The strong helper, offering to beare euery mans burthen. Or, A treatise, teaching in all troubles how to cast our burden vpon God but chiefly deliuering infallible grounds of comfort for quieting of troubled consciences. By Iohn Haivvard.

CHAP. XXXIII.

BVT forasmuch as he de∣liuereth this promise for the incouragement of o∣thers, let vs so handle it, as that others may see their interest in it. And hee shall nourish thee, he will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer. This promise falleth of it selfe into two parts, the first is in these words, And he shall nourish thee: the se∣is in these words, He will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer. The first part of this promise meeteth with the burden of pouertie and want in this present world, and therefore may be called the poore mans promise, who doeth not looke high about the point of nourish∣ment and doeth not complaine except he feele some want thereof. In the poore mans house are not heard the com∣plaint,

that great men make, as that the King frowneth vpon him, and hee is for∣bidden to come into his presence: that his child is stollen from him, and meane∣ly maried against his liking: that hee hath lost a great estate by the wracke of such a ship, by the breaking of such a tradesman, and by the falsehood of such a seruant. These •…•…nd such like are the complaints of great men, and neuer heard in poore mens houses, but their complaints are commonly these: I am not able to pay my debt, I am not ready to pay my rent, and I feare to be cast into prison for the one, and to be throwen out of my house for the other: I haue no prouision against the colde winter, nor money in my house to make proui∣sion: the raine beates in at euery corner of my house, and I am not able to repaire it: my wife, my selfe and chil∣dren want both meate and clothes, and winter comes on vpon vs: and these hard times affoord much expence, and little getting: charitie is become cold, and her benummed hands now giue no almes: Iustice also is growen very slee∣pie, and scarce holdes vp her head to

reckon with the labourer, and to giue him his hire: and how wee shalbe fed, clothed and nourished, I can not tell▪ These are the poore mans complaints, and this promise meeteth with these complaints, and assureth nourishment, and therefore it may very well be called the poore mans promise.

For the truth of this promise, that God will nourish them that cast their burden of want vpon him, that is, attend reuerently in well doing vpon his hand for maintenance, it appeareth plainely by the Lords bountie, hee gaue vnto Adam and vnto his posteritie, all the fruites of the earth, and all the hearbes of the field, hee gaue vnto Noah and to his sonnes, all liuing things that breede and liue, either in the aire, or vpon the land, or in the sea: this large grant is re∣gistred by Moses, saying, The feare of you & the dread of you shall be vpon euery beast of the earth, and vpon euery foule of the heauen, on al that moueth on the earth, and vpon all the sishes of the sea: into your hands are they deliuered, euery thing that moueth and liueth shall be meate for you, as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all

things. Heere is prouision inough, feare not want: the great depths of the sea, the spread plaines of the earth, and the vast compasse of the aire, are Gods store houses, filled with foode and pro∣uision of all kindes for thee: so that there must be no fish in the sea, no fowles flying through the aire, neither hearbe, fruit nor beast vpon the face of the earth, if there be no foode for thee. Yea all liuing creatures must want foode be∣fore man can want foode, because euen all those other creatures are appointed and giuen to man to be his foode.

But thy present pouertie maketh thee to say, thou fearest not but God will al∣waies send inough for all, but thou seest that craft, couetousnes, and oppressi∣on gather such superfluous aboundance into some mens hands, that thou art a∣fraid, lest that out of that sufficient store that God doeth send for all, thou shalt not be able to get a sufficient portion for thee and thine. Thou confessest that God in this world, as a great Lord in his familie, maketh prouision and allow∣ance fully and plentifully: but men as vnfaithfull stewards, make vnequall di∣uisions,

and some haue to much, to serue euen their intemperate and immoderate lusts; and others haue too little to serue euen their necessarie vses▪ and therefore though thou fearest not but God will send, ye•…•… thou fearest how thou shalt get sufficienc•…•….

To che•…•…e thy heart against this feare, know that God, sending his blessings, send them not blindely: as also when he taketh them away, he doeth not take them away blindely: but both in giuing and taking away, hee appointeth who shall be filled, and who shall remaine emptie, by a prouidence reaching par∣ticularly to euer person, both great and small. Therefore doeth he challenge it to be his worke, when any becommeth rich, or remaineth poore, when any is filled with his blessings or remaineth emptie: and the saithfull doe so acknow∣ledge it. Hanna the mother of Samuel •…•…aith of him, The Lord maketh poore, and maketh rich, bringeth low and exalteth. Yea God doeth challenge it to be the worke of his hand, guided by iudge∣ment and mercy, for the good of his Saints and seruants, that feeling their

