Take no thought.
Take no thought for the morrow
1. The question arises, Is not the Christian character a provident one?
2. All this is done to drive us to live by the day: to let the day’s affairs fill the day’s thoughts. See the benefit of this.
(1) As respects our pleasures. How can a man enjoy pleasure when he has his mind disturbed about the future? We must dwell on it undistractedly.
(2) As respects your pains. That which makes pain painful is the thought that it will continue.
(3) As respects duties. The secret of doing anything well is concentration.
3. We should have only to do with the sins of the current day. As with our sins so with our cares.
4. The trouble which comes is very often not the trouble which we expected. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
No thought for the morrow
1. The Christian should live in quiet confidence in God.
2. This quiet dependence upon God is our happiness, usefulness, strength, security.
3. If this were wrought in our hearts as a principle, how energetic we should be in the exercise of faith in God.
4. The secret of getting through work is to take the work of the day and leave all that does not belong to it.
5. Although a man leaves all to God, and is happy in Christ, he is not therefore exempt from evil. (J. W. Reeve.)
Undue anxiety reproved
I. The prohibition. If the text prohibits anxiety about gaining sustenance itself, it must much more condemn such a disposition of mind in reference to the luxuries or show of life, what a world of uneasiness is created by inordinate desire about trifles.
II. The reasons or motives for doing so.
1. The first is derived from a view of the conduct of the Gentiles.
2. Another lesson for avoiding anxiety is this, “that our heavenly Father knoweth we have need of these things.”
3. There is no advantage in excessive carefulness.
Learn:
1. Christianity is calculated to make men happy.
2. Let Christians guard against a distrustful spirit. (R. Robinson.)
The word “ thought “ is here used in the antiquated sense of anxiety. In this sense it occurs in Bacon and Shakespeare, “Queen Catherine Parr died of thought.” “The pale cast of thought.”
Evils of anxious forethought
1. From the intrinsic superiority of the spirit or the soul to its material surroundings.
2. It is needless, as all men stand in an order of nature that they are sure to be supplied by a moderate exertion of their powers. A man ought to be ashamed if a bird can get a living and he cannot.
3. Anxiety does no good. The mind works more wisely when it works pleasantly. Anxiety distorts the future.
4. It brings men under the power of the imagination and phantoms, which they fight without pause, and upon which they spend their strength for nothing.
5. If a man is constantly looking to the future in despondency, where is faith in his God? (Beecher.)
Anxious thought incapacitates for a wise ordering of life
The whole success of life depends upon the wholesomeness of a man’s mind. The ship-master that navigates the sea beyond the sight of land is dependent upon the correctness of his chronometer and his compass. If the instruments of navigation fail him, everything fails him. And what these are to navigation on the sea and in a ship, the human mind is to our navigation of life. And anything that disturbs the balance of the mind so far invalidates the whole voyage of life. (Beecher.)
Anxiety for the Future often arises from some unholy passion
Fear still sits in the window. “What seest thou? “ says Vanity. “Whisperings are abroad,” says Fear. “Men are pointing at you-or they will, as soon as you come to a point of observation.” “O my good name!” says a man. “All that I have done; all that I have laid up-what will become of that? Where is my reputation going? What will become of me when I lose it, and when folks turn away from me? O trouble I trouble fit is coming!” What is it? Fear is sitting in the window of the soul, and looking into the future, and interpreting the signs thereof to the love of approbation in its coarsest and lowest condition. Fear still sits looking into the future, and pride, coming up, says, “What is it that you see? I see,” says Fear, “your castle robbed. I see you toppled down from your eminence. I see you under base men’s feet. I see you weakened. I see you disesteemed. I see your power scattered and gone.” “O Lord; what a world is this!” says Pride. Now, that man has not had a particle of trouble. Fear sat in the window and lied. And Pride cried, and Vanity cried, and Avarice cried-and ought to cry. Fear sat and told lies to them all. For there was not one of those things, probably, done there. Did Fear see them? Yes. But Fear has a kaleidoscope in his eye, and every time it turns it takes a new form. It is filled with broken glass, and it gives false pictures continually. Fear does not see right. It is for ever seeing wrong. And it is stimulated by other feelings. Pride stimulates it; and Vanity stimulates it; and Lust stimulates it; and Love itself finds, sometimes, no better business than to send Fear on its bad errands. For love cries at the cradle, “Oh, the child will die!” It will not die. It will get well. And then you will not be ashamed that you prophesied that it would die. You put on mourning in advance. (Beecher.)
