The new covenantThe nevv covenant

Again, if thou think him to be All-sufficient, why art thou not content to be at his immediate finding? Put the case, he deprive thee of all things else, and do with thee, as Parents do with their Children, who give them not a penny in their purse, but tell them they will provide for them, why art thou not content that God should do so? What, if he strip thee of all thy wealth, of thy liberty, of thy friends, so that thou canst look for nothing but immediately at his hands, to feed thee as he feeds the Ravens, and the Lyons; if he be All-sufficient, why dost thou not trust in him, in such a case, and rest upon him?

Againe, if thou thinke him to be All-sufficient, why art thou not content to be at his immediate finding? Put the case, he deprive thee of all things else, and doe with thee, as Parents doe with their Children, who giue them not a penny in their purse, but tell them they will provide for them, why art thou not content that God should doe so? What, if he strip thee of all thy wealth, of thy libertie, of thy friends, so that thou canst looke for nothing but immediately at his hands, to feede thee as he feeds the Ravens, and the Lyons; if he be All-sufficient, why dost thou not trust in him, in such a case, and rest vpon him?

Again, lastly, if thou thinkest God to be All-sufficient, why dost thou not when thou hast any service, or duty to do, either belonging to God, or man, why dost thou not resolve upon the doing of it, without looking to the consequence whatsoever it be? For, my Beloved, if he be All-sufficient, then all our care should be nothing but to do our duty, and to leave the success to him. ⟨p. 171⟩A servant that thinks his Master is able, and willing to give him wages, and provide for him sufficiently at the end of the day, or the year, or the end of his service, he will be careful to do his work, without looking to his wages, without making provision for himself, and so, if thou believe God to be All-sufficient, thou wilt seek no more but to find out what thy duty is, what rule thou oughtest to walk by, what service thou owest to man in such a case, how to keep a good conscience in such a business, in such a straight, in such a difficulty, thou wilt set thy wits a-work to find out this, but when thy wit is over-running thy duty, and thou lookest to the consequence (if I do this and this, this will befall me) that is a sign thou thinkest not God to be All-sufficient, thou thinkest thy Master cannot provide for thee, but thou thinkest I shall be poor, when I have done his service, and therefore I will provide for my self, I shall want comforts, I shall have enemies come in upon me; if thy Master be a Sun, a Shield, and a Buckler, and an exceeding great reward, and thou believest him to be so, thou wouldst find out only thy duty, and it is no matter what the consequence is; So you see the three men did, we have resolved that we will not worship thine Image, and whereas you tell us of casting us into a burning fiery Furnace, that we care not for, God is able to deliver us, they did see Gods All-sufficiency, and therefore they did the duty. Certainly, Beloved, in any difficult case, no man will do his duty,