God will not see his builders want. If we believed all poverty, they should not fear; for all gold, silver, riches and treasure is mine, saith the Lord; and I give as much and as little, when, where, how long, and to whom I list. All be my stewards, and to me shall make an account: it is not their own to spend as they will, but as I appoint. Although churls be niggards and will not part with it; unthrifts do waste and misspend that which they have; and neither of them will further this my work; yet fear not ye, for I (in whose hands are all hearts and all riches) will so move their minds, and bring the matter so to pass, that my house shall not lie unbuilded for lack of money. I ask no more of you but to do as much as in you lieth: put your good wills to, and work; let me alone with the rest: although ye know not how to come by money, I have ways enough, and will not see you want.' And although this promise be made to this particular people, in this present matter of building God's house; yet it serveth not for that only case, but it is a sufficient comfort for all them which take the Lord's work in hand (what kind thing soever it be, so that it be to set forth his glory, and not our own), that in such godly enterprises we shall not lack, but have enough to finish it and do it withal. And besides that, if we believe this to be a true sayriches to be ing, that God did speak it, and would perform it, it would work much goodness in us. the Lord's, we would neither get fully, nor them wrong- First, It will work such a fear in us towards God, that spend them for no need or vantage we would take or yet get one penny wastefully. wrongfully, either by flattery, perjury, usury, bribery, lying, stealing, deceit, false weights and measures, or by any other unlawful means. For who durst take one half-penny, if that he were persuaded that it were God's, his Lord and Maker, who hates and punisheth all falseness? Who dare be a thief and a traitor to God that is in heaven, who made and rules all in earth ? But because he thinks it to be such a man's, and that God seeth him not, and man shall not perceive it; without all shame he deceiveth man, and robbeth his Lord God and heavenly Father. Therefore, when the devil puts in thy heart to get any thing wrongfully, think with thyself: What shall I do? shall I be a thief to my Lord God, who made me and saved me? these goods be not this ، man's only, but they be my Lord God's, who hath made him his steward over them, and unto whom he must make account of them. And although I can deceive man in getting of them, yet God seeth all things, and nothing is hid from him.' If true faith considered these things thus, no man would nor durst use any deceit in any kind of thing. be allowed Secondly, If this saying were duly considered that all gold and silver is the Lord's, who durst misspend or waste one farthing of it unthriftly upon things not necessary? God hath given man all his creatures to serve for his necessary use but to be a drunkard, a whore-hunter, a gamer, a swash-buckler', a ruffian to waste his money in proud apparel, or in hawking, hunting, tennis, or in such other unprofitable pastimes, but only for necessary refreshing of the wit after great study or travail in weighty affairs, he hath (I say) not allowed thee one mite. Read the scriptures through, and thou shalt not find where gentlemen be allowed No degree to waste their money upon vain pastimes or unprofitable, vainly to more than the poor simple man is. In all good common- goods. wealths there be no laws that give more liberty to sin to the rich than to the poor. God our heavenly Father, like a rich wise steward, deals his money abroad to us his servants, some more, some less, as he thinks good; and saith unto us all, "Work until I come, and increase this por- Luke xix. tion that is given you. Poor and rich hath this said unto him, and every one shall make an account unto him, and it shall be said to every one, "Make account of thy stewardship." Look in the law of God, and there shalt thou find how to bestow thy money: and if thou cannot find it agreeing with God's word, it is evil, howsoever thou bestow it. For as a rich man giveth his man money, sends him to the market, and bids him not bestow his money as he list, but appoints him how to do it, thus much upon such things, and thus much upon other; so God hath given us his scripture as a rule to follow in bestowing his money or other gifts. And although men or things be not there named, whereon to bestow it; yet the degrees and sorts of both, as the poor and necessaries, be often beaten into our heads. Gentlemen and young rufflers may not say as they com[Swash-buckler: swaggerer. ED.] & xvi. Luke xvi. Job xxi. monly use, Is not my money mine own? May I not spend it as me lust? who shall correct me? what would ye have me to do? Shall I build castles and towers with it? I have more than I can get spent: the next rent day is at hand. Shall I be a lout, and sit in a corner? Nay, it becometh a gentleman to make merry and ruffle it. Shall I not make good cheer, that other may fare the better? Let me make merry when I am young: I will wax sad, wise, and thrive, when I am old.' But thou which thinkest thus, remember the evil steward, which when he was called to account, and could not discharge his reckoning, gave away his master's goods that he might maintain his idleness. But he was put out of office, as all they shall be cast from God's face, which likewise unprofitably spend that portion which God hath given them. Thinkest thou that God will allow this account, if thou say, Thus much is spent upon whores, this at cards, this at dice, this on masking, this on mumming, this at bear-baiting, &c.? Nay, nor yet on massing, gilding of saints, painting of stocks and stones, setting up roods, buying of popish pardons, giving money to this cloister of monks, and that house of friars, with such like. Who would spend one penny so