185. Let, then, godliness exercise thee unto
justice, continence, gentleness, that thou mayest avoid childish acts,
and that rooted and grounded in grace thou mayest fight the good fight
of faith. 1 Tim. vi. 12. Entangle
not thyself in the affairs of this life, for thou art fighting for
God. 2 Tim. ii. 4. For if he who fights for the
emperor is forbidden by human laws to enter upon lawsuits, to do any
legal business, or to sell merchandise; how much more ought he who
enters upon the warfare of faith to keep from every kind of business,
being satisfied with the produce of his own little bit of land, if he
has it? If he has not that, let him be content with the pay he
will get for his service. Here is a good witness to this fact,
who says: “I have been young and now am old, yet have I not
seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread.” Ps. xxxvii.
[xxxvi.] 25. That is
the true rest and temperance of the mind which is not excited by the
desire of gain, nor tormented by the fear of want.