Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 2 · Section 10
SECT. 10.
10. Truſt in God for a livelyhood; Though your Eſtates be gone and Trading fail, and Times ſhould be hard, yet God will not fail you nor forſake you if you truſt in him; but he will feed you, and clothe you, and provide all things that are neceſſary for you, Pſal. 37.3. Truſt in the Lord, and do good, ſo ſhalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou ſhalt be fed. Heb. 13.5. Let your Converſations be without Covetouſneſs, and be content with ſuch things as ye have; for he hath ſaid, I will never leave thee nor forſake thee. Theſe Hebrews (as I have hinted before) had ſuffered the ſpoiling of their goods, as we may ſee, Chap. 10.34. and now they might be full of fears that they ſhould not be able to live; but the Apoſtle bids them be content with ſuch things as they had, for the Lord would not leave them nor forſake them. Conſider
1. God knows that you need food and rayment for your bodies as well as grace for your ſouls, Matth. 6.32. Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all theſe things; and as he knoweth what and how great your needs are, ſo he will take care to ſupply all your needs, Phil. 4.19. My God ſhall ſupply all your need according to his riches in glory, by Chriſt Jeſus.
2. God made proviſion for you long before you had a being, the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for Gods Saints and Servants before they were born; for it was made ready for them from the foundation of the world, Matth. 25.34. Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Yea, before the world began, from all Eternity, God made preparation for your eternal happineſs, Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promiſed before the world began. Now if God made proviſion for your eternal happineſs before you had a being, then doubt not but he will provide for you that little time that you have to continue in this world.
3. God hath given you better, and greater things then food and rayment; he hath given you life, bodies and ſouls, Matth. 6.25. Take no thought for your life, what you ſhall eat, or what ye ſhall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye ſhall put on: is not the life more than meat, and the body than rayment? God hath not with-holden his only Son from you, and do you think, that he will with-hold food and raiment from you, who gave you his own Son? Rom. 8.32. He that ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how ſhall he not with him alſo freely give us all things?
4. A good man will give his ſervants convenient food, though he have never ſo many, Luk. 15.17. How many hired ſervants of my Fathers have bread enough and to ſpare? And do you think our good and gracious God will deny his ſervants their neceſſary food?
Doth not God clothe the graſs which is but of few dayes continuance? And do you think that he will deny you rayment who are made for an eternal ſtate? Matth. 6.28,29,30. Why take ye thought for rayment? conſider the Lillies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they ſpin: and yet I ſay unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of theſe: wherefore if God ſo clothe the graſs of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is caſt into the Oven, ſhall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? God out of his mercy giveth food to all his creatures, Pſal. 136.25. Who giveth food to all fleſh, for his mercy endureth for ever: He feedeth the Birds and the Beaſts, Job 38.41. He provideth for the Raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God—Pſal. 147.9. He giveth to the Beaſt his food. And do ye think that he who is ſtyled The Preſerver of Men, Job 7.20. will not provide food for the ſons and daughters of men? If you think that the Lord is, or will be more mindful of the Birds and Beaſts than of Men, you wrong him exceedingly, Matth. 6.26. Behold the Fowls of the Air; for they ſow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them: Are ye not much better than they? But of this you may ſee more, Queſt. 1. pag. 75, 76, 77, &c. Sect. 3, 4.
Object. If any ſay, I could truſt God for a livelyhood, if I could but ſee which way I ſhould be able to live; but when I have conſidered which way I ſhould be able to maintain my ſelf and my family, I can't ſee or think of any way whereby I and mine ſhould be maintained, and this makes me that I can't tell how to truſt in God for a ſubſiſtance.
Anſw. 1. You have ſtrange thoughts of God, if you will truſt him no farther than you can ſee him; you will truſt a diſhoneſt man as far as you can ſee him: And what a reproach is this to the holy God, to truſt him no farther than you will truſt a diſhoneſt man?