A dissuasive from anxiety
I. The evil which we are directed to avoid.
II. The powerful considerations by which the saviour enforces the precept.
1. The power of God as displayed in our creation and preservation.
2. The care of Divine providence.
3. The futility of excessive anxiety.
4. The beauty of nature.
III. There reflections.
1. The connection of Divine agency with the existence of all things.
2. This subject reminds us of Him through whom we have access to the Father.
3. Let us learn lessons of spiritual wisdom from everything around us. (J. E. Good.)
Appears to use a variety of arguments against over-anxiety.
I. He that gave the lesser gift will surely give the greater.
II. God cares for the lower creation.
III. Over-anxiety is useless.
IV. To be over-anxious is to arraign the Divine foresight.
V. To be over-anxious is to sink from the level of the Christian disciple to that of the heathen. (Gordon Calthrop, M. A.)
Fretfulness
Arguments against an unquiet spirit.
1. The general course of nature is in favour of men.
2. That there is a Divine providence which employs the course of nature and gives it direction.
3. Fretting does no good, but uses up the nerve force needlessly.
4. It begets a habit of looking at the dark side of things.
5. The things we fear seldom happen.
(1) A tranquil soul is indispensably necessary to anything like a true Christian atmosphere.
(2) The chief ends of life are sacrificed to the unnecessary dust which our feet raise in the way of life.
(3) What disagreeable company we make of ourselves for God.
(4) This way of life, devoid of cheer, is bearing false witness against your Master. (Beecher.)
The folly of looking only at the ills of life
Now, what if a man should go round searching for a more familiar acquaintance with thistles and nettles and thorns, and everything sharp, up and down the highways, over the hills, and through the fields, and insist on putting his hand on everything that could give him a scratch? What if a man should insist upon finding out whatever was sour and bitter, and should go about tasting, and tasting, and tasting for that purpose. What if a man should insist upon smelling every disagreeable odour, and should see no gaspipe open that he did not go and look at it? When doves fly in the heavens, and go swinging round in their flight, we know what they see the grassy field, the luxuriant grain, or the inviting perch where they may rest; but when buzzards fly through the air they see no green fields, no pleasant gardens, but carrion, if there be any in sight; and if there is none to be seen, there is discontent in the buzzard heart. (Beecher.)
One fretful person a pleasure spoiler
It does not take more than one smoky chimney in a room to make it intolerable. (Beecher.)
Over-anxiety forbidden
I. Anxiety is useless about things not under our own control. Duration of life, etc.
II. Anxiety is useless in matters under our own management. Anxiety will not furnish the opportunity of earning bread, or arm us with power-but the reverse.
III. Anxiety does not attract us to the notice of God. He cares for us irrespective of our carefulness. No promise is made to anxiety, etc.
IV. Anxiety is useless because Jesus bids you get rid of it. Trust Him and let the spirit rest, and be strong and glad. (S. Martin.)
I. There is no wise man who will lay out his time and thoughts about things he cannot bring to pass; no one debates but of things possible and probable, lying within the sphere of his activity.
II. That our food and maintenance nourishes us, and augments and enlarges the proportion of every limb, is not the product of our own care, but of God’s blessing.
III. So it is with all outward concerns. From the Divine benediction which accompanies them, they prove good and useful to us. Not from our own care. (Adam Littleton, D. D.)