178 1------~~-~--n_E_xp~tz_·oo_o_if_CI_~_;n_s___________ his commandc;ncnt following, as being a mat... ·A tcr ofsre3t importance, whcrcop. depends the lilt o~ o.ll obedience, in relying on Gods pro– uiclcncc; in regard whereof, ,.,.c alfo mufi: \Vith all good confcicncc markc the fame. }Junot careful/ for your life, &c. Lea!t wee fhould mi£lake Chrills'meaning, wee muG know-that Atwo.fold there be two kindcs ofcare; a godly moderate c:irc; and adiHrullfull carking care. Thcmod~- ,_Mo<!cm~. ·rate honrfl carr is inioyucd vs by G~ds com– mandcmcm; Prov, 6, 6. Wifcdome tends the Jheggard ro lcarnc: diligence and pr6uidencc for things nccdfull, ofthe little Amor pi{ mire: and Paul faith, farhm muft lay vp fo>' their . children, 2. Cor. I l, 14. And he~ tb.:up~·6uidcrh j ~IffaY hiS olP11e,_ e{peci~llyfor l~cmof his famifJ, 11 rPorfo thm an infidel!, 1.T1m. 5, 8. So lhat I there is a lawfi1ll care eucn for tl)e things of B this !if(:, Now the prael.ife of it !lands in tWO things:·Firft, in the diligent walking in a mans lawfuJl calliog, dealing vprighrly and iufily therein with cuety one, mindinq oncly to get thinp honcfiand necdfaric in the fight of all men. Sccon.dly, in lcauing the fuccdfe and irtUe of all our labour and cndcauour to God,' tOr that belongs to him: we mufi yfc the mtans fobcrly·and honc!Uy, and leauc theblclling to 0od. This godly C3te M r.{e.r Oocwed nOtably in k;1ding the chi!dren of Ifrad out ofEgypt: for wh:u God comm:1ndcdhim to doe, that he did; he goes which way God fends him,al– though·he met ~\'ith many crc!fcs; :md vfeth the meancs that God calls him vmo, lcauing C the i!fue to'God :as appearcs no"bly at the red fta) when they were at a wonderful! !hait,ha~ uingthe fca before them,the Egyp[lans behind them :md woods andmountaincs on each fide; yet becing commandc<i to !hike.the \"'atcrs with the rod ofGod,hc01~wes notable trufl in ~ E•od.14. Gods prouidcncc': Fearenot (f.1ith g he) jl4nd •l· .fli/1, and behold the f.<itwion of o•r God. And when Ahral1o1m at God6 .e<;mmandcment wcnrto {acrificehis fonnc, Jf.1ac :iskcs him, h c·cn.n8, my father, where i1 t/Jc fa~rifi.ce,? h Ahraham ~.;:S;m.l3• :;b~::~!id:.tl~:·~,r~~:: rl;~; .. :Z!:;n:: hh: againft the PhiliflimJ to Keilah at Gods com– / mandement, thou~h his ownc men difcouraged Ylim fi-omit: whereby it isplaint:,bcrclic.don D God for the i!fue bfthe battell.Now this godly moderate ear.e is- n'ot here forbidden, which hath refpeCl: to obedience in the.dutic, and for the{ucccfTc depends vpon Gods prouidcncc. •. oain.ft. The ·difl,.,ftfu/1care is that, whereby men fullQrc. trouble thcmfclucsabout the i{fuc of their la– bours; and when they hauc done the worke, doe nm rcfl there\\'ith; butvcxc rbcmfclues o– bout the fuecdfc.; not relying on Gods proui• The crT.-ds dencc for the bleffing,butondy 01nhc means. of it. This diflrullfilll care (for our bcw!·r difccrning ofir) hath thefe effeC\s. Firfl, it opprcfferh the hc<t~t, making it exceedinghe:\Uic and ponhu~ for fearc of '"'':lilt : where this f.carc is, there is .thisji~~fi~,lcare, for this argues a man . dares nottru!t God, but wou!d haue the fuc– ce!fe of his labour out of Gods hand in his owne. Secondly, it 3-llur~th and drawcth men to vie vnlawfull m~ancs to get worldly things, as lying, fraud, iniufHcc in talfe waights, mca– fures, &c. Thirdly, it makes men wearie of Gods worihip, it difhaCls their minds in prai~ er,and he.ring the word;and(as Chriflo faith) b LO>k.l.••· itchOAk.!uhewordthat it /Jri11g1 ftJrth no fi'u~u: for whc the mind is wholy fet vpon the world, there is no rcfped. to the matters ofGod. And this is that care which is here forbidden, cucn adiflniflfu/1c.<rl;j•g Car?, which aS<be Greeke word fignifies, diuides & dif\raC\s the mind,by troubling and perplexing it about the Hfuc and fucceflc of om cndcauours. . Th< fft· That which C'hri~ here forbids ~;~·;~:'~~ 1 hiS Dt1c1plcs ' tsthecommon (mncofourage oflhis~"~ ' and time, not in a fewpnfons,but in mauy;for I· • though this di(lruflful care be the difeafe ofthe hcan,yct it lhcws it fclfe by :1Clions tn the hfe. Prlioft>. ForfirH, wh:u is the caufc of fo little fruite of the word prca\·he.d, as may cucry \'-here be difccrncd?is n9t(among many othcr)this \\-aridly care one lpcciall caufc? This we may fee in' the parable, Luke 8. 14.for th<fted• th411ight am011g thwn11, which choaktd it, U the word pre11ch~d to 4 heo1.rt pojfojJtd with world!; earn : let thefe men obferue thcmfclues,and they fhal findc, that they can neither pr:ay, nor here rhc word, nor meditate therein without manifOld di!traC\ions from thefe worldly thoughts. Secondly; there is no tradeor calling without his conuaianceof craft and deceipt, though it doe not appeare fo much in one callingas inothers; & hard it is to find them that ~nake confciencc hereof, when gainc and profit may come thcr-- by ; which comes from this,difhuilfull care in mens hearts:whereby they Joubt ofGodsbleffing anfwcrablc to their J.cfirc,in the vfc oflaw full rocancs oncly. But fith.Chrifi forewarns vs ofthis finne, we mull beware it rake not place· in our hcorrs; and forthe auoyding of it, we muH follow the counfcll of the holy Ghofl in Scripture, Pfal. 37· 5• Committhywayvntothe Lord, and tru.ft in htm,tmd he /hallhring it to paffe: which is oft commcndcd vnto vs, Pfal. 55 .11. Caft tby brmhen vpon rh<L.rd, and hu foal/ noHrijh thee,. and Prou. 16. ~. Roul< rh; wor~vpon tb< Lord,. 1. P et. 5•7·Cajf allyom· care onhim,ft;rhccarcth for)'OH. In all Whjch places we ·hauc a moll worthy inOrutlion, to this cftCC'l:; ,101 ~:wmpting men from doing tht dutiu of their callinJ_. hM uaching them, tbar when they haHedonerheir endeauour, m th~di/j.. gent,foher,tmd-uprtghr~fc-ofmeann, then thtJ mHjlleaHetht tJU'JI/ and if{ne fur goodfoccej]( to rluhlejJing ofGod. Thus the trades-man,whofe )iuing flands by buyir.g and felling, mutt ·be carcfulland.diligcm about his buhncs,without decdt or lying; and in fo doing rcfcrre the fuccc!fc ofhis bargain to the bldling of God;and (omufi the husb5.dm5 plo\'1.' &: fovv ,& lcaue ea~ ring&: h:uucfi to Gods good prouidt:cc.T~1is is the
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