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AN

APPENDIX,

Wherein a late Opinion of a very Learned Perfon on Mat. vi. 25, &c. interpreting that Part of the Sermon on the Mount as peculiar to the Apostles, is confidered.

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AVING in the two former Difcour

fes proved, that by the Word Difciples in the first Verse of this Chapter, are meant Chriftians in general, and that the whole enfuing Sermon on the Mount is defigned and addreffed to the private Chriftian; and this being one of the main Foundations upon which my Interpretation of it is built: It is with no fmall Concern that I find this Doctrine oppofed by a late most eminent Author, by whofe excellent Labours the Church has been fingularly obliged. But this being the Misfortune of great Men's Errors, that their Name giving them Authority, they become more plaufible than the Errors of meaner Men; and this Opinion appearing to me to be of very dangerous Confequence, not only as fuperfeding a confiderable Part of the private Chriftian's Duty contained in the fixth Chapter of St. Matthew, but as opening a Gap for him to creep out of the whole Sermon on the Mount, as not being intended (if that Opinion prevails) for a general and standing Rule to

all Chriftians: I beg Pardon of all the Friends of that most deserving Author, while I fhew that he was mistaken in his Opinion of thofe Texts; and I hope I have fome Reason to believe he himfelf was fenfible of it, and in a pofterior Work gave a much founder Interpretation of them; as I fhall fhew in the End of this Difpute. And therefore I wish they who had the Care of his Papers, and printed his pofthumous Works, had thought fit to fupprefs this new Opinion, of which I come now to give an Account.

That great Author, in the Third Volume of his pofthumous Works, Page 116. in his Sermons against Covetoufnefs, has a very particular Interpretation of fome Expreffions in this Sermon on the Mount; for he makes them firft to be very extraordinary Duties, fuch as he himself confeffes would be unreasonable, if they were now enjoined to ordinary Chriftians: And then, for that very Reason, makes them peculiar to the Apoftles. The Expreffions he mentions, are, firft, that of Taking no Thought for our Life, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, nor for the Body what we fhrll put on, Mat. vi. 25. where he is of Opinion, that our Saviour forbids all Care, even about the Neceffaries of Life, Meat, Drink, and Cloathing. The fecond Expreffion he mentions, is at Ver. 26, and 28. where we are commanded to Behold the Fowls of the Air, for they fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into Barns; yet our beavenly Father feedeth them; and to confider the Lillies of the Field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they pin. In which Words he is of Opinion, that the Perfons to whom these Precepts are given, are commanded to depend on the

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Providence of God for Food and Raiment, and to ufe no more Industry for the obtaining them, than the Fowls of the Air do, or the Lillies of the Field; which he explains to be none at all. He confeffes, as I faid, that thefe Precepts would be very unreasonable, had our Saviour given them as ftanding and ordinary Rules to all Chriftians, as certainly they would, if understood in that Sense: But this Unreasonablenefs he folves thus, by opening, I think, a great Gap, and venting an odd and dangerous Opinion; namely, that this Difcourfe of our Saviour's was not intended for a general and Standing Rule to all Chriftians, but only defigned for his Difciples, (by whom he means the Apostles) to take them off from all Care about the Things of this Life, that they might attend upon his Perfon, and wholly give up themselves to that Work to which he had called them. Now if we enquire what it was that drove this great Man to this hard Shift, of giving up the Sermon on the Mount, (or at least this Part of it) as not intended for a general and ftanding Rule to all Chriftians; we shall find it there, that it was only that he apprehended it to be the Scope and Defign of our Saviour's Difcourse in that Place, to oblige his Difciples literally to follow the Pattern of the Fowls of the Air, and the Lillies of the Field, which are fufficiently provided for without any Care and Industry of theirs: But if there be no Neceffity to put fuch a Senfe on the Words, and if they will very well bear one much more commodious, without running us upon fuch a defperate Shift; then all this I hope will go for nothing, and the Precepts here, as well as thofe in all the other Parts of this Ser

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mon on the Mount, will be ftill a general and standing Rule to all Chriftians.

For opening the right Senfe, I defire it may be obferved, in the first Place, that these Expreffions, Behold the Fowls of the Air, and confider the Lillies of the Field, are not new Precepts, but only Arguments to enforce the Precept going before, of taking no Thought for our Life, what we fhall eat, or what we shall drink, nor yet for our Body what we shall put on. Let any one attentively confider the Text, this is the Precept, un μepiμvate; it is but ill rendered (r) Take no Thought; it should be, Be not anxious, or follicitous, or over-thoughtful: And indeed all Commentators have hitherto interpreted it in this Senfe. This Precept is immediately backed with feveral Reasons or Arguments to enforce it; as 1. (s) Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body than Raiment? 2. The Example of the Fowls of the Air (t), which tho' they are not furnished with fo good regular Helps as we Men (for they can neither fow, nor reap, nor gather into Barns, all which we can do,) are yet provided for by God's Providence (u); in which we are much better than they, or we have the better of them. 3. The Unprofitableness of this Anxiety; (w) Which of you by taking Thought can add one Cubit to his Stature? 4. The Example of the (x) Lillies, which without either the Field-labour, or House-labour, (both which we are capable of) are yet fo nobly cloathed. 5. ( 5. (y) The fmall Worth of these Flowers which flourish to Day, and are burnt or diftilled To-morrow; whereas

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we are of greater Dignity. 6. That after all thofe Things (2) the Gentiles feek, who believe nothing of a Providence. 7. That God will provide, knowing that we want all thefe Things. 8. (a) That Life in all the Parts of it has fo many Troubles, that we need not anticipate them (b) from all which Arguments the fame Conclufion against Anxiety is diftinctly drawn by our Saviour in that Difcourfe, Ver. 31, and 34. Therefore take no Thought, &c. which fhews they are but Arguments.

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The Text being thus opened, from whence it appears that this of Beholding the Fowls of the Air, as to our Eating and Drinking; and Confidering the Lillies of the Field, as to Raiment; are only Motives and Reafons to back the Precept against Anxiety: I defire, Secondly, it may be further obferved, almoft of all these Arguments, that they are Arguments à fortiori, concluding not barely from a Parity of Reason, but that there is much more Reason that we fhould be clear of Anxiety, than the Things mentioned; and fo generally either in the Argument, or the Conclufion, the Reasoning is plainly gathered à fortiori. Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body than Raiment? Are ye not much better than they? Or have ye not much the better of them? They fow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into Barns; and therefore not comparable to you who can do all this. Now here then is a very eafy Senfe of the Words, as if our Saviour had faid, What Reafon have ye to be anxious and follicitous, or diftruftful of Providence? Other Creatures, not fo well able regularly to provide for themselves, (z) Ver. 32. (a) Ibid. (6) Ver. 34.

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