2. The property of true faith, is to perſwade the ſoul as firmly that thoſe things which God hath promiſed ſhall be, although we neither do or can ſee them; as we are perſwaded of thoſe things which we ſee evidently with our eye, Heb. 11.1. Faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not ſeen. Our Lord Jeſus pronounceth thoſe bleſſed which believe what they ſee not, Joh. 20.29. Jeſus ſaith unto him, Thomas, becauſe thou haſt ſeen me, thou haſt believed; bleſſed are they that have not ſeen, and yet have believed.
3. What though you cannot ſee or think which way you ſhould be maintained? God is able to do abundantly more than you are able to think, Epheſ. 3.20. To him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. God hath hidden riches, ſuch as no man knoweth of to give his ſervants, when and where he ſeeth good, Iſa. 45.3. I will give thee the treaſures of darkneſs, and hidden riches of ſecret places, that thou mayeſt know, that I the Lord which call thee by thy name, am the God of Iſrael. God oft-times gives wicked men hidden treaſure; David ſpeaking of Gods Providence towards the wicked, ſaith, Pſal. 17.14.—Whoſe belly thou filleſt with thy hid treaſure,—And cannot he find out hidden treaſure for his ſervants, even ſuch as they think not of?
4. What viſible maintenance did Jeſus Chriſt give his Diſciples when he ſent them on a journey, and bid them Provide neither gold, nor ſilver, nor braſs in your purſes, nor ſcrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither ſhooes, nor yet ſtaves, Matth. 10.9,10. yet he provided ſo carefully for them, that they lacked nothing, Luk. 22.35. He ſaid unto them, When I ſent you, without purſe, and ſcrip, and ſhooes, lacked ye any thing? and they ſaid, Nothing. What viſible maintenance did God give the children of Iſrael in the Wilderneſs? As for bread they had none but what fell from heaven, and of that, they had but for the day, excepting on the ſixth day wherein they were to gather a double portion, on other days if they kept any till the morning it bred worms and ſtank, and what fell in the morning was dried up when the Sun was hot, Exod. 16.4,19,20,21,22. ſo that God gave them nothing before hand, but put them upon living by faith for their dayly bread. And as for fleſh, though God had given them a promiſe, that they ſhould eat fleſh a month together, Moſes himſelf was put to a great ſtand to think, how ſuch a vaſt multitude ſhould be fed with fleſh in the Wilderneſs, Numb. 11.21,22,23. Moſes ſaid, the people amongſt whom I am, are ſix hundred thouſand footmen; and thou haſt ſaid, I will give them fleſh, that they may eat a whole month: Shall the Flocks and the Heards be ſlain for them to ſuffice them? or ſhall all the Fiſh of the Sea he gathered together for them to ſuffice them? And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Is the Lords hand maxed ſhort? thou ſhalt ſee now whether my words ſhall come to paſs unto thee or not. Now though God kept this people in ſuch dependance on himſelf, that for forty years together he did not give them one days bread before hand (excepting every ſixt day) but they were to expect it a new from heaven every, day; yet all that forty years he did ſo carefully and conſtantly provide for that great multitude, that they lacked nothing, Dept. 2.7. The Lord thy God, hath bleſſed thee in all the works of thine hand; he knoweth thy walking through this great Wilderneſs: theſe forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee, thou haſt lacked nothing. Neb. 9.21. Yea forty years didſt thou ſuſtain them in the Wilderneſs, ſo that they lacked nothing, their clothe waxed not old, and their feet ſwelled not.
5. The Birds have nothing before hand, neither do they know one day where they ſhall have their food the next, yet God provideth for them every day, Matt. 6.26. And why ſhould not you depend upon God for your daily bread, though you know not one day, how or which way you ſhall be provided for the next? If you ſay, The Birds have a greater latitude than we have, they may take their meat where they can get it, they being under no law, are under no tranſgreſſion, we are bound up by the Law of God, not to meddle with that which belongs to other men. I anſwer, The Birds do not find out or gather any thing but what God gives them; Pſal. 104.28. That thou giveſt them, they gather, thou openeſt thine hand, they are filled with good. Matth. 6.26. Your heevenly Father feedeth them.
