as you perceive care to overcharge you that there is more care than there should be that it begins to burden your spirits disburden your soules cast your care upon the Lord as soon as you perceive care to sinke your spirits go to God and cast it upon his back The way how that is done you heard before First by using the means he hath appointed but as his means Secondly by trusting in God for the easing you of that burden Thirdly by making known your requests to the Lord Be carefull in nothing how shall that be In all things make known your requests tell God of your burdens make known your cares and when you have done so with confidence lay them on him and ease your own spirits If thus you take your selves at the first when care oppresseth you it will be easie to disburden your spirits if once you be accustomed to bear this burden it will be so rooted in you and lie so hard on you that you can scarcely remove it The sum of the Text. The summe of all the Text is this I told you that these verses were a direction that Christ gave to his Disciples against the times of judgement either universall the end of the world or else any nationall judgement whatsoever The time of iudgement unknown It is a direction to them how to carry themselves that they might not be prejudiced in the day of vengeance and in the time of calamity First Christ layes down two grounds on which he fasteneth his exhortation the one ground is fetched out of Mat. 24.44 Mat. 24.44 where there is the same exhortation that is here In such an houre as you think not the sonne of man shall come there is one doctrine that the time of judgement shall come when it is least thought of when people least expect it Another ground which was the reason of this is that Luk. 21.35 Luk. 21.35 For as a snare shall it come upon the face of the earth The time of judgement shall come as a snare as a full unavoidable destruction to the generality That is the reason that the coming of judgement is unknown and brought upon the earth in a time when people think not of it because it is to be a snare to the generality These are the two doctrines that Christ laâ—…s down as the ground of â—…s exhortation Therefore we should be prepared Vpon this supposition that the time of judgement shall come unknown when people least think of it and therefore it shall so come because it shall be a snare to catch the generality in unavoidable destruction Therfore the exhortation of Christ to his Disciples and to us is this that we be ready Mat. 24.44 Mat. 24.44 be yee ready and in Luke 21. verse 36. Luk. 21.36 Watch and pray alwayes Here is the exhortation that he gives considering these things his counsell to his people is this that they be alway ready alway watch and alway pray To be ready what First that they be ready alway it stands in two things Having all needfull graces and having the use and exercise of them It is not enough to have all graces but to use and exercise them The grace of faith the grace of love the grace of hope the grace of repentance the grace of uprightnesse an ability to every duty in our generall and particular calling a zeal after every good work these are the graces that must be had It is not enough to have these but we must be in the exercise and use of these This is to be ready To watch alway what Again to watch there must be a keeping from security and slumber and a heeding our selves in all particulars lest we be overtaken in Doctrine and Manners that alwayes foregoe times of judgement there must be a watching in all things and in all times To pray alway what Thirdly praying alway that is first of all a praying oft upon all times and occasions and opportunities we can pick out Secondly constant praying in times appointed morning and evening and the like Thirdly instant continued prayer not to give over praying acording as we have command and opportunity This is the duty that Christ teacheth all his Disciples considering that the time of judgement shall come unawares when people least look for it and as a snare therefore it is wisdome for his people alway to be ready alway to be watching alway to be praying Now to the end they may be able to do this he exhorts them to take heed of being overcharged A man that is overcharged with meat and drink he cannot watch he cannot discharge his duty and office So it is with the spirits of people that are overcharged they cannot watch and pray and so the time of judgement may come upon them unprepared and unawares They must take heed of being overcharged whether with the pleasures of this life lawfull or sinfull And also with the care even for the necessaries and conveniences of this present life This is the wisdome that our Saviour Christ taught his Disciples concerning the latter times and this is the wisdome that in them Christ taught you And this is the wisdome that in these times you must labour to practise We have great cause to expect Christs comming to judgement in this Kingdome he hath warned us of it beyond Sea by late fearfull experience We see all Gods wrath beyond Sea is not yet quenched it hath broken out fearfully and of late worse than ever therefore the times of judgement are comming the times you have long heard of and that shall come in a time that is least thought of When this land least thinks of judgement it shall come for it shall come as a snare to the generality therefore if you have eares hear what the Lord saith therefore be alway ready watch and pray Which that you may doe take heed that you be not overcharged with the pleasures and contentments and cares of this life Thus much for this Text. FINIS
