The Churches Security Together with the Antidote, Part 2
The second cause,2 cause worldly cares or occasion, of the Churches slumber, and security, is worldly thoughts, cares, and desires, and this hath some affinitie with the former, and many times doth follow it. The effects hereof are, as diuers so dangerous, as manifold, so most miserable. They distract the minde, and like wilde horses draw it and driue it this way, and that way, and therefore are called foreign, that is distracting cares.
They choake the word of God, and make it vnprofitable. For a man that is full of worldly cares, and thoughts, hath his wittes a wooll-gathering (as the common prouerb is) when hee should attend to better matters, his mind is on his halfe-penny, and all his zeale is for Diana the great Goddesse of the Ephesians, when it serueth for the maintaining of his trade, and not vppon GODS worde, which is the food of the soule that indureth to eternall life. When hee is gone from hearing the word,Iohn. 6. ye. 27. hee either forgets all, or (at least) neglecteth all, and practiseth nothing, for it is impossible for a man to gather grapes of thornes, or figges of thistles, or to expect any good from such.
Secondly, worldly sorrow, that is for losse of commodities, and goodes, or for sense, and ferae of euill, breedeth death, 2 Cor. 7. 10.that is causeth desperation, & by consequence death: It is the Heathens sinne to be distrustfully carefull; and to say what shal we eate, or what shall we drinke, or where-with sha…l no be cloathed? But wee must committe our waies to GOD,Math. 6. …. 2. … cast all our care vppon him, who careth, and prouideth for vsus, and bee content with our estate; for GOD hath made a promise, that hee will neuer faile, nor forsake vsus. Will the LORD feed the Rauens that cry vntounto him, and will hee not feed his children? will he nourish the wicked his enemies,Heb. 13. 5. and will hee not much more feed his friendes, and beeloued? shall hee so gloriously cloth the Lillies of the field, and will hee not much more apparrell those that serue him, and depend vppon him continually?
Lastly they that desire to bee rich (saith Saint P…ule) fall into many temptations, 1 Tim. 6. 9.and snares, and fall into marynoisome, and foolish lusts, which drowne men in perdition, and destruction. And in the end of the next verse hee addeth they erre from the faith, and peirce themselues thorough with many sorrowes. Now the Apostles meaning in this place is not, that riches are (properly) the cause of the euills here mentioned, but onelie the inordinate appetite, and desire of man. The temptations into which hereby priuate men fall into are many: strayning, and stretching their consciences (as some doe their broad cloathes, and carsies) but especially in the ministers of whome the Apostle speciallie speaketh, they are so blinded many times with couetousnesse, that they refuse to doe, and defend nothing bee it neuer so absurd, so soone as the hope of money, and profit hath bleered, and blinded their eies. And as touching faith, they that are ouer troubled with worldlie cares soone fall, and reuolt from it, as wee hauehave Demas for an example. Lastly they are sundry times horribly tormented in conscience, as it befalleth vntounto desperate men: To these sorrowes may be added suites in law, losses, hostilities, dangerous bargaines, and the like.
But some men will (perphaps) obiect, and say I hauehave a great family,Obie. and many children to sustaine, and the world is hard, and I do no man open wronge, therefor it is lawfull for me thus to carke, and care, to toile, and moile, or els I know not how to liue, but I must be enforced to borrowe, begge, or steale.
First albeit it be lawful,Ans. and necessary for a man carefully to keepe the goods, which hee hath gotten, and to imploy them to necessary, & profitable vses: & albeit the thoughts, and hand of the diligent bring aboundance, Pro. 5. ver. 16. 17.and pouerty commeth vponupon the idle person, as one that trauelleth by the way, & necessitie like an armed man; Prou. 21. 17.and he that doth not prouide for his owne, and namely for them of his houshould denieth the faith, and is worse then an Infidel; & albeit eueryevery man must follow his calling; yet notwithstanding, thoughttaking, distrustfull care, and toiling, and moyling continually with labour and griefe is not hereby warranted, but rather reprooued, and in many other places of scripture totally condemned. For first no man can hereby adde one cubite to his stature, much lesse to his life.
Secondly men hereby shew themselues more like Paynims, Math. …. 32.and Gentiles who onelyonly seeke after these earthly things, then like Christians, who waiting for the glorious resurrection of the bodie, and eternall life, should not take such carking care for this mortall, and miserable life.
Thirdly worldly cares, and the sincere seruing of God, are so opposite, and contrarie that a man cannot intend both togither, he cannot serue GOD, and mammon; and therefore so much as a man addeth to his thoughtfull care, so much he detract…th from his hope, & cōfidence in God. Fourthly we are seruants in our heauenly Fathers house, & therefore he will kindly,Hebr. 13. and louingly prouide that which shalbe good for vsus. And as for borrowing, so it be within our ability,P…l. 37. ve 21 and with a minde, and conscience to repay it, is vponupon iust occasion lawful. And as for begging, if wee serue God we shall neuer begge, or if it sometimes should so fall out through ino…itable losses,Psal. 37 ve. 25 & through the disorder of common-wealthes, yet we shall neuer be for saken of God. Lastly they that trust in God, and carefully, and thirstily walke in their calling shalbe so far from stealeing, that they shall either bee more enabled to giuegive then to rece…ue, or (at least) beeing contented with that they hauehave, and making the Lord their portion, they shalbe farre from any such vnlawfull practise.
Let vsus therefore beware that wee do not with the Gentiles,Vse. 1. or with those that want faith in Gods prouidence with so egar appetites, and thoughtfull cares seeke after these outward, and earthly things, as though they were the chiefe good; but before all things, and with all study, and endeuour seeke after heauenly, and spiritual things, as the most principal blessings, and the true riches of man, & then, as for al other things God wil cast thē vponupon vsus as an aduantage, or ouerplus, we not careing, or looking for thē.
Secondly let vsus not headily,Vse. 2. and ouer hastily vex, and torment our selues with the expectation, and thinking vponupon things to come, like vntounto those that vainely imagine, and dreame of diuers afterclaps,Math. 6. 34. calamities, and crosses to ensue. For present distresses, and difficulties bring vntounto vsus troubles enough, and therefore wee hauehave no reason to multiply care and miserie by taking thought for that which is to come. And to finish, and absolue this point, verie Heathens condemne this carking care for future euents. Quids… futurum, cras fugequerere, that is forbeare to enquire what shalbe done to morrowe. And (as Cicero saith) meditationem fut…ri mali &c. the thinking vponupon an euill to come, and that, perhaps will not come at all, is foolish: that eueryevery euill is greeuious, and painefull when it is once come.
Lastly wee must commit,Vse. 3. or (according to the originall) roll our waie vponupon the Lord, that is, wee must in hope, and patience commit the issue, and euent of all our actions, and affaires to his diuine prouidence, and disposition, and vnload all our cares, and labours into Gods bosome. Wee must also trust in him; Psal. 37. 5.that is perswade our selues that wee are gouerned of God, and pray also to bee gouerned by him, and then hee will bring it to p…sse, that is grant an happie, and prosperous successe; and not suffer our hope to bee frustrate, as hee iustly punisheth the infidelitie of the children of this world. For otherwise our life, and calling cannot bee ordered, and directed by mans diligence,Ier. 10. and industry, for except the Lord build and oraer the house they labour in vaine that build it, therefore in so great waight of businesse, and daungers wee stand in continuall neede of the presence, Psal. 137. 1.and helpe of GOD.
And thus much touching worldlie cares.