6. Conſider the examples of Gods ſervants, who have truſted God at ſuch times as they could not ſee how or which way thoſe mercies ſhould be given them, which they ſtood in need of. When Iſaac ſaid unto Abraham, My-Father, Behold the fire and wood, but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham ſaid, My ſon, God will provide himſelf a Lamb for a burnt offering, Gen. 22.7,8. Abraham could not tell how or which way God would provide a Lamb for a burnt offering, yet he did reſt upon God that he would do it. If troubled thoughts ariſe in your hearts, and you begin to ſay within your ſelves, where ſhall I have bread for my ſelf, and for my family: anſwer your ſelves as Abraham did Iſaac, God will provide bread for me and mine. When Mordecai could not tell, how or which way deliverance ſhould come to the Jews, there being but one way viſible, and that was by Eſther, but ſhe was loath to appear and hazard her ſelf by interceeding for them; but he for all this reſts upon God, that if this means failed, deliverance ſhould come ſome other way, Eſth. 4.14. If thou altogether holdeſt thy peace at this time, then ſhall there enlargement and deliverance ariſe to the Jews from another place.
Object. 2. I am a ſimple, ſhiftleſs perſon; and beſides, I have no friends to take care of me, or look after me, and now my Eſtate is gone, and my Calling fails, I ſhall not be able to live; I could truſt God for a livelyhood, if I could ſhift for my ſelf in the world as others can do, and had any friends to look after me, but I and both ſhiftleſs and friendleſs.
Anſw. 1. You are not more ſhiftleſs now, than you were in your infancy, yet then God provided for you; when you were a little Infant and could not ſhift for your ſelf, God drew you out of your Mothers womb, and fed you, and clothed you, and defended, and ſupported you, Pſal. 71.6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb, thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels; my praiſe ſhall be continually of thee.
2. If you had never ſo much craft and ſubtilty, yet you could not get a ſubſiſtance, without the help of Gods Providence; for all the devices of the crafty come to nought, when God ſucceedeth them not, Job 5.12. He diſappointeth the devices of the crafty, ſo that their hands cannot perform their enterprize. Your want of ſubtilty is no impediment to Gods Providence; he by his wiſdom is able to provide for thoſe that have little or no wiſdom to order their affairs, as well as for thoſe that are endued with greateſt diſcretion.
3. There is a ſpecial Providence of God which watcheth and taketh care of ſuch as are ſimple and ſhiftleſs, Pſal. 116.6. The Lord preſerveth the ſimple; I was brought low and he helped me. Who are more ſhiftleſs than ſtrangers, widows and fatherleſs children? and we find that God taketh a ſpecial care of ſuch as theſe, Pſal. 146.9. The Lord preſerveth the ſtrangers, he relieveth the fatherleſs and widow. Were not the Diſciples of Chriſt ſhiftleſs, when they were ſent forth as Sheep in the midſt of Wolves, Matth. 10.16. and yet had neither money in their purſes, nor ſtaves, nor ſcrip? Verſ. 9, 10. but for all this they wanted nothing, as you heard before from Luk. 22.35.
4. Though you are friendleſs as well as ſhiftleſs, let not this diſcourage you; as long as you have a God in Heaven that taketh the care of you, you are well enough though you have no friends on earth to look after you, 1 Pet. 5.7. Caſting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. When David was in diſtreſs, and had no friend that took any care of him, he ſtayed himſelf with this, that he had a God that was his refuge, who would not only give him Heaven when he died, but alſo be his portion, and take the care of him in the land of the living, Pſal. 142.4,5. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me, no man cared for my ſoul; I cryed unto thee, O Lord, I ſaid, thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of the living. The fewer friends you have in the world, and the leſs help and relief you are like to have from men, the more you ſhall have from God; for he is wont in an eminent manner to take care of ſuch as are friendleſs and helpleſs, Pſal. 27.10. When my Father and my Mother forſake me, then the Lord will take me up. Jer. 30.17. I will reſtore health uno thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, ſaith the Lord, becauſe they called thee an out-caſt, ſaying, this is Zion, whom no man ſeeketh after. Pſal. 10.14.—The poor committeth himſelf unto thee, thou art the helper of the fatherleſs.