mind is Principled so lightly it is ordered for care That as the ship is ordered as the Pilot pleaseth so the mind in point of care is ordered by that Principle that is in the minde If therfore there be a Principle in the minde that presents the necessaries of this life over-desirable then the mind must needs be over-carefull If there be a Principle that presents the necessities of this life in a right manner then the intention of the minde is rightly on these things and so is not overcharged with cares The Apostle Iames speaks of a double minded man Iam. 4.8 Therfore men are double minded because they are double Principled there are some Principles in the mind that present these outward things as most desireable therefore sometimes those men are most for the world most for sin There are some things that present God and the things of God as most desireable therefore sometimes it may be for a fit they are most for God and most for grace The double mindednesse comes from the contrariety of the Principles that are strong and prevalent in the minde That look as in a ship if there be two contrary Pilots and one would carry the ship one way and the other another when one Pilot prevailes the ship is ordered this way when the other prevailes it is ordered the other way Double mindednesse comes from contrary principles that both at severall times work Then the first means to prevent the heart from being overcharged with care is to dispossesse the minde to work out such carnall Principles as make the minde care for necessaries too much and to work in contrary Principles First carnall prinples 1 That outward things are absolutely good As for instance one carnall Principle to be wrought out of the heart that it be not overcharged with cares is this That principle that is intimated Psal 4.4,5 Psal 4.4,5 Who will shew us any good This Principle that these things are a good an absolute good wherein there is a true contentment and happinesse to be sound this is a Principle in most mens minds and a root of overcharging the heart with care It is true these outward things are the good blessings of God but notwithstanding in themselves they are not a good that is not such a good as ministers any true contentment as yeelds any true happinesse to the spirit Therefore we see by experience many have these things and yet they want contentment they are most miserable Many want these things and yet they have contentment and are most happy Here is the first Principle you must set your selves against that over-high conceit of the things of this life as if there were in them an absolute goodnesse the fountaine of contentment and happinesse 2 That wee cannot enjoy our life without them A second principle to be rooted out of the understanding it is this that there is no enjoying our life without the possessing of these necessaries This was that that Principled the Jewes in the wildernesse they had this conceit that they lived by bread and water and flesh and if they had not present possession of these outward necessaries they must needs die presently therefore when they wanted bread they fall a murmuring Would God we had died in Egypt And when they wanted water Would we had died in Egypt And were there not graves enough there to bury us that the Lord hath brought us into the wildernesse to slay us Whence came this overcharging care because of this Principle they thought if they did not possesse enough to maintaine them they could not be maintained Get this principle out of your minds Therefore remember that rule that Christ gives Luk. 12. Luk. 12. A mans life consists not in the abundance of outward things he possesseth No nor in the competencie a mans life stands not in food and rayment We see the children of Israel lived and might have come to Canaan had it not beene for their murmuring however they were alwayes exercised with the want of these necessaries yet they were preserved and maintained That was a lesson that the Lord set himselfe to teach his Church Deut. 8.3 Deut. 8.3 All the forty yeares that God led them about the wildernesse was to teach them that lesson contrary to this Principle he humbled them and led them about to teach them that Man lives not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God That is a second principle that must be wrought out 3 That a certainty is a great benefit A third Principle that we must dispossesse our minds of is this that there is a great benefit by a certainty and by having a competency and conveniency of maintenance for this present life This conceit runs in most folks thoughts that there is a great deale of benefit by having a certainty of outward provision and a competencie that we be not in straits and put upon dependency this is a Principle and a false one Indeed it cannot be denied but that where God gives a certainty we have cause to thanke him where he gives a new dependance and provides a competencie we have cause to blesse him Yet there is no such great matter in a certainty or in having a competency First for a certainty No certainty in this world when thou hast got a certainty what hast thou got where is this certainty Is it in this world that thou possessest so much goods and money and lands is this a certainty I say there is no certainty in this world All that is under the Moone is more changeable and uncertaine than the Moone As soon maist thou perish for want of necessaries that hast a certainty as they that have none at all Doe not men as often perish as beasts and birds and Lillies which notwithstanding have no certainty at all no not for the next day There is nothing certaine here Prov. 23 6. Prov. 23.6 Why wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not riches take the wings of an Eagle and flee away there is nothing so uncertain as these things that when we possesse we thinke are certaine So for competency thou thinkest it is excellent to have provision of a competency But consider when God sets himself to bring up his own Church as it were in an immediate manner God brought them up with out present provision of a competencie The children of Israel that were â—ods first born his dearly beloved he had newly fetched them out of the fire and his affection was then strongest towards them yet what was Gods manner of dealing with them when he set himselfe to do them good and to prepare them for Canaan he gave them not an independent estate and supply of provision and competency no they were faine every day to depend on God for bread and water and so he exercised them Beloved great advantage comes by a dependent estate upon God I confess through