! ;36 \ 'The [ombate betweene ! \--~ \ hcaucn, an<\ '"'ith "''~:ncr out ofrhe rock; ro \-';it, A I that God by his word '"n prefcrue the life of \ M•~th-4.! I verf+ ~ 1 1~:1n Y\'ithout ordinaric mclncs,cuen what way \ ioe.ucr bee appoimcth for that purpofe; and if 1 we fhould ipcnd our liues in learning hereof, no do11b.r the time were not miCpcnr. Thcvfo. Fir!l, hereby we arc taught to con– fider aright ofall creatures whereby our life is preferucd, as tl.lC:lte, drinkc, apparcll, &c. anJ. tbat is rhus, beftdcs the bodily ii.1bfiancc of the crc:nurc, we muH: labor to fee a further matter, cucn the bleHing of God in the creature pro– ~ccding from his word, decree, ::md appoint– mt!.lu, whereby it is made fit and able to yecld fullcnancc and tlourilhmcnr.The Scripture cal- '-Lcu.l6,16. .leth thi<; , the aStajfe of bt:ead, am! fo it is in- B .Oacdc, for as an aged and impotent man fallcth t~·thc ground.if his Hatfe be phtckcd frO him, .(o.the bell creature that fcrues for our vfc,with out Gods bldlingbecomes fruirclelfe vnto vs. This,reafon may tcacl~ vs, for how fhould that .thingofit fclfc prcfCruc and further life,which ·in it [elfe is voide oflife? And how !hould that .giueJ1cat an~ warmencs to our bodies, \'Vhich of it [dfe is v.oid·ofhcate? lc.t vs t hcrcforc con.. fclfc that it. is not•thc fUbllance of foo·dc, that cloth rcfrdh vs, not the mattcr.of our raime.nt that-keepcs v.s wannc _,.blit the blctling of him .th;tt by his wo;d)mh ordained them for the[e · ~>lds, ifhe withdrawe his bl.cfling, thej/a/fo& bIr2.1.r: ..bft'!JU..go1rC"-; 1~1.eo.may eate(as Haggai cfaith) cHa~1 · 6• "but'thcy fhall not haueenough; drink._e, an<J ye.t I!Qt be filled; they may cl01h them[elucs, and <:; .not_be_yv;mne; It is Gods bldfing r.hat makes :.Go.ds crearnres_-docvs good: ho.w elfcfhould , }tSJOtlle to pa[e,that the poor rnaos chih:l. which · .~.l>arely.clad, ~u~i· hp01dy fedde, thould bcelts thcatthfuJl;cp<itcly,and·\Ndllikipg,as the child ·of a Prince, but that G.od blciTeth a[well the homely food ofthe pPorc,as the rlaintie fare·Qf \the richdt. .. : · ~ Secondly, hereby vvc mu(t'lcnrnc So6rietie ..lfnd'femperance;io the vfc- ofall gods creatures: .WJ1eu .wc.1vfe our food .atld raip1ent it is Gods bletTing·alonc. that makes thCm.doe v~ good, the Lord as it were £lands by vs to put his blef– fing vpon·cuery rilorfdl rhac w~·ca~, and euery :draught that;~'!.<: drin·kc, and vpon our raimenc D ·whch weput it on; how t.hcn dare wee 2bufe them in .furfettit1g and drunkentlHfc, in pride andw~ntonnes? may "\NC not fca-rc in fo doing, that While the mc.atc or drink is in our mouths, the-wrath ofGod will full vp'on vs, asl'fa!.?8. 30·3'· - : Thirdly, hence we muA: lcarne to fanCbfie Gods crc:uurcs a-s, food and raiment which we v!Cfor eur coinfort,hy inuocation on the name ofGod : for we doe notliuc. by the creatures limply, but by the w'ord and appointment of God bl-rJTin.,. th.cm vmovs; and therefore we~ mull noc be~ like bruitc bcafts which recciue God-; blcllings, but ycc neucr looke vp to hea– uen from whence they con1e:or likero the fwin th~t gathererh vp the mall, nor looking vp to rhe tree from wh1ch 1t fallc:h. Fourthly, hereby \-VC f('e the common errcur 1 ofthe world, who place the ibffe and flay of I their lifC in the aboundance of outward bid:. fings, whereupon they labour to inrich them- 1 [clues hcn\'ith as much as pofiibly they c;i;thdC men doe little confider that mans life Handeth not in aboundancc, neither d01h llc line by br~ad, bur by the bldling ofGod-t<\'hich is and may be as well vpon :t.