they come not as frō Christ they are no blessings vnto vs. If he then be the fountain of all true happinesse he is the true treasure Besides or without him there is none In a word then remember this that the treasure here spoken of is God reuealing himself vnto vs in Christ by whom he conueyeth all good things to vs. And this is that which Christ aymeth at in this place Now hauing found what the true treasure is let vs see how euery one of vs may lay it vp for our selues as we are here commaunded And that wee may so doo some particular things are to be performed insinuated in Math. 13. 44. you may reade them there where the kingdome of God is compared to a treasure hidde in the fielde c. Concerning which fiue things are to be noted First finding it Secondly the price or value of it Thirdly getting it Fourthly keeping it Fiftly vsing it The first of these is necessarie for vntill it be found wee can neither value it get it keepe it nor vse it Therefore this is first to bee done of vs. Wee must finde it before we can haue it and enioy it It is called a hidden treasure because the naturall man cannot discerne it and the finding of it is when God reueales it to men and makes them feele that themselues stand in neede of it This is the right finding of it when God makes a man in his conscience to feele the want of it then he begins to seeke that which hee neuer sawe before Not euerie reuealing of the treasure is a finding of it for God inlightens men two wayes First generally whereby a man reading the word is able to vnderstand the meaning of it and to conceiue the generall sense But besides this there is a second kinde when God makes a man to discerne the worde in his owne soule and conscence that is a speciall and distinct kinde of illumination and it appertaineth vnto fewe to bee able to discerne the power of the word in our owne consciences But when this is once wrought in vs then doth a man find this treasure The outward senses cannot discerne it for it is hidden And then it is found onely when men feele the want of it This is a great blessing of God and not common to all nor to many for our eyes are dazeled with the pompes pleasures and vanities of the world Nay they that are learned are blinded with humane wisedome Not euery one that can preach hath foūd out this treasure Men may haue great gifts and yet want this and faile in finding it till they feele themselues to stand in neede of Christs righteousnesse God hath hidden this from the wise and great ones often and reuealed it to the simple Before we proceed any further let vs descend into our owne hearts and trie whether wee haue yet found this treasure for we may perswade our selues amisse as the Iewes who haue a vaile before their eyes these many yeares If we finde that we acknowledge Christ to be the principall treasure and that wee want him then wee finde him But if our eyes be not opened yet let vs labour for it for otherwise we can neuer get it or haue vse of it if we neuer finde it And the cause why there is so litle ioy in the word and so little comfort and sweetnesse in the doctrine of the Gospell is because wee neuer yet found the treasure which it speaketh of hath hiddē in it The second action to bee performed is when our hearts and eies are enlightned so that wee haue founde it then to estimate and prise it for then it begins to be a treasure to vs whē we prise it as the man doth Matt. 13. 44. who valued it at more then all his goods Nay if a man had a whole world of wealth all were nothing in comparison of this this is more worth then all the world or all things in the world Philip. 3. Paul valued it at such a price that he counted all things losse and dung and no better in regard of Christ marke what a high price hee sets it at all his good workes were nothing to it This second thing is necessarie for all thē that would lay vp treasure in heauen Therefore let vs haue a care of this dutie and learne to value Christ aboue all things whatsoeuer how excellent soeuer they be Wee haue well profited in the Schoole of Christ and begin to make good proceedings when wee can prise this treasure at a due and true rate To proceede The Scripture doth reueale this treasure therfore as this treasure must be valued aboue all so this word which reueales it must be preferred aboue all things as Dauid did Psal. 119. It is better to him then much riches yea the finest gold of Ophyr or India was not comparable vnto it And Christ saith His fruits are better then fine gold Therefore this must be valued aboue all writings for it sheweth more then any other can do It were to be wished therefore that it had his due estimation and value amongst vs. Many make but one truth and it is all one with them whether it bee out of mens writings or Gods word But they are farre deceiued for the word of God alone is the truth according to godlinesse which doth discouer the heauenly treasure and it is to bee honoured aboue all writings though it be brought in earthen vessels If wee had learned to value this treasure the word which reuealeth it wee should profit more for knowledge and obedience then we do we would reuerence it more and reioyce in it more then we doo c. When we haue found it and valued it we must seeke to get it and make it our owne for so it is in that parable We must vse all meanes to purchase it to our selues for so the commandement is here Lay vp treasures for your selues That wee may get it to our selues we must vse such means as God hath appointed for this end and they are these First we must heare the word with all care diligence and reuerence and mixe it with faith Secondly wee must receiue the Sacraments with due preparation and reuerence Thirdly wee must pray earnestly and cōstantly with faith and amongst all other meanes this especially must be vsed by vs. The reasons hereof are these The Word and Sacraments are Gods hand wherewith he giues this treasure vnto vs. And our faith shewing it selfe in our prayers is a hand whereby we receiue it God in his word doth offer it with his hand and wee by faith earnestly asking it do receiue it By faith wee make Christs right to be ours also his obedience merits therefore vse all these good meanes First of hearing the word Secondly of receiuing the Sacraments Thirdly of prayer in faith And bee constant in these duties and thou shalt haue this treasure as thine owne for faith is the only meanes whereby we attaine
it After that we haue some testimony in our coÌ„sciences that we haue gotten it wee must labour to assure our selues of it How must we doo this For this purpose read 1. Tim. 6. Charge the rich that they bee not high minded c. Marke there how by liberalitie and bountie we are exhorted to lay a good foundation What must wee bee saued by our almes-deedes No this foundatioÌ„ is not laid in heauen for that is our electioÌ„ which God laieth vp there But our foundation is our conscience that is by good works by which as by fruites meÌ„ may assure themselues that eternall life appertaineth vnto them Workes of mercie done with simplicitie singlenes of heart are markes of the children of God signes of true faith and of the true treasure For this cause Paul would haue rich men to lay vp a foundation in their consciences Lastly wee must vse it as a treasure when wee haue done the foure things before mentioned then come to this To this ende diuers duties are required at our hands to be performed of vs. First we must haue our conuersation in heauen If Christ be our treasure then our affection ioy comfort our heart minde and all the whole man liuing on earth must be in heauen If Christ bee thy treasure and his bloud and passion then all thy hart hope ioy and comfort is there Therfore we must send vp our hearts to heauen otherwise he is not our treasure If wee will vse him as our treasure let all our care and ioy bee in and for heauen Secondly wee must turne earthly goods into heauenly treasure How why hee that giueth to the poore lendeth vnto the Lord The Lord becomes a debter to him and boroweth of him for the poore The poore is but the Lordes bayliffe and messenger whom he sends to the rich and hee returnes a rewarde of heauenly treasure for it Marke there how by giuing almes to the Lordes poore we turn earthly blessings into heauenly Luke 12. 43. expressing these words saith Sell all that you haue and giue to the poore make your selues purses which shall last for euer When men do so theÌ„ they turne their temporall goods into heauenly treasure and so men that haue this worlds goods may by the blessing of God make great encrease of them Thirdly we must part with all for this the best thing in the world must not bee too deare though it bee our owne bloud and our life we must part with them rather then with thâ—â— And when wee are thus minded then wee carrie our selues to Christ esteeming him as our treasure When wee esteeme any thing aboue him or preferre ought before him he is not our treasure Thus you see fiue duties all necessary to be performed that we may keepe this commaundement And when by Gods grace wee are enabled to doo these then we shall obey and practise this commaundement Therefore lette vs remember them and bee carefull to performe them so long as wee liue And marke what will follow If wee can finde it and value it c. we will bee content to endure whatsoeuer Gods hand shall lay vpon vs in body or soule and neuer bee dismayed nor discouraged with any thing that befalles vs. Nothing can daunt or discourage a mans heart that hath this treasure but they shall vanish all in time Further it will make that we shall neuer feare death nor iudgement all paines will bee nothing great comfort ease and contentation shal be to vs so long as wee liue if wee can doo thus Now a word or two of the reason Where neither moath c. The reason is drawne from the certaintie and vnchangeablenesse of the treasure Earthly riches are subiect to wormes and cankers and if no canker can come to corrupt them yet the thiefe will haue them But there is no canker moath nor thiefe that can hurt Christ and his merits Ob. Why the highest heauens the place of happinesse should bee free from that vanitie and corruption which the lower heauens and all other creatures be subiect vnto All that we see ouer our heads is subiect to vanitie euen the starres Answer To man by right of creation belongeth the earth and the heauens and they were all mans by creation euen the highest heauens to the very firmament by creation all were mans They were made for him and he was Lord of all They were his pallace all sauing Gods throne And when he fell he was punished in all these creatures but not in the highest heauen because the right vnto it is not by nature but aboue nature and is ours by right of redemption and not by right of creation Secondly by Christs death and passion they are made ours and not by nature but by grace onely and that after the fall Therefore the heauens and the starres and all creatures visible are subiect to vanitie and corruption And so much of the commaundement and the reason I beseech you remember it and learne it and put it in practise both in life and death 21. verse For where your treasure is there wil your hearts be also In the two verses next before going these words Christ gaue two commaundements First what we should not doo and the reason of it Secondly what we should do a reason therof The first a corruptione mutabilitate The second ab incorruptione immutabilitate Now he renders a common reason pertaining to both and serues to confirme both which is thus framed Where your treasure is there your hearts will bee But your heart must not be on earthly treasure but on heauenly Therefore lay not vp treasure in earth but in heauen Now touching the words and the meaning of them By treasure vnderstaÌ„d things excellent and precious in our estimation laid vp for time to come in which men place and put theyr principall ioy and comfort where your treasure is that is your speciall ioye and felicitie For so much the worde treasure imports By heart vnderstand the principall powers and actions of the soule as the thoughts and affections loue ioy feare c. yea the labour paines studie care and endeuour all these are to bee vnderstood by this word heart As if hee should haue said Thus your treasure and heart are things ioyned together and inseperable therefore where your treasure is there is also your care and studie For that which men iudge to bee their principall good and felicitie in seeking it they spend al their paines and time Now for our further edification let vs see what vses may be made of this reason First wee learne here how to iudge aright of our owne hearts Indeed it is a bottomelesse gulfe as Ieremy saith yet we may in some sort search it and iudge of it by this sentence For an earthly treasure and a carnall heart goe together And on the contrary part a heauenly treasure and a spirituall heart goe together These cannot be seuered Therefore looke vpon what you spend your
