gave us our Life, and made us fubject to many Neceffities, will likewife take Care to fupply thofe Neceffities. This Argument was illuftrated with this Confideration, that Creatures of far lefs value than we, and far worse furnished with Abilities to provide for their own Subfiftence, to wit, the Fowls of the Air, are provided for by God without Want and without Melancholy; and therefore we have no Reason to fear the being abandoned by God's Providence. There is another Argument to the fame purpose, contained in the Words which I have now read, which I intend to confider as it follows here in order.

The Second Argument then against Anxiety here used by our Saviour, is taken from the Ufe

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lesness of this anxious fuperfluous Care to any of the real Comforts of Life. Which of you by taking Thought can add one Cubit unto his Stature? The Word nania which we tranflate Stature, fignifies likewife Age, and efpecially the most flourishing Time of one's Age, when we are in the Prime of our Youth and Strength. Statura, atas, vigor, adolefcentia. (Græc. Lex.) And it is this further Notion of the Word which for many Reasons I choose to prefer. For the bare adding a Cubit to the Stature feems uncouth, and a thing which the anxious Man would not defire; whereas the adding to both Perfonablenefs and Life, efpecially to the youthful and profperous Time of it, is a Thing which moft Men would defire; and a Thing which the Worldling proposes to himself by his Riches; after all his Care to live bravely, and to have wherewithal to fupport and comfort him in his Old Age; (a) like the rich Man in the Parable, who is reprefented as promifing himfelf a great many happy Days from his plentiful. Crops and full Barns; And hugging himself with the Fancy of the fweet Enjoyment of all; which fcarce ever any worldly minded Man arrived at. Our Saviour here feems to me to appeal to their own Experience, whether ever they found that was the Effect of their worldly Cares, q. d. To what purpose is all your Anxiety? can it either lengthen out your Life? or doth it lengthen out your Youth and the more vigorous and flourishing Part of your Days? have any of you ever found it fo by Experience? Thefe are put by Way of