A Staff of Comfort to Stay the Weak, Part 7
For the outward crosses of this life.
Ob. THough I feare God, I am in no better state then others, that make no conscience of their wayes.
Answ. Touching these out ward things, all things come alike to all, and one condition to all, Eccles. 9.2.3. & 8.14. & 2.14.
Obiect. I hauehave many bodily infirmities.
Answ. Isaac was blind, Gen. 27.1. Holy Zachary dumbe for a time, Luk. 1. Iacob halted, Gen. 32.31. Hezechias was sicke and and had the plague, Esa. 38.1.21. Dauid decayed in strength and wanted bodily heat, 1. Kings 1.1. Iob was full of sores, botches, and boyles, Chap. 1.7. Elisha had his bodily infirmitie, 2. Kings 13.14. Asa was extreamely diseased in his feet, 2. Chron. 16.12. Peters mother in Law, was taken with a great feauer, Luk. 4.38. And Mary Magdalen was possessed once with seuen deuills.
Obiect. I was rich, but my state is decayed.
Answ. It was Iobs case, a iust and holy man, Chap. 1. 15-18. & 2.7. & 16.12. But consider the end that hee made, Iam. 5.11. Iob Chap. 42.
Ob. Oh, yet I can not but grieue, when I consider my former estate and compare this with it.
Answ. Afflictions bitter to the flesh, but the soules safety, and medicinable to the whole man.No chastisement for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous, neuerthelesse afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnes, vntounto them that are exercised thereby, Heb. 12.11. And consider with thy selfe, if any iniquitie bee in thine hand, put it farre away, and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacle, Iob, 11.14. For then shalt thou lift vp thy face without spot, yea thou shalt bee stedfast and not feare, thou shalt forget thy miserie, and remember it as waters that passeth awaie, Verse 15.16.
Obiect. I hauehave very little to begin the world againe with.
Answ. Seeke vntounto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the almightie: though thy beginning bee small, yet thy latter end shal greatly increase, Iob, 8, 5.7.
Obiect. Oh, my pouertie remaineth vponupon mee, and I hauehave nothing to liue vponupon.
Pouertie is not to presse downe any mans heart.Answ. Christ Iesus was borne in a poore state, so liued, and so died poore. Remēber that thou broughtest nothing into the world, neither shall any man carry any thing out of the world Naked we came, and naked shall we returne, Iob, 1.21 Eccles. 5.14. 1. Tim. 6.7. So as thou canst not bee poorer, than thou camest hither, neither shall any other bee better then thy selfe, in the end of their daies.
Obiect. But yet these worldly wants (for the present) doe much trouble mee, and the cares thereof doe so much disquiet me, as I know not which way to turne mee, for none taketh care for me.
Answ. Be nothing carefull, Phil. 4.6.No cause to bee troubled with worldly cares. Cast all care on the Lord, for hee careth for thee, 1. Pet. 5.7. Our heauenly father knoweth that we hauehave neede of all these things, Mat. 6.32. Cast therefore thy burthen vponupon the Lord, and hee shall sustaine thee, Psal. 55.22.
Obiect. I liue onelyonly from hand to mouth, and cannot get before hand, I hauehave only food and rayment.
Supply of present necessary wāts should cause vsus to be contented.Answ. Be not couetous, content thy selfe with that thou hast, Heb. 13.5. If thou hast food and rayment, bee therewith content. 1. Tim. 6.8. As Iacob was, Gen. 28.20. For the Lord hath said, hee will neither faile thee, nor forsake thee, Heb. 13.6.
Obiect. This hauing but onelyonly for the present, maketh me too carefull and doubting for the time to come.
Not to care for to morrow.Ans. Take no thought for to morrow, Matth. 6.34. Luk. 12.22. But say with Abraham, God will prouide, Gen. 22.8. Consider the Rauens, for they neither sowe nor reape, which neither hauehave store-house nor barne, & yet God feedeth them. How much more are ye (saith our Sauiour) better than fowles? Luke 12.24-30. Psal. 104.27. & 145.15. Leuit. 26.4. Matth. 6.25-31.
Obiect. But the world is now a hard world, and I feare famishing.
