Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Chapter 6 · Verse 27
v. 27.
Which of you by taking care, is able to adde one cubit to his stature?
Here Christ propoundeth his third reason, against distrustfull and3. Reason against distrustfull care. carking care for worldly things, from the vnprofitablens and vanitie of it in man. The words of this reason are propounded by way of question: which kind of phrase imports the affirming or denying of the thing spoken of with more vehemence. And here it hath the force of a more vehement negation: as if Christ had said, Vndoubtedly not any of you by taking care can adde one cubit to his stature. A cubit is a measure taken from a part of mans bodie, beeing the length of the arme from the elbow, to the end of the longest finger. Now God in framing mans bodie, brings it from this length in the mothers wombe, by continuall increase adding cubit vntounto cubit, till at last it containe many cubits in stature according as he hath ordained and appointed. And looke how many cubits long God hath ordained eueryevery man to come vntounto, of that stature and talnesse he is; and no man by all his wit, skill, and carefull industrie can adde one cubit vntounto his stature: for that is the proper worke of the creatour, he that giues the bodie, appoints the stature, and by his prouidence brings it thereto, by daily increase. Now hence Christ reasons thus, from the like: As no man by taking care in all the meanes he can vse, can augment his stature one cubit, he cannot doe the the least thing this way, as pLuk. 12. 26S. Luke noteth; no more can any man by his distrustfull care better his outward estate for things needefull to this life any whit at all: and therefore sith it is vaine and fruitlesse to vexe our hearts herewith, we must beware of this distrustfull care.
From this reason we may obserue and gather sundrie instructions.Mans labour vaine without Gods blessing. First, that mans labour, care, and industrie, is altogether vaine and fruitlesse, without the blessing of Gods prouidence. Psal. 127. 1, 2. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine that build it: except the Lord keepe the citie, the keeper watcheth in vaine. It is in vaine for you to rise earely, &c. 1. Cor. 3. 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth, (meaning, of themselues) but God giueth the increase. This point the Lord doth notably expresse by Haggai, saying, qHag. 8. 6-9.Ye hauehave sowen much, and bring in little:—and he that earneth wages putteth it in a bottomlesse bagge. Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little, and when it came home I did blow vponupon it. The consideration whereof must teach vsus to commend all the sober care and labour of our lawfull callings to God by praier for his blessing: for it is his blessing that maketh rich, Prov. 10. 22. If Paul and Apollos, two most worthie men, could doe nothing of themselues, what shall we thinke to doe? and when we find Gods blessing vponupon our labour, then we must giuegive thanks.
Secondly, hence we learne that no man can better his outward estateMans outward estate is appointed of God. in the world, for wealth and dignitie by all his care and diligence, aboue that which God hath appointed him to come vntounto: for as God hath determined of mans bodily stature, which no man by taking care can adde vntounto or alter, so hath he appointed in his decree what shall be mans estate, for wealth or pouertie, dignitie or disgrace, which it lies not in the power of man, or any creature to alter: indeede the diligent vse of lawfull meanes is an argument of Gods blessing in outward things, and therefore must be followed and exercised in sobrietie and godlinesse of those that waite for such blessings, because ordinarily God conuaies his blessings by such meanes: but yet the state of man depends not on the means, but on Gods decree and pleasure: Psal. 75. 6, 7. To come to preforrement is neither from the East nor from the West: but God is iudge: he maketh high, and he maketh low: and, Prov. 22. 2. The poore and the rich meete together, and God is the maker of them both. In regard whereof we must learne, to depend vponupon God in the sober vse of lawfull meanes, and to rest contented with his blessing thereupon be it more or lesse: for whatsoeuer it is, it is that portion which God hath allotted vntounto vsus.
Thirdly, hereby are sundrie erronious opinions confuted and ouerthrowne.Temporall life cannot be prolonged beyond the period set in nature. As first, the opinion of them who thinke, that the temporall life of man may be prolonged by art, aboue the period set by God in nature: but then there may be addition made by art to the set period of mans stature; for the will and prouidence of God doth equally rule in them both: the prolonging of mans life is no lesse an action of the Creator, then the augmenting of mans stature. Indeede art may help to preserue life till it come to the period in nature, but further to prolong it, is beyond the art and power of man: for man is not lord ouer the spirit to retaine the spirit, Eccles. 8. 8. God hath herein appointed his bounds duplicate page duplicate page which he cannot passe, Iob. 14. 5.
Secondly, the opinion of some Magicians and witches is hereby also…nchantments cannot turne mans bodie into another creature. confuted, who thinke and auouch, that by enchantments they can turne their bodies into the bodies of other creatures, as cats, hares, &c. and also make their bodies to passe through a key hole, or such like narrow place. But this were to change nature, which is more then to adde to nature (which yet Christ here denies to be in the power of man,) and therefore it is impossible: these things are the illusions of Satan, whereby he bleares the eyes of such as regard his lying wonders. As for that which is saide of Dan. 4. 30.Nebuchadnezzer, that he should be turned into a beast, because it is said, he ate grasse like an oxe: this we must know and hold, that the substance of his soule was not changed, neither the substance of his bodie, nor the shape thereof into the shape and substance of a beast, but onelyonly the hand of God was heau…e vponupon his minde, striking him with bruitish frensie and madnesse, whereupon his behauiour became bruitish, and he liued among the beasts of the field.
Thirdly, the opinion of the Alchemists is hereby also refuted, whoAlchemists confuted. pretend that they can turne baser mettalls into better, as brasse or lead into gold: but this is to change the nature of creatures, which is more then to adde thereto by augmenting their quantitie, which yet Christ denies and make impossible to art in the stature of man.
Fourthly, the opinion of the Papists for their merit of works is herebyMerits of glorie aboue the power of man. Concil. Trid. sess. 6. can. 32. also confuted: they teach that by good workes a man may merit for himselfe a greater degree of glorie in heauen: but consider, if a man by all that he can doe, cannot augment his bodily stature, nor his outward estate in this world (as we hauehave shewed▪) then much lesse can he adde vntounto his estate of glorie: if the increase of nature be the worke of God, then much more is the gift of grace, and the increase of glorie: as therefore he determines of the …tature of the bodie, so much more may we resolue, that the state of the soule for glorie is decreed of God, and man cannot adde thereunto. Indeede the more we glorifie God by welldoing on earth, the more is our assurance of greater glorie in heauen, but yet the merit thereof is the worke of Christ alone, and our fruition of it the gift of God according to the good pleasure of his owne will.