The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-03-16
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
"BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING

4. All anxious care is forbidden, IN tn
7 fourth place, by the fact that our heavenl.
/ Father knows that We have need of tempora
, supplies; and the inference is, that he vii
bestow them.
"Your heavenly Father knoweth that "
} have need of all these things" This assur
ance should put an end to all solicitude ant
a stop to all gloomy fears. The reins of the
J universe are held by our Father, who is inf
} mite in intelligence, wisdom, power and love
and therefore we should not be afraid. He
does not make US mark for the arrows ot
} his indignation, but temple for the indwell'
ing of his Spirit and the repository of his
grace. He calls himself our Father in
heaven, the dearest name by which he can
be known to any created intelligence; and
we, who were once abandoned, and outcast,
and rebellious, and hell doomed, are now
''the children of Sod by faith in Christ Je-
sus." And he who binds the universe to
his throne, knows all our real wants; he
knows what will prove a blessing, and what
an injnry; what will advance our highest
interests, and what will retard them. Sure
ly then, the conclusion is irresistible: "Be
careful for nothing" "Take no thought,
saying, what shall we eat ? or, what shall we
drink or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?''
Commit the developments of future success
or failure, without one distracting fear, into
the hands of that God who "seeth the end
from the beginning" and condeScendeth to
be called in Christ your Father in heaven.
1t would be very foolish in.a child to
measure parents affection and care by his
own childish conceptions, and to dread the
coming winter lest he freeze with cold, or
die of hunger. 1t should be enough for him
to know that he is shielded by parental
roof, and protected by a parental heart
And 0 my brethren, how much greater the
folly how much greater the sin to measure
our heavenly Fathers heart by our fears,
to distrust his care, and to plod our way
YEARLY through the world from year to year
How much greater the sin, when our Faith
er is upon the throne, to cherish dark fore
bodings that wear deep channels down our
cheeks and leave deep furrows across our
hearts. 1t is enough for us to know that we
are but orphans, but children of the living
God. This is all the pledge we need. 1t is
a guarantee that our wants shall be all sup
piled, mot indeed as we may wish, for the
thing that we might choose might be the very
thing that would do us harm; but as he sees
best, who can never act either unwisely OF
unkindly.
And now, my Christian readers, let me
urge you by the grace of God to take nc
undue, and no anxious thought about your
future maintenance. "Be careful for moth
ing" let this be the simple but sublime
motto of your lives.
Un6s1ef may be disposed to modify the
explicit command of Christ, and suggest thai
he does not mean for his injunction to b.
understood literally. You have so often beer
the harborers of annoying, peace-destroyine
cares, that you may hardly regard them az
offensive sins. But do not entertain such &
falsehood, even for moment. 1t is an in
vention of the father of lies, and is designed
to interfere with your mental peace, to re
tard your progress in the divine life, or, i
possible, to destroy your Christian hope anC
fling you back again amid the dead rubbish
of the world.
Christ calls on you to resist these insdi
Gus attacks of the Devil. "AU earth borr
care is wrong" 1t is never justifabe. L
is violation of the most positive comman(
of the Lord Jesus. IT is not only useless
but it is really injurious-destructive of ouI
peace and incompatible with true happiness
1t is rebuked and forbidden by the whole o
the lower creation; the bird that flies ant
the lily that blooms, both cry out against i
and denounce it as monstrous crime. |
is the sin of the ungodly who are withou
God in the world, and therefore should b.
abhorred and repudiated by all true Chris
tians. 1t ignores the precious, consolator.
truth that We have Father in heaven VIII
is acquainted with all our wants; and there
fore it is nothing less than the hideous Sill
of unbelief, and should never be suffered t.
raise its foul, rebellious head in our presence
1t is time therefore, that we were repent
ing of the past, and hum5ling ourselves a
sackcloth and ashes, because of the anxiet,
and distrust which we have so often exhibi
ted. 1t is high time that we were not onl
doing this, but also beginning to obey tn
intensely practical injunction of our Lord b.
dismissing all carefulness in regard to tn
, time to come.
Brethren, charge you to repent of tn
past, and let the future present diferen
, record. I know that this cannot be don
without grace from above. 1t is the weak
ness of our faith that produces anxiety
J ; the heart. 1t is unbelief that nurses thi
= foul viper of cankering care.
But have we not the throne of grace
And does not our Father sit upon it? An
= do not the intercessions of our elder Brothe
: prevail before it?
Then, let us 60 at once to the mercy sea
;, with the faith We already have, that it ma
be increased. Let us 20 to the fountain {