was but a foole that a miserable foole because he sought not this Say that a man could get all the world into his hands though it be not possible I pray you what would it profit him if hee loose his soule for his labour What madnesse is it then to heape vp treasure in earth and not to regard the true treasure in heauen But lay vp treasures in heauen c. In this last part of this chapter Christ goeth about to reforme his hearers in regard of the practise of couetousnesse and begins at the 19. verse teaching thē first what to eschew not forbidding them to haue riches but forbidding to seeke and get them and to gather them without measure moderation and with excesse Secondly when they seeke them onely and principally Thirdly when they make them their felicitie Fourthly when they gather riches for themselues without respect of the commō good eyther of the Church or of the Common-wealth These foure abuses are here forbidden Now because it is mans nature to seeke treasure and men cannot be broken from it but they wil haue a treasure Christ addes this commaundement in which he teacheth his seruants in all ages what to doo in this case But lay vp treasures in heauen c. These words containe a commandement informing vs in our dutie and a reason of the same Lay vp c. As if he shuld haue said seeing your naturall disposition is such that you wil and must neeeds haue a treasure I will shewe you what you shall do if you will be ruled by mine aduise and followe my counsell you shall lay vp treasure in heauen because there neither moath nor canker can come to corrupt Quest. Touching the commaundement it may bee demaunded why Christ gaue it to his Disciples seeing it is not in the power of any creature to do this no more then to saue himselfe but the beginning progresse and end of saluation is from God Therefore why doth hee propound the commandement in this forme and tenure Answer It is an vsuall thing in the scriptures to ascribe and attribute the worke and effect of the principall cause to the Instrument whereby a thing is effected Thus in the last verse of Obadiah Preachers are expresly called Sauiours So 1. Tim. 4. 16. Paul saith In doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee Yet saluatiō is the proper worke of God alone but because Preachers are Gods Instruments for the saluation of his people therfore they are called sauiours So here to gather and lay vp treasure in heauen it is the worke of God alone it is not in the power of any mā nay as much as in vs lieth we treasure vp nothing but wrath Rom. 2. And yet because we are instruments of it it pleaseth God to ascribe his owne worke to vs who are but instruments that by his grace Now they to whom the cōmandement is giuen must bee conceiued as mēbers of Christ and instruments of God That we may the better conceiue of this commandement and practise it two points must be considered First what this treasure is Secondly how euery one may lay it vp for himselfe Of these in order with reuerence for they are points of great waight and moment The very maine point of our saluation standeth in the practise of these Consider what is erroniously counted to be this treasure and then search the word to finde out the truth The Papists haue long abused the world with shewing the false treasure for they make it a commō chest in which is gathered and stored all the ouerplus of Christes merits and of the Saints merits of all ages And this chest is in the Popes custodie and hee onely hath the ordering disposing opening and shutting giuing out of indulgences pardons when where and to whom hee listeth and by this treasure he vpholdeth and maintaineth his kingdome hereby comes his riches and reuenewes But this treasure is not good and currant for it hath two defects First they make Christ his merits to be vnsufficient For if his passion must haue an addition and supply from men it is a poore treasure Secondly they make the merits of Saints deceased to bee our merits and that is not possible for if men could merit yet it should but be for themselues alone All men are but priuate men in regard of saluation and so their merits if they were any should be proper and personall Thus you see their treasure is defectiue in a double respect and therefore to let it passe we are to renounce it and leaue it to them Now let vs with reuerence come to cōsider what is indeed the true treasure here ment and mentioned It is the true God to speake in fewe words one God in three persons Creator of all things in whom all the treasures of happinesse are to be found Gen. 17. 1. I am God all sufficient And Gen. 25. Thy exceeding great reward And Psal. 16. A large beautifull portion And this is as much as if hee had said The Lord is my treasure I will not stand long vpon this for men by light of nature haue seene and said this And S. Paul saith God is all in all to the elect Cor. But marke how he must bee considered that he may be our treasure To this ende wee must conceiue of God as hee hath reuealed himselfe to vs in Christ for God in Christ made manifest is our treasure and not otherwise without Christ. This the Gentiles neuer knew Col. 2. 3. In him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There he is made the Churches treasure And Coloss. 3. Our felicitie and life eternall is hidde with God in Christ. There hee is made the treasure fountaine and store-house of our eternall happinesse Iohn 1. Iohn Baptist saith Of his fulnesse wee receiue grace for grace Hee makes Christ that treasure whence wee receiue that grace which wee haue And 2. Corinthians 1. 31. Christ is our treasure whence we receiue our righteousnesse wisedome sanctification aud redemption Therefore it remaineth that GOD reuealing himselfe in Christ or God incarnate or Christ God and man is the treasure of the Church Now that hee may bee our treasure we must cōsider him as hee is reuealed and set forth vnto vs in his word and Sacraments for so is he a treasure and no otherwise Therfore Christ crucified dying and rising againe is our treasure Our treasure lyeth all in his suffering death and bloud-shed and for this cause we must so conceiue of him as crucified for our sinnes Quest. Why is Christ called our treasure Hee is the fountaine of all true blessednesse that is conueyed from God to man and from him doth proceed all our felicitie happinesse whatsoeuer Wouldest thou haue remissiō of sinnes life eternall Wouldest thou haue any temporall blessings or comfort by them or comfort in distresse Thou must haue it from Christ crucified The good things that come vnto vs if
thoughts and cares and accordingly iudge of your selues If vpon earthly things your minde bee set and fixed then your heart is earthly and carnall it is most certaine Christ hath giuen the sentence If you pleade that it cannot bee because you heare the word receiue the Sacraments and pray c. all this is nothing if your minde and affection be in this world you deceiue your selues for where your heart is there your treasure is And contrary if our principall thoughts and affections be in heauen and our care be for that principally then our heart is he auenly and our treasure heauenly And thus we may iudge of our selues and search our hearts whether they be carnall or spirituall Secondly hereby we may all trie our selues without deceit plainly whether wee haue any portion in heauen or no for if our hearts be on the earth only or chiefly all our portiō is here and none in heauen The man whose portion is in heauen hath his heart and affections there Though you professe Christ though you heare the word pray receiue the Sacraments yet you may be deceiued Therefore looke to this for if thy heart be here thou hast yet no treasure laid vp in heauen Thirdly by this coupling of the hart and treasure we learne that wee must not regard this world tēporall life Nay we must despise it so farre forth as it may be done without hatred of a good blessing vnthankfulnesse to God For this life is a blessing of God giuen vs to prepare our selues for a better Therefore simply we are not to despise it but in respect of heauen And as we must not regard this life so our meditation must be of heauen and not of the earth for heauen cannot bee thy treasure except thy heart be there Therefore drawe thy delight from worldly things and weane it to heauen So much for this verse 22. The light of the body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall bee light 23. But if thine eye bee wicked then all thy body shal be dark Wherfore if the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darkenesse This part hath diuers expositions First I will touch one of the principall though I take it not to be the rightest and thē I will set downe that which I take to bee the best And thirdly I will shew how this depends on those things that go before which will then best appeare when the sense is made manifest By single eye some vnderstand a liberall minde And by a wicked eye an enuious and couetous minde and so they expound these words of enuie and couetousnesse And this exposition is to the purpose And the words of good and euill eye will beare this sense For Salomon puts the good eye for a liberal heart an euil eye for a couetous heart Prouerbes 22. Therefore this is a good sense but not the proper meaning of this place as I take it because the single eye and the light of the body are put for one and the selfe-same thing Now the light that is in vs is the vnderstanding iudgement Againe it is said here that the eye is the light of the body Now a liberall eye cannot bee the light of the body for all actions but for liberall actions only Therefore though it be true that the single eye is a liberall minde and the euill eye a couetous minde yet it is not proper to this place Wherfore we must search further The words be similies and there bee diuers similies in thē The comparison is borrowed from a candle which serues to lighten all that be in the house so the eye serues to light all the body and giue direction to all the actions If thine eye be single To the ende of the 23. verse there is a double Simily which goeth thus As a man that hath a good and cleare sight in his bodily eye can carrie his body any way right and keepe it without wandring and stumbling But if the bodily eye haue any default or defect if it be dimme and corrupt then a man cannot walke without falling or stumbling Nay further if a man haue an eye and it bee blinde hee cannot finde one steppe of his way In the same maner saith Christ if you haue a minde to iudge rightly all is well but if the iudgement bee corrupted there is much darknesse many wants and faults This is the plaine comparison here vsed To come to the words The light of the body is the eye These words are plaine If thine eye be single Here vnderstand the mind resembled by the bodily eye The single eye is the minde able to iudge of things to be done or not to be done good or bad The whole body shall be light That is the whole life For looke as the eye is to the body so is the minde to the life Bright That is the whole course of our life shall bee well ordered if God giue man a minde well disposed But if thine eye be wicked That is if the mind be corrupted the iudgement depraued the vnderstanding darkened so that a man cannot rightly discerne of things to bee done though there be some light remembrance All thy body shall bee darke That is thy life will be full of sinne and disorder For therein stands the darkenesse when the vnderstanding is dimmed and darkened there the life is out of order If the light that is in thee bee darknesse That is if the naturall light of reason vnderstanding and iudgement which is left after the fall and which God hath put into euery man How great is that darknesse That is then there is no difference betweene the life of a man and a beast when the light of naturall reason is put out so as there is no power of iudgement or discerning c. This I take to bee the truest and fittest exposition Now hauing found the meaning let vs come to consider how this depends on the words going before I take it they depend as an answere to an obiection for the two former commaundements are hard to flesh and bloud men cannot brooke them Therfore Christ before he leaues it cuts off all the cauils which might be made against it Quest. If treasure must bee laid vp in heauen why doo all the wisest men seeke earthly treasure so much Answer The effect of the answere is this wee need not to maruell at it for they want the gift of discerning theyr eye is blinde and they cannot discerne things that differ earthly and heauenly And so it comes to passe that they omit the seeking of heauenly treasure Here some things must bee supplied by the readers minde Euery mās eye is eyther a blinde corrupt or single eye 1. The single eye befalles not all but those only to whom it is giuen of God 2. The corrupt eye appertaines to all 3. And some by sin put out the light of nature and hence it is that