·linlc, as vpo1;1 the trt-a– furcs of akingdome. This was the praCHfe of the richfool~. a who fpake peace tohis foulc for aLuk.1:.1g. eafe andpajlimt, becau(e ht hadmHch goods laid vp for manyyeAres, Bur fith ChriH tcacheth vs, chat man liuerh uot by bread onely, it nmH needs be aflat note of vnbelccfc, to carkeand care immoderately for the things ofthis life. Ftftly, hereby we are alfo taught, t)ot to en– r:mgle our fclues oucrmuch '"'·ith the cares of this world,norto fuffer our harts to beopprcf– fCd with defirc offood,raimtt, lands or liuing: becaufc our life and welfare confificth not in ~hcfe things , but in the blcffingof God on whatfOcucr hee fends be it more or leffe: the -gripplc b1indc after much is a deadly bfnar~, b1.TimA~ wl.lcrc~'ith many a foulcis imanglcd topn·dition and dejhu£lion;this choakes the heart in ti.tch fore, as the fecde ofgrace can take no root 1 nor bring forth any fauing fruite: this o1ade Paul to lay a charge vpon Timothie for rich mcn,:that thryjboH/(itruflin the liujng Go_d,andnot invnetr– taineriches, 1·. Tin1, 6.1 z. Lrt vs. tl,1c:_r~forc be contcnt\\'ith food and raiment, and rather fcek the kingdome of G~d-;>Jld .his r:ight~oufir<ffc, and then all thofethi.ngs wher.co(o/.<l'fi•nd:in neede fl1a1l be giuen vmo vs,in,the moderate: ' vf.e of 1a~vfull me?-nes:o:.- Jndeede \ht ,vy,grld. lings c:;q::ufc is,-that foocl a~1d .rajJnen.t:is hi§'li; uing.,·w"hioh--hc mull n~cds lopke ynco; bur we mullfiiH, t~member, th~t o.ur olife-llandcth,n 0 t in rhe(c·things, fof when· dqth. com~~ ~~th.cf( cannotfluec•dromthegmue: it isGods blef– fi"ng bywhich weliue,hc can:p_refciuc vs aboue u\eanes.;1,lay without mcans,and again!tmc;:tl\!t, at1d thCrc.fore we mufl neuer,giue pl3ce to filch thoughts arid c:ucs as.:.lhcw dilhufi in God. Sixt1y.., hence we mull' l~arnc eomentation and patien€c in excreail"Jc.pou·crtic,and i_nall o– ther mi[erics·ofthis life; If God lhould dcale with vs as he did with liis; fcruant Iob: if for our religion he: fhould britlg vpon vsilidoJfc ofgoods, ofchildrcn,ofhealth, and all rhar we hauc, witb baniflunent-.alfo from our friends .and country, ycr then mufl ·wr lab?ur to.fhewe the fruitc ofpatience, and not fufter our hearts to be fwalovvcd vp ofoucrmuch griefe:becaufc our lifcfl:'ands by Gods word, and not-in any • ofthefc things:indrcdc?iffn thcfe outward mi– fericsa man {houlJ be depriucd Ofthe comfort of Gods prouidcncc, then might h<: forrowe without mcaftltC: but fecing all fi.JCh as fcarc God, clo llill cnioy the blcfling ofG.orl in their greardl dl~mitics (for Gods bldling is not Iock<.·d vp -ilibrcad, but abouc me<!IJes wit~ out ·-----o>
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