Object. 3. But I can't work; my age, may one ſay; my ſickneſs and other infirmities, may another ſay, do diſable me from working; and how then ſhall I be able to live in theſe hard times, when I can't work to get my living?
Anſw. 1. It is the will of God, that as long as we have ability we ſhould work for our living, for by that way God is wont to ſupply our needs, namely, by induſtry and diligence in our imployments, 1 Theſſ. 4.11,12. That ye ſtuddy to be quiet, and to do your own buſineſs, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that ye may walk honeſtly towards them that are without, that ye may have lack of nothing. The promiſe of being fed runs on theſe tearms, Truſt in the Lord, and do good,—and verily thou ſhalt be fed; 'tis not ſaid, truſt in the Lord, and then though you live idly, you ſhall be fed; but, do good and thou ſhalt be fed. Idleneſs will bring a man to want, Prov. 19.15. Slothfulneſs caſteth into a deep ſleep, and an idle ſoul ſhall ſuffer hunger.
2. If you would work, but cannot, becauſe you are diſabled by age, or ſickneſs, or ſome other infirmity, this ſhould not hinder you from truſting in God to maintain you. For
1. When you can't work, you can pray, and if you pray, God will ſtir up ſome or other to relieve you, he will by his Providence ſend in a ſupply of your wants, ſo that you need not fear want as long as you can pray, Pſal. 34.10. They that ſeek the Lord, ſhall not want any good thing.
2. When you can't work, God can and will work for you; though God ceaſed from the works of Creation on the ſeventh day, yet he ſtill continueth to work for his people in the way of his Providence, Joh. 5.17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work.
3. The Lillies cannot ſpin, or do any other work, yet the Lord ſends upon them rain in due ſeaſon, whereby they are nouriſhed, and clotheth them in a very glorious manner, Matth. 6.28,29,30. and why ſhould you fear that God will not nouriſh and clothe you, though you ſhould be able to do no work? What could you do, when you lay in your Mothers womb, and for ſome years after you were born into the world? If the Lord provided for you when you could do no work for him, or for your generation, becauſe of your infancy, why ſhould you diſtruſt him for Proviſion, when you are diſabled from working by ſickneſs or old age?
Object. 4. But I begin to be—in want already, I that have lived plentifully heretofore, have not now wherewithal to ſupply my perſonal and family neceſſities, and it peirceth my heart to ſee my children orying about me, and I have not wherewithal to relieve them.
Anſw. 1. If it be ſo that you are ſometimes pinched with hunger, yet remember 1. That better men than you are, have been exerciſed with this tryall; the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaking of himſelf, and the other Apoſtles, ſaith 1 Cor. 4.11. Even unto this preſent hour, we both hunger and thirſt, and are naked,—and have no certain dwelling place. Yea, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf was tryed with this affliction of hunger, and when he was hungry, he ſought for relief from the trees of the field, and was diſappointed of his expectation, Mar. 11.12,13. When they were come from Bethany he was hungry, and ſeeing a Fig-tree a far of, having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves. At another time being weary and thirſty in his travel, he asked a draught of water of a woman of Samaria, and was denyed it, Joh. 4.6. when he was upon the Croſs, full of pain and anguiſh, which made him very thirſty, when he cryed out to thoſe that ſtood round about him, I thirſt; No body gave him any thing to drink but Vinegar, which encreaſed rather than mitigated his torment, Joh. 19.28,29. Jeremiah, one of the Lords Prophets, was ready to die for hunger; Jer. 38.9. They have caſt Jeremiah into the Dungeon, and he is like to die for hunger. 2. This affliction of hunger as well as other afflictions, is a fatherly chaſtiſement, and comes from fatherly love, and is ſent with a deſign to do us good, Deut. 8.3,5,16. He humbled thee, and ſuffered thee to hunger,—Thou ſhalt conſider is thine heart, that as a man chaſtneth his ſon, ſo the Lord thy God chaſtneth thee,—that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end. 3. The grace of God will enable a man to ſuffer hunger, or any other affliction contentedly, Phil. 4.12,13. I know both how to be abaſed, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am inſtructed, both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to ſuffer need. I can do all things through Chriſt which ſtrengtheneth me.