permit the fall but now the gifts and graces of God are without repentance and the man that is a beleeuer shall neuer bee mooued Psal. 15. Though the nature of grace bee such that it may bee lost yet God giues the second grace to the first and thereby it is made sure that it shall not bee moued or lost The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church By reason hereof vpon this and such like promises it is that faith is not lost and not by any vertue which it hath in it selfe or by it owne nature Let this bee the first aunswere Secondly as I said this light of nature cannot be quite put out but onely buried so faith may bee buried hidden and driuen into some corner but it cannot bee wholy put out where it is once truly kindled So much of the third eye In which the light of nature seemes to bee quite put out because it cannot discerne at al but takes euill for good and good for euill it seeth not so much as there is a God or that God is to bee worshipped Now to come to the verie scope of these words marke the ende of them why Christ vsed them It was to shewe that men could not discerne when they seeke for earthly riches before heauenly And the euill eye corrupt and blinde by nature is the cause why men cannot distinguish things that differ From the scope one profitable admonition must bee renued that is to labour to attaine the gift of discerning to put a differēce between earthly and heauenly things therefore let vs search the scripture that we may haue our eyes enlightned and so see the right way to eternall life For the want of this discerning is the cause of all disorder and particularly of this disorder in preferring temporall and earthly things before eternall and heauenly And by this you may walke with comfort and peace of conscience the way to life eternall Whereas without it you wander in darknesse all the dayes of your life 24. No man can serue two maisters for eyther he shall hate the one and loue the other or else hee shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serue God and Mammon or riches We haue heard of two commaundements of Christ first negatiue in the 19. verse the second affirmatiue in the 20. verse and afterward an obiection answered in the 22. verse now hee remoues another impediment The former obiection was this If our treasure must bee laid vp in heauen and not heere on earth it is maruell that so many lay vp treasure heere and not in Heauen The answere hereof is They haue either a blinde eye or an euil eye and so want the gift of discerning Now in this verse he meetes with an other obiection which the carnall wisedome of man makes commonly and hath euer made against these commaundements and it is thus Why may wee not loue and serue God and serue Mammon too Some men flatter and perswade themselues that they may serue God yet set their hearts to seeke riches too And therefore they thinke that they may seeke earthly riches heauenly riches both together and that one doth not hinder an other but that one may haue both treasure in earth and treasure in heauen Here therefore Christ meetes with this carnall conceit of naturall men and proues it to be impossible that one man should practise both these Thus you see how this verse doth depend on the former and this will the better appeare if we seeke the true meaning of the words No man can serue two maisters c. It may seeme at the first to be otherwise for both in reason and also by experience one seruant may serue two diuerse masters as we see one Factor may and dooth well serue diueser Merchants Therefore how can this bee that Christ saith here Some answere it thus That the words must bee conceiued after this manner as if hee had said Two diuerse or contrarie maisters As for example when one shall say come and an other shall say come not when two maisters are thus cōtrary diuerse in their mindes and wills one seruant cannot serue both And so these words carrie a holy truth But this clause of diuerse and contrary is not exprest therefore I say further that this sentence was a common prouerbe among them Now in a Prouerbe if it be vsually or generally true though it holde not alwaies if it haue effect ordinarily it is inough As no Prophet is honoured in his owne countrey that is vsually and commonly it is so So this Prouerbe is true ordinarily And thus this sentence must be vnderstood as a familiar prouerbe vsuall and common among the Iewes which Christ taketh for the ground of his speech Now it followeth For eyther hee shall hate the one that is as he is a maister or in regard of his commaundement And hee shall loue the other in respect of his commaundement in that hee doth embrace it and performe it Or else hee shall leane to the one This is an illustration of the former words for it might bee demaunded How shall hee bee knowne to loue or hate them The answere is thus Loue will cleaue to the one and contemne the other That is a seruant is knowne to loue his maister in his commaundement First if he cleaue vnto him Secondly if he giue himselfe as a seruant to the obedience of his commaundement And he will despise the other That is hee will neglect his commaundements Thus hee testifieth his loue or hatred by omitting and neglecting or by performing and practising the commaundements enioyned him Now the words that follow You cannot serue God and Mammon are the application of the argument you cannot serue God and riches treasure profit gaine A man cannot serue God and giue himselfe to get and lay vp riches It is not said you cannot serue God and haue riches for Abraham Ioseph Iob serued God and yet had riches But thus you cannot serue God serue riches that is giue your selues to seeke them and set your hearts vpon them Thus the sense and meaning is plaine and now the scope of the words wil the better appeare The obiection is this Why may we not do both viz. lay vp treasure in heauen and in earth The answere is No man can serue two maisters But God and Mammon are two maisters therfore you cannot serue both these The proposition is confirmed by a reason which is added And thus you see the scope and the sense of this verse Now see what doctrines naturally arise hence First it is to be marked that Christ dooth heere set downe what it is to serue God A thing that euery man speakes much of yet a thing that fewe know and fewer doo practise therefore in a word it is this To serue God is to loue him and to cleaue vnto him and he serueth God that doth these two For the first euery man will say that he
THE REFORMAtion of Couetousnesse Written vpon the 6. Chapter of Mathew from the 19. verse to the ende of the said Chapter By William Perkins Imprinted at London for Nicholas Ling and Iohn Newbery 1603. In memoriam Perkinsi Is Perkins gone that whilome was a Lamp A Cantabrigian Phôspher shining farre Gon gon indeed And yet his deeds remain As monuments of such a writers worth Hei-papist snarle cōtend his works to dim Thou bites blots thy wretched selfe not him He. Clapham To the Christian Reader IT shall not greatly neede well disposed Reader to commend to thy kinde allowance this godly learned and necessary Treatise of the reformation of that sin which of our ancient Philosophers and Diuines hath bin condemned for the originall and roote of all euils since the Author therof now dead while hee liued receiued a true approbatiō of his faithfull labors from the most iudiciall graue and learned censures of our time The neuer-wearied vertues of his inward soule still laboring like the Sunne to illuminate and enlighten the darkenesse of our vnderstandings amongst other of his industrious studies haue left this token to the world that his whole care and endeuour was alwaies bent to the begetting of a generall profit How necessary the publishing of such a subiect is in respect of the Idolatrous worshipping of the wicked Mammon I referre me to the truly zealous soule-labouring Ministers in the Lords vineard whose voices like brazen trompets cōtinually sounding in the obdurate and stif-necked worldlings worke little or no motion at all in them either for compassion of their poore distressed brethren or saluation of their owne soules My request therefore is that thou wouldst reache thy gentle hand of acceptance to the New-yeares gift of a dead man who by a vertuous and godly life hath chased obliuion from his graue and now suruiueth in the hearts and tongues of all godly Christians Fare ye well THE REFORmation of Couetousnesse Math. 6. 19 20. 19. Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moath and canker corrupt and where theeues digge through and steale 20. But lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen where neither the moath nor canker corrupteth and where theeues neither break through nor steale HEre beginneth the fift part of Christs Sermon containing a seuerall distinct doctrine from the rest From this 19. verse to the 25. is contained a discourse touching the reforme of couetousnesse that is the disordered and inordinate care of earthly things The ground of which discourse lyeth in this 19. and 20. verses In them Christ layeth downe a double commaundement 1 First what wee must not doo with a reason of the same 2 Secondly what we must do with a reason thereof The things forbidden are the practises of couetousnesse of which that wee may speake in order first let vs see the sense and meaning of the words There bee two things contained in them Lay not vp hoord heape The greeke woord signifieth more then the translation expresseth and namely two things first to gather together secondly to store vp things gathered together against the time to come That it hath these two significations see Romaines 2. verse 5. Treasures aboundance of worldly wealth and excellent things of great price as Golde Siluer Plate Iewelles Rings precious stones c. Vpon the earth Here he noteth not so much the place of treasure as the kind of treasure earthly For your selues for your owne priuate gaine and commoditie all respects of the good eyther of the Church or Common-wealth set aside Now that we may see what is forbidden we must first see what he forbad not First he forbids not here labour in our calling wherby we prouide things necessarie for vs and ours for that were against himselfe Gen. 3. 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread Secondly he forbids not the possession of goods and riches for they are the blessings of God Iob. Thirdly he doth not forbid the gathering or keeping of treasure for the word of God alloweth of some treasure as 2. Cor. 12. 14. for the child and for the Church And Ioseph is commended for hoording vp corne in the seuen yeares of plentie against the seuen yeares of dearth Gen. 41. 