DISC. themselves about the wants of life, or conΙ. cerning the future; but, having done their part, should repose themselves, in full confidence, on the goodness of God.

The first reason is the experience of greater benefits already received. "Is not the life " more than meat, and the body than rai"ment?" You are uneafy, left you should want proper food to support life, and proper raiment to clothe the body. Life and the body are certainly greater gifts than food and raiment. Who gave you them? God gave them; and gave them of his own will, before you could be in a capacity to ask them. Will not he, who gave the greater, give the lefs? Will not he, who gave life and the body, take care they shall be supported and clothed? Will he, who gave what you could not afk, withhold what you can and do ask at his hands? It is ingratitude to distrust your best benefactor. Confider likewife, under this head, the proofs you have had of God's kindness in providing for you hitherto; look back on your past life, and mark the

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the bleffings, of various kinds, that have DISC. distinguished the several parts of it; the difficulties you have surmounted, the dangers you have escaped, and the favourable circumstances and connections into which you have been led. Why should you apprehend, that he, who has been with you all your life long, should now be with you no longer? Recollect the promise, " I will never leave "thee, nor forsake thee." Above all things, forget not that greatest and most stupendous of mercies, that best and unspeakable gift of God, and the unanswerable argument formed upon the confideration of it by the Apostle; "He who spared not his own Son, " but gave him up for us all, how shall he "not with him also freely give us all "things?"-Reflect on this, and " be not "faithless, but believing."

The second reason alledged by Christ, is the example of the lesser animals, which the Providence of God feeds, without their own labour. "Behold the fowls of the "air; for they sow not, neither do they

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DISC." reap, nor gather into barns; yet your "heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye " not much better than they?י

The little innocent inhabitants of the air, which are continually flying around us, were not created only for the use of the body of man. They serve higher and nobler ends. They often read lectures, to which the greatest philosopher might attend, and be the better for them, if he would confider and apply them aright. When therefore you behold one of these choristers of heaven finging upon a naked bush, amidst the darkness and desolation of winter, might you not address it in some such manner as the following? -" Sweet bird, how cheer"fully dost thou fit and sing; and yet "knowest not where thou art, nor where " thou shalt make thy next meal, and at " night must shroud thyself in this fame " bush for a lodging, while the winds shall "howl through it, and thy feathers shall " be wet with the rain, or covered with "the snow! How ought I to blush, who

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" see before me such liberal provisions of DISCc. "my God, and find myself fitting warm

" under my own roof, yet am ready to droop " through a distrustful and unthankful dul"ness! Had I so little certainty of my "support and shelter, how anxious and " heartless should I be ; how little disposed " to make music for thee or myself! Surely "thou cameft not hither without a Provi"dence; God fent thee not so much to de" light, as to shame me out of my fullen " unbelief, who, under far more apparent " means of maintenance and protection, am " less cheerful and confident. Reason and " faith, alas, alas! have not yet done for me, "what mere instinct does for thee; and "want of forefight makes thee more merry, " if not more happy here, than the fore" fight of better things maketh me. Cer"tainly, thy providence, O God, is not im" paired by those superior powers thou hast " given me; let not my greater helps hin" der me from poffeffing an holy secu"rity, and comfortable reliance on thee. I " never knew an earthly father take care of " his fowls, and neglect his children; and

" shall

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DISC. " shall I suspect this of my heavenly father? "That man is unworthy to have God for " his father in heaven, who depends less " upon his goodness, wisdom, and power, " than upon a crop of corn, which may be " spoiled either in the field, or the barn."

But forcibly as these little animals teach, the parts of inanimate nature are by no means behind hand with them. Walk into a flower-garden, and see with what beautiful garments God has invested the perishable grass, which to-day is, and to-morrow withers away. Above the rest, look at the lovely white of the lily, pure and spotlefs as it's parent, the light of heaven. Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like it. It resembles a greater than Solomon, whose face did shine as the fun, and whose rai ment was white as the light, so as no fuller on earth, no effort of human skill and la bour, could whiten it. From a flower of the field, then from a flower of a moment's duration, man, who is made for

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