should be brought to passe else we do not shew a quiet spirit though an affliction be upon thee let not thy heart sink under it So far as thy heart sinks and thou art discouraged under thy affliction so much thou wantest of this lesson of Contentment 7 To sinful shiftings and shirkings out for ease and help As we see in Saul running to the witch of Endor and in his offering sacrifice before Samuel came Nay the good King Jehoshaphat joynes himself with Ahaziah 2 Chron. 20. Vlt. And Asa goes to Penhadad King of Assyria for help not relying upon the Lord 2 Chr. 16.7 8. Though the Lord had delivered the Ethiopian Army into his hands consisting of a thousand thousand 2 Chro. 14.11 And good Jacob joyned in a lye with his mother to Isaac he was not content to stay Gods time and use Gods means but made too great haste and stept out of his way to procure the blessing which God intended for him as many do through the corruption of their hearts and weaknesse of their faith because they are not able to trust God and follow him fully in all things and alwaies and for this cause the Lord often follows the Saints with many sore temporal crosses as we see in Jacob though they obtain the mercy It may be thy wretched carnal heart thinks I care not how I be delivered so I may but get free from it Is it not so many times in some of your hearts when any crosse or affliction befals you Have not you such kind of workings of spirit as this Oh that I could but be delivered out of this affliction any way I would not care your hearts are far from being quiet And this sinful shifting is the next thing in opposition to this quietnesse which God requires in a contented spirit The Eighth and last thing that this quietnesse of Spirit is opposite to is desparate risings of heart against God in a way of rebellion That is most abominable I hope many of you have learned so far to be content as to keep down your hearts from such distempers and yet the truth is not only wicked men but sometimes the very Saints of God find the beginnings of this when an affliction lies long and is very sore and heavy upon them indeed and strikes them as it were in the master vein they find somewhat of this in their hearts arising against God their thoughts begin to bubble and their affections begin to stir in rising against God himself especially such as together with their corruptions have much melancholy and the Devil working both upon the corruptions of their hearts and the melancholy distemper of their bodies though there may lie much grace at the bottom yet there may be some risings against God himself under affliction Now Christian quietness is opposite to all these things that is When afflictions come be it what affliction it will be yet you do not murmur though you be sensible though you make your moan though you desire to be delivered and seek it by all good means yet you do not murmur nor repine you do not fret nor vex there is not that tumultuousness of spirit in you there is not unsetledness in your spirits there are not distracting fears in your hearts no sinking discouragements no base shiftings no rising in rebellion any way against God This is the quietness of Spirit under an affliction and that is the second thing when the soul is so far able to bear an affliction as to keep quiet under it Now the Third thing I would open in the discription is this It is an inward quiet gracious frame of Spirit It is a frame of Spirit and then a gracious frame of Spirit Contentment it is a Soule businesse First it is inward Secondly quiet Thirdly it is a quiet Frame of Spirit Frame by that I mean these Three things There are Three things considerable when I say Contentment consists in the quiet frame of the Spirit of a man First That it is a grace that spreads it self through the whol Soul as thus It is in the judgment that is The judgment of the soul of a man or woman tends to quiet the heart In my judgment I am satisfied that is one thing to be satisfied in ones understanding and judgment as thus This is the hand of God and this is that that is sutable to my condition or best for me although I do not see the reason of the thing yet I am satisfied in my judgment about it And then it is in the thoughts of a man or woman As my judgement is satisfied so my thoughts are kept in order And then it comes to the will My will yeilds and submits to it my affections are all likewise kept in order so that it goes through the whol soul There is in some a partiall Contentment and so 't is not the frame of the soul but some part of the soul hath some Contentment as thus Many a man may be satisfied in his judgment about a thing and yet cannot for his life rule his affections nor his thoughts cannot rule his thoughts nor the wil nor the affections though the judgments be satisfied I make no question but many of you may know this by your own experience if you do but observe the workings of your own hearts Cannot you say when such an affliction befals you I can blesse God I am satisfied in my judgment about it I have nothing in the world to say in respect of my judgment against it I see the hand of God and I should be content yea I am satisfied in my judgment that my condition is a good condition in which I am but I cannot for my life rule my thoughts and will and my affections me thinks I feel my heart heavy and sad and troubled more than it should be and yet my judgment is satisfied This seem'd to be the case of David Psal 43. O my Soul why art thou disquieted David as far as his judgment went there was a contentednesse that is His judgment was satisfied in the work of God upon him and he was troubled but he knew not wherefore O my soul why art thou east down within me That Psalm is a very good Psalm for those that feel a fretting discontented distemper in their hearts at any time for them to be reading or singing he hath it once or twice in that Psalm Why art thou cast down O my soul In vers 5. And why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance David had enough to quiet him and that that he had had prevailed with his judgement but after it had prevailed with his judgement he could not get it further He could not get this grace of Contentment to go through the whole frame of the Soul There is a great deal of stir sometimes to get Contentment into their judgments that is To satisfie their judgment
Egyptians had a tower built likewise besides the advantage of the rocks and of the hills there was a tower built for their further strengthening and there the people of Israel were an unarmed people yea not only by the tower but they were over against Baal-zephon I remember in the last Exercise I shewed you what Baal was and what several Baals there were that the Heathens worshiped for their gods a general name it is sometimes for any other Idol This Baal-zephon it was a god that they worshiped upon this ground they had an Idol set in that place at the going out of Egypt that was to watch those that were to go out for so zephon comes of zuri speculatus est the god was to watch was to stand and watch any run-away-servant or any people that did go out of Egypt without any leave they trusting in this Baal that he would stop them and stay them and he was set in that place for that very purpose and thereupon his name was Baal-zephon As Conjurers by their magick arts will have their spels spirits that shall stop men in such a place they shall not go out of such an orchyard or such a yard where they come in So the Egyptians had there by their magical arts they got as it were a Spel a Baal-zephon a god to stop people in that place where they would have them stopped that is the meaning of this name of the Idol Baal-zephon So that you see what a strait Israel was in upon their going out of Egypt they were got before the Sea the Egyptians had all their strength behind in a hole of rocks and a tower and their god to stop them altogether so that they themselves made sure of them and said that they were intangled in the land of the wildernesse Being in those great straits their hearts began to fail them they began to be extreamly troubled and in a most greivous distemper of spirit they were coming and chiding with Moses and said to Moses in the 11. vers Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt We had rather we had continued in Egypt still What! Brought to these straits these extremities such a perplexity as we are now in would to God we had bin in Egypt this was the baseness of their spirits they would rather be under vile bondage than endure any hazard then be put to any straits and difficulties It is the baseness of the spirits of many at this day amongst us because they see that those waies that have bin taken by the Parliament brings some troublesom difficulties some straits they cry out of the times I would to God we were as we were before we were well enough before we were quiet enough before we never knew what such stirs as these meant before now we are brought into these perplexities I this they have brought us into thus they are ready to murmur repine Oh unthankful unworthy generation men women of vile spirits that shall do so It was a speech of Cyrus speaking unto his souldiers The Historian hath this expression of him It is the part of a true valiant man either to live honourably or die honourably one of them but that is the part of a base coward rather to live basely than to die honourably rather to be under any base servitude than to be in any hazard of their lives though perhaps their lives may be saved too I remember Philo tels us even of women for in these times the publik cause of the Kingdom suffers exceedingly much by the timorousness of the spirits of women that being in danger of their enemies of being brought into bondage by them they took their children and threw them into the rivers with these words You shall not serve we had rather see you die than be slaves I commend not that fact that it was wel done but to shew what a spirit the heathen women had to see their children die rather than have them bondslaves Indeed what were our lives worth were they worth having if we return to our bondage again The utmost of the danger is our lives the killing of our bodies yet we hope God will preserve them too but suppose the worst it is but death but if our lives should not be hazarded now and if through base cowardice we should decline the Cause of God surely our lives would not be worth taking up the living after that manner we are like to live in that bondage unto these Cavalliers notorious wretches blasphemers of God himself that would make our lives worth very little nay your children perhaps to be brought up in Popery and to hold a candle to a masse-Priest at the Altar that may be the imployment of your children if so be that they should live But these people being now in this extremity and manifesting so much passion being in a distemper Moses as the Captain of the Lord comes to the people and speaks bravely to them incouraging of them saith Moses Fear not but stand stil and see the salvation of the Lord stand still the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state it signifies to settle and compose to be in a setled condition it is a reflect word upon our selves so the Learned know that it is to work upon our selves to form signifies so it is as much as if he should say Do you work upon your own hearts to get your hearts to stand still work upon your hearts to do that work arguments upon your spirits and never leave working until you have wrought your hearts into such a frame as that you may stand stil be quiet At first even the dearest servants of God wil find their hearts to shake in time of hazards and extremities but when they come to work upon their spirits to bring arguments to lay to their hearts there they get some advantage that their hearts grow quiet quickly For that we have a notable text in the example of David in the 62. Psalme saith David there in the 1 and 2. verses Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation hee onely is my Rock and my Salvation he is my defence I shall not greatly be moved Mark he begins to exercise Faith and he saies he shall not greatly be moved as if he should have said I confesse I cannot say but that my heart is somewhat stirred I am somewhat afraid and I feel some working in my spirit but I hope I shall not greatly be moved he fals a working upon his heart more and considers of his innocencie and of the mischievous device of the ungodly how long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man ye shall be slain all of you then again in the 5. verse My soul waite thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock And then he repeats the
