Com.84 Of Contentatiòñ. Chap. 9. lawfully takewhat God in his ordinary providence hhall caft upon him by lawful means : but if he have not this, ifhe have what isncceffary in the former refpeéts, he muff be content. When a man is not contented,there comes in fA prtava,a dividing anddífquieting of Matth. 6.25, thefoul, and then he diftrufts the Providenceof God, whereas, St.Peter out of the Luke6.22 Pfalm tells us, that the righteous calf their care upon him, becaufe he carethfor them: t Pet.S. 7 ,theyhave this perfwafion,that God will not let them want (they ufing lawful means Pfal. 55.23 and relying uponhim)yea, that the very lionsfball rather want than they. It is true Paul allows men or;órotar, providence and induftry, for procuringneeeffaries for their I Tim. s. nature and perfon, and theythat want this care, he faithare morfè than Infidels, and have denied thefaith. But there is a difference between artlsota,providence,andµíprta ra,anxious care,for theone Both not poffefsand take upthe foul,butleaves the heart wholly to God,and may confifî with prayer tohim;but the other takes upall,ormolt of the heart, fo that one cannot attend to prayer, and other duties of Gods worfnip, as we fee in Ezekiel's hearers, who when worldly cares took up their hearts, regar- ded not the exercifes of Religion, as the word preached to them ; infornuci;that the Prophet taxes them,that with their mouths-anymade jells, but their heart ran after covetoufnefs, fo that do what he could, hecould not draw them from it. ThePro- Ezek.33- 3t phet Hofea faith of fuch, that cor eorum divifum eff,their hearth divided,viz. between . Godand the world, fo that throughtheir worldlydefires and cafes, joyned withdi- ftruftof God, when theycome toprevent themfclves beforeGod, he cannot have it whole and entire, nay, many times theworld takes it up wholly, fo that God can have nopart : therefore to preventand avoid this, Çontentednefo, reffitg upon Gods providence, not excludingn looman,butµétrpirar,isthefirft thing. 2. The fecond thing is laid down by the Pfalmifl: BleJfed is the man that Pm 128. ; theLord, andwalketh in his tvayes. This is when a man fo looks up to God,that he 2.75 walkia alfoufes lawful means,and walks inthofe wayeswhich God allows : and this includes !Pr wale', that in it diverfe things. 1. He mutt let himfelf in a lawful calling,he mull eat his bread,either in thecare s.Ta bnmr'a' and ¡ladyof the mind, or in the fweat ofhis brows ; eitherjure mantes, or jure oculi, lamfut caning: by the labourof his hands, in bodily works, or of his eyes, by reading and fiudy. St.Paul faith, that thofe that live idly, live altogether out oforder, fond fuch hewould 2 Their. 3, r a have tobe avoided and therefore this is certain, that every Iranmull keep himfelf in anhoneft calling. '2. Being fetled in a lawful calling, he mull fiand thus refolved: firft, he muff en- deavour not to be chargeable to others ; and fccondly, not only fo, but alfo to be help- z7o beperjwa- fatandbeneficial toothers, if God pleafe toenable him. ded that riches Now to attain this, he mutt be perfwaded,that as God will havefome to be'poor, are e.di gifts. fo it is he that maketh rich,and that whofoever would have divitiacfine verme,riches f Thefi: 3.8, without cares and forrows, as St. Áuguffidefaith, mull be perfwaded, that riches lléutfri. $ are the gift of God ; and that whomfoever God would have tobe rich, he would have them ufe only lawful and directmeans for the attaining of them, that is,todo nothing, but according to the ítriéi rule of Gods will, for the attainingofthem. Thofe that keep to this rule, we (hall find that God bath extraordinarily bleft theta, we may fee it'in Iliac, God bleft himftrangely, fo that he made hito fearedof .thePhilif tines s and fo it's raid ofJacob,that his righteoufnefs in his fervice to Labatt Gen: 26, a a would anfvver for him, verf.33. and that he encreafed exceedingly in cattel andfer- vants,&c. andalthough, as himfelfconfeffed, with his ftaffhe came bee 7ordan, yet Gen: 30.33 when hewent hack, God hadencreafed him to twogreat bands,&c. Thus God will 43 have fome rich, andthefe are Divites Dei, Gods rich men, rich indeed, fuels as ufe on- Gen. 32. to ly lawful means. And there are others that (hall not grow up, God will have them poor, they (hall not have Ifäac's encreafe,but their labours{hall be bieffed no further thanGod fees needful for them. Again,there areCome evil men that grow rich, but withal God adds fórrows with their riches. But Benediaio Dei ditat,faith Solomon,the blefJingof the Lordmakes rich, andhe adds no farrow with it. This is the differencebetween thofe that are Gods rich men and others. The Heathen man divided riches xt íl a1R, into ;0-4/KU, and 3sao- J81a. fuch asare got byviolence, and fuels asare the gift of God, and he faith, that .3144a are s,trr ¿µsitar, fucb as come by the gift of God are far the better. There are
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