Answ. The godly neede not feare famishment. Prou. 10.4. & 13.4.The Lord will not famish the soule of the righteous, Prou. 10.3. LoueLove not thou sleepe, least thou come to pouertie, Prou. 20.13. The idle soule shall suffer hunger, Prou. 19.15. And he that followeth vain persons, shall hauehave pouerty enough, Prou. 28.19. But open thine eyes, and thou shalt bee satisfied with bread, for the diligent hand and the blessing of the Lord maketh rich, Prou. 10.4.22. And his soule shall be made fat, Prouerb. 13.4.
Obiect. But the poore (especially being religious) are not beloued of worldlings, which doe possesse the things of the earth, and are hard hearted, vnwilling altogether to relieue their wants, and therefore may wee perish.
God can relieue his childrens wāts, though the world be neuer so hard.Answ. The Lord can giuegive his people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians, so as they shall lend them, such things as they require, Exod. 12.36. And if man be mercilesse, hee can make Rauens feed his seruants, 1. King. 17.4. And send food from heauen, Exod. 16.35. So as they shall not bee ashamed in the euill time: and in the dayes of famine, they shall be satisfied, Psal. 37.19.
Obiect. Alas, my charge is great, my labour and meanes very weake, to beare vp daily such a heauy burthen.
Answ. Walke before God, and be vpright,Small means may (by Gods blessing) suffice to maintaine many. he is all sufficient, Gen. 17. Hee can blesse very smal means, euen a cruise of oyle, and a little meale to nourish a whole family, 1. King. 17. Hee can feed a thousand with a loafe of bread, as he did fiue thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes, besides women and children, and cause to bee taken vp twelue baskets full of broken meat, Matth. 14.20. Know this, that man liueth not by bread only, but by eueryevery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.Matth. 4.4.
Obiect. But corne is so scarce, and at such an excessiue rate, that wee poore may thinke no otherwise, but to perish by famine, before the price will abate.
Answ. Knowest thou not, that ouernight in Samaria,God can turne scarcity into great plenty, and that in a short space. that women eat their children for hunger, 2, Kings 6.28.29, and that an Asses head was at eightie peeces of siluer, Verse 25; and yet the next day (according to the word of the Lord), a measure of fine flower was sold for a sheckle, & 2. measures of barly for a sheckle, in the gate of Samaria, 2. Ki. 7.1.16. For with God nothing is impossible.
Obiect. Yea, these had Gods word to comfort them, to expect such mercy: but we hauehave no such word for vsus.
Ans. We hauehave promises frō God to prouide for vsus, Psal. 132.15.Whatsoeuer things are written afore time, are written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might hauehave hope, Ro. 15.4. Also the Lord hath promised, not to famish the soule of the righteous, Pro. 10.3. Hee giueth meate to them that feare him, and is euer mindfull of his promise, Psal. 111.5. The Lyons roare and suffer hunger: but such as feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good, Psal. 34.9. In dearth he will redeeme thee from death, so as thou shalt laugh at destruction and famine, Iob, 5.20.22.
Obiect. I am not worthy that God should so prouide for mee.
Answ. God regardeth not thy worthinesse: for of his goodnesse he prouideth for the poore.
Obiect. My pouertie maketh mee to bee despised of them that hauehave wealth.
The godly poore are better then the wicked rich.Answ. As for contempt, learne to contemne it, for the Lord regards thee, Psal. 40.17, and know that a little which a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked, Psal. 37.16. And that better is the poore, that walketh in his vprightnesse, than hee that is peruerse in his waies, though hee bee rich, Prou. 28.6. & 19.1.
Obiect. My pouertie hindereth me, that I cannot doe the good I would, to such as suffer and are in bands for righteousnesse sake, which doth not a little grieue mee: though I giuegive my myte, yet it is nothing.
Answ. A willing minde to do well after our ability, is acceptable vntounto God.God doth accept the will for the deed; for if there be first a willing minde, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that hee hath not, 2. Cor. 8.12. A cup of cold water shall not lose the reward, Matth. 10.42. And the poore widdowes myte is more acceptable to God, than the superfluitie of the wealthy, Mar. 12.43.44.