48. Yea in the Temple there was a treasure by the appointment of God made maintained and continued from time to time Therfore hee dooth not simply condemne the gathering of riches or the laying vp of them What forbids he then Sundry practises of couetousnesse implyed in the 19. verse The first practise is excesse in seeking worldly wealth whē men know keepe no meane moderation or measure And that we may see the daunger of this vice I will answere this question How farre a man may seeke and prouide for worldely wealth In answere wherof I lay this ground for a foundatiō that is mens goods must be distinguished into three sorts viz. necessaria abundātia superflua that is necessarie abundance and superfluous Necessarie goods are twofolde some are necessary to the nature and some are necessarie to the person and condition of man Those which are necessary to nature are such as without which neither a man himselfe nor his family can liue as meate drinke cloath and lodging Those which are necessarie to the person that is to any mans state condition calling or kinde of life are such as the Artificers Instruments the Trades-mans tooles and the Students bookes Now here ariseth a question or two by the way What goods and how much is necessarie for the person For answere wherof the opinion and iudgement of the couetous must be no rule because his heart is a sea vnsatiable or that cannot be filled What then must bee the rule thereof There is no certaine rule therefore the iudgement of the wise learned godly and Christian frugall men must be the rule to iudge what is necessarie and whatsoeuer is in their iudgement necessarie must be so accounted Further things necessarie must not bee iudged onely by the present vse but also by the vse in time to come As for example A Trades-man groweth in yeares and hath nothing to liue on besides his Trade his hands and sight faile him therefore hee prouides something to maintaine him in his olde age and layeth it vp for a certaine and necessarie vse in time to come vntill his death Again a man that hath children the time will come when he must giue them their portions and therefore he may prouide for thē against they come to age and hee sinneth not but doth well because it serueth for a certaine vse in time to come Thus farre of the first sort that is of necessarie goods Now of the next The second kinde is aboundance that is plentie of worldly riches wherewith a man is so stored that hee hath both for a necessitie and also for an holy delight and hearts-ease The third are superfluous These are such whereof a man hath neither present vse nor any
certain vse in time to come Now I answere to the first question viz. How farre a man may seek prouide for worldly wealth I say that things necessary for nature for a mans person place may be sought for and laide vp But here is a barre put in by God himselfe we may goe no further we may not seeke for aboundance or superfluitie The reason hereof is alledged in the 30. Chapter of the Prouerbes the 8. and 9. verses where it is said Giue mee not pouertie nor riches feede mee with foode conuement for mee least I bee full and denye thee and saye who is the Lorde c. That which wee must aske of God that we may seeke for and no more But wee haue no warrant to aske at Gods handes aboundance or superfluitie Therefore wee may not seeke for them Againe if wee haue meate and drinke we must therewith be content 1. Tim. 6. 8. Ob. If wee must pray for nothing or labour for nothing more then is necessarie then what shall we doo if God giue aboundance Resp. Wee must not seeke aboundance But if God cast it vpon vs without seeking wee must thankefully receiue it lay it vp and vse it for the good of the Church and Commō-wealth and for the good of our owne families If this bee so that wee must seeke for nothing but necessaries then wee must learne contentednesse therewith which that we may doo weigh these reasons following First it is Gods commaundement that we should be content with things necessary and seeke no further therefore wee must be obedient and content Secondly a man that is too greedie to lay vp much can hardly keep a good conscience but must needs vse some vniust meanes Thirdly such are subiect to the diuels snare 1. Tim. 6. 9. Fourthly in persecution and times of triall the richest will hardly confesse Christ hold out but will be the more easily drawne from Christ and the confession of the truth because their mindes are glewed to the things of this world Heerevnto may bee added the examples of many Saints who haue bene contented with little that they might serue God the better And also Christes admonition How hard it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Thus much of the first practise of couetousnesse which is excessiue seeking of goods without al measure The second practise is when worldly goods are sought onely and principally which practise Christ meets withal when he saith First seeke the kingdome of God This was Esaus sinne and the sinne of the Gadarens Math. 8. who preferred worldly goods before spirituall treasure And this may be called vnreasonable disorder preposterousnesse worldlinesse c. The third practise is to put our trust and confidence in riches laid vp and to make them our God and rather to forsake God then them 1. Tim. 6. Psal. 62. The fourth practise is when a man layeth vp for himselfe onely and not for the Church nor Common-wealth but sibi soli this man may bee called churle niggard c. All these practises of couetousnes Christ condemneth Thus much concerning that which is forbidden Now followeth the reason VVhere moth rust and thiefe c. The reason standeth thus That which is subiect to vanitie to casualtie and corruption must not bee our treasure But earthly goods gold siluer riches cloathes c. are subiect to such things Therefore they must not bee our treasure The Greeke word Sès is a moath or worme that wasteth and consumeth the best garments may be taken here for any worme that doth destroy and consume any creature Brôsis a canker This translation is too strict for it signifieth any thing that wasteth any creature whatsoeuer Heere then is set downe the vanitie of the creatures which vanitie stands in two points First in the corruption Secondly in the abuse of the creature Touching the corruption it teacheth vs that gold and siluer yea that al riches haue some diseases to waste them or some canker to rust and consume them Touching the abuse of the creature it stands in this that it is subiect to the iniurie and ill vsage of men as riches are whē they are hoorded vp and serue for no vse From whence comes this vanitie From mans sinne Rom. 8. 20. which when wee consider it puts vs in minde of our sinnes howe loathsome they are that they are causes of vanitie to the creatures both by corruption and abuse Christ seeing men bent and disposed to treasure vp wealth in abundance calles them back to an other kinde of treasure better then that as much as heauen is better then earth and an heauenly life better thē a little money or mucke And therefore hee saith Lay not vp treasure in earth That is let not all your heart and minde be set vpon this I can tell you a little better treasure Here I might take occasiō to inueigh against mens ill dispositions and affections who will not follow this good counsell but still preferre earth before heauen for all this admonition Euery man by nature is greedie to gather goods and desirous to be rich but fewe care to be rich in God What profit did the rich men receiue by all their treasure Luk. 16. and 12. Had it not bene a great deale better if they had possessed lesse so they had enioyed this But let vs come to the 20. verse 20. But lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen c. Ob. This is a straunge instruction and precept to lay vp treasure in heauen Why How should we come there Resp. Indeed Christ saith it is hard for rich men to come there and yet they haue meanes to make it easie if they will How shall wee lay vp therefore Thus. Lay out here and lock it not vp and so you shall lay vp treasure in heauen 1. Tim. 6. Otherwise if you lay vp here and imprison the coyne that it cannot be currant you lay vp a treasure in hell Rom. 2. For by your hardnesse of heart what doo you else but treasure vp wrath against the latter day So that this place seemeth to be a speciall motiue to charitie and liberalitie but yet it is not to be restrained to that as if it pertained onely to rich men Then how shall the poore lay vp treasure in heauen who want it in earth Very well for they must make God their treasure and Christ and his word and so all their treasure is spirituall and heauenly And this Dauid made more account of then any treasure whatsoeuer Ps. 119. 72. 127. And say with him Psal. 57. Thou art my portion ô Lord. Rich men vse at euery yeares end to cast vp theyr accounts to see how their store and treasure encreaseth and it is not amisse But it were better if they would take a time for this account and see how this encreaseth The rich man in the Gospell had gold inough siluer corn great store euen by his owne confession and yet he
men omit heauenly treasure This I take to bee the true and right meaning and thus the dependance is in good order giuing vs the maine cause of couetousnesse which is a blind eye so that they cannot see to put difference betweene heauenly and earthly treasure Here three things are to be considered the single eye the wicked eye and the blinde eye with the fruites and effects of euery one The single eye is the light of the body There is exprest and noted the single eye with the fruites therof viz. to giue light to all the body The wicked eye makes the body darke Of these in order and first we will begin with the single eye And that you may know what is meant hereby I will describe it plainely By single eye vnderstand the minde of a man endued with true and heauenly wisedome for it is the single eye the minde that hath this gift which is enlightned with true wisedome Then if we shall knowe what true wisedome is we shall knowe what this eye is Therefore touching wisedome it is a gift of God in Christ no common gift which euery professor may haue but a speciall gift from God to them that are in Christ. 1. Corinthians 1. 31. Christ is made of GOD to vs wisedome not onely because hee is the maker and author of wisedome but also because hee is the roote from whence all our wisedome springs we must bee set to him and engraffed in him we must be made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh As his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation and our holinesse is from his holinesse as from the roote so our wisedome is from his wisedome as the braunch from the stocke and the fruite from the tree This wisedome befalles not the diuell and his angels not all men nor all Christians in name but onely those that are in Christ truly for from his wisedome proceedes the true wisedome So then wee must cōceiue of it that this wisdome is a gift of God to them that are in Christ. This spiritual wisedome hath two actions First to discerne things that differ Secondly to discerne one thing from an other spiritually S. Paul prayeth that the Philippians may be enriched with knowledge and sense or iudgement What is this sense that we might be able to discern things differing and be sincere Marke how hee ioyned with knowledge sense that is a gift of discerning good and badde earthly and heauenly what we must do and what we must leaue vndone We ought to haue our senses exercised to discerne good and euill that is wee ought to be endued with the propertie of true wisdome to haue our senses enured to put difference betweene things good and euill And this is the first point of heauenly wisdome to put such a difference As for example Hee that is in Christ and hath this spirit of discerning hee can discerne the voyce of his shepheard and can put a difference betweene it and all the voyces of false shepheards Againe by this men can distinguish betweene the water in Baptisme and other waters betweene the bread and the wine on the Lords table and common bread and wine And the discerning of these is by this gift of wisedome Thirdly by this the Church of God is able to discerne of afflictios betweene crosses and curses chastisements iudgements He can take the hand of God for a fatherly correction and for no curse nor iudgemēt and hee knowes what vse to make of them Fourthly by this gift the childe of God can discerne the things of God namely his own election vocation adoptiō iustificatiō c. He can know thē perceiue thē more or lesse In a word by this mē are able to put a differēce between earthly riches and heauenly treasure He can discerne the excellencie of heauenly things aboue earthly and put a plaine difference betweene them which the carnall man can not doe The spirituall man discernes all things truely Vertue from vice Heauenly things from earthly things and so all other things whatsoeuer Heere then marke what is the first action and property of this wisedome to discerne things that differ I adde further this the Prouidence Wisdome and Iustice of God in all things which the naturall man cannot do Hereby you see how excellent and necessarie a thing this is seruing to many excellent vses The second action is to iudge determine giue sentence of things what we must doe and what we must not doe what is good and what is euill what is heauenly and what is earthly Heere one thing must bee remembred It is a principall point of wisedome to determine what is the chiefe happines of man and the scope vnto which all our life is to bee directed It is the loue and fauour of God in Christ see examples of this iudgement Psalm 4. 