Sermon XXVI
CONCERNING TRUST IN GOD IN PENURY AND DISTRESS
Mark 8:1–9. In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat, &c.
I HOPE, dearly beloved, that ye do well understand the meaning of this text; for your understanding is sufficiently well grounded in these mysteries, so that ye do easily perceive what good is to be looked for in the gospel, and what is prescribed unto us therein, namely, the true nature and quality of faith. And this is the cause why Christ is, of all the evangelists, set forth to be so loving and gentle; for although the doings and works described of them do oftentimes vary, nevertheless the simplicity of faith remaineth always alike. Moreover this text doth so lively set forth Christ unto us in his colours, that it may be manifest and well known unto every one of us what we ought to promise ourselves concerning him, to wit, that he is merciful, bountiful, gentle, who succoureth all that fly unto him for help. And such ought to be the image of faith; for the scripture setteth before us a double image; one of fear, which representeth to our eyes the horrible wrath of God, before which no man is able to stand, but rather we are all enforced to be cast down in mind, when we see it, unless we be strengthened by faith. Howbeit, against this is set the other image, namely, grace, which faith doth attentively behold, and take from hence principles of comfort, and conceiveth trust and confidence in the favour of God, having this hope, that man cannot promise to himself from God so many good things, but that he hath infinite more treasures in readiness for him.
Ye have now oftentimes heard, that there are two sorts of good things, spiritual and temporal. The gospel by these temporal good things teacheth us the faith of children; and they are unto the weak as a certain mean or help, whereby they may learn the goodness of God, how bountiful he is in bestowing his riches upon us, and that we ought in spiritual things also to put our hope and trust in him; for if we be now instructed by the gospel that God will give food to our belly, we may thereupon account with ourselves, that he will nourish and clothe our souls with spiritual good things. If I cannot commit my body unto him that he may feed it, much less can I commit my soul unto him that he may always preserve it; or if I cannot be brought to believe that a crown of gold shall be given unto me of him, how, I pray you, shall I hope for ten crowns of gold of him? From whom I dare not promise to myself so much as a piece of bread, truly much less shall I be persuaded to believe that he will give a farm unto me, or his whole inheritance. Now he that is not able to attain unto this tender, as it were as yet a sucking faith, to him surely it is very hard to believe that God will pardon his sins, or preserve his soul for ever. Forasmuch as we are persuaded, that the soul is by infinite degrees to be preferred before the belly, toward which, notwithstanding, he is touched with compassion, as this our present text teacheth; wherefore Peter hath rightly admonished, 1 Pet. 2:2, "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." For it is not enough that the infant, being put to the breast, do suck, but he must also wax greater, and gather strength, that he may accustom himself to feed on bread and stronger meat. Now to eat milk is to taste of the favour and grace of God, which is then tasted of, when a trial thereof is had in our life; for although I should preach a hundred years of the bountifulness, favour, liberality, and gentleness of God toward us, it would profit me nothing unless I have a trial and taste of those commodities, neither could I learn rightly to trust in God thereby.
Hereof thou mayest conjecture how rare a Christian man is; there are many which say that they commit their belly to God, but that sticketh only in the tongue and lips, whenas rather it ought to pierce the
heart. Let us now consider an example, teaching us the quality and nature of faith: the apostle, Heb. 11:1, hath written thus—"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Which is thus much in effect; faith is the foundation whereby I look for that good thing which is neither seen with the eyes, nor heard with the ears, but which I must only hope for; even as in our present text it plainly appeareth; wherein we read that there were about four thousand men, who, together with their wives and children, had now suffered hunger three days (was not this a notable kind of fasting?) yet were not famished with hunger, being far from their houses, and destitute of those necessaries whereby the body is sustained. Now Paul saith, that faith is a thing whereby a man hopeth for those things which appear not to the eyes; such a faith had this multitude, which, although they see no meat, nevertheless they trust in God that he will feed them: what doth Christ here? he is moved with compassion; he demandeth of the disciples with what victuals, or with what thing their hunger may be taken away; to whom his disciples answer, Whence can a man satisfy such a multitude here in the wilderness? Here you see how a man's reason and faith agree together, that the wiser reason is, so much less can it submit itself to the works of God. For this cause, therefore, did he ask his disciples, that every one of them might try their own reason, and learn how much the capacity of man and faith do differ one from another.
Here it appeareth unto us how reason is blind, and how, when faith cometh, it ought to give place; whereof let this be an example: if I were a married man, having a wife and a family of children, and had nothing wherewith to nourish them, neither would any man give me anything, yet should it be my duty to believe and hope that God will provide for me; but whenas I see my hope to be in vain, and that I am not succoured by and by with nourishment and clothing, then, if I be faithless, I yield unto desperation, and go and purpose another thing with myself. I apply my mind to dishonest trades, that I may get somewhat thereby, as theft, deceit, and other such practices, and by all means that I am able, I pass through the storms of adversity: see what filthy incredulity bringeth unto man; but if I be endued with
faith, I shut mine eyes and say, Most gentle Father, I am thy creature, and thy work; it cannot be denied but thou hast created me, I will put all my trust in thee, which hast greater care of my welfare than I myself. Thou wilt well nourish, feed, clothe, and help, where and when thou shalt know best. So faith is a sure foundation, whereunto I trusting, do look for those things which I see not, and that I may speak at once, it shall not want those things that be necessary; surely the angels themselves should come down from heaven, and give bread digged even out of the earth, unto such a faithful man, that he might be nourished, rather than he should be pined with hunger, yea, heaven and earth shall pass before God will suffer a man endued with such faith to want either clothing or any other necessary things. This singular trust and confidence in God, the comfortable and effectual word of the divine promise doth require; whereof David glorieth, Psalm 37:25, "I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." And again, "God knoweth the days of the righteous, their inheritance shall continue for ever. They shall not be confounded in the perilous time, and in the days of dearth they shall have enough." But if we shall ask counsel of reason, it will forthwith say (as the disciples did before), this thing is impossible, for it looketh for nothing, it trusteth to nothing, when nothing is present. Of like diffidence were the disciples, who thought thus with themselves—how can it be that such a great multitude of men should be here refreshed with meat? Truly it exceedeth our capacity: if they had seen a heap of money, store of bread, and shambles full of flesh, they could then have easily believed respecting this present necessity, they could have put all in good hope, and fitly have disposed all things according to the capacities of their reason.