2. If by this Providence you are brought to want, and are pinched with hunger, let this affliction put you upon renewing your repentance, and cauſe you to cry mightily to the Lord, and he will ſave you from your diſtreſſed condition, Pſal. 107.4,5,6. They wandered in the Wilderneſs,—hungry and thirſty, their ſouls fainted in them; then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their diſtreſſes. Though you are now under great ſcarcity, yet if your ſcarcity put you upon renewing your repentance, the Lord will turn your ſcarcity into plenty, Elihu ſpeaking of ſuch as are in affliction, and having ſhewn how God commandeth them to return from iniquity, telleth us what God will do for ſuch as at the command of God do return from their ſins, Job. 36.11,16. If they obey and ſerve him, they ſhall ſpend their dayes in proſperity, and their years in pleaſures: Even ſo would he have removed thee out of a ſtrait into a broad place, where there is no ſtraitneſs; and that which ſhould be ſet on thy Table ſhould be full of fatneſs. When the Prodigal. Son began to be in want, his want brought his ſins to remembrance, and put him upon returning home to his Father, and when he came to his Father, and confeſſed his ſins to his Father, though he would have been glad of ſuch husks as Swine eat, and could not get them, he was no ſooner returned to his Father, but he kills the fatted Calf, and calls for thebeſt Robe, and a Ring,—and makes very rich and bountiful proviſion for him.
3. When your children come about you and cry for bread, and you have it not to give them, remember that their cries do not only pierce your hearts, but enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. When the water in Hagar's bottle was ſpent, and the child cryed, and ſhe knew not where to have any more, but thought, that the child muſt needs periſh, and therefore caſt the child under a ſhrub, becauſe ſhe could not tell how to ſee the death of the child; God heard the cry of the child and ſent her relief, Gen. 21.15,16,17,19. The water was ſpent in the bottle, and ſhe caſt the child under one of the ſhrubs; and ſhe went, and ſat her down over againſt him, a good way off, as it were a Bow ſhot; for ſhe ſaid, Let me not ſee the death of the child: and ſhe ſat over againſt him, and lift up her voyce and wept. And God heard the voyce of the Lad: and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of Heaven, and ſaid unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voyce of the Lad where he is; and God opened her eyes and ſhe ſaw a Well of water. When the young ravens wander up and down ſeeking meat and can find none, and cry unto God, he heareth them, Job 38.41. Who provideth for the Ravens his food, when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. Pſal. 147.9. He giveth to the beaſt his food, and to the young Ravens which cry. Doth God hear the voyce of the young Ravens when they cry, and provide them food? and do you think that he will not hear the cryes of your young children, and provide them food?
4. Though you begin to be in want, and both your ſelves and families are now and then pinched with hunger, yet truſt ſtill in God, that he will provide for you and yours ſuch food as he ſeeth to be convenient for you. Our faith muſt not flag or fail when we meet with ſharp trials; you know what Job ſaith, Job 13.15. Though he ſlay me, yet will I truſt in him. If your hunger and ſcarcity ſhould be ſuch, as that you ſhould think God intended to ſlay you with hunger, yet you muſt truſt in him. I will give a few encouragements to ſuch as are under fear, or in danger of being famiſhed with hunger, to truſt in God to relieve them.
