SERMON XLIII. FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. ON CONFIDENCE IN DIVINE PROVIDENCE. I say to you, Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body what you shall put on.-Matt. vi. 25. WE are furnished by this day's gospel with the strongest motives to confidence in the protection of the Divine Being, whose power and goodness are the only immoveable foundations on which we can build our hopes and rest our comforts. We often look up to the great and affluent of this world for support and protection but, with all their power, they are frequently unable, and more frequently unwilling, to befriend us. But the great King of kings declaring himself in favour of those who put their trust in him, meets all their wishes, and fills them with blessings. Under the spreading wing of his paternal protection, they enjoy on earth a tranquil and comfortable situation, which is an image and a foretaste of that bliss, the plenitude of which is reserved for them in a future world. The Almighty is attentive to our temporal and eternal interests in such a manner, as to require that we, being free agents, make use of our own exertions to second his gracious intentions; and, although he will have our fidelity and confidence to be occasionally tried by disappointments and tribulations; yet, if we trust in him, it is never long before he comes to our assistance. Soon does the light of his countenance again shine upon us. The same hand which gives the wound pours into it a healing balsam. He is immutable in his nature, and in his attributes; and, therefore, his goodness knows no fickleness, no diminution. If he do not always exert himself, in our behalf, with equal splendour, he always does it with equal effect. Christian, in the moments of anxiety and depression of spirits; when fortune lours, when the world is unkind; when those, whom we have befriended, prove ungrateful, those, in whom we have trusted perfidious; we complain of our situation, and weep over it: but we have much more reason to weep over our want of confidence in Divine Providence. Oh! that I may but succeed, this day, in animating you to that reliance on the protection of the Deity which is so pleasing to his infinite majesty, and is attended by so many invaluable blessings. I will at least endeavour at it, my brethren, in the first place, by calling your attention to some assurances of the divine beneficence which are given to us in the sacred writings: and, secondly, by drawing from them some practical instructions, which, if carefully observed, will contribute much to arm you against temptations, and to nourish your virtue as well as to soothe the pains and alleviate the miseries of this transitory life. 1. Our Lord, in the gospel of this day, hath been graciously pleased to enforce our confidence in Providence by the strongest powers of argument, and to paint the attention which is paid by our heavenly Father even to the temporal interests of his creatures in all the beauty of imagery, and with the tenderest and most affectionate expressions. For evidences of providential care he refers us to the innumerable tribes of little birds, that wing their way in the airy regions, that lay up no provision for nourishment, take no precautions for a future time; but are chiefly occupied in raising their tuneful notes, singing in their manner the praises of their Creator, and from him receiving their daily food. Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? He then invites us to contemplate the beauties of a bed of flowers, to view the variegated tints which it displays, and to admire its gaiety and splendour. For raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow they labour not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now, he concludes, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven: how much more you, O ye of little faith. Be not solicitous, therefore, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. My brethren, all this is abundantly consoling and affectionate: and yet our Creator speaks to us words, that are still more engaging than these. You all know, and some of you have experienced, how exquisitely tender are the feelings of a mother for her infant child; with what fondness she presses it to her bosom. You have seen her endearing caresses, repeated again and again almost a thousand times; and our heavenly Parent assures us, that we shall be treated by him in like manner: and that, if there be found a mother so unnatural as to forget or neglect the fruit of her womb, still never will he be unmindful of us. Can a woman, saith he, can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold I have graven thee in my hands. Isa. xlix. Such are the promises of God: and for evidences of the performance of them I readily appeal to our own experience, and to the sentiments of our own hearts. Blessings prepared by the Divine beneficence are daily and almost continually enjoyed by every individual amongst us. It is true; the Lord hath not lodged us all in superb palaces: he hath not enriched us all with accumulated treasures: perhaps he does not set before us those delicious meats which luxury prepares, and which serve no other purpose but to nourish sensuality and injure health; he may not clothe us with purple and fine linen, nor decorate us with gold and precious jewels, the useless appendages of parade and vain ostentation. After all these things deluded men seek like the heathens; alas! because, like the heathens, they know not how |