Masters.  For he that wholly gives himself up to any Thing, is a Servant to it.  Now he would have the Propagation of the Gospel be our chief, but yet, not our only Care.  For he says, Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven, and these Things shall be added unto you.  He does not say, seek only; but seek first.  And besides, I take the Word to Morrow, to be hyperbolical, and in that, signifies a Time to come, a great While hence, it being the Custom of the Misers of this World, to be anxiously scraping together, and laying up for Posterity.

Eu. We allow of your Interpretation; but what does he mean, when he says, Be not sollicitous for your Life, what you shall eat?  The Body is cloth’d, but the Soul does not eat.

Ti. By Anima, is meant Life, which can’t subsist without Meat (or is in Danger, if you take away its Food):  But it is not so, if you take away the Garment, which is more for Modesty than Necessity.  If a Person is forc’d to go naked, he does not die presently; but Want of Food is certain Death.

Eu. I do not well understand how this Sentence agrees with that which follows; Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body than Raiment?  For if Life be so precious, we ought to take the more Care of it.

Ti. This Argument does rather increase our Sollicitousness than lessen it.

Eu. But this is none of our Saviour’s Meaning; who, by this Argument, creates in us a stronger Confidence in the Father:  For if a bountiful Father hath given us gratis that which is the more valuable, he will also bestow upon us what is less valuable:  He that has given us Life, will not deny us Food:  And he that has given us Bodies, will by some Means or other give us Cloaths too:  Therefore, relying upon his Bounty, we have no Reason to disquiet ourselves with Anxiety of Thought, for Things of smaller Moment.  What remains then, but using this World, as though we used it not, we transfer our whole Study and Application to the Love of heavenly Things, and rejecting the World and the Devil universally, with all his crafty Delusions, we chearfully serve God alone, who will never forsake his Children?  But all this While, here’s no Body touches the Fruits.  Certainly you may eat this with Joy, for this is the Product of my own Farm, and did not cost much Care to provide it.

Ti. We have very plentifully satisfied our Bodies.

Eu. I should be glad if you had satisfied your Minds too.

Ti. Our Minds have been satisfy’d more plentifully than our Bodies.

Eu. Boy, take away, and bring some Water; now, my Friends, let us wash, that if we have in eating contracted any Guilt, being cleansed, we may conclude with a Hymn:  If you please, I’ll conclude with what I begun out of St. Chrysostom.

Ti. We entreat you that you would do it.

Eu.  Glory to thee, O Lord; Glory to thee, O holy One; Glory to thee, O King; as thou hast given us Meat for our Bodies, so replenish our Souls with Joy and Gladness in thy holy Spirit, that we may be found acceptable in thy Sight, and may not be made asham’d, when thou shalt render to every one according to his Works.