6. Many say who will shew vs any good c. Marke there Dauids iudgement of this matter and how he differs from others He determines that it is true happinesse to bee in the fauour of God So Paul cared for nothing but Christ crucified shewing what was his wisedome when he came amongst the wisest of the world viz Christ crucified for the sinnes of the world And indeede if a man had all the wisedome and policie in the earth and faile in this if hee cannot determine where to place his happinesse and what is the scope of his life his wisedome is but folly Therefore remember this is a principall point of true wisedome to bee able to iudge of our true happines what it is and the scope of our life Thus you see the spirituall wisedome hath two actions what they be viz First to discerne things that differ Secondly to discerne onething from another spiritually Heere marke further that a principall part of this wisedome is heauenly prouidence When a man discernes what is the principall good then commeth prouidence and vseth all meanes for the compassing of that principall good She forecasteth all the waies and means to come vnto it without this our wisedome is not perfect And thus you see what is meant by wisdome It is a gift of Gods spirit to thē that be in Christ whereby they are enabled to discerne of things that differ the scope of our life of true happines and withal to forethinke and forecast all the means to come vnto it And the single eye that is the single minde which is able to discerne of this wisedome Now in the next place mark the fruite of it The whole body shall be light That is the whole life shal be full of righteousnes of good successe Prou. 8. 19. 20. My fruite is better then gold and fined siluer I make a man walke in the wayes of righteousnes and the paths of iudgement To make some vse of it considering this is thus heere commended wee are first admonished to labour for this heauenly wisedome single eye The singular commendation of it
should be a spurre and inducement to euery one to seeke for it The commoditie should moue vs to affect it aboue all That you may the better doe it remember two things First that you get the beginning of this wisedome that is the feare of God to reuerence his Word and to tremble at his presence which you shall haue if you lay the Word to your consciences when you heare and read neuer storme at it When the whole man doeth bow himselfe the minde conscience and will without replying repining raging or chafing then wee are gone a good way and haue made good beginnings proceedings Whē the word checketh vs crosseth controlleth our faults striue not against it but obay it Secondly wee must all close our eyes the eyes of our minde I meane and suffer our selues to bee led in all things by the written Word to bee ordered and ruled by the Lawes and Commandementes of God Marke this poynt For if we can practise this wee shall get true wisedome and happinesse Therefore giue attendance to it in the whole course of your liues and let the Lord ouerrule you by his Word Read Psalm 119. Dauids example is most excellent By meditating in the Law he became wiser then the auncient and those that were his teachers He passed them in wisedome that were chiefe among men for wisedome because he shut his owne eyes and submitted himselfe to the regiment of the word In a word Remember to renounce thine affections and to shut vp thine eyes let the Lord performe his worke in thee Againe in that the single eie is heere thus commended wee are taught to walke wiselie whereunto Paul in most of his Epistles exhorteth And wee walke wisely when we practise all things in wisedome that is done by remembring these foure things following First the thing to bee done must be iust Secondly the means of doing it must be iust also Thirdly we must keepe our selues within the limits of our calling Fourthly wee must doe it with a single honest and vpright heart And that these foure may concurre wee must haue the written word to tell vs euery one of them We must haue the word to tell vs that the thing wee are to doo is iust 2. That the meanes wee vse is iust also 3. That we do keepe our selues within the limits of our calling And 4. that we do it with a single honest and vpright heart Then when our action is iust and the meanes iust the heart vpright and wee within the compasse of our calling according to Gods word the action shal be done in wisdome so as it shall be praised and approoued by God Thirdly in that this wisedome makes a mans light shine with righteousnesse wee are all taught to season our naturall wisedome with spirituall wisedome God hath giuen all men wisedome by nature more or lesse It is a gift of God to bee commended but that it may be holy and approued and vsed well it must be seasoned and then naturall wisedome ioyned with it is good and a blessing of God and tends to the honour and glory of God It is the sinne of these dayes that men of wisedome vse naturall wisedome without spirituall wisedome whereby they fall into many sinnes and inconueniences because they seuer these Fourthly seeing this is so let vs haue regard principally to this part of wisedome which is concerning prouidence after iudgement which is best how to forecast how wee may come by it Consider Luke the 12. what was the rich mans fault his riches encreased and he was prouident to lay vp his store yet Christ calles him foole because he wanted this heauenly wisedome He could forecast for the inlarging of his barnes but not for his soule he had no respect of it nor regard of this spirituall wisedome and prouidence It was the fault of the foolish virgins therefore called foolish they had some Oyle and blazing Lampes but they wanted sufficiencie of Oyle because they wanted this prouidence They had not a sufficient forecast of their saluation and the meanes thereof Though one had all the wisedome in the world and faile in this he were but a madde man Marke the ende of Achytophel his wisedom was great but yet naught because hee wanted the principall viz. the feare of God and therefore hee hanged himselfe Wherefore consider There can be no wisedome when we do not determine of the ende and scope of our life Let vs now in the time of our life and dayes of grace and peace forecast all the meanes of saluation and neuer content our selues till all bee accomplished If wee haue all the learning in the worlde it is nothing without this Therefore aboue all things let vs set our hearts to seeke it for the want of it makes men to seeke nothing but earthly treasure because they cannot discerne things that differ Wherefore now practise this prouidence learne this wisedome bee not like the foolish Virgins content not your selues with outward profession Bee not like that rich man that had no care nor forecast of his soule and saluation Consider the ende of our life let this bee the first and principall thing for it is the principall parte of heauenly wisedome 23. But if thine eye bee wicked c. Hitherto of the single eye Now of the corrupt and wicked eye As in handling the former so in this I will consider First what is the wicked eye Secondly what is the fruit and effect thereof The wicked eye is the mind and vnderstāding hauing some light but darkened dimmed and corrupted by Adams fall That you may yet the better conceiue what this wicked eye is you must knowe that the minde is corrupted two wayes and in two respects First it hath lost the gift of discerning and iudging and in this respect it is an euill eye and mistakes one thing for an other good for euill and euill for good And that the mind hath lost the gift of discerning in many things appeares thus Many of vs by nature knowe not God as wee ought nor our selues Touching God it appeares by diuers reasons wee know naturally that there is a God yet we cannot acknowledge the presence of God Men naturally when they sinne feare not the presence of God and that proues plainely that the eye of the minde is an euill eye Though by nature we know that there is a God yet wee acknowledge not his particular prouidence we cannot discerne it as we should and it appeares in this that men naturally trust men before God the creature aboue the Creator which sheweth that we doo not acknowledge a particular presence a for if we did wee would rather distrust men and trust God Though the conscience tell a man of the punishment of sinne yet the minde doth sooth and flatter vs naturally and telleth vs we shall escape without due punishment and so denyes Gods iustice We know that God must be worshipped yet the mind cannot discerne iudge of it
when we come by the light of nature to worship God we turne God to an idoll The naturall man doth not perceiue the things of God that is the minde naturally knowes them not nor giues any approbation or consent vnto them Now as man cannot knowe God sufficiently by nature so he cannot discerne himself and his owne sinnes Wee haue all this euill eye by nature we can not perceiue that we are dym and darke sighted not blinde A man by nature cannot discerne the vilenesse of sinne though the conscience can iudge somewhat of it yet the right iudgement of sinne the minde cannot perceiue by nature for if men could doo this they would not sinne We are not able by the natural eye of our vnderstanding to iudge of our owne frailtie Hence it is that the aged man thinkes he may yet liue longer Because the mind is corrupted wee cannot discerne the frailenesse of our owne eyes Wee cannot iudge aright of the scope of our owne liues but nature teacheth vs to seeke our selues more then God or our owne good more then his glory The mind is vnable to iudge of our owne happinesse for this is all the wisedome of man to think that felicitie doth consist in outwarde and earthly things as riches honour c. so that wee account the rich happie and the poore miserable Therefore the first point is cleare that the minde hath lost the gift of iudging and discerning The second way that man is corrupt is in obedience That it is made subiect to that which should be subiect to it namely the flesh Yea it doth not onely follow the flesh but also the euill temptatiōs of Sathan which are cast into it The minde is ready to follow them and therefore it is euill It followeth the example of the world And for these causes Christ calleth it an euill eye First because it wanteth iudgement Secondly because it obeyeth that which it should rule Totum corpus tenebrae Now he shewes the fruite of it which is to make the whole body darke that is the whole life full of vnrighteousnesse and darknesse Though the naturall vnderstanding haue some light yet it is an euill eye it cannot discerne in many things And though it discerne in many things yet it obeyeth not but followeth the will Thus much of the meaning Now of the instructions which truly and naturally proceede from hence First alway remember this that