complacency in Gods dispose ibid 8 In Gods dispose Page 19 9 In every condition Page 20 We must submit to God in every affliction 1 For the kind Page 22 2 For the time Page 23 3 For the variety 25 Contentment a Mysterie Page 26 1 A Christian is content yet unsatisfied Page 27 2 A Christian comes to Contentment by substraction Page 29 3 By adding another burden to that he hath Page 31 4 By changing the affliction into another Page 33 5 By doing the work of his condition Page 35 6 By melting his will into Gods will Page 37 7 By purging out that that is within 38 8 He lives by the dew of Gods blessing Page 40 1 He hath the love of God in that he hath Page 41 2 It is sanctified for his good ib 3 There is no after-reckoning for it Page 42 4 It is by the purchase of Christ 5 It is an earnest of glory he reafter Page 43 9 A Christian sees Gods love in affliction Page 44 10 His afflictions sanctified in Christ Page 45 11 He fetches strength from Christ Page 47 12 He makes up his wants in God Page 49 13 He fetcheth Contentment from the Covenant Page 53 Objection concerning the plague Answered Page 54 He supplieth wants by what he finds in himself Page 57 He fetches supply from the CoveCovenant Page 61 1 In General ibid 2 From particular premises Page 64 14 He reallizeth the things of Heaven Page 67 15 He letteth his heart out to God ibid Lessons whereby Christ teacheth Contentment 1 Self-denial Whereby a Christian knows Page 68 1 That he is nothing Page 69 2 That he deserves nothing ibid 3 That he can do nothing Page 70 4 That he can receive no good of himself ibid 5 If God withdraw himself he can mak use of nothing ibid 6 That he is worse than nothing Page 71 7 That there is no loss of him if he perish ibid 8 That he comes to rejoyce in Gods waier Page 72 2 Lesson To know the vanity of the Creature Page 73 3 Lesson To know that one thing wherefore Page 74 4 Lesson To know his relation in this world Page 76 5 Lesson Wherein the good of the Creature is Page 79 6 Lesson The knowledge of his own heart Page 82 Which helps to Contentment 1 By discovering wherein discontent lies ibid 2 By knowing what is sutable to our condition Page 83 3 By this we know what we are able to mannage Page 84 7 Lesson To know the burden of a prosperous estate Page 85 Which is four fold 1 The burden of trouble ibid 2 The burden of danger Page 86 3 The burden of duty Page 89 4 The burden of account ibid 8 Lesson A great evil to be given up to our own hearts desire Page 91 9 Lesson The right knowledge of of Gods providence Page 94 Wherein four things 1 The universality of it ibid 2 The efficacy of it Page 95 3 The variety of it ibid 4 Gods particular dealing with his people Page 97 In three things 1 They are ordinarily in affliction Page 98 2 When he intends them greatest mercies he brings them lowest ibid 3 He works by contraries Page 99 The Excellency of Contentment 1 Excellency By it we give God his due worship Page 101 2 Excel In it there is much exercise of grace 103 1 There is much strength of grace ibid 2 There is much beauty of grace Page 104 3 Excel The soul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106 4 Excel It is fitted to do service Page 107 5 Excel Contentment delivers from temptation Page 108 6 Excel It brings abundance of comfort Page 110 7 Excel It fetcheth in that that we possess not Page 111 In 4 particulars 8 Excel Contentment a great blessing of God upon the soule Page 115 9 Excel A contented man may expect reward Page 116 10 Excel By Contentment the soul comes neerest the Excellency of God himself Page 117 Use 1 To be humbled for want of Contentment Page 118 The Evils in a murmuring spirit 1 It is an Argument of much corruption in the soul Page 119 2 It is a note of a wicked man Page 120 3 Murmuring is accounted Rebellion Page 121 4 It is exceeding contrary to grace in conversion Page 122 The works of God in conversion 1 To make us sensible of the evil in sin Page 123 2 A sight of the excellency of Christ ibid 3 Taking the heart from the creature ibid 4 Casting the soul on Christ for all good Page 124 5 Subduing the soul to Christ as King ibid 6 Giving up the soul to God in Covenant Page 125 5 Evil Murmuring below a Christian Page 126 1 Below his relation 1 To God as a Father ibid 2 To Christ as a Spouse ibid 3 To Christ as a Member Page 127 4 To Christ as a Co-heir ibid 5 To Gods Spirit as a temple ib. 6 To Angels as one with them ib. 7 To Saints as of the same body ibid 2 Below his dignity Every Christian a King Page 128 3 It is below the spirit of a Christian Page 129 4 Below the profession of a Christian Page 131 5 Below the grace of faith ibid 6 Below the helps of a Christian Page 132 7 Below the expectation of a Christian ibid 8 Below what other Christians have done Page 133 6 Evill by murmuring we undo our prayers ibid 7 Evil The effects of a murmuring heart 1 Loss of much time Page 134 2Vnfitness for Duty ibid 3 Wicked risings of heart Page 135 4Vnthankfulness ibid 5 Shifting Page 138 8 Evil Discontent a foolish sin ibid 1 It takes away the comfort of what we have ibid 2 We cannot help our selves by it Page 139 3 It causeth foolish carriage to God and man ibid 4 It takes out the sweetness of mercies before they come ibid 5 It makes Affliction worse Page 141 9 Evil It provokes the wrath of God ibid 19 Evil There is a curse upon it Page 146 11 Evil There is much of the spirit of Satan in it Page 147 12 Evill It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet ibid 13 Evil God may justly withdraw his protection from such ibid Aggravations of the sin of murmuring 1 Aggravation The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring Page 150 2 Agrav When we murmur for smal things Page 157 3 Agrav When men of parts and abilities murmur Page 158 4 Agrav The freeness of Gods mercy ibid 5 Agrav Discontent for what we have Page 159 6 Agrav When men are raised from a low condition ibid 7 Agrav When men have been great sinners Page 160 8 Agrav When those murmur that are of little use in the world Page 161 9 Agrav To murmur when God is about to humble us ibid 10 Agrav When Gods hand is apparant in an affliction Page 162 11 Agrav To murmur under long afflictions Page 163 Pleas of a discontented heart 1 Plea I am but sensible of my affliction 1 Sense
as much as if he had said I have learned the mystery of this business Contentment is to be learned as a great mystery and those that are throughly trained up in that art have learned a deep Mystery The which is as Sampsons riddle to a natural man I have learned it It is not now to learn neither had I it at first I have attained it though with much ado and now by the grace of God I am become master of this art In whatsoever state I am The word State is not in the Original but In what I am that is in whatsoever concerns or befals me whether I have little or nothing at all Therewith to be content The word which we render Content here hath in the Original much elegancy and fulnesse of signification in it In strictnesse of phrase it is only attributed unto God who hath stiled himself God alsufficiant as resting wholly satisfied in and with himself alone but he is pleased freely to comunicate of his fulness to the creature so that from God in Christ the Saints receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 in somuch that there is in them an answerablenesse of the same grace in their proportion that is in Christ And in this sense Paul saith I have a Self-sufficiency as the word notes But hath Paul a self-sufficiency you will say How are we sufficient of our selves Our Apostle affirms in another case That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 His meaning therefore must be I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart through the grace of Christ that is in me though I have not outward comforts and worldly accommodations to supply my necessities yet I enjoy portion enough betwixt Christ and my own soul abundantly to satisfie me in every condition And this interpretation is sutable to that place Pro. 14 1â— A good man is satisfied from himself and agreeable to what he verifies of himself in another place that though he had nothing yet he possessed all things because he had right to the covenant and promise which virtually contains all and an interest in Christ the fountain and good of all and having that no marvell he saith that in whatsoever state he was in he was content Thus you have the genuine interpretation of the text I shall not make any division of the words because I take them only to prosecute that one duty most necessary viz. The quieting and comforting the hearts of Gods people under the troubles and changes they meet withall in these heart-shaking times And the doctrinal conclusion is in brief this Doct. That to be well skill'd in the mystery of Christian Contentment is the Duty Glory and Excellency of a Christian This Evangelical truth is held forth sufficiently in Scripture yet take one or two paralel places more for the confirmation of it 1 Tim. 6.6 8. you have both the duty exprest and the glory thereof Having food and raiment saith he vers 8. let us be therewith content there is the duty But godliness with Contentment is great gain vers 6. there is the glory and excellency of it as if godlinesse were not gain except there were Contentment withal The like exhortation you have in Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as you have I do not find any Apostle or Writer of Scripture treat so much of this spiritual mystery of Contentment as this our Apostle hath done throughout his Epistles For the cleer opening and proving of this practical conclusion I shall indeavour to demonstrate these four things First The nature of this Christian Contentment what it is Secondly The art and mystery of it Thirdly What those lessons are that must be learn'd to work the heart to contentment Fourthly Wherein the glorious excellencies of this grace doth principally consist Concerming the first take this discription Christian Contentment is that sweet inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods wise and fatherly dispose in euery condition I shall break open this discription for it is a box of precious ointment very comfortable and useful for troubled hearts in troubled time and conditions First Contentment I say is a sweet inward heart thing it is a work of the spirit within doors It is not only a not-seeking help to our selves by outward violence or a forbearance of discontented murmuring expressions in froward words and carriages against God or others but it is the inward submission of the heart Psal 62.1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God and ver 5. My soul wait thou only upon God so it is in your Books but the words may be translated as rightly My soul be thou silent unto God Hold thy peace O my soul Not only the tongue must hold it's peace but the soul must be silent Many may sit down silently forbearing discontented expressions yet are inwardly swollen with discontentment now this manifesteth a perplexed distemper and a great frowardnesse in their hearts And God notwithstanding their outward silence hears the peevish fretting language of their souls The shoe may be smooth and neat without whilst the flesh is pinched within There may be much calmnesse and stilnesse outwardly and yet wonderful confusion bitternesse disturbance and vexation within Some are so weak that they are not able to contain the disquietness of their own spirits but in words and behaviour discover what woful perturbations there are within their spirits being like the raging Sea casting forth nothing but mire and dirt being not only troublesome to themselves but to all those they live with Others there are who are able to keep in such distempers of heart as Judas did when he betrayed Christ with a kisse but still they boyl inwardly and eat like a Cankes As David speaks concerning some whose words are smoother than honey and butter and yet have war in their hearts and as he saith in another place whilst I kept silence my bones waxed old so these whilst there is a serene calme upon their tongues have yet blustring storms in their spirits and whilst they keep silence their hearts are troubled and even worn away with anguish and vexation they have peace and quiet outwardly but war from the unruly and turbulent workings of their hearts that is within If the attainment to true Contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly there need be no great learning of it it might be had with lesse skill and strength than an Apostle had yea than an ordinary Christian hath or may have Therefore certainly there is a great deal more in it than can be attained by common gifts and ordinary power of reason which often bridles in nature It is a heart-businesse Secondly It is the quiet of the heart All is sedate and still there and to understand this the better This quiet gracious frame of spirit It is not opposed 1 To a due sense