And thus much shall suffice to be spoken concerning the faith of temporal good things. Now we will treat of spiritual good things, which shall come unto us when we shall die: then shall we see death set before our eyes, whenas notwithstanding we would willingly live, then shall hell appear unto us, when we rather desire for heaven, then shall we behold the judgment of God, notwithstanding his grace
would be more acceptable unto us; in fine, whatsoever we would desire to see, shall be taken out of our sight, yea, and no creature shall help us against death, hell, and the judgment of God. But if I believe, I say thus unto myself, Well, faith is a sure foundation; herewith I being stayed up, shall attain unto those things which are very far out of my sight, although those things be horrible which be in my sight, yet shall they not hurt him that believeth; although therefore I do presently see nothing but death, hell, and the judgment of God, yet must I consider none of these, but rather my mind is to be confirmed with an undoubted trust, that God by the virtue of his promise, not in respect of my merits or works, will give unto me life, blessedness, and grace. This indeed is to cleave unto God by sincere faith, which is here very well painted forth in this gross and bodily image of four thousand men, who cleaving to God only by faith, did not doubt that they should be refreshed of him; if they had judged according to the capacity of their reason they would have murmured, and said after this sort: Surely we are a very great multitude, we are here in the wide wilderness, we have empty and hungry stomachs, here is nothing that is able to fill them. Howbeit, they murmured of none of these things, but conceiving a sure confidence, reasoning nothing against God after the affection of men, they commend themselves wholly to the good will of God, and commit unto him this urgent necessity of hunger, they themselves being quiet from all care; then God, before this care cometh upon them, and before they begin to ask of him, is present, being more careful for them, than they are for themselves, and saith in this sort, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way." Behold how gentle and bountiful we have God toward us, who hath even a care to feed the unclean belly. Here now our hope is built up, and the words of Christ are comfortable to a man, when he saith, they have now continued with me three days, it now behoveth me to give sufficient unto them to eat.
Here we may see, that all that do stick diligently to the word of God, are fed of God himself; wherefore let us, dearly beloved, at the last begin to believe, for diffidence and incredulity only is the mother of all sins and vices, which at this day reign in all sorts of men. How cometh it to pass, that everywhere, whithersoever we turn us, there are so many lewd women, such plenty of deluders and deceivers, so many thieves, pilferers, usurers, robbers, simonists, as they call them, and sellers of benefices, all these diffidence toward God bringeth forth unto us; for such kind of men do judge only according to human reason, and reason looketh unto that which is present; but that which it seeth not, it is not able to comprehend; wherefore, while it doth not repose her trust by faith in God, it is enforced to despair, which desperation afterward causeth such naughty and wicked men. Behold thus it goeth out of frame with us, when we commit ourselves to be ruled, not by faith, but by our own reason. Moreover, as ye have now learned faith, so must ye also learn love; for Christ is set forth unto us in a double form, in one, of faith, that we should not be over careful; in another, of love, that we may learn that he hath care of us, giving us meat, drink, apparel, and that of mere and bountiful love, not for his own advantage' sake, or because of our merits; so also we ought to do well to our neighbour, and that freely, only love moving us thereunto, that as Christ is to us, so we may be to our neighbour.
Hereupon now we may perceive, that all works of monks and nuns are vain and to be utterly disallowed, when they are not directed to that end, that they may serve their neighbour, but are ordained only unto this end, that they may merit much at God's hands by them; for the true works of Christians, which they desire to be accepted of God, must be done so, that they tend to the profit of our neighbour, and not to this end, that we should think that we shall merit many things of God by them, they must be cheerfully and freely bestowed upon all, even as Christ hath done, who hath spread abroad and freely bestowed his goodness upon all. These things have I briefly spoken concerning this text, that ye may thereby learn that God requireth this especially of us, that we do firmly and constantly trust in him,
and that we freely do good and be beneficial to our neighbours, according as God hath of his mere goodness and mercy bestowed infinite benefits and blessings upon us; the prophet saith, Psalm 1. 7, "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee; I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?" After the same sort he saith unto us: Behold, Israel, that is, thou faithful man, I am thy God, thou art not my God, I will give unto thee, thou givest nothing to me, I will not be angry with thee, for that thou offerest not many things unto me; for whatsoever is in thy stable, in thy house, in thy court, it was all mine before, for I have sent it thither: whereby he briefly reproveth the Jews, who did marvellously please themselves in their sacrifices. Now because he rejecteth these sacrifices, what will he have to supply the place of them? truly even that which followeth in the same place: "Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." That is, I will have thine heart, give over thyself to me, and account me for a gentle, favourable, yea, and for thy God, and it shall suffice me. Wherefore place thy faith, trust, and hope in him, count him for a gentle and loving God, cleave unto him, and in extreme anguish fly unto him for succour, and to none beside him; believe and look for help of him, that he will help thee, thou needest not any whit doubt; afterward do good to thy neighbour with a cheerful heart and freely. These two things are set forth in this our text, as also in many other places beside.