wants, doe seeke their maintenance of him, casting this their burden vpon him, as they haue before beene taught, The Prophet Esay testifieth so much plainely vnto vs▪ hauing these words. Thus saith the Lord God, behold, my seruants shall eate and you shalbe hungry (he speaketh to idolaters) behold my seruants shall drinke, and yee shall be thirstie▪ behold my ser∣uants shall reioice, & yee shall be ashamed. So that if thou continue to serue God faithfully in thy place, thou shalt bee nourished, and hee will fill thy heart with foode and gladnes, when wicked men shall want: yea the Prophet Dauid knowing the care that God hath of his, is bold to say, In the daies of famine, they shall haue inough. Yea God will performe this, the godly poore that depend vpon him, whē he is rich & wealthy, that seem to haue the world at will, & to be Lords of plentie and aboundance, shall want and suffer penurie as the blessed virgin Mary the mother of our Lord Iesus, out of her obseruation, testifieth in her holy song, saying, Hee hath filled the hungry with good things, and sent away the rich emptie. Consider these things, and

thou shalt see, that hee that sendeth inough for all in generall, will send al∣so inough for thee in particular: and he that sendeth it for thee, will also con∣uey it to thee, & so conuey it that thou shalt receiue it, and vse it, and shalt be nourished with it, and see his goodnesse, and haue cause to praise him for thy por∣tion, when others of wealthier estate, shall want, or in their abundance shall not be kindely nourished, their abun∣dance prouing vnto them, as the dainty Quailes proued to the lusting Israelites, wherwith they were choked while they fed vpon them.

For a perfect conclusion of this dis∣course, that God will nourish them, that in their wants doe wait vpon his hand for their food and maintenance, I will adde that diuine sermon of our Sauiour Christ in the Gospel of Saint Mathew, I say vnto you, be not carefull for your life, what yee shall eat, or what yee shall drinke, nor for your bodies, what you shall put on: is not the life more worth then meat? and the body then raiment? His Argument is this, God hath giuen vs our bodies more worth then clothes, and he hath

giuen vs our life more worth then meat: and finding him bountifull in bestow∣ing the greater things, why should wee distrust his goodnesse in the smaller things? Then follows in the same place, Behold the fowles of heauen, for they sow not, neither reape, nor carry into the barns, yet your heauenly father feedeth them: are yee not much better then they? which of you by taking care is able to adde one cubit vnto his stature? His arguments in these words are two, the first is this: God feedeth those creatures, to whom hee hath giuen no skill at all to make proui∣sion for themselues, and they are also vile and of no price in his sight: then why should we that are precious in his eies, and to whom hee hath also giuen meanes and skill to make prouision, and to lay vp for our vse, why should wee distrust his goodnesse? His second ar∣gument is this: our distracting care can effect nothing, therefore it is vaine for vs to take care: and it is good and safe quietly to rest vpon him. He addeth fur∣ther in that speech, And why care yee for raiment? learne how the Lillies of the field doe grow, they labour not, neither spin, yet

I say vnto you, that euen Salomon in all his glory, was not araied like one of these: wherefore, if God so cloathe the grasse of the field, which is to day, and tom rrow is cast into the ouen, shall hee not doe much more vnto you, O yee of little faith? For apparrell, one part of our care, his ar∣gument is as before for food: God beautifully clotheth the grasse, that hath not skill to prouide or fashion apparrell for it selfe, and it is also vile in his sight: then why should wee that are precious in his sight, and haue both meanes and skill to prouide and fashion clothes for our backes, why should wee distrust his prouidence. Lastly, he addeth, There∣fore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or what shal we drinke? or wherewith shall we be clothed? (for after these things seeke the Gentiles) for your heauenly fa∣ther knoweth that yee haue neede of these things: but seeke yee first the kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse, and all these things shall bee ministred vnto you. His argum•…•…nts, for foode and clothes toge∣ther, to perswade vs to rest vpon God are these: it is •…•…eathenish to take such care for these thing, therefore it is vn∣comely

for Christians to take such care. Secondly, the giuer of all things, that careth for vs, knowes our wants, there∣fore wee neede not to afflict our selues with care for them. Lastly, the sure way of obtaining these things at the hands of God, is (not to take thought for them but) in our calling to obey God in righ∣teousnesse, that hee may reigne in our hearts. If we take care of this, then God without our care will prouide vs of all necessaries. Such is the Diuine sermon of our Sauiour Christ, assuring vs that God will nourish vs.

Notes

• The first part of this promise is the poore mans pro∣mise.
• God will nourish his poore that attend vp∣on his hand.
• He sendeth inough for all in gene∣rall.
• Gen. 9. 2.
• God send∣eth inough for all, but couetousnes intercepteth it, and the p•…•…ore can∣not get their part.
• God giueth his gifts by •…•… parti∣cular proui∣dence to euery one.
• 1. Sam▪ 2. 7.
• Esay 65. 13
• Psal. 37. 19.
• Luke 1. 53.
• Mat. 6. 15.
• Mat. 6. 26.
• Mat. 6. 28.
• Mat. 6. 31.