), "If ye
walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments and do them; then I will
give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and
the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and ye shall eat your
bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely." In the book of
Psalms David says (xxiv. 9), "O fear the Lord, ye that are His saints:
for they that fear Him lack nothing," and again (xlv. 23), "O cast thy
burden upon the Lord, and He will nourish thee." In the books that
deal with Wisdom we have (Proverbs x. 3) "The Lord will not suffer the
soul of the righteous to famish." In the Prophets (Isai i. 19), "If ye
be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." In the
Gospels (S. Matt. vi. 33), "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." In the
Epistles (Pet. v. 7), "Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for
you."

We are generally perfectly satisfied when we have an agreement drawn
out between man and man,--one promise on one scrap of paper is enough,
but here we have at least five, and I could produce you plenty of
others, yet, because it is a bond signed by God, you mistrust it, O ye
of little faith. You will take a bond signed by a Jew, but not one
signed by God.

II. "Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things." Is God not our Father? There is no Father like to Him, no
Father loves us as He does. If He loves us, will He not care for us?
What good father will neglect his child, and deny it those things that
are necessary for it? Ask any little boy whom you see in rags, 'My
child, why are you in rags? What will you do to get a new suit? You
have nothing of your own.' Certainly, his natural and proper answer
should be, 'I will ask my father. He will supply me.' When a child is
hungry, whither should it go? To whom should it apply? To its father.
Why then do not we trust our Heavenly Father as any little child will
trust its father on earth? Yet we know that He is our Father, and is,
as S. Paul says, "rich in mercies" Our Lord bids us look at the birds
of the air. Who feeds them? Their Creator. Will He not then care for
us far more, who are His noblest creatures?

III. A great poetical and satirical writer (Horace) says that this was
the popular maxim of his day, "Seek money first, and be good
afterwards." [1] What he had the boldness to say, a great people have
the boldnes