the Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah and thy Masters houses and wives and if that had not been enough I would have given thee more Wheresoever God stayes his hand in the distribution of outward things it is because there is enough for that man or woman This is the second Principle 3 Outward things not to be cared for but expected The third Principle which we should possesse our minds with is that the outward necessities of this present life they are not properly to be cared for but to bee waited for they are not to be taken thought for but to be expected So Christ expresseth it Matth. 6.32,33 Mat. 6.32,33 Seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and other things shall be added I pray observe it Seek heavenly things expect outward things labour for the one look for the other This is the rule that God gives us concerning outward things we are not so much properly to care for them as to cast our care upon God for them for so you shall finde Psal 37.4 Psal 37.4 Roul thy selfe upon the Lord commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he will bring it to passe We are to cast our care for outward things upon God and to expect and wait for the things from God and not strictly to care for them to toyle and drudge and labour for them Not beloved that wee must be idle he that doth not labour must not eat We must use the means that God hath appointed so as God hath appointed what means God hath appointed for the getting of these outward means we must use and no other means but use them so as God hath appointed without distracting cares without perplexing cares We must use lawfull means lawfully but not expect the things from the means or by the means but use the means in obedience to God And having used the means we must look for the things from God this is the rule of Christians this is the way whereby God would have us seek for the necessaries of this present life Psal 37.4 Rowle thy selfe on God trust in him having used the means because God hath appointed them Then trust to God for a blessing Thirdly pray to God for them Phil. 4. Being carefull in nothing but in all things make your requests known to God This is the third Principle wherewith we should possesse our minds outward things are rather to be expected than cared for wee must use the means and cast our care for them upon the Lord. 4 The hazard that comes by outward things Again a fourth Principle is this possesse your minds with this Principle that there is more hazard and trouble comes to us by enjoying these outward things than benefit the care about the right use of them about the improving of them about the account that is to to be given for them is more than the benefit that comes by them This in other things makes men not affect some kinde of offices A Steward in a house hath money enough he hath it in his own power to dispose but yet because he is a Steward and must give an account of every penny many wise men had rather be without the Stewards purse and place than have the trouble and the hazard of the account of it If you consider this you would not so much care for the things of this life If you did remember what hazard there is in the use and in the improvement and in the account that must be given of them 5 Christians are possessors of all things Lastly in the fifth place possesse your minds of this Principle if you be Christians you cannot but be rich you cannot but be possessors of all things 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours for yee are Christs So in Iam. 2.5 God hath chosen the poore of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome And in 2 Cor. 5.10 As poore yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things Thou art a Christian thou art the possessor of all things the Lord of all things thou canst not but be rich and in the best things in faith and toward God What needest thou charge thy heart with care Here is the first means to be used to keep the heart from being overcharged with care Study these Principles and work out the other Consider them digest them meditate on them that your soules may be acted by them This is the first means The second means to bee content with a present condition The second means is To be content with our present condition Whatsoever we have be content with it This is the means the Scripture prescribes Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousnesse Covet not too much neither too much covet any thing But how shall this be attained in the next words Be content with such things as you have what your present condition is be contented with it Though you be in straits and necessities though you be worse than your neighbours be content with your present condition and then you will never overcharge your hearts too much For the overcharging the heart with too much care comes from overmuch desire and overmuch desire comes from want of contentment Therefore men desire much because they are not contented with that that they have Therefore labour to be content with your present condition whatsoever it be And to perswade this consider that all whatsoever we have or enjoy is freely given us of God there is nothing due nothing deserved And we are angry with those beggars that are not content with our allowance when we give them freely nay if we give them nothing at all Againe It is the will of God that thou shouldest be as thou art it is Gods doing it is Gods decree appointment it is his will we pray That the will of God may be done shall we not then be content when the will of God is known Whatsoever thy condition be that thou art thus and thus in never such straits by the effect of it it is plain it is the appointment of God from eternity that thou shouldest be so Now the will of God is known therefore be content seeing thou prayest it may be done This is the second means Exercise faith The third means is to exercise faith Mat. 5.23 Why take you thought oh ye of little faith It is want of faith or want of the use of faith or weaknesse of faith that causeth the heart to be overcharged with care labour therefore to get faith and labour to exercise faith They have it of faith and the use of faith is one of the most notable means to preserve the soule from being overcharged with care Faith in the providence and in the promises of God faith in the power of God faith in the wisdome of God the acting of faith in these things preserves the soul from being overcharged the reason is because faith quiets the