of affliction God doth give leave to his people to be sensible of what they suffer Christ doth not say Do not count that a crosse which is a crosse but take up your crosse daily As it is in the body natural if the body takes physick and is not able to bear it but presently vomits it up or if it be not at all sensible if it stir not the body either of these waies the physick doth no good but argues the body much distempered and will hardly be cured So it is with the spirits of men under afflictions if either they cannot bear Gods potions but cast them up again or are not sensible of them and their souls are no more stir'd by them than the body is by a draught of smal beer it is a sad symptome that their souls are in a dangerous and almost incurable condition So that this inward quietnesse is not in opposition to the sense of affliction for indeed there were no true Contentment if you were not apprehensive and sensible of your afflictions when God is angry It is not opposed 2 To an orderly making our moan and complaint to God and to our friends Though a Christian ought to be quiet under Gods correcting hand yet he may without any breach of Christian contentment complain to God as one of the Ancients saith though not with a tumultuous clamour and skreeking out in a perplexed passion yet in a quit still submissive way he may unbosom his heart unto God And likewise communicate his sad condition to his gracious friends shewing them how God hath dealt with him and how heavy the affliction is upon him that they may speak a word in due season to his wearied soul It is not opposed 3 To all lawful seeking out for help into another condition or simply endeavouring to be delivered out of the present affliction by the use of lawfull means No I may lay in provision for my deliverance use Gods meanes waiting on him because I know not but that it may be his will to alter my condition and so far as he leads me I may follow his providence it is but my duty God is thus far mercifully indulgent to our weakness and he will not take it ill at our hands if by earnest and importunate prayer we seek unto him for deliverance till we know his good pleasure therein And certainly thus seeking for help with such a submission and holy resignation of spirit to be delivered when God will and as God will and how God will so that our wils are melted into the will of God this is no opposition to the quietness which God requires in a contented spirit Quest But then what is this quietnesse of spirit opposed unto Ans To murmuring and repining at the hand of God as the discontented Israelits often did which if we our selves cannot indure either in our children or servants much lesse can God bear it in us 2 To vexing and fretting which is a degree beyond murmuring It is a speech I remember of an Heathen A wise man may greive under but not be vexed with his afflictions There is a vast difference betwixt a kindly grieving and a distempered vexation 3 To tumultuousness of spirit When the thoughts run distractingly and work in a confused manner so that the affections are like the unruly multitude in the Acts who knew not for what end they were come together The Lord expects that you should be silent under his rod and as he said in Act. 19.36 You ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly 4 To unsetledness and unfixedness of spirit whereby the heart is taken off from the present duty that God requires in our several relations both towards God our selves and others We should prize duty at a higher rate than to be taken off by every trivial occasion a Christian indeed values every service of God so much that though some may be in the eye of the world and of natural reason a slight empty businesse beggerly rudiments foolishnesse yet seeing God cals for it the authority of the command doth so over awe his heart that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in the discharge of it It is an expression of Luthers ordinary works that are done in faith and from faith are more precious than heaven and earth And if this be so and a Christian know it it is not a little matter that should divert him but he should answer every avocation and resist every tentation as Nehemiah did chap. 6.3 Sanballat Geshem and Tobiah when they would have hindred the building of the wall with this I am doing a great woâ—k saith he so that I cannot come down why should the work of the Lord cease 5 To distracting heart-eating cares and fears A gracious heart so estimates it's union with Christ and the work that God sets it about as it will not willingly suffer any thing to come in to choak it or dead it A Christian is desirous that the word of God should take such full possession as to divide between soul and spirit but he would not suffer the fear and noise of evil-tidings to take such impression in his soul as to make a division and strugling there like the twins in Rebeckah's womb A great man will permit common people to stand without his doors but he will not let them come in and make a noise in his closet or bed-chamber when he purposely retires himself from all worldly imployments So a well tempered spirit though it may inquire after things abroad without doors in the world and suffer some ordinary cares and fears to break in to the suburbs of the soul so as to have a light touch upon the thoughts Yet it will not upon any terms admit of an intrusion into the privy-chamber which should be wholly reserved for Jesus Christ as his inward Temple 6 To sinking discouragements When things fall not out according to expectation when the tyde of second causes runs so low that we see little left in the outward means to bear up our hopes and hearts That then the heart begins to reason as he in the Kings If the Lord should open the windows of heaven how should this be Never considering that God can open the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle he can work above beyond nay contrary to means he often makes the fairest flowers of mans indeavours to wither and brings improbable things to passe that the glory of interprizes may be given to himself Nay if his people stand in need of miracles to work their deliverance miracles fall as easily out of Gods hands as to give his people daily bread Gods blessing is many times secret upon his servants that they know not which way it comes as 2 Kings 3.17 Ye shall not see wind neither shall you see rain yet the valley shall be filled with water God would have us depend on him though we do not see means how the thing
natural reason may quiet the heart in some measure But now I say A gracious frame of spirit is not a meer stilnesse of body through a natural constitution and temper nor sturdinesse of resolution nor meerly through the strength of reason You will say wherein is this graciousness of Contentment distinguisht from all these More of this will be spoken to when we shew the mystery of it and the lessons that are learned but now we may speak a little by way of distinction here as now From the natural stilnesse of mens spirits many men and women have such a natural stilnesse of spirit and constitution of body that you shall find them seldom disquieted But now mark these kind of people that are so they likewise are very dull of a dull spirit in any good thing they have no quicknesse nor livelinesse of spirit in that which is good but now mark where contentment of heart is gracious the heart is very quick and lively in the service of God yea the more any gracious heart can bring its self to be in a contented disposition Oh the more fit it is for any service of God and is very active and lively in Gods service not dull in the service of God And as a Contented heart is very active and stirring in the work of God so he is very active and stirring in sanctifying Gods Name in the affliction that doth befall him The difference will appear very cleer thus One that is of a still disposition he is not disquieted indeed as others neither hath he any activenesse of spirit in sanctifying the Name of God in the affliction but now one that is content in a gracious way as he â—s not disquieted but keep his heartt quiet in respect of vexing and trouble so on the other side he is not dull nor heavy but is very active to sanctifie Gods Name in the affliction thas is upon him for it is not enough meerly not to murmur not to be discontented and troubled but you must be active in the sanctifying Gods Name in the affliction And indeed this will distinguish it from the other from a sturdy resolution I will not be troubled but though you have a sturdy resolution that you will not be troubled is there a conscionablenesse in you to sanctifie Gods Name in your affliction and doth it come from thence That is the main thing that brings the quiet of heart and helps against discontentednesse in a gracious heart I say the desire and care that thy soul hath to sanctifie Gods Name in an affliction it is that that quiets the soul which doth not in the other Neither when it is meerly from reason As Socrates it is said of him though he were but an heathen that what ever befel him he would never so much as change his countenance and he got this power over his spirit meerly by strength of reason and morallity but now this gracious contentment comes from principles beyond the strength of reason I cannot open that from whence it comes till we come to open the mystery of spiritual Contentment I will only give you this one note of difference between a man and a woman that is contented in a natural way and another that is contented in a spiritual way Those that are contented in a natural way they overcome themselves when outward afflictions doth befal them they are contented yea and they are contented as well when they commit sin against God either when they have outward crosses or when God is dishonoured it is all one either when themselves are crost or when God is crost but now a gracious heart that is contented with it's own affliction yet mightily rises when God is dishonoured The Fift is Freely freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose it is a free work of the spirit now there are four things to be opened in this freedom of spirit First that the heart is readily brought over that that one doth freely there is no great stir to bring them to it there are many men and women when their afflictions are grievous upon them with much adoe they are brought to be contented a great deal of stir there is to quiet their hearts when they are under affliction yet at last perhaps they are brought to it I but now this doth not come off freely if I desire a thing of another and I get it perhaps with much adoe and a great deal of stir there is but here 's no freedom of spirit but when a man is free in a thing do but mention it and presently he comes off to it So if you have learned this art of Contentment you will not only be contented after a great deal of do to quiet your hearts but readily as soon as ever you do come to think that it is the hand of God your heart presently closeth Secondly freely That is not by constraint not patience by force as we use to say As many will say that you must be content this is the hand of God and there is no help for it O this is too low an expression for Christians yet when Christians come to visit one another they say friend or neighbour you must be content this is to low an expression for a Christian Must be content no readily and freely I will be content It is sutable to my heart to yeild to God and to be content I find it is a thing that comes off of it self that my soul will be content Oh you should answer your friends so that come and tell you you must be content nay I am willing to yeild to God and I am freely content that 's the Second And then a free act it comes after a rational way that 's freedom that is it doth not come through ignorance because I know no better condition or that I know not what my affliction is I but it comes through a sanctified judgment for that is the reason that no creature can do an act of freedom but the rational creature the liberty of action is only in rational creatures and it comes from hence for that 's only freedom and out of liberty that 's wrought in a rational way as a natural freedom is when I by my judgment see what is to be done understand the thing and then there is a closing with what I do understand in my judgment that is freely done but now if a man doth a thing and understands not what he doth he cannot be said to do it freely So if men are contented but it is because they understand not what their affliction is or because they understand no better this is not freely as for instance Suppose a Child born in a prison and never in all his life went out the Child is contented why Because he never knew better but this is no free act of Contentation But now for men and women that do know better that know that the condition in which they are in it is