1. Your bodies are members of Chriſts Body, 1 Cor. 6.15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Chriſt? and temples of the Holy Ghoſt, Verſ. 19. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt which is in you? And do you think that God will be unmindful of his Sons members, and of the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt? The afflictions of the Saints are ſaid to be the afflictions of Chriſt, Col. 1.23. That which afflicts them, is an affliction to him, Iſa. 63.9. In all their afflictions, he was afflicted. Their hunger and thirſt, may in ſome ſenſe be ſaid to be his hunger and thirſt, Matth. 25.35. I was an bungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirſty, and ye gave me drink.
2. Conſider what promiſes God hath made to preſerve his people from being famiſhed, and to give them plenty of all ſuch things as are good for them, Prov. 10.3. The Lord will not ſuffer the ſoul of the reghteous to be famiſked. Joel 2.26. Ye ſhall eat in plenty, and be ſatisfied, and praiſe the Name of the Lord your God. Pſal. 33.18,19. Behold, the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy: to deliver their ſoul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Pſal. 136.15. I will abundantly bleſs aer proviſion, I will ſatisfie her poor with bread. When there was ſuch a great ſcarcity among the Jews, that they could not ſee which way they ſhould be ſupplyed with proviſion, Joel 1.16. Is not the meat cut off before your eyes? yet even then God promiſeth his ſervants ſuch plenty as ſhould ſatisfie them, Chap. 2.26. Ye ſhall eat in plenty, and be ſatisfied, and praiſe the Name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderfully with you; and my people ſhall never be aſhamed. Another promiſe you have, Iſa. 41.17,18. When the poor and needy ſeek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirſt, I the Lord will hear thens, I the God of Iſrael will not forſake them: I will open Rivers in high places, and Fountains in the midſt of the Valleys; I will make the Wilderneſs a Pool of water, and the dry Land Springs of water. Here God promiſeth, that when his Servants are deſtitute of neceſſary proviſion, and are in ſuch ſtraits as they are ready to periſh, he will ſend them in unexpected ſupplies, he will alter the very courſe of Nature, rather than they ſhall periſh, He will make the Wilderneſs a Pool of Water, and the dry Land Springs of Water. Though this promiſe be not to be reſtrained to temporal things, but includeth alſo many ſpiritual bleſſings, yet it may very ſafely and properly be applyed by ſuch as are in great ſtraits, and ready to periſh for want of proviſion for their outward man. Let me add this farther, That God is mindful of every Promiſe of his Covenant which relates to our temporal as well as our ſpiritual welfare, Pſal. 111.5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him, he will ever be mindful of his Covenant.
3. Conſider what great a care God hath for the ſatisfying of ſuch as are hungry: 1. It hath been his manner of old to provide good things for the hungry, Luk. 1.53. He hath filled the hungry with good things. When the Iſraelites were hungry in the Wilderneſs, he gave them bread from heaven, to ſatisfie their hunger, and fetched water out of a Rock, to quench their thirſt, Neb. 9.15. Thou gaveſt them Bread from Heaven, for their hunger; and broughteſt forth Water for them, out of the Rock, for their thirſt. He cauſed the Ravens to bring bread and fleſh to feed Elijah in a time of famine, 1 King. 17.6. The Ravens brought him bread and fleſh in the morning, and bread and fleſh in the evening. The Ravens of their own nature would rather devour and eat a mans fleſh, than bring him bread and fleſh to preſerve his life, ſo Prov. 30.17. ſo that we ſee that God hath altered the courſe of Nature, and wrought miracles to ſatisfie his peoples hunger. And as he hath done great things of old for the ſatisfying the hungry, and relieving the poor and needy; ſo he hath promiſed to be mindful of them in all ages, and to do wonderful and unuſual things rather than they ſhall periſh for want of neceſſary food, as you may ſee in the fore-quoted Promiſes, Iſa. 41.17,18. Pſal. 111.5. and he will keep his truth for ever in theſe as well as in his other Promiſes, Pſal. 146.6,7. Which keepeth truth for ever, which executeth judgment for the oppreſſed, which giveth foed to the hungry,—2. Gods care of hungry perſons appears by the ſtrict charge which he hath given to thoſe that have ability to feed the hungry; they muſt be ſo careful hereof, that they muſt not neglect giving food to ſuch as are hungry, though they have been their Enemies, Rom. 12.20. If thine Enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirſt, give him drink. He hath not only commanded us to feed the hungry, but alſo hath promiſed great rewards to ſuch as feed the hungry, Iſa. 58.20. If thou draw out thy ſoul to the hungry, and ſatisfie the afflicted ſoul; then ſhall thy light riſe in obſcurity, and thy darkneſs be as the noon day. Matth. 25.34,15. Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world; for I was an bungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirſty, and ye gave me drink: ſee farther, Pſal. 41.1,2,3. yea ſo careful is God of hungry perſons, that he threatens to condemn thoſe at the day of judgment, who have neglected to feed the hungry, Matth. 25.41,42. Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirſty, and ye gave me no drink. May not this care that God hath of the hungry, incourage you to truſt in God in your greateſt ſtraits, when you fear that you ſhall periſh with hunger?
