[2.] Improve this point to moderate and allay your distrustful and distracting cares ; and so cometli in the apostle's exhortation, * Be con- tent with such things as you have.' Content is a quiet temper of mind, relying on God's merciful providence and gracious promises for such things as are necessary for us during our pilgrimage and passage to heaven. Sometimes it is opposed to murmuring ; but I take it here as opposed to distrustful cares ; because we have little in a time of troubles, and are like to have less ; and therefore are full of anxious thoughts, what we shall eat, what we shall drink, what we shall put on. Con- sider, * God will not leave you, nor forsake you.' What cannot his wisdom and mercy and power do for you ? He hath deeply and strongly engaged himself to his people ; and therefore it should quiet our minds in all necessities and straits. See Christ's arguments : Mat. vi. 25, 26, 32, ' Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on : is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? '
(1.) They had life from God without any thought of theirs, there- fore he would provide the conveniences of life. God has given life, and framed the body, which was a far greater act of power and mercy, than giving food and providing raiment.
(2.) Other creatures are provided for without any solicitude of their?
452 SEKMON UPON HEBKEWS XIII. 5.
both as to food and raiment : ver. 26, ' Behold the fowls of the air ; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? ' God, that provideth for birds and fowls, will provide for his children. Men may look for it more than they, having ordinary means of reaping and sowing, and other trades and ways of living, which the fowls have not, and so are merely cast on the care of Providence. Man is a more considerable creature, so more liable to God's care and providence.
(3.) It is a pagan practice to be thoughtful : ver. 32, ' After all these things do the gentiles seek.'
[3.] Improve it to remove our fears of danger, so that we may boldly say, ' The Lord is my helper ; I will not fear what man can do unto me.' They are David's words, Ps. cxviii. 6. If God be with us, he will help us ; therefore, as faith prevaileth, fear ceaseth : Ps. xvi. 7, * I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel ; my reins also instruct me in the night season.' If our hearts misgive us, God is our second ; he will afford protection when necessary for his glory and our good. The fear of man is an ordinary temptation to divert the godly from their duty, or discourage them in it. You may be confident upon such a promise : Ps. cxii. 7, ' He shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." Man can do much ; he can fine, imprison, banish, reduce to a morsel of bread, yea, torture, put to death ; yet as long as God is with us, and standeth for us, we may boldly say, ' I will not fear what man can do.' Why ? because God will not see them utterly perish. He can give us joy in sorrow, life in death. A christian is not afraid, because he can set God against man, temporal things against eternal, covenant against providence.
(1.) God against man : Isa. li. 12, 13, * I, even I, am he that com- forteth you,' &c. God can change their hearts : Prov. xvi. 7, ' When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him.' He can weaken their power : Job xii. 21, ' He weakeneth the strength of the mighty ; ' Mark xii. 41, ' Be not afraid of them that iill the body, and can do no more.'
(2.) Eternal things against temporal: 2 Cor. iv. 16, 'Our light affliction for a moment, worketh for us an eternal weight of glory.'
(3.) The covenant against providence: Ps. Ixxiii. 17, * Till I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.'
SERMON UPON 1 THESSALONIANS V. 8.
But let 2is lolio are of the day he sober, putting on the hreasiplate of faith and love ; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. — 1 Thes. v. 8.
In the context the apostle inferreth our duty from our profession of Christianity. All christians are taken into a new estate, called out of darkness into light, and so are children of the day, and not of the night. Now deeds of darkness will not become the broad daylight of the gospel that we live in. He instanceth in two sins — negligence and voluptuousness : ver. 7, ' They that sleep, sleep in the night ; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night.' Sleep is a night-work, and drunkenness also is a night- work. He opposeth to these two duties watchfulness and sobriety. He opposeth to sleep, watchfulness ; and, as opposite to sensuality, he enforceth sobriety. Watchfulness implieth a carefulness and constancy in our duty, and sobriety an holy modera- tion in all earthly things ; and more particularly a sparing use of worldly delights, that security may not grow upon us, and the day of the Lord surprise us unawares. Unless we moderate our affections in the pur- suit and use of earthly things, a strange benumbedness seizeth on the conscience, and an oblivion and forgetfulness of God and heavenly things presently followeth it : Luke xxi. 34, * Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life ; and so tliat day come upon you unawares.' Now the apostle doth not Ijarely dissuade them from sleep and sensuality, as we would persuade a man that hath an ordinary work to do to prevent sloth and loss of his day-time, which was made for work ; but as we would deal with a soldier that is upon his watch to prevent danger. Therefore it doth imi)ly, not only how misbecoming these things are, but how baneful. It is not enough to be sober, but we must be armed, else we cannot be safe from temptations. Our life is a conflict, and our graces are our armour : Rom. xiii. 12, ' The night is far spent, the day is at liand ; let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.' Therefore it is not enough for us to be sober or to be awake, but prepared for our spiritual warfare : ' But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love ; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.'