possessing all things but mark what he saith it is As having nothing but it is Possessing all things He doth not say as possessing all things but possessing all things it is very little I have in the world but yet possessing all things So that you see a Christian hath cause to take complacency in Gods hand whatsoever his hand be The Eight thing in Contentment it is In Gods dispose Submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose That is the soul that hath learned this lesson of Contentment looks up to God in all things looks not down to the instruments or the means as such a man did it and it was unreasonablenesse of such and such instruments and the like barbarous usage of such and such but looks up to God a contented heart looks to Gods dispose and submits to Gods dispose that is sees the wisdom of God in all in his submission sees his soveraignity but that that makes him take complacency it is Gods wisdom the Lord knows how to order things better than I the Lord sees further thā I do I see things but at present but the Lord sees a great whil hence and how do I know but had it not been for this affliction I had been undone I know that the love of God may as well stand with an afflicted estate as with a prosperous estate and such kind of reasonings there are in a contented spirit submitting unto the dispose of God The last thing is This is in every condition It may be in some things you could be content You shall have many will say if my affliction were but as the affliction of such a one I could be content yea but it must be in the present affliction that is upon you We use to say There is a great deal of deceit in Universals in the general come to any man or woman and say Will not you be content with Gods dispose Yes say they God forbid but we should submit to Gods hand what ever it be you say thus in the general it is an easie matter to learn this lesson but when it comes to the particular when the crosse comes sore indeed when it striks you in the heaviest crosse that you think could befall you what saith your heart now Can you in every condition be content not onely for the matter but for the time that is to be in such a condition so long as God would have you to be content to be at Gods time in that condition to have such an affliction so long as God would have the affliction abide upon you to be willing to stay and not to come out of the affliction no sooner than the Lord would have you come out of it you are not content in your condition else to be content meerly that I have such a hand of God upon me and not to stay under the hand of God that is not to be content under every condition but when I can find my heart submitting to Gods dispose in such particular afflictions that are very hard and very greivous and yet my heart is quiet here is one that hath learned the lesson of Contentment Contentment it is the inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose in every condition That is the discription Now in this there hath been Nine several things opened 1 First That Contentment is a heart-heart-work within the soul 2 Secondly It is the quieting of the heart 3 Thirdly It is the frame of the spirit 4 Fourthly It is a gracious frame 5 Fiftly It is the free working of this gracious frame 6 Sixtly There is in it a submission to God sending the soul under God 7 Seventhly There is a taking complacency in the hand of God 8 Eightly All to Gods dispose 9 Ninthly In every condition every condition though never so hard though continue never so long Now those of you that have learned to be Content have learned to attain unto these severall things the very opening of these things I hope may so far work upon your hearts as First That you may lay your hands upon your hearts upon this that hath been said the very telling of you what the lesson is I fay may cause you to lay your hands upon your hearts and say Lord I see there is more in Christian Contentation than I thought there was and I have been far from learning this lesson I indeed have learned but my A B C in this lesson of Contentment I am but in the lower forme in Christs school if I am in it at all but these we shall speak too more afterward but the special thing I aim'd at in the opening of this point is to shew how great a Mystery there is in Christian Contentment and how many several lessons are to be learned that we may come to attain to this Heavenly disposition that Saint Paul did attain too SERMON II. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content WEE have made entrance you may remember into the Argument of Christian Contentment And have opened the words and shewed you what this Christian Contentation is that it is The inward quiet gracious frame of Spirit freely submitting too and taking Complacency in Gods dispose in every condition And therein came to this last thing In every condition Now we shall a little in large that and so proceed 1 Submitting to God in what ever Affliction befalls us for the kind 2 For the time and continuance of the Affliction 3 For the variety and changes of Affliction Let them be what they will yet there must be a submitting to Gods dispose in every condition First for the kind Many men and women will in the general say that they must submit to God in affliction I suppose now if you should come from one end of this Congregation to another and speak to every soul thus Would not you submit to Gods dispose in what ever condition he should dispose of you too you would say God forbid it should be otherwise but we use to say There is a great deal of deceit in generals In general you would submit to any thing but what if it be in this and that particular that is most crosse to you Then any thing but that we are usually apt to think that any condition is better than the condition that God doth dispose us too now here is not Contentment it should not be only to any condition in general but for the kind of the affliction if it be that which is most crosse to you God it may be striks you in your Child Oh if it had been in my Estate saith one I should be content perhaps he striks you in your Match Oh saith he I had rather have been strucken in my health and if he had struck you in your health Oh then if it had been in my trading I would not have cared but we must not be our own carvers
It is a speech of Ambrose Even poverty it 's self it is riches unto holy men Godly men do make their poverty turn to be riches they get more riches out of their poverty then ever they get out of their revenues out of all their trading in this world they never had such incomes as they have had out of their poverty this a carnall heart will think strange that a man shall make poverty to be the most gainfull trade that ever he had in the world I am perswaded that many Christians have found it so that they have got more good by their poverty than ever they got by all their riches you find it in Scripture therefore think not this strange that I am speaking of you do not find any one Godly man that came out of an affliction worse than when he came into it though for a while he was shaken yet at last he was better for an affliction but a great many Godly men you find have been worse for their prosperity scarce one Godly man that you reade in Scripture of but was worse for prosperity except Daniel and Nehemiah I do not reade of any hurt they got by their prosperity that they had scarce I think is any one example of any Godly man but was rather worse for his prosperity than better so that you see it 's no such strange thing neither to one that is gracious that they shall get good by their affliction Luther hath such an expression in his Comment upon the 5. Chap. of the Galatians in the 17. verse in his Comment upon that place saith A Christian becometh a mighty worker and a wonderful creator that is saith he to create out of heavinesse joy out of terrour comfort out of sin righteousnesse out of death life and brings light out of darknesse It was Gods prerogative and great power his creating power to command the light to shine out of darknesse now a Christian is partaker of the divine nature so the scripture saith Grace it is part of the Divine Nature and being part of the Divine Nature it hath an impression of Gods Omnipotent power that is to create light out of darkensse to being good out of evill now by this way a Christian comes to be content God hath given a Christian such a vertue as can turn affliction into mercyes can turn darkenesse into light if a man had the power that Christ had when the water pots were fil'd he could by a word turn the water into wine if you that have nothing but water to drink yet if you had a power to turn it into wine then you may be contented Certainly a Christian hath received this power from God to work thus miraculously it is the nature of grace to turn water into wine that is to turn the water of your affliction into the wine of heavenly consolation If you understand this in a carnal way I know it will be rediculous for a Minister to speak thus before you and many carnal people are ready to make such expressions as these to be rediculous understanding them in a carnal way Just as Nicodemus in the 3. of John What can a man be born when he is old can be enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born So when we speak of grace that it can turn water into wine and turn poverty into riches and make poverty a gainful trade saith a carnal heart Let them have that trade if they will and let them have water to drink and see if they can turn it into wine Oh take heed thou speakest not in a scornful way of the waies of God grace hath the power to turn afflictions into mercies Two men shall have one affliction and to one man it shall be as gall and wormwood and it shall be wine and honey and delightfulness and joy and advantage and riches to another This is the mystery of Contentment not so much by removing the evil as by Metamorphosing the evil by changing the evil into good The Fifth thing is this A Christain comes to this Contentment by making up the wants of his condition by the performance of the work of his condition This is the way of Contentment There is such a condition that I am in many wants I want this and the other comfort well how shall I come to be satisfied and content A carnal heart thinks this I must have my wants made up or else it is impossible that I should be content No but saith a gracious heart What is the duty of the condition God hath put me into Indeed my condition is changed I was not long since in a prosperous condition but God hath changed my condition the Lord hath called me no more Naomi but Marah Now what am I to do what can I think now are those duties that God requires of me in the condition that he hath now put me into and let me put forth my strength in the performance of the duties of my present condition Others they spend their thoughts in those things that shall disturb and disquiet them and so they grow more and more discontented yea but let me spend my thoughts in thinking what my duty is what is the duty of my present condition which I am in O saith a man whose condition is changed and he hath lost his estate Had I but my estate as I had heretofore how would I use it to his glory But God hath made me to see that I did not honour him with my estate as I ought to have done Oh had I it again I would do better than ever I did but this may be but a temptation therefore you should rather think What doth God require of me in the condition I am now brought into And thou shouldest labour to bring thy heart to quiet and Contentnent by setting thy soul on work about the duties of thy present condition And the truth is I know nothing more available for the quieting of a Christian Soul and getting Contentment then this The setting thy heart on work about the duties of the very present condition that now thou art in and take heed of thy thoughts about other conditions as a meer temptation I cannot compare the folly of men and women that think to get Contentment with their musing about other conditions better than to the way of Children perhaps they are gotten upon a hill and they look a good way off and see another hill and they think if they were on the top of that then they were able to touch the clouds with their fingers but when they are on the top of that hill alas then they are as far from the clouds as they were before So it is with many that think If they were in such a condition then I should have Contentment and perhaps they get into that condition then they are as far from Contentment as before But then they think if they were in another condition they would be contented
