(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Ver. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek] With whom if you should symbolize in sins, or not exceed in virtue, it were a shame to you. They studiously seek these things, they seek them with all their might; as being without God in the world, and therefore left by him to shift for themselves. a When we observe a young man toiling and moiling, running and riding, and not missing a market, &c., we easily guess and gather that he is fatherless and friendless, and hath none other to take care for him. Surely this immoderate care is better beseeming infidels that know not God, but rest wholly upon themselves and their own means, than Christians, who acknowledge God most wise and all-sufficient to be their loving father, b As we differ from heathens in profession, so we should in practice; and a gross business it is, that Jerusalem should justify Sodom, and it should be said unto her, "Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins, but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they," Ezekiel 16:51. Such as have hope in this life only, what marvel if they labour their utmost to make their best of it? Now many of the poor pagans believed not the immortality of the soul, and those few of them that dreamed of another life beyond this, yet affirmed it very faintly, and scarcely believed themselves. Socrates, the wisest of heathens, spake thus to his friends at his death: "The time is now come that I must die, and you survive; but whether is the better of these two, the gods only know, and not any man living, that is my opinion." c "But we have not so learned Christ." Neither must we do as heathens and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; since now in Christ Jesus, we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by his blood, and have an access through him by one Spirit to the Father, Ephesians 2:13; Ephesians 2:18 .
For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things] Not with a bare barren notional knowledge, but with a fatherly tender care to provide for his own in all their necessities: which whoso doeth not, he judgeth him worse than an infidel. We need not be careful of our maintenance here in our minority and non-age, nor yet for our eternal inheritance when we come to full age. We are cared for in everything that we need, and that can be good for us. Oh happy we, did we but know our happiness! How might we live in a very heaven upon earth, could we but live by faith and walk before God with a perfect heart? He made himself known to be our gracious and provident Father before we were born. And did we but seriously consider who kept and fed us in our mother's womb, Psalms 22:9,10, when neither we could shift for ourselves nor our parents do aught for us, how he filled us two bottles with milk against we came into the light, bore us in his arms as a nursing father, Numbers 11:12, fed us, clothed us, kept us from fire and water, charged his angels with us, commanded all winds to blow good to us, Song of Solomon 4:16, all creatures to serve us, Hosea 2:21,23, and all occurrences to work together for our good, Romans 8:28, how could we but be confident? Why art thou so sad from day to day? and what is it thou ailest or needest? Art not thou the king's son? said Jonadab to Amnon, 2 Samuel 13:4, -say I to every godly Christian. Profane Esau could go to his father for a child's portion; so could the prodigal, because a child; and had it. Every child of God shall have a Benjamin's portion here, and at length power over all nations, Revelation 2:26, and possession of that "new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness," 2 Peter 3:13. Either therefore disclaim God for your Father, or else rest confident of his fatherly provision.
" Certa mihi spes est quod vitam qui dedit, idem
Et velit, et possit suppeditare cibum. "
God that giveth mouths will not fail to give meat also.
a επιζητει, Summo studio efflagitat.
b κερδαινοντες ου κοπιωμεν. Naz.
c Utrum autem sit menus Dii immortales sciunt: hominem quidem arbitror scire neminem. Plato and Cic.