Christ left somewhat to be supplyed namely that this euill eye is in all men by nature and that is the cause why men cannot discerne wherefore wee are to labour to see and discerne this wickednesse of the eye in the minde It is the first steppe to knowledge to see that wee cannot see that wee cannot iudge and discerne of heauenly things as we ought wee shall neuer knowe GOD aright nor our selues till wee see that wee cannot see Also wee must bewayle this blindnesse and tremble for it The sense and apprehension of bodily darkenesse is grieuous vnto vs much more ought this And as that c. so wee ought to labour for the good eye-salue that makes the blind eye to bee a good eye and this salue is nothing else but the word of God applyed by the spirit of God When the holy Ghost opens the eyes of the vnderstanding then our eyes will bee made single Secondly wee are taught to amend a fault Wee haue heere iust occasion to rebuke a damnable fault which is common heere and euery where namely that men cōtent themselues with the light of nature for by this euill eye any man knoweth thus much namely 1 That there is a God 2 That God is good and mercifull 3 That we must loue him aboue all and our neighbour as our selfe 4 That we must liue well All this we know by nature If a man were brought vp in the wildernesse he might know all this without a teacher and yet herein stands all the knowledge that many haue but all this is nothing wherefore content not your selues with this Thinke not your selues good schollers in Christs schoole vntill you knowe more then this comes to That it is not sufficient to knowe these things it is manifest because it is here called an euill eye and makes the life full of darkenesse For all this if wee doo no more then this with this wee may perish liue in darkenesse and dye in darknesse and goe to euerlasting darkenesse And though some pleade that Preachers can teach them no more then this yet they deceiue themselues grossely Therefore remember this with naturall knowledge ioyne spirituall knowledge Put grace to nature to helpe the blinde eye Adde pietie and supernaturall knowledge to nature For this cause haue care to reade and search the scriptures that you may attaine to more knowledge then you haue by nature if it be for nothing else but to knowe Gods commaundements and promises for that knowledge serues for nothing else but to make a man without excuse and not to saue This fault and sinne is the fall and bane of many a soule and brings them to hell That men thinke themselues furnisht sufficiently for saluation if they haue but a naturall knowledge Men content themselues with reformation so farre forth as nature teacheth and looke what nature teacheth the verie blinde eye seeth First that God must be worshipped the blind eie seeth and knoweth but how hee is to bee worshipped he cannot tell Secondly that we must loue God and liue wel deale iustly is knowne by nature and this we cōtent our selues withall euen with euil conuersation and naturall reformation But this is not inough for the blinde eye cannot teach vs so much and they learne it and knowe it whose liues are nothing but darknesse Wherfore neuer content your selues with naturall reformation for if you haue no more all your ciuill life is nothing but darkenesse before God how faite soeuer it seeme to men but labour for a spirituall life that thy heart may be renued and thy life reformed according to the Gospell That this is necessarie it is plaine because Christ saith the whole body is darke without it The blinde eye is not able to free it from darkenesse Ciuilitie wil neuer saue thee thou must perish with it To proceed We learne that we must not be wise in the matter of saluation for our selues and by our selues The Lord saith by Moses to the Israelites Thou shalt not do that which is good in thine owne eyes but that which I commaund thee Deut. 12. Wee must not take vpon vs to set downe how we would be saued and by what meanes this way or that way for wee haue but a blinde eye And yet this hath beene and is a common fault The Turke with his religion the Iew his and the Papist his and there is no man but he prescribes to himselfe a way of worshipping God and how hee will be saued And by this the diuell destroyes many because they will bee wise
by themselues and to themselues For example sake it is the manner of wise men to prescribe how they will bee saued they take it for a small matter to come to saluation if they can but make a prayer at the ende of their life I speake of them which are not guided by the word some by their workes and others by their faith and all is one for they vnderstand nothing by faith but theyr good intent and well meaning Naturally and commonly men prescribe to themselues how they will be saued how they will worship God and in vsing what meanes they will liue and dye But they doo ill Wherefore in a word bee not wise to thy selfe in this for the matter of thy saluation Let God be wise be thou a foole prescribe no religion to thy selfe content thy selfe to bee wise according to the word for by nature thou hast an euill eye and this eye cannot shewe thee the way of life Away therefore with this damnable practise Lastly our dutie is to seeke for a better eye that is the eye of faith that which is wanting in this eye may bee supplyed And this is faith by which wee rest on the mercie goodnesse of God on his prouidence and protection in life and death This eye is able to see a farre off and to discerne things that cannot otherwise be discerned the euidēce of things not seene And the Patriarkes sawe the promises a farre off Let vs all be careful to seeke this eie of faith without the which wee cannot walke the way to euerlasting life So much of the secōd kinde of eye Now of the third eye briefly according to the compasse of the time Wherfore if the light that is in thee c. This is the blinde eye yea starke blinde that hath no power to discerne or iudge that is to see what is meant by light naturall knowledge of God and iustice which is in the minde It is further said that if this light be darkenesse it is onely buried so as there shall be no vse of it but it cannot be quite put out extinguished Some light of nature is remaining in the most wicked men because conscience remaineth Now heere it is said to bee none but darknesse because it may be buried hid couered but not wholy put out The veriest Atheist that liues hath this light in him This must bee remembred for the vnderstanding of these words as it is plaine in them that haue a reprobate minde they are as if they had no light of nature remaining because it is buried What is the cause that the light of nature is turned into darknesse The cause is in the will and affections of men the desires and lusts of the heart it is sinne that puts out the light of nature actuall sinne the will and affections make men to sinne against the light of nature and against conscience and so put out both and burie them This makes a man not to know that which by nature hee might know Now see the fruite of it Rom. 1. in most horrible and brutish sinnes vpon the blinde minde and reprobate sense The consideration of this point that the vnderstanding may be quite buried by actuall sinne teacheth vs to enter into an examination of our selues Wee haue in vs euen the best of vs all wretched diuellish and damnable desires such as would put out the light of nature in the vnderstanding This teacheth vs to bee vile in our owne eyes who haue such vile hearts that they can put out that light which Adams fall did not Secondly in that the will and affection blinde the mind dazell and dimme the light of our vnderstanding we learne to looke to these principally that they bee mortified and brought in subiection to the obedience of Gods commandements for now the case is altered Before the fall the mind ruled the will but now the will ouerrules the minde Therfore a speciall regard must be had of this wee must renounce our owne wils and affections they are those that bring the ruine of the soule and conscience Therefore aboue all things looke to them that they bee tempered ordered and squared It is best with men when God breaketh them of theyr wills for when they haue their wils in all things of this life they carrie the whole man headlong like a wilde and vntamed colte Though thou hadst all the wisedome knowledge and learning in the world if thy will and affection bee naught they will cast a myst a vaile and a couer or scarfe ouer it wherefore bring these into order and subiection then a little vnderstanding out of the word will giue great light Remember this It is not knowledge principally that should bee sought for or the minde to be instructed and no more but the wil and affection must especially be regarded for from the heart comes life and death saluation or damnation There is the beginning of thy comfort or woe for if they be out of order they will maister ouerrule the vnderstanding Further I gather hence that the doctrine of saluation may bee turned to darkenesse If the light of nature which is so deeply imprinted engrauē in the heart then much more this And this is plaine by experience of all them which begin in the spirit and ende in the flesh which are worldly wicked This could not be otherwise See Heb. 3. 12. there is a most excellent place of scripture which dooth shewe how this light by little and little is put out going backe from the last to the first there bee fiue degrees 1 First the deceitfulnesse of sin 2 Secondly the hardnesse of the heart when sinne hath deceiued 3 Thirdly infidelitie or incredulitie whē the heart being hardned is made vnbeleeuing which beginnes to doubt of the word and to call the truth into question 4 Fourthly the euill heart when the Gospell begins to goe to decay 5 Fiftly falling from God Apostasie And so the light of nature and of the Gospell is put out Then furthermore there is declared how wee hauing receiued the light of the Gospell may preserue it namely by obseruing and watching the liues of one an other and by exhorting one an other Quest. Lastly if the light of nature may be turned into darknesse it may be demaunded whether sauing grace and faith may bee lost If the light of nature which is so deeply imprinted in the heart may be extinguished why may not the grace of regeneration be lost Answer There is no grace of God considered in it selfe but it may be lost for it is a creature and therefore changeable because nothing is vnchangeable but God Wherefore if you consider faith and regeneration in their owne nature they are changeable and may be lost it cannot be denied but in regard of the promise of God to continue and preserue it to vs then it is vnchangeable and cannot be lost God gaue Adam grace but it was changeable hee did determine to