to go out to the promises and fetch from the promise that that may supply But this is but a dry businesse to a carnall heart but it 's the most real thing in the world to a gracious heart when he finds want of Contentment he repaires to the Promise and the Covenant and fals a pleading the promises that God hath made As I should have shewen several promises that God hath made let the affliction be what it will I will but only mention one that is the saddest affliction of all in case of the Visitation and the Plague In Psalm 91. now those that cannot have their friends come to them by reason of the plague and that cannot have other comforts in other afflictions they might have their frinds and other things to comfort them but in that they cannot Psal 21.10 There shall no evil befal thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling then here is a promise for the penilence in the 5. and 6. verses this is a Scripture to those that are in danger of it you will say this is a promise that the Plague shall not come nigh them but mark these two are joyned There shall no evil befal thee neither shall the plague come nigh thee the evil of iâ— shall not come nigh thee Object You will say It doth come to many godly men and how can they make use of this Scripture it is rather a Scripture that may trouble them because here 's a promise that it shal not come nigh them yet it doth come nigh them as wel as others Ans First this is the Answer I would give the promises of outward deliveraÌ„ces that were made â—o the people of God in the time of the law were to be understood then a great deal more litterally fulfilled more litterally thaÌ„ in the times of the Gospel God makes it up otherwise with as much mercy though God made a covenant of grace eternal life in Christ with them yet I think there was another Covenant too that God speaks of as a distinct covenant for outward things to deal with his people by according to their waies either in outward prosperity or in outward afflictions more than now in a more punctual set way then in the times of the Gospel and therefore when the Children of Israel did but sin against God they were sure to have publique judgments to come upon them and if they did well alwaies publique mercies the generall constant way of God was to deal with the people of the Jewes according as they did well or ill in an ordinary way with outward judgments and outward mercies but it 's not so now in these times of the Gospel we cannot bring such a certain conclusion that God did deal so severely with men by such and such afflictions that he wil deal so with them now and so that they shall have outward prosperity as they had then therfore that 's the first thing for the understanding of this and all other texts of that kind The Second Answer I would give is this It may be their faith doth not reach to this promise and God brings many times many outward afflictions because the faith of his people doth not reach the promise and that not only in the old Testament but in the times of the new Testament Zachariah his time may be said to be in the time of the new Testament when he was struck with dumbness because he did not beleeve and that is given to be the cause why he was struck with dumbnesse But you will say now hath faith warant to beleeve deliverance that it shall be fully delivered I dare not say so but it may act upon it to beleeve that God will make it good his own way perhaps you have not done so much and so upon that this promise is not fulfilled to you Thirdly When God doth make such promises to his people yet still it must be with this reservation that God must have liberty to these three things 1. That notwithstanding his promise he will have liberty to make use of any thing for your chastisement 2. That he must have liberty to make use of your estates or liberties or lives for the furtherance of his own ends If it be to be a stumbling block to wicked and ungodly men God must have liberty though he have made a promise to you he will not loose the propriety that he hath in your estates and lives 3. God must have so much liberty to make use of what you have for to shew that his waies are unsearchable and his judgments past finding out God reserves these three things in his hand still Object But you will say What good then is there in such a promise that God makes to his people First That thou art under the protection of God more than others But what comfort is this if it doth befal me Ans Thou hast this comfort that the evill of it shall be taken from thee that if God will make use of this affliction for other ends yet he will do it so as he will make it up to thee some other way Perhaps you have given your children such a thing but yet afterwards if you have use of that thing you will come and say I must have it why father may the child say you gave it me But saith the father I must have it and I will make it up to you some other way Now the child doth not think that the fathers love is ever a whit the less to him So when there is any such promise as this is that God by his promise gives thee his protection and yet for all that such a thing befals thee it is but as if the father should say I gave you that indeed but let me have it and I will make it up to you some other way that shall be as good saith God let me have your health and liberty and life and it shall be made up to you some other way Secondly When ever the Plague or Pestilence comes to those that are under such a promise it is for some special and notable work and God requires of them to search and examin in a special manner to find out his meaning there is so much to be learned in the promise that God hath made concerning this particular evill that the people of God they may come to quiet and content their hearts in this affliction I reade in this Psalm that God hath made a promise to his people to deliver them from the Plague and Pestilence and yet do I find it to come It may be I have not made use of my faith in this promise heretofore and if God do bring afflictions upon me yet God will make it up some other way God made a promise to deliver me or at least to deliver me from all the evil of it now if this thing doth befall me and yet I have a promise of God certainly the evil of it
must be purged out of thee before thou canst be healed and let God do with thee what he will till he purges out that fretting humour thy wound will not be healed a murmuring heart is a very sinful heart so that when thou art troubled for such an affliction thou hadst need turn thy thoughts rather to be troubled for the murmuring of thy heart for that 's the greatest trouble there is an affliction upon thee and that is grievous but there is a murmuring heart within and that 's more grievous Oh that we could but convince men and women that a murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction let the affliction be what it will be We shall shew more afterward that a murmuring spirit is the evil of the evil and the misery of the misery Secondly The evill of murmuring is such that God when he would speak of wicked men and describe them and slew the brand of a wicked and ungodly man or woman he instances in this sin in a more special manner I might name many Scriptures but that Scripture in Jude is a most remarkable one in the 14. verse and so forward there it is said That the Lord comes with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Mark here in this 15. verse there is four times mentioned ungodly ones All that are ungodly among them all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him This is in the general But now he comes in the particular to shew who these are these are saith he Murmurers that 's the very first Would you know who are ungodly men that God when he comes with ten thousand of Angels shall come to punish for all their ungodly deeds that they do and those that speak ungodly things against them These ungodly ones are murmurers murmurers in the Scripture are put in the fore front of ungodly one it 's a most dreadfull Scripture that the Lord when he speaks of ungodly ones puts murmurers in the very fore-front of all you had need look to your spirits you may see that this murmuring which is the vice contrary to this Contentment is not so small a matter as you think you think you are not so ungodly as others because you do not swear and drink as others do but you may be ungodly in murmuring it 's true there is no sin but some seeds and remainers of it are in those that are godly but when they are under the power of this sin of murmuring it doth convince them to be ungodly as well as if they were under the power of drunkennesse or whordom or any other sin God will look upon you as ungodly for this sin as well as for any sin whatsoever This one Scripture should make the heart shake at the thought of the sin of murmuring Thirdly As it 's made a brand of ungodly men so you shal find in Scripture that God accounts it rebellion that is contrary to the worship that there was in contentednesse that 's worshiping of God crouching to God and falling down before him even as a dog that would crouch when you hould a staffe over him but a murmuring heart it 's a rebellious heart and that you shall find if you compare two Scriptures together they are both in the book of Numb 16.41 But on the morrow saith the text all the congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord. They all murmured now compare this with the Chap. 17. vers 10. And the Lord said unto Moses Bring Aarons rod again before the testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels In the 16. Chap. they murmured against Moses and Aaron and in the 17. Chap. bring the rod of Aaron again before the testimony for a token against the Rebels So that to be a murmurer and to be a Rebel you see in Scripture phrase is all one It is a rebellion against God as it is the beginning of rebellion and sedition in a kingdom when the people are discontent and when discontentment comes it grows to murmuring and you can go into no house almost but there is murmuring when men are discontent so that within a little while it breaks forth into sedition or rebellion Murmuring it's but as the smoke of the fire there is first a smoke and smother before the flame breaks forth and so before open rebellion in a kingdom there is first a smoke of murmuring and then it breaks forth into open rebellion but because it hath rebellion in the seeds of it therefore it is accounted before the Lord to be rebellion Wilt thou be a Rebel against God When thou feelest thy heart discontented and murmuring against the dispensations of God towards thee thou shouldest check thy heart thus Oh thou wretched heart what wilt thou be a Rebel against God wilt thou rise in a way of Rebellion against the infinite God yet thus thou hast done charge thy heart with this sin of rebellion you that are guilty of this sin of murmuring you are this day by the Lord charged as being guilty of Rebellion against him and God expects that when you go home you should humble your souls before him for this sin that you should charge your souls for being guilty of rebellion against God many of you may say I never thought that I had been a Rebel against God before I thought that I had many infirmities but now I see the Scripture speaks of sin in another manner than men do the Scripture makes men though but murmurers to be Rebels against God Oh this rebellious heart that I have against the Lord that hath manifested it's self in this way of murmuring against the Lord That 's a Third particular in the evil of discontentment A Fourth particular in the evil of Discontentment it is a wickedness that is exeeeding contrary to Grace and especially contrary to the work of God in bringing of the soul home to himself I know no distemper more opposite and contrary to the work of God in conversion of a sinner than this is Quest What 's the work of God when he brings a sinner home to himself Answ The usual way is for God to make the soul to see and be sensible of the dreadful evil that there is in sin and the great breach that sin hath made between God and it for certainly Jesus Christ can never be known in his beauty and excellency till the soule know that I do not speak what secret work of the Holy-Ghost there may be in the soul but before the soul can actually apply Jesus Christ to its self it is impossible but it must come to know the