the sinfulnesse of man ther◠are many inconveniences in depending upon men but to depend on God which we should doe whether we have a competency or no there are many Benefits come by this dependance by not having a certain competent Provision Many experiences of the love of God of the power of God of the providence of God of the truth of God of the mercy of God doe they get that are not furnished with a competency every way Therfore I say work out this principle also for it is a very false one I give but some instances by which you may see what I mean Whatsoever principle you finde that makes the heart prone to take too much care for necessaries take care to work out that principle 2 To possesse the heart with spirituall principles Againe as you must dispossesse the minde of these principles so labour to possesse the minde with contrary principles such spirituall principles as the Word affords us that we may fence our hearts against overcharging care To instance some of them First root in you that Principle of Gods Providence Of Gods providence that there is a Providence a certain all-sufficient Providence That this Providence reacheth to all things that God hath made and in a speciall manner to mankinde Possesse the soule with this Principle It is continuall God he is a faithfull Creator that is he after he hath made the Creature diserts not the Creature The Carpenter builds a house but never takes care for it afterwards God doth not so he is a faithfull Creator saith Peter that is after he hath made the creature he hath a care of the creature and faithfully watcheth over it and holds it in his hand to preserve it And therefore the School-men well call and expresse the providence of God by this name and term the holding of things in his hand This is the nature of God he holds all things in his hand that he hath made My Father saith our Saviour Christ Ioh. 7. Ioh. 7. worketh hitherto God did not cease working when he ceased creating but he worketh hitherto Then he ceased the work of creation but hitherto he worketh the work of providence God knoweth all things that he hath made God upholdeth all things that he hath made God provides for all things he hath made God orders all things he hath made to that proper end himself hath appointed them to There is a providence of God a certain providence 2 Vniversall It is grounded upon the fidelity of God for he is a faithfull Creator The providence of God is universall to all things he hath made as in Mat. 5. The Lillies not only of the garden but those of the field The birds not only in the cage but in the ayre the beasts of the wildernesse God provides for all for Sparrows for Ravens for Lions His providence is over all things it is an all-sufficient providence it is fully able to uphold provide for all That providence is the same that made all the same love the same goodnesse the same wisdome the same power that made all upholds provides for all it is therefore an all-sufficient providence 3 Especially to mankinde Nay it is a providence that is especially to mankinde The goodnesse of God and the love of God hath mankinde for its speciall object Therefore the providence of God also hath mankinde even all mankinde for a speciall object Now then considering all these things what need the heart be overcharged with care when we have one so able and so faithfull to care for us So saith Peter Cast your care on God for he careth for you what need we then perplex our selves with care Thus root our selves in this Principle the doctrine of Gods providence study this and be throughly grounded in it And to help this take notice of the passages of divine providence whereby God hath provided necessaries for mankinde How did the Lord provide for the widdow he sent Eliah to her Eliah comes to her and askes her something to eat Alas saith she I have nothing but a little oyle and a little meale and I am gathering two sticks that I may make a cake for my son and I and then eat it and die She was now at the last she had no more to save her own life and her childs life and in this nick of time the Lord sends Eliah to multiply the meale and the oyle till the famine were ended How did the Lord after provide for Eliah in the wildernesse when he ran away and hid himself that the Lord checked him himself he was there through his own error default yet the Lord made the Ravens to feed him How did the Lord provide for thē of Rochel in the siege before this last fatall siege when they were ready to be famished by making a company of fishes to come deliver themselves up into their hands that were never there before nor never since and to abide till the siege were ended There are many passages of Gods providence sometimes by ordinary means somtimes by extraordinary wherby the Lord shewes that he cares for us and will not suffer us to want if we cast our care on him This is the first Principle we should be possest strongly of this that God provides and cares for us 2 Gods covenant Secondly possesse our selves of this that God by promise hath bound himself to provide necessaries If we be his people and in the Covenant of God not onely the providence but the promise of God ties him to provide whatsoever is convenient The new Covenant wherein the Lord hath tied himselfe to pardon our sins to subdue our iniquities to sanctifie our natures in that very Covenant the Lord hath tied himselfe to furnish us with all outward conveniences as we read Ezek. 36. from vers 25. to the end of the Chapter There are three branches of it Justification Sanctification and the supply of all necessaries Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come God is tied by his Word and by his oath he is bound by that Covenant that is ratified by the Bloud of Christ that is sealed by the Sacraments of the New Testament God in that Covenant is tied as well to provide for our bodies as our soules he is the God of our bodies as well as of our soules Christ died for our bodies as well as for our soules he hath undertaken for our bodies as well as for our souls and every time we receive the Sacrament we receive the Seale of that Covenant wherein God is tied to provide necessaries for us Thereupon Gods children never want enough i◠they have faith enough to depend on God God never stayes his hand in the distribution of outward comforts till there come enough for his children Therefore in 2 Sam. 12. 2 Sam. 12. when God reckons up the things he had bestowed on David I gave thee saith he