Christian Directions, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Directions to the Poor.
HAving given Directions to the Rich, I come now to give Directions to the Poorer sort, who stand in as much need as the former.
I. Labour to be content with thine estate, as being that portion God hath allotted unto thee; and repine not against his Providence, because thou hast not a larger allowance; which is the counsel of the Apostle Paul, 1 Tim. 6. 8Having food and raiment, let us bee therewith content.
Q. Wherein doth this contentedness consist?
A. In bringing down your minds to your present state and condition. It is the great mistake of many, to think that contentedness consisteth in abundance, in raising up their estates to such a pitch, conceiving they should then be contented; whereas indeed true contentedness consists rather in an evenness, suitableness, and proportion between a mans estate and his mind.
The better to perswade the Poorer sort to this Duty of Contentedness, I shall propound some few considerations.
1 That such as have convenient food and raiment injoy as much as the richest men on earth; whereupon saith the Apostle in the forementioned place, Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. Though a man possess never so much of this worlds goods,1 Tim, 6. 8 yet doth he enjoy no more thereof than himself eateth, and weareth, for the rest goeth to others, and is nothing to him.
Obj. Happily thou wilt say, that though his belly can hold no more than thine, yet his fare is better, and more delicious?
Ans. Though his fare may be much better, and more delicious, yet his delight therein may be less than thine in thy courser diet; and his delicious fare doth usually prove hurtful to him, as the Wise man noteth, Eccles. 5. 12.
2 A little with the fear of God is much better than great treasures with trouble and vexation of spirit, as the Wise man expresseth it, Prov. 15. 16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasures and trouble therewith; intimating, that a small estate with the fear of God is farre more comfortable than a great and plentiful estate without the fear of God, which is usually accompanied with much trouble and vexation of spirit.
3 That every mans estate is ordered by God, who as hee is the soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth, and may doe with us as hee pleases; so he is infinite in Wisdome, and thereby knoweth what estate is best and most convenient for us, even better than we our selves; yea, and is rich in mercy and goodness, and thereby willing and ready to doe that which in his wisdome he knoweth to be best and most convenient for us; which if it were seriously considered, would be a special means to work up our hearts to some measure of contentedness in our meanest estate and condition.
4 That our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ,2 Cor. 8 9 though he was rich, yea Heir of all things,Mat. 8. 20 yet for our sakes became so poor, that as himself expresseth it, he had not where to l…y his head. And we read that Women ministred unto his necessities. Luk. 8. 3Christ became thus poor for gracious ends; as,
1 That hee might sanctifie Poverty to all his members: for Christ by undertaking it, sanctified it.
2 That he might minister comfort to his poor members: for in his example it is evident, that Gods dear Children may live here in a poor and mean estate.
3 That he might by his example teach us to submit our selves to the Divine providence, resting contented with our poor and mean estate, if God shall call us thereunto.
II. Labour to be humble; Humility is commendable in all, but especially it becometh such whom the Lord hath brought into a low condition, that so they may walk suitably and answerably to their condition; so much the Wise man intimateth, when he saith, It is better to bee of an humble spirit with the lowly; Prov. 16. 19implying that with a low condition there should bee an humble mind and spirit.
III Labour to bee rich in grace; yea the poorer thou art in purse, labour to bee the richer in grace, and then thy worldly Poverty will be no hinderance to thy spiritual preferment, but rather a furtherance, in that it puts thee into a better capacity, seeing they are the Poor of this world, Jam. 2. 5whom the Lord usually makes rich in faith, and heirs of his kingdom; stirre up thy self therefore by fervent praying, diligent reading, and frequent hearing of the Word, to grow in grace, yea to grow rich in grace, that though thou art poor here, yet thou maist be an heir of Heaven, and when thou dyest, with Lazarus be received into Abrahams bosome.
IV. In thy greatest wants and exigencies labour to live by faith in Gods Providence, resting confidently upon him for a comfortable supply of all needful temporal good things. For thine encouragement hereunto take notice of that gracious promise, The young Lions doe lack and suffer hunger, Psal. 34. 10but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing; he doth not say, they shall have abundance, but they shall want nothing that is good for them; and therefore said our Saviour to his poor Disciples, Take no thought for your life, Mat. 6. 25, 26what yee shall eat, or what yee shall drink, nor yet, for your bodies, what yee shall put on; Is not the life more than meat? and the body than raiment? Behold the Fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither doe they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them; are yee not much better than they? Here our Saviour by several Arguments labours to disswade his Disciples from all distrustful thoughts and cares about their food and raiment, and to perswade them to live by faith in Gods Providence for the same.
1 The first Argument is taken from the greater to the less,Argumentum … majori ad minus. as thus; God hath given you the greater thing, therefore hee will give you the less; he hath given you life, therefore hee will not deny food; he hath given you a body, therefore hee will not withhold raiment. This argument our Saviour expresseth in these words, Is not the life more than meat? and the body than raiment?
2 The second Argument is taken from the less to the greater,Argumentum a minori ad majus. and may be thus framed; Hee that provideth for Fowls will much more provide for men; But God provideth for the Fowls of the air, therefore much more will he provide for men; which argument is here amplified and confirmed by two reasons.
1 First from the means of provision afforded to men, which the fowls of the air want; for whereas men Plow, and Sow, and Reap, and gather their Corn into Barns, and thereby have means of provision which the Fowls of the air want, for they sow not, neither doe they reap, nor gather into barns; i. e. they have not, neither doe they use the means of provision which men doe, yet are they not unprovided of convenient food, for God feedeth them; Why then should men, who have such means of provision, distrust Gods Providence?
2 From the excellency of Man above Fowls, expressed in these words, Are yee not much better than they? intimating, that men are much better than the Fowls of the air; and therefore seeing God provideth for the Fowls of the air, much more will hee provide for men, especially for his own children; for who is there that feeds his Hawks, and his Hounds, that will suffer his Children to starve for want of convenient food? and therefore you have good cause in all your straights and exigencies to live by faith in Gods providence.