fity of our lot, and the reafons which religion gives to qualify both. And this is done by what we call contentment and patience. For the two firft of thefe duties to to ourfelves, preferring the interefts of the foul to thofe of the body, and suitable pains and difigence to fecure thofe our principal interefts; our Saviour in the text calls us to act in that manner. The occafion of the words was this. Chrift had miraculously fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fifhes. The people, ftruck with admiration, concluded that Jefus was "that prophet that should come into the world," i. e. the promised Meffiah, ver. 14. but having their minds full of the notion which generally prevailed among the Jews at that time, that the Meffiah was to fet up a temporal kingdom; they immediately attempted to take him by force, and make him : king. But Chrift withdrew himself from them, ver. 15. His difciples went by fhip to the oppofite fhore, and Chrift miraculously walking on the fea followed his difciples unknown to the people. The people however eagerly purfue him, where they thought it most likely to meet with him; and finding him, fay, "Rabbi, when cameft thou hither ?" ver. 25. Chrift, who knew their infincerity, and the bafe reafon which induced them to follow him, plainly tells them of it, ver. 26. "Verily, verily, I lay unto you, ye seek me, not becaufe ye faw the miracles, but becaufe ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." "You do not follow me in purfuit of the true "end "end for which I work my miracles, that you' "may be made willing to learn of me the way "that leads to everlafting life; but merely in "the hope of receiving fome temporal bene"fit from me, as you have lately done, when you found your bodies fully refreshed by the loaves and fifhes." Thereupon he gives them the exhortation in the text: "Labour not for the meat which perifheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlafting life." "Be not fo much con"cerned, nor take fo much pains as you do, "to obtain thofe things which may fupport a "frail and dying body; or for any outward "and fecular advantage, which will be fer"viceable to you but a little time: But rath"er labour for the food of fouls, which will "make you happy forever, and which I the Son of man am ready to give you. You "have followed me for the fake of the loaves: "You fhould much rather follow me to re"ceive the inftructions which I am able and "ready to grant, whereby you will be made "wife unto falvation.".. Three general heads will comprehend all that is neceffary to be faid upon this fubject. I. All care and pains for the interest of our bodies is not forbidden. But, II. The intereft of our fouls, and all which fubferves that, ought greatly to be preferred before the other. III. Much labour and diligence are neceffary in order to the fecuring of our everlasting intereft. I. All care and pains for the welfare of our bodies, bodies, and for promoting our prefent interefts, is not forbidden. It may poffibly feem to be fo by the abfolute way of fpeaking; of fpeaking; "Labour not for the meat which perifheth." But the fenfe of this is familiar to fuch as observe the manner of the Hebrew ftyle; which often appears to forbid one thing and to command another abfolutely, when it is plain that no more is intended, than that one fhould be done more than the other. Neither all looking at the things which are feen, nor all affection to things on earth, nor laying up treafure on earth, are unlawful, though in the way of speaking they may seem to be abfolutely excluded, 2 Cor. iv. 18. Col. iii. 2. Matth. vi. 19. But we must confider them, as fet over against what is mentioned on the other hand along with them, and understand the whole taken together in a comparative fenfe. We should look not fo much at the things which are feen, as at the things which are not feen; and not fet our affections on things on earth, fo much as on things above: Nor be fo folicitous for earthly treafure, as to lay up treasure in heaven. And fo we muft understand the text. For we ought to labour for the meat which perifheth. Our bodies, while we fojourn in them, claim a part of our care. "No man," acting worthy of a man, "hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherifheth it." The law of nature, and the word of God, oblige us to honeft industry in our lawful callings and ftations for the fupport of ourselves and our families. families. God has fo ordered it in the courfe of his providence for the generality of mankind, that "in the sweat of their face they must eat bread till they return to the ground," Gen. iii. 19. And if any, on pretence of attending to the care of their fouls, fhould neglet their fecular bufinefs, either expecting God's providential care of them, or that other people fhould relieve them; in truth they tempt God, and injure their neighbour. The Apoftle gives them the character of "diforderly walkers, who work not at all;" and "commands and exhorts them by the Lord Jefus Chrift, that with quietnefs they work, and eat their own bread," 2 Theff. iii. 11, 12. To be diligent in our outward affairs in the the proper time of attendance upon them, is as truly ferving God and obeying his commands, as attending his immediate worship in the proper feafon for that. season for that. It is as much the command of God, "fix days fhalt thou labour and do all thy work," that ordinarily the greateft part of common days fhould be taken up in our proper callings; as that we fhould lay afide fecular bufinefs for one day in feven. This will no way interfere with a daily acknowledgment of God morning and evening in fecret and family worship; for which a little prudent forecaft will redeem fufficient time from bufinefs. Nor need it prevent fome attendance on occafional means of public inftruction on week-days; which may eafily be fo managed, if you have really a mind to it, that your outward affairs fhall not fuffer by it. To To have a lawful employment, and to be diligent in it, will preferve from many hurtful temptations. This is peculiarly defirable to employ the activity of youth, who, are led into a thousand fnares by want of business or want of application to it. And for that reafon fuch as have the direction of young people, fhould take care that they be engaged betimes in fome way of employing themselves fuitable to their genius and circumftances. And in fuch a way it will be the wifdom and interest of young people to walk with God, Nor is it unworthy of a Christian, to make his temporal intereft, and even the advancement of his worldly circumstances above what they are at his fetting out in the world, a fubordinate end of his labour and diligence. If it had been unlawful to propofe fuch an end, industry would not have been encouraged by fuch declarations as thefe: that "the hand of the diligent maketh rich," Prov. x. 4. and fhall bear rule," chap. xii. 24. that "the thoughts of the diligent tend only to pleasantnefs," chap. xxi. 5. that fuch a one "fhall ftand before kings," and "not before mean men," chap. xxii. 29. Religion does not ab folutely forbid us to aim at those ends by our diligence, which it gives us fome encouragement to expect as the confequence of it. Certainly a man may lawfully and commendably labour to obtain any worldly good, which he may come fairly by, without breaking any known law of God, or injuring his neighbour, or neglecting his foul. But our Saviour defigns to teach us, that B II. The |