forsakes God when hee sets his hart vpon riches I wil make this more plaine In riches three things are to be cōsidered First the getting Secōdly the keeping Thirdly the spending First hee that seeks to be rich in getting of goods must needs vse much lying deceiuing and breaking the Sabboth In keeping of them if persecutiōcome he forsakes Christ and denies the Gospell and if any losse befall him he will resort to the witch wisard southsayer coniurer and Astrologer and all to keepe himselfe rich Againe he can part with nothing to the poore because hee must be rich therfore he cannot spare a penny None shall get ought at his hands they may starue at his doore first and all is because he will be rich hee hath set it downe and determined it with himselfe Men haue a milde moderate opiniō of couetousnes if a man be couetous they will say hee is a good honest man but somewhat hard and neere But marke the sentence of Christ Here these worldly persons are forsaken of God So that it is no small fault as the world takes it for a man to be worldly First it is a renouncing of God himselfe a practising of Atheisme therefore we must learne to thinke worse of these worldly persons Secondly it is the manner of men to make lawes to themselues for the getting of riches I wil haue an 100. or 200. or 300. or if he haue a greater stocke a 200. or 2000. c. and thus much lands rents and reuennewes I must needes haue it I cannot liue else Take heede of this make no such lawe to your selues for then follow all the practises that tend to the compassing of this resolution It is a commō practise among men they will haue thus much in stocke and thus much in reuenewes whereas indeed a little with Gods blessing is wealth inough Thirdly let euery man bee contented with that portion which God hath allotted him euermore remember that godlinesse is great gaine if wee be content Therefore away with this couetous minde and bee content with Gods good prouidence The heart must not bee deuided betweene God and the creature God must haue all or none you cannot serue both there is no parting of stakes God to haue one part and Mammon the other Many are deceiued herein who thinke they may part stakes and giue God one halfe and the creature the other nay sinne and Sathan The vse of this is to discouer hypocrites When men liue in many sinnes if they come to the Congregation to heare and pray and receiue the Sacrament though they lye and liue in sinne they may bee the seruants of God for all that as the drunkard adulterer c. And so euery man blesseth himselfe in his sinne Hence it is that so many flatter themselues while they liue in sin against their owne conscience but they deceiue themselues If they serue the diuell in any sinne they cannot serue God Secondly euerie seruant of God is so far forth regenerate renued and sanctified that not one sin raignes in him for then he must serue two maisters So many sinnes raigning in any man so many Lords This doctrine must be receiued regarded reuerenced remembred Thirdly if the heart cannot bee deuided betweene God and the creature let vs all in the feare of God worship God serue him and professe our selues to bee his seruants with our whole soules and bodies for we cannot serue God and Mammon God alone is to bee serued therefore let euerie affection bow the knee to God let the bodie and soule doo theyr parts in this homage so long as thou liuest Remember Rom. 6. The seruant of God hath his fruite in holinesse and the ende euerlasting life The Queene of Sheba pronounced the seruants of Salomon happie because they serued such a Lord. How much more thē are they happie who in body and soule giue themselues to the seruice of the liuing God Ob. It will be said I desire with all my heart to serue God but the corruption of my nature makes mee disobey and rebell against the commaundements of God The flesh makes mee doo that which I would not When I would faine honour God my corrupt nature makes me dishonour him Some may thus complaine that their case is miserable and they serue two maisters Answer All that haue grace must needes say thus that their wicked nature doth carrie them an other way but they must stay their mind on this maner Whē they faile in obedience let them consider whether they do it willingly or against their wills Thou wilt say vnwillingly and it grieues thee and thou art displeased with thy selfe Well if thou canst say this bee of good courage thou doest not serue two maisters though there bee in thee two contraries flesh and grace yet they are not two maisters Therfore bee not discouraged for thou seruest not both thou seruest God and not the flesh Nay if thou faile in obedience and be grieued for it God doth accept thy will and endeuour for the deede Remember this for euerie childe of God may say I serue two maisters but it is against my will and with griefe of heart with groning vnder this bondage Labour and endeuour to keepe a good conscience and then if thou faile it is because thou art ouerruled and maistered Walke in all the wayes of God and the wants and defects of thy nature are all couered in the death of Christ if thou doest thine endeuour to obey Search the scripture where the will of this maister is set downe and when thou knowest what his wil commandements are endeuour to obey them and thou shalt bee the seruant of God Thy seruice is a kingdome it is a true libertie But contrariwise serue Mammon and thy ende will be euerlasting destruction in hell 25. Therefore I say vnto you be not carefull for your life what yee shall eate or what yee shall drinke nor yet for your body what yee shall put on Is not the life more worth then meat the body then rayment At the 19. verse Christ began to forbid couetousnes and because men are ready to make many excuses and obiections therfore Christ hath answered two before Now he proceedes and strikes at the roote of couetousnesse which is immoderate and inordinate care for y e things of this life And his intent is to remoue that yea the distrustfull care of things necessarie and this he doth to the ende of the chapter he labours to take away the cause of all couetousnesse These words depend on the former from the 19. verse as I take it and they are a conclusion of all the doctrine deliuered before from the 19. verse and not from the 24. onely In this manner seeing they want a good eye and the gift of wisedome discerning therefore I say yet further to you be not careful more then needs for things necessary Thus these words depend on the former and withall hee meetes with a conceit of
for they sowe not neither reape nor carry into the barns yet your heauenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they Heere is a second reason of the commaundement Be not carefull for such necessaries for if God feede the fowles much more will he do you The Proposition is confirmed thus Because you haue meanes and they haue none Againe you are better then they for you are Gods children and so are not they therfore if hee feede them much more will he do you A very good reason which may induce all men to obey the commandement for it is a very sensible reason and may easily be vnderstood of all Before he proposeth his reason hee bids vs beholde them that is to looke vpon them wisely with consideration for so the word signifieth Here is a generall dutie to be learned namely to consider the workes of God for this may be said of all the creatures Beholde them The duty therefore is to marke them and to view them well that we in them may see the wisedome goodnesse mercy iustice and prouidence of God Salomō giues the same lesson to consider the workes of God God made one creature after an other seuerally in 6. daies and rested the 7. and sanctified it One cause was that mē might cōsider seuerally of these works of God Our rest must be consecrated to the cōsideratiō of the workes of God The heauen is cōpared to a great booke which all may read Ps. 19. And so we may say of all the creatures so many creatures as there be in y e world so many bookes wherin we may read sēsibly distinctly the power wisdome goodnesse of God Therefore wee ought to looke vpon them and euen to spell them out till we can read them perfectly Now what is the thing to bee looked vpon in thē They sowe not nei-neither reape They haue not that care for meate and drinke which we haue Mē do this and that sowe reape by Gods cōmandemēt their labour is approued The birds doo not so much they take no care at all How then do they liue The yong rauens cry to God for foode and the lyons seeke to him the eyes of all things looke vp to him How can this be can the vnreasonable creatures do so It cannot be That which the holy Ghost saith hath his sence meaning and force for they do not vse prayer indeed as men doo but that which men do by prayer they do the same in their kinde by a natural instinct imprinted in them by their creatiō They seeke the foode that God hath ordained for them and rest cōtented with his prouidence and so they call vpon God and depend on him and therefore the holy Ghost hath of purpose vsed these phrases to shew how they content themselues with Gods prouidence Here marke one point The creatures are subiect to vanity corruptiō by the sin of man and yet they come nearer the first state then man and the order of nature remaines in them for this is their part by order of creation and it is to be seene in them to this day But man is fallen from the order set in his creation euen in these temporall things whether we regard the getting or the keeping or the dispending of them men are grown to a distrustfull care against the will and prouidence of God This point is to be marked that the other creatures keepe the order of nature in this thing man doth not which sheweth that man is more vile then baser creatures and more corrupt then they for they keepe the lawe of nature This serues to humble vs and to make vs thinke basely of our selues who haue not in vs by nature that good which they haue Yet your heauēly father feedeth thē Heere be excellent pointes set downe which I will but touch First heere is a reason why we ought to rest on Gods prouidence and afterwarde a way shewed whereby we may doe it There be two kindes of promises in the word 1 First of spirituall and eternall things 2 Secondly of corporall temporal and external things Now how may we put our trust in God for these temporall things Thus we must take holde of the maine promise of saluation and reconciliatiō with God in Christ and when we are resolued of that then we shal begin to beleeue the promises of temporal things and rest vpon the goodnes of God So that if you would knowe how to put your trust in GOD for these things you must first labour for this to be assured by faith that you are the childrē of God and recōciled in Christ. This is the right way the ground of all to beleeue our adoption reconciliation and where this is not there can be no true trust in his prouidence so much as for a bit of bread Further mark here a special particular prouidence of God The birds prouide nothing for themselues and therefore in all reasō they should perish in winter yet daily experience sheweth this that they are both fatter and in better liking in winter This argues that there is a God that doth feede them and a particular prouidence which tends vpō the least foule and brings it meate in winter This is a sensible perswasiō to all Gods seruants that God wil send them foode and rayment for can it be possible that God should feede the foules and neglect his children Again this serues not to boulster vp any mās idlenes negligence that wil neither reape nor sowe but to teach vs that when all meanes faile we must rest vpon God In a word we must learne here to be like God to be mercifull as he is mercifull he is a sauiour of all specially of them that beleeue This was neuer more needfull to be learned then now whē men make them selues rich euen with the blood of the poore If we be Gods children we must be like him 27 Which of you by taking care is able to adde one cubit vnto his stature We haue heard the commandement in the 25. verse and two reasons of it First If God giue life and the body much more foode and rayment Secondly If he feede the fowles much more will he feede you Now followeth a third reason to moue vs to obey the commaundement The words are propounded by way of interrogation And it is the maner of the holy Ghost to affirme or deny something and that more effectually vnder the forme of an Interrogation And this is all one as if hee had said There is not one of you that by taking care can adde one cubit vnto his stature The cubit here mentioned is a certaine kinde of measure borrowed from a mans arme which is the length from the bowing of the arme or elbowe to the end of the longest finger about which length wee are commonly when we come into the world So that the meaning is this As God makes a man a cubit long