evil of sin and the excellency of Jesus Christ there may be a seed of faith put into the soul but the soul must first know Christ and know sin and be made sensible of it Now how contrary is this sin of murmuring to any such work of God hath God made me see the dreadful evil of sin and made my soul to be sensible of the evil of sin as the greatest burden how can I then be so much troubled for every little affliction certainly if I saw what the evill of sin were that sight would swallow up all other evils and if I were burdened with the evil of sin it would swallow up all other burdens what am I now murmuring against Gods hand saith such a soul when as a while ago the Lord made me see my self to be a damned wretch and apprehend it as a wonder that I am not in Hell 2. Yea it 's mighty contrary to the sight of the infinit excellency and glory of Jesus Christ and of the things of the Gospel What am I that soul that the Lord hath discovered such infinit excellency of Jesus Christ to and yet shall I think such a little affliction to be so grievous to me when I have had the sight of such glory in Christ that is more worth than ten thousand worlds for so will a true convert say Oh! the Lord at such a time hath given me that fight of Christ that I would not be without for ten thousand thousand worlds but hath God given thee that and wilt thou be discontent for a trifle in comparison to that 3. A Third work when God brings the soul home to himself it is By taking the heart off from the Creature the disingaging the heart from all Creature-comforts that 's the Third work ordinarily that the soul may perceive of its selfe It 's true Gods work may be altogether in the seeds in him but in the several actings of the soul in turning to God it may perceive these things in it the disingagement of the heart from the Creature that 's the calling off the soul from the world Whom the Lord hath called he hath justified what 's the calling of the soul but this the soul that was before seeking for Contentment in the world and cleaving to the Creature now the Lord calls the soul out of the world and saith Oh soul thy happinesse is not here thy rest is not here thy happinesse is else-where and thy heart must be loosned from all these things that are here below in the world and this is the work of God in the soul to disingage the heart from the Creature and how contrary is a murmuring heart to such a thing a thing that is glued to another you cannot take off but you must rend it so it 's a sign thy heart is glued to the world that when God would take thee off thy heart rends if God by an affliction should come to take any thing in the world from thee if thou canst part from it with ease without rending it 's a sign then that thy heart is not glued to the world 4. A Fourth work of God in the converting of a sinner is this The casting of the soul upon Jesus Christ for all its good I see Jesus Christ in the Gospel the Fountain of all good and God out of free Grace tendering him to me for life and for salvation and now my soul casts its self rouls it self upon the infinit Grace of God in Christ for al good now hast thou done so hath God converted thee and drawn thee to his Son to cast thy soul upon him for all thy good and yet thou discontented for the want of some little matter in a creature-comfort art thou he that hath cast thy soul upon Jesus Christ for all good as he saith in another case Is this thy faith 5. The Soul is subdued to God and then it comes to receive Jesus Christ as a King to rule to order and dispose of him how he pleases and so the heart is subdued unto God Now how opposite is a murmuring discontented heart to a heart subdued to Jesus Christ as a King and receiving him as a Lord to rule and dispose of him as he pleases 6. There is in the work of thy turning to God the giving up of thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant as thou takest Christ the Head of the Covenant to be thine so thou givest up thy self to Christ In the work of Conversion there is the resignation of the Soul wholly to God in an everlasting Covenant to be his hast thou ever surrendred up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant then certainly this thy fretting murmuring heart is mighty opposite to it certainly thou forgettest this Covenant of thine and the Resignation of thy self up to God it would be of marvellous help to you to humble your Souls when you are in a murmuring condition if you could but obtain so much liberty of your own spirits as to look back to see what the work of God was in converting you there is nothing would prevail more than to think of that I am now in a murmuring discontented way but how did I feel my soul working when God did turn my Soul to himself Oh how opposite is this to that work and how unseeming Oh what shame and confusion would come upon the spirits of men and women if they could but compare the work of corruption in their murmuring and discontent with the work of God that was upon their Souls in conversion now we should labour to keep the work of God upon our Souls that was at our Conversion for Conversion must not be only at one instant at first men are deceived in this if they think their Conversion is finished meerly at first thou must be in a way of conversion to God all the daies of thy life and therefore Christ saith to his Disciples except ye be converted and become as little children Ye be Converted why were they not converted before Yes they were converted but they were still to continue the work of Conversion all the daies of their lives and what work of God there is at the first Conversion it is to abide afterwards As thus alwaies there must abide some sight and sense of sin it may be not in the way which you had which was rather a preparation than any thing else but the sight and sense of sin it is to continue still that is you are still to be sensible of the burden of sin as it is against the Holinesse and Goodnesse and Mercy of God unto thee and the sight of the excellency of Jesus Christ is to continue and thy calling out of the Creature and thy casting of thy Soul upon Christ and thy receiving Christ as a King still receive him day by day and the subduing of thy heart and the surrendring of thy selfe up to God in a way of Covenant now if this were but daily continued there would
we sit down quiet without murmuring Certainly thou never knewest what it was to be humbled for thy manifold sins that art discontented at any administration of God towards thee The Eighth Agravation of the sin of murmuring is For those men that are of little use in the world for them to be discontented If you have but a beast that you make much use of you wil feed it well but if you have but litttle use of him then you turn him into the commons little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him If we liv'd so as to be exceeding useful to God and his Church we might expect that God would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us but when our consciences tell us we live and do but little service for God what if God should turn us upon the commons yet we are fed according to our work according to our imployment why should any creature be servicable to thee who art so little servicable to God This one meditation would much help us to think I am discontent because such and such creatures are not servicable to me but why should I expect that they should be servicable to me when I am not servicable to God And that 's the Eighth Aggravation A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us It should be the care of a Christian to observe what are Gods waies towards him what is God about to do with me at this time Is God about to raise me to comfort me let me close with Gods goodnesse and blesse his Name let me joyn with the work of God when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers But again Is God about to humble me is God about to break my heart and to bring my heart down to him let me joyn with God in this work of his this is for a Christian to walk with God It is said that Enoch and Noah walked with God walked with God what 's that That is To observe what is the work of God that God is now about and to joyn with God in that work of his so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with Grd and have sutable workings unto the workings of God towards him Now then I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted Therefore thou art afflicted because God would humble thee and the great design that God hath in afflicting of thee is to break and humble thy heart and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God God is doing thee good if thou could'st see it now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine and humble that proud spirit of thine it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou had'st in all thy life now wilt thou yet stand out against God it's even as if thou shouldest say well the Lord is about to break me and humble me but he shall not this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentednesse though thou darest not say so but though thou sayest not so in words yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit Oh consider what an aggravation this is I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good but yet I stand out against him and resist him and that 's another aggravation A tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction It 's a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent but though it be a sin when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that but when I see an extraordinary providence working that 's a greater sin that is when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God shall I stand out against God when I see God doth expresse his wil in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition indeed before we see the will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction and may use means for it but now when we see God expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us it 's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist for as it is an argument of a mans disobedience when there is not only a command against a sin but when God reveals his command in a terrible way the more solemn the command of God is the greater is the sin in breaking that command so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented Then God expects that we should fall down when he as it were speaks from Heaven to thee by name and saith well I wil have this spirit of thine down do not you see that my hand is stretched out my eyes are upon you my thoughts are upon you and I must have that proud spirit of thine down Oh then it 's fit for the creature to yeeld and submit unto him When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants or children you expect they should regard what you say but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way then if they should disregard what you say you are very impatient So certainly God cannot take it well when ever he doth appeare from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction if then we do not submit to him The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this To be discontented though God hath been exercising of us long under afflictions yet still to remain discontented For a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it 's an evil but to have a murmuring heart when God hath been a long time exercising them with affliction it 's more evil Though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wrigles up and down and will not be quiet but if after many monthes or yeers it shall not draw quietly the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it So though the Lord was content to passe by that discontented spirit of thine at first yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon
faithfulnesse and thou mayest have as great a reward for thy faithfulnesse that art a poor servant in the Kitchin all the day as another that sits upon the Throne all day and as great a Crown of glory thou mayest have at the day of judgement as a King that sits upon the Throne that hath ruled for God upon his Throne yea thy faithfulnesse may be rewarded by God with as great glory as a King that hath swaid his Scepter for God because I say the Lord doth not so much look at the work that is done as at the faithfulnesse of our hearts in doing it then why should not every one of us go on comfortably and cheerfully in our low condition for why may not I be faithful as well as another it's true I cannot come to be as rich a man and as honourable as others but I may be as faithful as any other man that every one of you may conclude with your selves what doth let but that you that are the poorest and meanest may be as faithful as the greatest yea you may have as glorious a crown in Heaven and therefore go on comfortably and chearfully in your way A Tenth Plea There 's another reasoning that some may have and that is this Oh I could bear much affliction in some other way but this is very grievous to me the unsetledness of my condition though my condition were but low yet if it were in a setled way I could be content but it is so unconstant and so unsetled that I can never know what to trust to but am tost up and down in the world in an unsetled condition and this is hard to be content with Now to that I answer First that the Psalmist saith That every man in his setled estate is vanity in Psalme 36.5 your books have it Every man at his best estate is vanity the word is his setled estate you think if you were but setled Oh then you could be content but the truth is man in his setled estate is vanity Secondly I answer thus that perhaps God sees it is better for thee to live in a continual dependance upon him and not to know what thy condition shal be one the morrow then for thee to have a more setled condition in respect of the comforts of the creature do but remember that we spake of before that Christ doth not teach you to pray Lord give me enough that wil serve me for two or three years but this day our dayly bread to teach us we must live upon God in a dependent condition every day for daily bread Here was the difference that is observable between the Land of Canaan and Egypt the land of Canaan that depended upon God for the watering of it with showers from Heaven but Egypt had a constant way of watering the country that did not so much depend upon Heaven for water but upon the river Nylus which did at some certain time overflow the country and they knowing that the watering of their country did depend upon that river and not upon Heaven they grew more proud And therefore the Scripture to express Pharoah's pride brings him in saying The River is mine he could order the river as he pleased for it was his Canaan which was a country which was to depend upon God though they had rain at one time yet they knew not whether they should have it at another time and liv'd alwaies in a dependance upon God not knowing what should become of them Now God thought this to be a better land for his people than Egypt and this is given as one reason among others for it because the Lord lookt upon this as more sutable to the state of his people that were to live by faith to be continually depending upon Heaven upon Himself and not to have a constant setled way in the creature for their outward dependance and we find it by experience that when those that are godly live in the greatest dependance upon God and have no setled comings-in from the creature they do exercise faith more and are in a better condition for their souls than before Oh! many times it fals out that the worse thy outward estate is the better thy soul is and the better thy outward estate is the worse thy soul is We reade in Ezra 4.13 the objection that the enemies had against the people of Israels building of the wall of the Citie their writing to Artaxerxes against them saith Be it known unto the King that if the City be builded and the wals set up again then they wil not pay toll tribute and custome and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the Kings If the wall be built say thy then they will refuse to pay toll tribute and custome to the King that is thus so long as they live in such a condition where they have dependance wholly upon the King and lie at the Kings mercy that is they are in no City that hath walls built but the King may come upon them when he will so long they will pay custom to the King but if once they come to build a wall and can defend themselves and have not their dependance upon the King as before then they will deny paying toll tribute and custom So it is thus for all the world between God and mens souls when a soul lives in way of meer dependance upon God that sensibly he sees God hath him at advantage every moment Oh then such a soul will pay toll and custome that soul exercises faith and begs every day his dayly bread but if God hedges that man about with an estate with prosperity perhaps he hath an inheritance befallen him perhaps he hath a constant office that brings in so much yeerly to him duly paid this man is not so sensible now of his dependance upon God he begins now to pay lesse toll and custom to God than before God hath lesse service from this man now than before God sees it better for his people to live in a depending condition we are very loth in respect of God to be dependant we would be all independants this way we would be of our selves and have no dependance upon the Lord but God sees it better for us to live in a depending condition Further This may be thy comfort though for outward things thou art mightily unsetled yet for the great things of thy soul and eternal estate there thou art setled there thou hast a setled way a constant way of fetching supply Of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace thou hast there abundance of treasure to go to and fetch all that thou standest in need of and observe it that now thy condition is more setled in the covenant of grace than it was in the covenant of works in the covenant of works there God gave man a stock to trade with but he put it in his own hand so that he might trade and get or lose but now in the
obedience to thee When God cals for thy estate or any comforts that thou hast God cals for it as a pledge of thy obedience to him A Twelfth Plea Another reasoning of a murmuring heart is this Oh but after I have taken a great deal of pains for such a comfort yet then I am crost in it after a great deal of labour and pains that I have taken now to be crost Oh this goes very hard First I answer The greater crosse the more obedience and submission Secondly When thou did'st take a great deal of pains was it not with submission to God Did'st thou take pains with resolution that thou must have such a thing when thou labourest for it Then know that thou labourest not as a Christian but if thou did'st labour and take pains was it not with resignation to God Lord I am taking pains in the way of my calling but with submission I depend wholly upon thee for successe and a blessing And what was it that thou did'st aime at in thy labour was it not that thou mightest walk with God in the place that God had set thee A Christian should do so in his outward calling I am diligent in my outward calling but it is that I might obey God in it it 's true I do it that I might provide for my family but the chief thing that I aime at is That I might yeild obedience to God in the way that God hath set me Now if God cals thee to another condition to obey him in though it be by suffering thou wilt do it if thy heart be right Thirdly There will be the more testimony of thy love to God if so be thou shalt now yeeld up thy self to God in that that cost thee dear shall I offer that to God saith David that cost me nothing thy outward comforts hath cost thee much and thou hast taken much pains to obtain them and now if thou canst submit to God in the want of them I say in this thy love is more shown that thou canst offer that to God that cost thee dear Now these are the principal reasonings of a discontented heart A Thirteenth Plea There 's one Plea more that may be nam'd and that is this saith some Though I confess my affliction is somwhat hard and I feel some trouble within me yet I thank God I break not out in discontented waies to the dishonour of God I keep in although I have much ado with my own heart Oh! do not satisfie your selves with that for the distempers of your hearts and their sinful workings are as words before God My soul be silent to God That we spake of in the begining of the opening of this Scripture it is not enough for thy tongue to be silent but thy soul must be silent there may be a sullen discontentednesse of heart as well as a discontentednesse manifested in words And if thou doest not mortifie that inward sullennesse if thou beest afflicted a little more it wil break forth at last And thus the Lord I hope hath met with the cheife reasonings and Pleas for our discontent in our conditions I beseech you in the Name of God consider these things and because they do concern your own hearts you may so much the better remember them I had thought to have made a little enterance into the next head and that is some way of helping you to this grace of Contentment It is a most excellent grace of admirable use as you have heard and the contrary is very sinful and vile SERMON XI PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content NOW we are coming to the close of this point of Contentment that Jesus Christ doth teach those that are in his School we have opened the point unto you and shewed you wherein the Art and Skill and Mystery of Christian Contentment lies and divers things in the way of application rebuking the want of this and the last day I finished that point of shewing the several Reasonings of a murmuring and discontented heart I shall now as being desirous to make an end leave what was said and proceed to what remains There are only these two things for the working of your hearts to this grace of Christian Contentment First The propounding of several Considerations for the contenting of the heart in any afflicted condition Secondly The propounding of Directions what should be done for the working of our hearts unto this The First Consideration We should consider in all our wants and inclinations to discontent The greatnesse of the mercies that we have and the meanesse of the things that we want The things we want if we be godly they are things of very small moment in comparison to the things we have and the things we have are things of very great moment for the most part that that people are discontent and murmur for the want of it is because they have not such things as reprobates have or may have why should'st thou be troubled so much for the want of that that a man or woman may have yet be a reprobate as that thy estate is not so great thy health not so perfect thy credit not so much thou mayest have all those things and yet be a reprobate now wilt thou be discontent for that that a reprobate may have I shall give you the example of a couple of godly men meeting together Anthony and Diddimus Diddimus was blind and yet a man of very excellent parts and graces Anthony askt him if he was not troubled at this his want of sight he confest he was but saith he shall you be troubled at the want of what flies and dogs have and not rather rejoyce be thankful that you have what Angels have God hath given you those good things that makes Angels glorious is not that enough to you though you want what thing a fly hath And so a Christian should reason the case with himself what am I discontented for I am discontented for want of that that a dog may have that a Devil may have that a reprobate may have shall I be discontent for not having that when as God hath given me that that makes Angels glorious Blessed be God saith the Apostle in Ephe. 1.3 that hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places It may be thou hast not so great blessings in earthly places as some others have but if the Lord hath blessed thee in heavenly places that should content thee there 's blessings in heaven and he hath set thee here for the present as it were in heaven in a heavenly place the consideration of the greatnesse of the mercies that we have and the littlenesse of the things that God hath denyed us is a very powerful consideration to work this grace of Contentment The Second Consideration The consideration that God is beforehand with us with his mercies should content us I spake to this as an