evil, if he thought that it should bear witness against him and condemn him at the last day? It is for lack of faith, that such unthrifts do misspend God's, their Master's money; because they think it is their own, and not the Lord's, as the prophet saith here. Thirdly, If this were believed as it ought to be, it would make us neither to grudge against God, that gives plenty many times to the evil men, and the honester sort lives more barely; nor we should not disdain to see one preferred before ourselves, in more wealth or authority. We should also content ourselves with that portion which God hath given us, not murmuring nor sorrowing that we have less than other. This thing hath often grieved Job, David, Jeremy, Abacuk, and other holy men, that they did see evil men in wealth, and good men in trouble; and they could never satisfy themselves in this, what should be the cause of it, until they entered into the sanctuary of the Lord, and there they spied that the riches of the earth is the Lord's, to dispose at his holy will and pleasure. And because it to God's stays the trouble. pleases God to bestow so much or so little upon this man or that man; it is just, and I should content myself therewith, knowing that whatsoever he doeth, it is good because he doeth it, and no man must grudge or disdain thereat. The will of God is the rule of all justice and righteousness: as because God will have it so, therefore it is good, just, and righteous. God's will is the first and chief cause of all things so that, when we see that God will have it so, we To refer all must not ask, why he will have it so; but be content there- wisdom with, sit down and quiet ourselves, praising his goodness, and mind in all marvelling at his wisdom, that rules all things so well and wisely. And with that little portion that it hath pleased him to give us, we shall content ourselves, when we consider that he owes nothing to any man, but that which he gives, he gives it freely and liberally, and so much as he knows better than thou thyself what is meet for thee to have. Thou which hast little, think thus with thyself: My good God and Father, who hath ruled and doth rule all things at his own will and pleasure; whose wisdom I am not able to perceive, aud whose unspeakable love towards me in giving his only Son to die for me I cannot understand; he that loves me better than I love myself; he, I say, knoweth that if I had more riches and wealth, I should be too wanton and so displease him; and if I had too little, I should deal untruly and blaspheme him. Therefore praised be his wisdom, which doth not overload me with more than he will give me grace to discharge; nor lets me want necessaries, that I fall not to any falsehood or untruth. How can I love him enough, that gives me all necessaries, and doth not charge me with superfluities?" The evil men which have such plenty of all things, he would win them with gentleness, and by gentleness draw them unto him: but in thee that hast less, he will let all the world know that thou lovest him not for any great wealth which he giveth thee, (as evil flatterers many time do,) but even as duty, and that thou wilt bear the cross of poverty willingly, rather than forsake him. What a misbelief is it, to think that God doth not give and dispose his goods so well and wisely, but that many can devise it better! And if we had once this faith rooted in our hearts, that he doth all for the best; it would make us Job i. say, howsoever we ourselves or other have much or little, 1 Sam. iii. "It is the Lord that doeth it; let him do that seemeth good in his sight." And if we lose it by fire or robbery, we shall be content to say with Job, "The Lord gave it, and the Lord took it away; and as it pleases the Lord, so it is done: the name of the Lord be praised." What a pride is this in man, to think that he could deal his goods better than God hath done; or that it were better for such men and such to have more or less than they have: as though we were wiser than God, and if things lay in our hands, we could do them better than he can or doth! Our Saviour Christ calls it lack of faith, when we mistrust the power of him that he cannot, or the goodness of God that he will not, provide necessaries for us, chiefly if we seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and saith, “ Mark the birds of the air, how they neither sow nor mow, nor gather into the barn, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them how much more will he do you, ye of little faith !” Isai. lix. Matt. vi. There is nothing can grieve that faithful heart so, which constantly believes that gold and silver is the Lord's, but it would undoubtedly look and hope for all necessaries by God's provision to be given him; and if ordinary means did fail, 1 Kings xvii. that the ravens should feed him, as they did Elias; the Exod. xvii. stones should flow out water, as in the wilderness; or water John ii. should be turned into wine, as in Cana of Galilee; or that little which they have should so increase, that it should be cannot lack 1 Kings xvii. sufficient until plenty came, as the handful of meal of the poor widow's; or else one slender dinner should strengthen The faithful them so, until they came where they might have more suffinecessaries. ciently, as Elias walked in the strength of one therfe cake forty days, eating nothing else. For it is as easy for God to provide for his people by some one of these ways or other 2 Kings vii. like, as by any other ordinary means; as in the besieging of Samaria, where they eat their own children and dung, and the next day such plenty, a bushel for a groat. But this is ever most sure, that those which be of God cannot Rom. viii. lack. For, as St Paul reasons: "He that hath not spared his own Son, but hath given him for us all; how can it be, but with him he hath given us all things;" and for his sake he will deny us nothing meet for us? How can he deny |