My dear brethren, let us go into this matter, and pick out its plain and wholesome lessons, and ask GOD to engrave them deeply on our hearts. The text is especially addressed to such as we are. It is not mainly for the grossly covetous; for the would-be hoarders of great wealth; for the epicure, intent upon dainty dishes and costly wines; for the giddy votaries of fashion, ever meditating fresh extravagancies and greater absurdities, betraying by their silly, unchristian finery the emptiness of their minds and the callousness of their hearts, making themselves gazing-stocks to the thoughtless and objects of pity to the thoughtful. It is not, I say, _chiefly_ for these (though it is indeed _for_ them, and it behoves them to regard it very seriously), but it is for those who take thought for necessaries that our text was spoken and written; who are in concern not for a superabundance, but for a sufficiency of the things of this life. To them it says, Take no thought, be not anxious, perplexed. Let not these things engross your hearts, or cause you in any way to swerve from the pure and entire service of GOD, for—this is the first reason—to do so is to sin, it is to give up GOD and choose mammon. Ye who do it are idolaters. Make no plea of opposing difficulty or necessity, count upon no indulgence. If you serve mammon, you do not serve GOD. GOD will have no part of a divided heart, and will not be served at all by those who do not serve Him altogether. Dear brethren, try to embrace this truth. GOD’S commands are not to be explained away, nor are excuses to be made for disregarding them. Obey them at all hazards—do not pare them down by pleas of expediency. Doubtless, the service is a very hard one. It is very difficult not to take thought for immediate and pressing wants. It is a great temptation to a very poor man to have an opportunity of making a few shillings by working or keeping his shop open on the LORD’S Day. It is a great temptation to one who is hard-worked during the week to have the power of turning the day of holy rest into one of worldly pleasure. It would be very convenient to the man of business to make up his ledger when he should be reading his Bible; to be thinking of his projects and prospects in this life rather than his coming eternity; to be pushing a bargain which is very advantageous, though it is a little unjust; to get what he _can_ for his goods, rather than what he _ought_; to tell little untruths; to grind down his dependents; to withhold from charitable purposes the money which can be made useful for self; in short, to be ever taking thought for temporal things and not taking thought for spiritual, and so to miss opportunities of meditating, and reading, and praying, of worshipping, and communicating, and doing good, and preparing for heaven. The comparatively well-to-do man doubtless finds this worldly taking thought agreeable and in a sense advantageous; the poor