these times especially it were a very great evil for any to aim at great things Seek them not be willing to take hold low to creep low and if God doth raise thee thou shalt have cause to blesse him but if thou shouldest not be raised there would not be much trouble one that creeps low cannot fall far but it is those that are on high whose fall doth bruise them most that is a good rule Promise not your selves great matters neither aime at any great things in the world The Eighth Direction Labour to get your hearts mortified to the world dead to the world we must not content our selves that we have gotten some reasoning about the vanity of the Creature and such kind of things as these are but we must exercise mortification and be crucified to the world saith Paul I die daily we should die daily to the world We are baptized into the death of Christ that is to signifie that we have taken such a profession as to professe to be even as dead men to the world now there 's no crosses that fals out in the world that doth trouble those that are dead if our hearts were dead to the world we should not be much troubled with the changes of the world nor the tossings about of worldly things As it is very observable in those souldiers that came to break the bones of Christ they brake the legs of one that was crucified with him and of the other but when they came to Christ they found he was dead and so they did not break his legs there was a providence in it to fulfil a Prophesie but because they found he was dead they did not break his bones Let Afflictions and trouble find thee with a mortified heart to the world and they will not break thy bones the bones of those that are broken by crosses afflictions are those that are alive to the world that are not dead to the world but one that hath a mortified heart and dead to the world no afflictions or troubles will break the bones of such a one that is they will not be very grievous or painful to such a one as is mortified to the world This I fear is a mystery and riddle to many for one to be dead to the world to be mortified to the world Now it is not my work to open to you what Mortification is or death to the world is but only thus to have our hearts so taken off from the things of the world as to use them as if one used them not not to make account that our lives our comforts our happinesse doth consist in these things they are things that are of another nature that our happinesse doth consist in and we may be happy without these this is a kind of deadnesse to the world The Ninth Direction Let not men and women pore too much upon their Afflictions that is busie their thoughts too much to look down into their Afflictions you shall have many people that all their thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are they are altogether thinking and speaking of them it 's just with them as with a child that hath a sore about him his finger is alwaies upon the sore and so men and women their thoughts are alwaies upon their afflictions when they awake in the night their thoughts are upon their afflictions and when they converse with others nay it may be when they are praying to God they are thinking of their afflictions Oh! no mervail though you live a discontented life if your thoughts be alwaies poring upon such things you should rather labour to have your thoughts upon those things that may comfort you You shall have many that if you propound any rule to them to do them good they take it well while they are with you and thank you for it but when they are gone they soon forget it It is very observable of Jacob that when his wife died in child-birth his wife called the child Ben-oni that is a son of sorrows now Jacob he thought with himself if I should call this child Ben-oni every time that I name him it will put me in mind of the death of my dear wife and of that affliction and that will be a continued affliction to me therefore I will not have my child have that name and so the text saith that Jacob called his name Benjamin and that was the son of my right hand now this is to shew us thus much that when afflictions befals us we should not give way to have our thoughts continually upon them but rather upon those things that may stir up our thankfulness to God for mercies It it the similitude of Basil a learned man faith he It is in this case as it is with men and women that have sore eyes now it 's not fit for those to be alwaies looking upon the fire or upon the beams of the Sun no saith he one that hath sore eyes must get things that are sutable to him and such objects as are fit for one that hath such weak eyes therefore they will get green colours as that being a more easie colour and better for weak eyes and they will hang green sarsnet before their eyes because it is more sutable to them So weak spirits it 's the very same a man or woman that hath a weak spirit they must not be looking upon the fire of their afflictions upon those things that deject that cast them down but they are to be looking rather upon that which may be sutable for the healing and helping of them they should be considering of those things rather than the other It will be of very great use and benefit to you if you do lay it to heart not to be poring alwaies upon afflictions but upon mercies The Tenth Direction I beseech you observe this though you should forget many others Make a good interpretation of Gods waies towards you if there can be any good interpretation made of Gods waies towards you make it Ye think it much if you have a friend that should alwaies make bad interpretations of your waies towards him you would take that ill If you should converse with people that you cannot speak a word in their hearing but they are ready to make an ill interpretation of it and take it in an ill sense you would think their company to be very tedious to you it is very tedious to the Spirit of God when we make such ill interpretations of his waies towards us If God deals with us otherwise than we would have him if there can be any sense worse than other made of it we will be sure to make it as thus when an affliction doth befal you there may be many good senses made of Gods works towards you you should think thus it may be God intends only to try me by this it may be God saw my heart too much set upon the Creature and
our friends and so are brought into such straights pray husband go back again and venture not your self thus and thus but it seems she was of a gracious spirit and quieted her self in God and was not afraid with amazement If you would approve your selv's the daughters of Sarah do ye so when God cals your husbands to any service though it be with some hazard do not you hang about their necks and wring your hands and say I beseech you husband consider what will become of me and my children will you leave me now Take heed you are not the daughters of Sarah at such a time if you hinder your husbands at such a time as this is 4. Doct. That the sight of salvation after straights will be a glorious thing If we be brought into straights that that is comming will pay for all there is enough to satisfie let us not be troubled at greater straights than yet we have Suppose blood should be shed beloved God hath such mercy for England that shall pay for all the blood of his Saints that shall be shed and the blood of his people is a precious thing Every drop of the blood of his people is very precious and the Adversary shal be accomptable for every drop God will value it and there shall be a valuable consideration given for every drop of blood and the more difficulties we have in obtaining that mercy God is about to give us the mercy shall be the greater Isa 54.11 O thou afflicted and tost with tempests thy foundations shal be laid with Saphires and with precious stones If we be afflicted and tossed with tempests and the blood of Gods people go for it comfort your selves with this The more precious blood that is shed in this business the greater mercy is to come for God will have a valuable consideration for all the blood of his Saints FINIS AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF ALL THE PRINCIPAL TRUTHS IN THE FORE-GOING TREATISE OF Contentment A Abundance ABundance of mercies enjoyed should make us content Page 189 Account Account of prosperity Page 89 Account of great men Page 90 Actions see Heart Adversity see Quiet Affections Men unsatisfied in their affections Page 10 See Wast Afflictions Faith to be acted in afflictions Page 47 Gods people to be ordinarily in afflictions Page 98 To be troubled for murmuring rather than afflictions Page 120 Afflictions How made worse Page 141 How to moderate grief in afflictions Page 152 Gods hand apparant in afflictions Page 162 Afflictions are not to be pored on too much Page 201 See Fear Love Christ Mercy Look Great Chuse Fit Service c. All in All God All in All to his Children Page 51 All-sufficiency All-sufficiency in the Saints how Page 3 Angels A Christian one with Angels Page 127 A Christian neerer the Divine nature than Angels Page 128 A Saints calling as high as Angels Page 177 Apparant see Afflictions Assurance see Covenant B Base A murmuring spirit a base spirit Page 130 Beams Creatures convey comforts but as beams Page 50 Being We enjoy creatures in reference to the first-being Page 80 Best God interprets what we do to the best Page 204 Better see Condition Soul Beauty Beauty of grace wherein seen Page 104 Blesse Sence of afflictions will make us blesse God for the mercies of others Page 165 See Dew Bread We are to pray but for daily bread Page 134 Broken A Broken heart brings Content Page 33 Burden Contentment by adding a new burden Page 31 Burden of sin makes affliction light Page 32 C Call Calling Calling of the soul what Page 124 A Christian general calling high Page 177 To be sure of a Call in every thing Page 196 Change To change affliction to another thing Page 34 All creatures go on in a way of change Page 189 Child A murmuring spirit like a weaning Child Page 130 Christ What the Saints have is purchased by Christ Page 42 Afflictions to the godly from the same hand that gave Christ Page 44 What hinders the sight of the excellency of Christ Page 123 In Conversion the soul cast on Christ Page 124 Christian see Murmuring Chuse We must not chuse our afflictions Page 174 Command The more solemn Gods command the greater the sin in breaking of it Page 163 Complacency A Christian takes complacency in Gode dispose Page 17 Complain We may complain to God in afflictions Page 5 Comfort Content brings comfort Page 110 Comfort how kept in the soul ibid Comfort of what we have How lost Page 138 See God Condition A Christian content in every condition Page 20 We should do the works of our present condition Page 35 How to know what saith our condition Page 83 Our condition better than our betters Page 191 Constraint Not to submit in affliction by constraint Page 16 Contentment Contentment what it signifies Page 2 Contentment to be skil'd in the mystery of it Page 3 Contentment what Page 4 Contentment whereof it is made Page 26 Contentment the bottom of it Page 30 Contentment the excellency of it Page 100 Contentment wherein it consists Page 112 To be humbled for want of Contentment Page 118 Contentment of former Christians Page 133 Considerations to move Contentment Page 187 Directions to Contentment Page 195 See Worship Soul Condition Comfort c. Conversion The work of God in Conversion Page 122 See Life Contrary God worketh by Contraries Page 99 Corruption Argument of corruption in the soul Page 119 Covenant Christians comfort from Gods Covenant 53.61 Gods Covenant his Assurance-Office Page 63 Particular promises part of the Covenant Page 64 In Conversion we give our selves to God in Covenant Page 124 See Works Creature To know the vanity of the Creature Page 73 To enjoy God in the Creature Page 80 In Conversion the heart taken from the Creature Page 123 Creatures suffer for us Page 189 Crowns God hath Crowns for all graces Page 174 Curse Curse of God upon murmuring Page 146 D Daily see Bread Danger Danger of prosperity Page 86 Dear A siggn of love to give him that that cost us dear Page 185 Deliverance Deliverance may be sought in afflictions Denial see Self Departed We think God is departed when we are afflicted Page 168 Though God were departed from us we should not from him Page 169 See Disquiet Dependance We should live in continual dependance upon God Page 179 Deserve We deserve nothing of God Page 69 Desires A Christian should take from his desires Page 29 Devil Devil his Rhetorick Page 136 Devil most discontented Page 147 Dew A Christian lives on the dew of Gods blessing Page 40 Dignity Dignity of a Christian Page 120 Discouragement Discouragement opposite to Contentment Page 7 Discontent Discontent the reason of it Page 73 Discontent a sin of idle men Page 76 Discontent the root of it Page 82 Discontent how aggravated Page 153 Discontent Pleas for it Page 165 See Grace Shift Foolish Mercies Devil Disgrace Disgrace how sanctified Page 45