added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Perhaps some one will say, A man cannot be without care; for he must build, plant, sow, reap, and provide for his family, as Paul shows us in these words, If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Tim. 5: 8. This is granted; it is a duty incumbent upon us to do all this, as long as it shall please God; for in the sweat of our brow we should eat our bread and should work with our hands, so as not to be chargeable to any; and Paul commanded if any would not work, neither should he eat. 2 Thess. 3: 10. But all this can be done without having our hearts surcharged with cares; for if we build, we should not be solicitous how we shall complete our design; because we know not whether we shall live till morning; and if we sow, we should not be anxious how it may thrive and produce, but should commit it entirely to God; in harvest we should gather in the grain as though we were never to taste it; when at our daily work we should think, perhaps to-day or to-night my Master will come and demand an account of my stewardship; and if we proceed daily upon this plan, the cares of the world will certainly diminish; for we have here an important work to attend to, where every day will bring forth its own evil. Therefore all temporal cares are extremely pernicious to the soul; they are shackles by which it is bound on earth and kept from heaven; and wo to such a soul; for the devil (who is by Christ cast out of many heavenly and sanctified hearts) is come down to her in her earthly habitation, having great wrath, because he knoweth he has but a short time (Rev. 12); for his judgment is near at hand. But on the other hand, all the heavenborn and sanctified Spirits who have their conversation according to the inner man no more on earth but in heaven, yea, who are the new heaven and the new earth, the dwelling of God, the temple of the Holy Ghost, for whom the angels as ministering Spirits and flaming fires, minister as unto heirs of salvation, (Heb. 1: 14,) to them the voice of the Spirit says, Rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell therein, for now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, (Rev. 12,) and he will reign for ever and ever. Amen. Hence, soul, to heaven direct thy eyes, Then thou wilt first correct observe, For his bright angels do them serve, No harm can reach them from their foes, F6 God's for them in the strife, Hence do your cares incessant cast Who cares for beasts and blades of grass, Ah children, let us onward move, Until we shall procure From God who reigns in realms above, The crown of brightness pure. This peace upon the cursed wood, Amen. CHAPTER SEVENTH. Embraces a part of the seventh chapter, from the first to the 7th verse, namely, one man should not judge another by his own reason or wisdom, but should commit all judgment to the Spirit of God, by whom the children of God shall judge the world. In the first place, ye beloved children of the most high God, ye who have this evangelical doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ more by experience than by knowledge, ye who have passed through the school of self-denial: see that you walk circumspectly and sally not forth from your strong hold, but remain within in Christ your shepherd and leader, and follow his voice, that he may work all things by you; may by you teach and instruct, contend against the world, and exercise mercy, so that he may be all in you, and you may not live unto yourselves but unto him; you will then be able to say with Christ (since you are one with him. John 17.) I can of my own self do nothing; as I hear I judge; and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. John 5. Beloved children proceed by this rule, do nothing of yourselves, but let him that is in you, do all by you; and so you shall with him judge the world, and not only the world, but angels, and shall rule the nations with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces. Rev. 2: 26, 27. In the second place, ye carnal minded men, ye who by your reason and philosophic wisdom, or false and self-righteousness, judge others concerning the mote in their eye, having at the same time a beam in your own eyes, that is, ye are yet unconverted, uncircumcised in heart, yet carnal and unregenerated; hence you call evil good, and good evil; darkness light, and light darkness; ye judge others and condemn yourselves. Therefore, O ye men, who act on this wise, how do ye think to escape the judgment of God? Know you not that the long suffering and goodness of God leadeth (first) to repentance, (Rom. 2,) or will lead, so that you may judge, not as carnal, but as spiritual; for it must be spiritually discerned; he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 1 Cor. 2: 14, 15. Mark, he judgeth all things, not of himself, but by the spirit, according to the mind of Christ, or according to his word and doctrine in which is contained the mind of Christ; for his word which he has spoken shall judge men at the last day; not himself nor his saints, but his spoken word which man transgresses, being disobedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ, |