we have to thank for body and life, food and drink, dwelling and raiment.
Confidence in God. Are we, then, to take no thought for the things of this life, such as food and clothing? Yes; we must, according to our abilities, provide for them, but we are not to be over-anxious, and must trust in the goodness, wisdom and power of God. We must work, but we must also pray; for all our efforts will be quite useless without the blessing of God.
Care for our salvation must be our chief concern as Christians. Before everything else we must try to attain to the kingdom of heaven, i. e. to save our souls, and for this end we must live in the grace of God and strive ceaselessly after His “justice”. A true love of ourselves demands this of us, for our soul is more precious than our body, and we ought to seek its interests first.
Covetousness, or the worship of mammon. He who “serves” mammon is the man who fondly considers the gaining and increasing of riches to be the greatest business of life, and neglects the worship of God and the care of his own soul, not even shrinking from such sins as theft, usury and perjury, if they will enable him to add to his wealth.
The right use of worldly possessions consists in using them for God and in the practice of good works. Holy men, such as Abraham, Job and Tobias, possessed great riches, but they were not slaves to them. On the contrary, they made their wealth serve them, and expended it in the service of God and their neighbour.
Good works. All good works, such as works of piety, mortification and brotherly love, are treasures laid up in heaven. When we die, we must leave all earthly things, even our very bodies, behind us: only our good works will go with us, and procure for us a favourable judgment.
Application. Perform this very day some good work of brotherly love!
7. Charitable judgment about our neighbour.
“Be ye merciful, as[1] your Father also is merciful; give, and it shall be given [2] to you. With the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. As you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them.
