The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

The use of this is, to teach us to get this confidence and trust in God, that so we may have our harts desire, and may always flourish, that though heat come, though temptations and calamities befall us, and all things seemed to be tumbled and cast upside down, yet we be in safety, for no man is hurt till unbelief and distrust hurt him, if the soul be not hurt by unbelief, all other things are so far from hurting us, as that they shall do us great good. Now the marks whereby we may know that we do in deed, not in word only, trust and rely upon God alone, are (that we may name some of them) these: first to use all good means faithfully to serve Gods providence, no man is more diligent in putting all good means in practise, then he that hath a most constant & firm faith in God. As we may see that in Jacob, he had a promise that he should prevail with men, sith he had prevailed with God, and that he should not now be called Jacob any more, one that takes men by the heel, but he shall be called Israel, one that so wrestles with God, that prevails with him. When Jacob received this promise, and did fully trust in God for his deliverance, yet he was slack in providing all things that might pacify Esau, nay who could have used more wise and good means then he did, but still honest means, for straight he sends him a present to assuage his wrath, and sends them out all together, but sets a distance twixt one and other, that so this pause might make him digest them the better, & his wrath might by little and little go out, otherwise the flame might have been so great, that it would have made him devoured & consumed all, if they had run to him all at once, and then he bids them all to make legs, and do obeisance, and call him ⟨p. 27⟩my Lord Esau, in great wisdom and discretion: for give a covetous man wealth enough; and an ambitious man honour enough, and you may lead him whether ye will. So did Paul likewise, when God had promised him to bestow upon him all that were in the ship, he would not neglect the means, for when the mariners would craftily have gotten them away, in the boat, he would not suffer it, but tells them, that if they went away, they should be all drowned, and so they should indeed, for as God had appointed to save all, so he had appointed to save them all together, and by those means.

The vse of this is, to teach vs to get this confidence and trust in God, that so vvee may haue our harts desire, and may alwaies flourish, that though heat come, though temptations and calamities befall vs, and all things seemed to be tumbled and cast vpside downe, yet wee bee in safetie, for no man is hurt till vnbeleefe and distrust hurt him, if the soule bee not hurt by vnbeleefe, all other things are so farre from hurting vs, as that they shall do vs great good. Now the markes wherby we may know that wee doe in deede, not in word onely, trust and relie vpon God alone, are (that we may name some of them) these: first to vse all good meanes faithfully to serue Gods prouidence, no man is more diligent in putting all good meanes in practise, then he that hath a most constant & firme faith in God. As we may see that in Iacob, hee had a promise that hee should preuaile with men, sith he had preuailed with God, and that hee should not now bee called Iacob any more, one that takes men by the heele, but he shall be called Israell, one that so wrestles with God, that preuailes with him. When Iacob receiued this promise, and did fully trust in God for his deliuerance, yet hee was slacke in prouiding all things that might pacifie Esau, nay who could haue vsed more wise and good meanes then he did, but still honest meanes, for straight he sends him a present to asswage his wrath, and sends them out all together, but sets a distance twixt one and other, that so this pause might make him digest them the better, & his wrath might by little and little goe out, otherwise the flame might haue beene so great, that it would haue made him deuoured & consumed all, if they had run to him all at once, and then hee bids them all to make legs, and doe obeysance, and call him