word in the creation so they should doo to the ende of the world So in the matter of prouidence trust in God and walke in the compasse of thy calling and doubt not the issue If there were no more reasons to perswade vs to a moderate care for necessaries this one sensible reason borrowed from the Lillies were sufficient When he saith They labour not c. his meaning is not by their example to maintaine idlenesse or to neglect our calling but to teach vs that when all helpes faile vs walking in our calling and hauing done what wee can without our default Gods blessing shal not be wanting wee shal haue meats drinke and cloth though all means faile vs And for this end these words are set downe 29. Yet I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his royaltie was not araied like one of these Herein one speciall amplification is to be marked They are cloathed by God and that more gloriously then Salomon himselfe was yet Salomon had promises of great honour and glory without his seeking for hee desired but wisedome yet with wisedome God promised him honour For all this Christ saith of the Lillies that SalomoÌ„ was not cloathed like them and he speakes not of some one but of euery one and of the Lillies of the field too not of the garden And euery one of them is cloathed more gloriously theÌ„ Salomon was when hee was in his chiefest glory First this serues to check and controll vs for our pride in apparell and to teach vs that wee ought not to bee so curious in attiring our selues for when wee haue done all we can wee cannot match one of these flowers but they will goe beyond vs. Why then should we puffe vp our selues in regard of our apparel wheÌ„ as the least hearbe in the field is more gay What cloth in whitenes comes neare the Lilly What purple like the Violet And what crimson or scarlet is like diuers other flowers Art may doo much but it cannot match nature Doo what wee can the hearbes will goe beyond vs. And if it be so why are we so proud of our apparel The hearbe which thou treadest vnder thy feete and puttest into the furnace is finer then thou art I nunc effer te quòd pulchro incedis amictu Te longè superat fertile graâ—um agri The second vse is to teach vs that all our pompe is but vaine for what is more fraile then the hearbe which is to day in the field and to morrow is cut downe So the whole nature of man is fraile and brittle as Paul saith All the glory and pompe of this worlde is vaine and passeth away subiect to chaunge and alteration And yet when Christ speaks this of Salomons glorie and makes it inferior to the hearbe preferring this before that hee coÌ„demnes not Salomons glory for it was promised him giueÌ„ him by God And the word though it condemne curiositie and superfluitie of apparell yet it condemnes not gorgeous apparell in Princes and great personages The pompe in apparell is not simply condemned in the word for Ioseph refused not the ring and fine garment And whereas Luke saith of Agrippa and Bernice that they came with much pompe the words may be taken as well in good part as ill 30. Wherefore if God so cloathe the grasse of the field which is to day to morrowe is cast into the Ouen shal hee not do much more vnto you O yee of little faith In these words Christ abaseth the creatures in regard of man the difference between man and the hearbes is in these things First they serue for mans vse Therefore they are inferiour to him they serue for the making of his fire and the heating of his furnace Secondly the hearbe is to day and hath a being to morrow it hath no being but ceaseth to be an hearbe so fraile and vaine is the creature that excelles man in glory But man hath a being to day and his being continueth The trees and hearbes haue a kinde of life and soule as men haue but there is a great difference for their soules are mortall and arise from the matter whereof the plant is made but the soule of man is immortall bee it of the righteous or the vnrighteous The difference is plaine in Genesis where God commands the earth to bring forth hearbs and trees with life and substance But when hee made man the earth brought not foorth his soule but God breathed into him a liuing soule As for the soules of beasts plants whether they be quallities or substances it is not knowne but they perish are corruptible and they cease to be that they were But it is not so with man for wheÌ„ he dies he ceaseth not to be a man a dead man is a man still though not a liuing man and his soule shall be reunited to his body yea the body that is dead and lyeth in the graue is vnited to Christ as well as the soule and by vertue thereof it shall rise againe I speake now of the righteous especially and therefore dead Abraham is Abraham still Now it is not so with the other creatures The hearbe or tree being burnt ceaseth to bee an hearbe or tree But man when he dies because he is in the couenant he is still a man for he that is once in the couenant is in it for euer and the vertue of the couenant shall be as effectuall to raise the seruant of God to glory as the word of creation is effectuall to bring the creature out of the earth Therfore the diuersitie difference is to aduaunce man aboue the creature Shall he not do much more vnto you O ye of litle faith These wordes were spoken to all the Disciples and other hearers wherein for our further edification these two circumstances are to be considered First the persons rebuked Secondly the causes why they are rebuked The persoÌ„s are the Disciples when Christ speakes thus to his Disciples ô yee of litle faith he dooth not rebuke them simply for want of faith but because their wicked vnbeliefe was more and the distrust of Gods mercie and prouidence greater then their faith and beliefe so that not the want of faith but the smallnesse of it is here rebuked Heere obserue that besides the full perswasion which is the highest degree of faith there is a lower degree and a lesser measure which is here called the lesser faith And this litle faith is not here condemned but the vnbeliefe that goes with it for this little faith in them was a true faith and Christ confessed before that God was their father And it is a true faith that brings a man to the little adoption it brought them into that state that they had God for their father and they were his children Obiection CoÌ„sidering that in the Disciples others that their vnbeliefe was more than their faith their faith cannot saue them the sinne beeing greater then
carnall men for men might say they seeke not treasure but only things necessarie Thus might the couetous plead and therefore Christ comes home to them and saith Be not carefull with any immoderate or inordinate care for so much as meate drinke and cloathing c. So much shall suffice for the scope and coherence Now let vs consider the words the sense and the vse of them Therefore I say vnto you In that Christ begins his commandement on this maner Therefore I say vnto you I that am your Maister on whom you depend for all heauenly instruction he doth prepare them to attention and to a diligent marking of this commaundement and instruction And he vseth this forme of speech to declare that the commaundement following is a waightie thing and to be regarded and obeyed and which if it be kept couetousnesse cannot seize on vs and this is the substance and pith of all this doctrine And this clause prefixed must be a warning to vs to marke the doctrine Therefore let vs see what it is Be not carefull When hee saith bee not carefull what yee shall eate c. the commandement must be considered least it bee mistaken therefore the true sence is to bee searched out There bee two kindes of care First a godly and honest care Secondly a distrustfull care The first is commended in diuers places Wisedome sends to the Ant to learne diligence prouidence in earthly things And the place of Paul is well knowne He that is not prouident for himselfe and his is worse then an Infidell Where the holy Ghost commends vnto vs a prouident care and circumspection for the things of this life Therefore there is a lawfull care and it is this when men walke in their callings and doo the duties of it diligently with good and vpright dealing to euerie man minding to seeke no more then is necessarie in the iudgement of all men for this life This is one principall point of this godly care The second point after wee haue vsed due diligence is to leaue the successe and issue to GOD wee must leaue the disposing of our labours to the Lorde for it belongs to GOD and is proper to him to dispose of the successe and euent of our labours wee must not frame the successe to our selues how we wil haue it but referre it and our selues to Gods good prouidence Take Moses for an example hee was called to be a deliuerer of the Israelites out of Aegypt Hee obeyes Gods commaundements and comes when he is called and goes when he is sent and doth his endeuour to bring them from Aegypt to Canaan and though he had many crosses yet hee goes forward and leaues the successe to God as wee see Exod. 14. when hee was driuen into such straites that hee had the Sea before him hills on the one side and woods on the other hee saith Feare not but stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord. So Abraham beeing commaunded to sacrifice his sonne Isaac obeyes and goes about it And when Isaack asked him where the sacrifice was hee saith God will prouide Therefore in a word the godly care is when men do the workes of their callings with diligence leauing the successe of their labours to God This care is of the dutie onely and not of the successe and this is not here condemned But the second kinde is a distrustfull care which doubteth of Gods prouidence when men doo the workes of theyr callings diligently but so as they distrust Gods prouidence and dare not commend and commit the fruite and euent thereof to God This is a distrustfull and an vnlawfull care That you may the better conceiue of it it hath these fruites following First it oppresseth the heart with feare and griefe with feare of pouertie and want and so filles the heart with griefe Note secondly when men keepe not themselues to the word of God and lawfull meanes but vse vnlawfull meanes to get theyr liuings with Note thirdly when men are so carefull for the worlde that they neglect prayer and the seruice of God in hearing the word the heart is ouerladen and oppressed and it argues that there is care not onely for the dutie but for the successe which belongs to God and thus you see what a distrustfull care is And this is the care that is heere forbidden when men distrust God and vse vnlawfull meanes to enrich themselues It is a care that is ioyned with neglect of Gods worship and with griefe and feare For the Greeke worde dooth signifie such a care as distracts the minde deuides it and brings it into perplexitie So that it is as much as if hee had said Bee not carefull in such sort that your mindes be troubled and perplexed His meaning is not to forbid labour or lawfull care for then hee should speake against all callings So much of the sense and meaning of this heauenly commandement Now let vs apply it to our selues That which is here forbidden is the common sinne of most men now and it is not in a fewe but it is a common and ordinarie thing It lurkes in the heart and shewes it selfe in the life One kinde of ground receiueth the seede but when it springs vp it is choked with worldly cares and this is common among vs and therefore the world hath so little fruite If wee would examine our selues what profit proceedings we haue made in Christs schoole we should see little fruite for this immoderate care doth deuide the heart and distract the minde worldly cares tosse it and turne it like the waues of the Sea This is one argument of it and an euident proofe that this sinne is common Secondly there is no trade or calling but it hath conueances of craft and deceit though the practises of men bee not commonly knowne yet the thing is certainly true and manifest He that hath but halfe an eye may see into the abuses which are daily practised And it is hard to finde them that seeme religious to make conscience of this in their callings and to auoyde the common crafts What argues this but that our hearts are possest with immoderate care wee depend not on Gods prouidence wee dare not trust him with the successe wee feare he wil not giue so good a blessing as wee looke for Now Christ giues vs warning of this doth command vs to take heede of it that wee haue no distrustfull care so much as for things necessarie Question What must we do then Answer Our dutie is declared elsewhere See a most excellent commandement it is repeated by Dauid Ps. 55. and Ps. 37. 5. And by Salomon Prou. 16. And by Peter I is a most waightie instruction and hath this sense Walke in thy calling doo the duties of it diligently truly and iustly yet remember when thy labour is done to commit the successe vnto God leaue the blessing to his prouidence The meaning is not to forbid vs to walke in our