4. Conſider that God is wont to be ſeen in the Mount: our extremity is Gods opportunity. When the Widows Proviſion was all ſpent to an handful of Meal, and a little Oyl in a Cruſe, and ſhe knew not where to have any more, but verily thought that ſhe and her ſon muſt die; then cometh Elijah, and multiplyeth her Proviſion, ſo that ſhe and all her family were nouriſhed during the time of the famine, 1 King. 17.12,13,14,15,16. When all the water that was in Hagars bottle was ſpent, and ſhe knew not where to have any more, but thought that ſhe and her child muſt die, and had caſt the child under a ſhrub, ſaying, Let me not ſee the death of the child,—then God opened her eyes and ſhewed her a well of water by her, Gen. 21.15,16,19. When the Altar was built whereon Iſaac was to be ſacrificed, and the wood was laid in order, and Iſaac was bound and laid upon the Altar, and Alraham's hand was ſtretched out, and he had taken his knife, then the Angel of God calls to him out of Heaven to ſpare Iſaac, and ſhews him a Ram that was provided to be facrificed in Iſaac's ſtead, Gen. 22.9,10,11,12,13. And this act of Gods Providence in refcuing Iſaac when he was at the point of death, was recorded to ſtrengthen the faith of all Gods ſervants in all ages, that they may truſt in God in their greateſt extremities, as we may ſee, Verſ. 14.
5. Conſider how eaſie a thing it is with God to provide for you, ſeeing he is the Lord of the whole world, and hath all the times of the Sea, and all the fowls of the Air, and all the creatures of the Earth at his diſpoſal; Pſal. 24.1. The Earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Pſal. 50.10,11. Every Beaſt of the Forreſt is mine, and the Cattel upon a thouſand Hills; I know all the Fowls of the Mountains, and the wild Beaſts of the Field are mine; yea, he can, if he pleaſe, ſuſtain you by his Word without giving of you bread, Deut. 8.3. And he himbled thee, and ſuffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with Manna, which thou kneweſt not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know, that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. God can ſend an Angel from Heaven to bring you Proviſion, as he did to Elijah, when he fled into the Wilderneſs to ſave his life, 1 King. 19.3,4,5,6. God can turn ſtones into bread, Mat. 3.9. God is able of theſe Stones toraiſe up Children unto Abraham. If God can raiſe up Children from Stones, he can alſo turn ſtones into Bread, to nouriſh the Children of Abraham.
