dom at last will not deny Neceffaries in the Way to it. Fear not; be not of doubtful miftruftful Minds. Muft it not be acting out of Character, when they who profess to expect and look for infinitely better Things in another World, are so anxiously concerned about the tranfitory Enjoyments of the prefent? Let Chriftians learn the Wisdom of being more thoughtful about their Souls and Eternity, and they will be less folicitous about the Things of this World.

3. Immoderate Cares about this World are criminal and culpable, because they flow from Covetousness; and they who are thus exceffively careful are their own Tormentors. The Things of this World, being always in View, will, without great Watchfulness, infinuate too deeply into our Affections, and cool and leffen our Regard to Objects which are worthy and deferving our chief Efteem. The Servants of God are not out of Danger of having too deep an Impreffion made on their Minds by vifible Objects, and therefore our Saviour faw the Neceffity of giving his own Disciples this folemn Caution, Take heed, and beware of Covetousness; and confirms his Advice by a very solid Reason and Argument; If the Love of the World once gain ground in the Soul, and a Person begins to think that an Affluence is necessary to his Happiness,

Happiness, he will be apt to exceed Bounds in his Care, and endeavour to acquire fuch an Affluence; and that anxious Care which flows from Covetoufnefs, which is in Scripture called Idolatry, must be of a culpable Nature.

Finally, fuch a Care as this will lay a Perfon open and expose him to various dangerous Temptations. This will incline a Man to make use of any shifting, evasive, and unjuft Methods, in order to accomplish the Schemes he has formed, and the End which he chiefly proposes. Moft juftly, therefore, does the Apostle affirm that the Love of the World is the Root of all Evil. They, fays he, that will be rich, they who are determined this Way, fall into Temptation, and a Snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lufts, which drown Men in Perdition and Destruction, for the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil, which while fome have coveted after they have erred from the Faith, and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows. I. TIMOTHY, Vi.

9, 10.

This may fuffice to convince all how neceffary it is that they guard against exceffive criminal Cares about Things of a temporal Nature, fince they flow from a Diftruft of God's Goodnefs, Faithfulness, and Power, and fhew that fuch have a mean Belief of the Doctrine of Providence. They

argue

argue a Temper very unbecoming, and unfuitable to those who pretend to hope for infinitely better Things in another World. They flow from Covetoufnefs, and that Love of the World which expofes to many Snares and Temptations. The proper Ufe we should make of this is to moderate our Affections towards all the perishing tranfitory Enjoyments of this Life. And this Wisdom of Temper and Conduct we may learn by the Confideration of the fading Nature of all Earthly Things, fo as not to take too great Complacence in them, while we enjoy them, nor grieve immoderately when by Providence we may be bereaved of them. Thus the Apostle, from the Confideration of the Shortness of Time, recommends the Duty of regulating our Paffions, and moderating our Affections towards them, They that weep for Temporal Loffes fhould be as though they wept not, they who rejoice in Earthly Poffeffions and Treasures fhould behave with fuch an Indifference towards them, as if they rejoiced not; 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, I. Corinth. vii. 29, 30, 31. Very little need to be faid to prove that fuch an exceffive Care about Matters of Religion, or Spiritual Affairs, is unwarrantable; fuch as expreffes itself in a continual doubting without

Reafon

Reafon whether eternal Salvation fhall be obtained, or about God's Decrees, or our own Perseverance and Fidelity to death, &c. because there are very few, comparatively, to be found who err in this Matter. However, because the Apostle, writing to those who were in danger of the hottest Perfecution for the Truth's fake, advises them to cast all their Care on God, we may rationally enough fuppofe, that they might have their Minds perplexed with Doubts how they fhould behave, if their Faith and Constancy should be tried in the feverest Manner. He therefore advises them to caft all their Care on God; affuring them, that God cared for them, and would furnish them with more than ordinary Affistance, if he called them to more than ordinary Trials of Faith and Patience. But inafmuch as the Generality of Profeffors are too apt to exceed in their Care about Temporal Things, I have dwelt the longer on this, to fhew the criminal and culpable Nature of such an Anxiety of Mind.

This would lead to the fourth Head of Difcourfe; but this, with the Inferences from the Whole, fhall be the Subject of the following Sermon.

Of Casting

136

Of Cafting our Care on God.

I. PETER V. 7.

Cafting all your Care on him; for be careth for you.

IN

N treating on these Words, I proposed the following Method; I. To inquire what are those Cares which may disturb the Minds of good Men, and that with reference to this World, and that which is to come. II. When the Chriftian's Cares about this prefent Life, and the next, do exceed proper Bounds and Limits. III. Why these Cares, particularly of a Temporal Nature, are finful, and therefore to be avoided. IV. The Method here prescribed, of having our Minds difburthened of and freed from these uneafy tormenting Cares, and that is, to caft all our Care on God, who careth for us. The three firft of these have been largely confidered