world, by feeding us, by cloathing us, by giving us his inftructions how to pafs through it. But God especially fhews how much he careth for us by the glorious provifion he hath made for our immortal fouls. We indeed unthinking mortals, by living in the world, and fixing our attention chiefly on the things of the world, are apt to look upon God's fupplying us plentifully with thefe things, as the best fign of his caring for us. But God himself confiders things in a different light. His language to us, is, I am no respecter of perfons. I am equally the God of the poor, and of the rich. Confider not this world as the place either of your happiness, or your misery. Obey my laws, and you fhall then fee in how great a degree I care for you, by giving you everlasting life, and fulness of joy.

Having thus fhewn you that God careth for us, let us fecondly fee how we are to caft our care upon him.-Nobody can be fo abfurd as to fuppofe, we are to give up all concern about our own affairs, when we are ordered to cast all our care upon God. We must take the future in part under our own care. The induftry of youth muft provide for the infirmities of age. The hand that la

boured,

boured, cannot always labour; and the thinking mind is often robbed by years of all its powers. So that as life may fubfift after the ability of providing for it is gone, God certainly leaves a proper degree of care to rest on ourselves.-Even Adam, when placed in paradife, was ordered to drejs it, and to keep it; and the fcriptures often speak of labouring in our respective stations, and providing for ourselves, and our families. St. Paul himself, after he was an apostle, wrought at his profeffion; which was tent-making. Others of the apostles were fishermen, and exercised their calling during their apostleship. What is meant therefore by cafting all our care upon God, is this: After our own endeavours, we must trust the event of things to God. We must beg God's affistance in forwarding the means; but muft not fuffer ourselves to be anxious about the end.

Thus, for inftance, if you have land to manage, do every thing you can, to work it properly, and make the best of it; befeeching God to bless your industry. But if your harvest do not answer your expectations; or if the feafons are not exactly as you could wish, or if any little adverse matter unexpectedly happen, be not anxious, and diftreffed; but caft all that care upon God.

Or if you find your family increase more than your means, do what you can to maintain them; be induftrious, and frugal; but do not distress yourself about the future: caft that care upon God. When you have given your children a religious education, and have brought them up in industry, and frugality, you have done your part; and God will be a better father to your children, if they continue to be religious, than you could have been yourself.

Thus again, if any of you have fickness in your families, or meet with worldly loffes, endeavour not to distress yourselves, but caft all that care upon God. He can bring things right again by means, which you cannot foresee. In fhort, in matters of every kind, both of a public, and private concern, let us not diftrefs ourselves with looking anxiously into the event of things; which is invading God's part. They happen, in a thousand inftances, contrary to our fuppofitions. Let us make ourselves eafy therefore about them, and caft the care of these things upon God.

Thus the duty of cafting your care upon God amounts only to this-you must leave those things to the care of God, which your own care cannot provide for. So that, at any rate, you fee, you

cannot

cannot lose by cafting your care on God: what you gain by it, is the last point we have to confider.

In the first place, you gain by it that inward happiness, which makes you eafy in all fituations. of life. Our cares about the future always diftress us more than the evil itfelf. We are disturbed rather by the fear of things which may happen, than by the inconveniences, which we really feel when they do happen. If we could perfuade ourselves to throw off our minds all our cares, fatisfying ourselves with doing the best we can for the present, and trufting the future to God, it is inconceivable what peace and quietness of mind we should feel. I fpeak not of a mind haraffed with guilt. Where guilt inhabits, peace can never dwell. But when guilt is removed, nothing can more insure your happiness, than cafting your care on God. If you had a difficult affair to manage, which was evidently beyond your own skill; how happy would you be, if a perfon would undertake it, who had the wifdom to manage it properly? And if you had full confidence in this kind benefactor, what ease, and fatisfaction of mind would it give you?-If you have the fame confidence in God, the cafe is the fame.-Only your hea

venly friend can command events in your favour, which your human benefactor cannot do.-He is also always at hand, and always willing to affift you.

But though in all circumftances you will find this heavenly friend your best support, you will find him most your comfort in the great and trying dif treffes of life. When a fevere fit of fickness confines you to your bed, and the physician's art is vain or when you have loft fome friend, or near relation, which leaves a blank in life-or when through a fudden turn of affairs, you are reduced from plenty to poverty, then, if you have any religion in you, you will feel ftrongly the great happiness of turning to God; and of cafting all your care upon him, who alone is able to relieve you. In thofe melancholy hours you can do nothing for yourself; and the world can do nothing for you. Turn then to God-call him your father; and from him draw that heart-felt comfort, which the world cannot give.

And as cafting all our care upon God contributes to give ease, and fatisfaction to our minds, fo does it likewife of courfe contribute to give ferenity, and sweetness to our tempers: the fretful temper proceeds commonly from the anxious heart.