6. Conſider how willing God is to relieve you, he is not only able, but willing to feed the hungry. This will appear from what was ſaid concerning the care that God takes of ſuch as are hungry. Conſider 3. However, I ſhall add ſomething farther concerning Gods willingneſs to ſupply your wants, becauſe it is no eaſie matter to truſt in God when we come into great ſtraits. 1. Earthly Parents will not deny their Children Bread, when they are hungry and cry for it; Mat. 7.9,10. What man is there of you, whom if his Son ask Bread, will he give him a Stone? or if he ask a Fiſh, will he give him a Serpent? And God our heavenly Father is more willing to give good things to us when we ask for them, than Parents are to give good things to their Children, Verſ. 11. If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your Children; how much more ſhall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? 2. God hath regard to the dry ground, though it lie in a deſolate place, in a Wilderneſs where no man cometh, to ſatisfie it with Rain from Heaven when it is thirſty, Job 38.25,26,27. Who hath divided a water-courſe for the over-flowing of waters? or away for the lightning of Thunder, to cauſe it to rain on the Earth, where no man is; on the Wilderneſs, where there is no man? to ſatisfie the deſolate and waſt ground,—Can it enter into your hearts to think, that God ſhould forget you in your neceſſity, when as he remembereth the dry and thirſty ground, even that which is deſolate and lyeth waſt? The Sparrows are Birds of a ſmall value, yet God doth not forget any of them, but gives them their meat in due ſeaſon, Luk. 12.6, Are not five Sparrows ſold for two farthings? and not one of them is forgotten before God,—fear not therefore, you are of mere value than many Sparrows. If God do not forget a Sparrow, you may certainly conclude, that he will not forget you. 3. God wiſheth his people were in ſuch a condition; that he might, without doing them hurt, feed them with the very beſt of his Creatures; for, The Lord hath pleaſure in the proſperity of his ſorvants, Pſal. 35.27. He is very unwilling to afflict them either with hunger, or any other affliction, Lam. 3.33. He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. If we would be obedient to his voice, he would continue our plenty; if after he hath taken it away, our ſcarcity lead us to repentance, he will reſtore our plenty again, Pſal. 81.13,15,16. Oh that my people had bearkened unto me; and Iſrael had walked in may wayes!—their time ſhould have eddured for for ever, he ſhould have fed them alſo with the fineſt of the wheat; and with boney out of the rock, ſhould I have ſatisfied them. 4. The Lord Jeſus takes notice who they are that have nothing to eat, and are in danger of fainting for want of food, and is very full of compaſſion toward thoſe that are in ſuch a condition. The Bowels of his Compaſſion did ſo yearn towards the multitude that had been three dayes without food, and were in danger to faint, that he wrought a miracle to feed them, Mark 8.1,2,3, &c.
It may be ſome will ſay, Since God brought me into diſtreſs, I have manifeſted much unbelif, and diſtruſt, notwithſtanding I have formerly had great experience of Gods goodneſs; and therefore I am afraid now he will ſuffer me to ſtarve, and look no more after me.
Anſw. If you humble your ſelves for your unbelief, God will both pardon your ſin, and give you a plentiful ſupply of your wants. The Jews who had ſeen God providing for them in a wonderful manner, did in their ſtraits diſcover a great deal of diſtruſt, Pſal. 78.19,20. They ſpake againſt God; they ſaid, Can God furniſh a table in the Wilderneſs? Behold, he ſmote the rock, that the waters guſhed out, and the ſtreams over flowed; can he give bread alſo? can he provide fleſh for his people? Yet God did fully ſupply all their wants, ver. 25.—He ſent them meat to the full—And alſo paſſed by their tranſgreſſions, ver. 38. He being full of compaſſion, forgave their iniquity, and deſtroyed them not. God is wont to chaſten his children for their unbelief, but not to break his promiſes made to them. Zacharias was ſtruck dumb for his unbelief, yet his ſin did not hinder the fulfilling of the promiſe, that was accompliſhed in its ſeaſon, Luke 1.20. Behold, thou ſhalt be dumb, and not able to ſpeak until the day that theſe things ſhall be performed; becauſe thou believeſt not my words, which ſhall be fulfilled in their ſeaſon. Rom. 3.3,4. Shall their unbelief make the Faith of God without effect? God forbid.