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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77996	The rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is shewed; 1. What contentment is. 2. The holy art or mystery of it. 3. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment. 4. The excellencies of it. 5. The evils of murmuring. 6. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring. By Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of the eleven volumes that are published by Thomas Goodwin, William Greenhil, Sydrach Sympson, Philip Nye, William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.; Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Simpson, Sidrach, 1600?-1655.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Adderley, William.	1666 (1666)	Wing B6107B; ESTC R201188	189,505	233

glory and honor into Heaven but this is such a time when the Kings of the Earth shall bring in their glory and honor to the Church And in the 26. verse And they shall bring the glory and honor of the Nation into it therefore it must needs be meant here in this world and not in Heaven Now if there be such a time here in this world that God shall be All in All that in no comparison there shall be no such need of Creatures as now there is then the Saints should labor to live as neer that life as possibly they can that is to make up all in God Oh that you would but mind this mystery that it may be a reality to the hearts of the Saints in such times as these are they would find this priviledge that they get by Grace to be worth thousands of worlds Hence is that of Jacob that I mentioned in another case it is remarkable and comes in fully here in Gen. 33. that notable speech of Jacob when his brother Esau did meet him ye find in one place that Esau he refused Jacobs present in the 8. verse when Jacob gave his present to him he refused it and told Jacob that he had enough What meanest thou by all this drove which I meet And he said These are to find grace in thy sight And Esau said I have enough Now in the 11 verse there Jacob urges it still and saith Jacob I beseech thee take it for I have enough now in your books it is the same in English I have enough saith Esau and I have enough saith Jacob but in the Hebrew Jacobs word is different from Esau's Jacob's word signifies I have all things and yet Jacob was poorer than Esau Oh this should be a shame to us that an Esau should say I have enough but now a Christian should say I have not onely enough but I have all how hath he all Because he hath God that is All And it was a notable speech of one He hath all things that hath him that hath all things Surely thou hast all things because thou hast him for thy portion who hath all things God hath all things in himself and thou hast God to be thine for thy portion and in that thou hast all and this is the mystery of Contentment It makes up all wants in God this is that that the men of the world have little skill in Now I have divers other things yet to open in the Mystery of Contentment I should shew likewise that a godly man not onely makes up all in God but finds enough in himself to make up all to make up all in himself not from himself but in himself and that may seem to be stranger than the other to make up all in God is somewhat nay to make up all in himself not from himself but in himself that is a gracious heart hath so much of God within himself that he hath enough there to make up all his wants that are without In Prov. 14.14 A good man shall be satisfied from himself from that that is within himself that is the meaning a gracious man he hath a bird within his own bosom that makes him melody enough though he wants musick The Kingdom of heaven is within you In Luk. 17.21 He hath a Kingdom within him and a Kingdom of God you see him spoken ill of abroad he hath a conscience within him that makes up the want of a name and credit that is instead of a thousand witnesses Thirteenth A gracious heart fetches Contentment from the Covenant that God hath made with him Now this is a way of fetching Contentment that the men of the world know not of they can fetch Contentment if they have the creature to satisfie them But to fetch Contentment from the covenant of grace that they have little skill in I should here have opened two things First how to fetch Contentment from the covenant of grace in general But I shall speak to that in the next Sermon and now onely a word to the second Secondly how he fetches contentment from the particular branches of the covenant that is from the particular promises that he hath for the supplying of every particular want there is no condition that a godly man or woman can be in but there is some promise or other in the Scripture to help him in that condition And that is the way of his Contentment to go out to the promises and fetch from the promise that which may supply But this is but a dry businesse to a carnal heart but it is the most real thing in the world to gracious heart When he finds want of Contentment he repairs to the Promise and the Covenant and falls to pleading the Promises that God hath made As I should have shewed several promises that God hath made let the affliction be what it will I will but onely mention one that is the saddest affliction of all in case of the Visitation and the Plague In Psal 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 friends and other things to comfort them but in that they cannot Psal 91.10 There wall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Then here is a promise for the pestilence 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 befall thee neither shall the plague come nigh thee The evil of it 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 is a promise that it shall not come nigh them and yet it doth come nigh them as well as others Answ First This is the answer I would give The promises of outward deliverances that were made to the people of God in the time of the Law were to be understood then a great deal more literally and fulfilled more literally than in the times of the Gospel God makes it up otherwise with as much mercy though God made a covenant of Grace and 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 peopleby according to their waies either in outward prosperity or in outward afflictions more than now in a more punctual set way than in the times of the Gospel and therefore when the Children of Israel did but sin against God they were sure to have publick judgements to come upon them and if they did well always publick mercies the general constant way of God was to deal with the People of the Jews according

strength from Christ Page 47 12 He makes up his wants in God Page 49 13 He fetches Contentment from the Covenant Page 53 Objection concerning the Plague Answered Page 54 SERMON IV. He supplieth wants by what he findes in himself Page 57 He fetches supply from the Covenant Page 61 1 In General ib. 2 From Particular promises 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 Page 68 Whereby a Christian knows 1 That he is nothing Page 69 2 That he deserves nothing ib. 3 That he can do nothing Page 70 4 That he can receive no good of himself ib. 5 If God withdraw himself he can make use of nothing ib. 6 That he is worse than nothing Page 71 7 That there is no loss of him if he perish ib. 8 That he comes to rejoyce in Gods waies Page 72 2 Lesson To know the vanity of Creatures Page 73 3 Lesson To know that one thing necessary Page 74 SERMON V. 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 where discontent lies ib. 2 By knowing what is suitable to our condition Page 83 3 By this wee may know what wee are able to mannage Page 84 7 Lesson To know the burden of a prosperous estate Page 85 Which is fourfold 1 The burden of trouble ib. 2 The burden of danger Page 86 3 The burden of Duty Page 89 4 The burden of account ib. 8 Lesson A great evil to be given up to our own hearts desire Page 91 SERMON VI 9 Lesson The right knowledge of Gods providence Page 94 Wherein four things 1 The Universality of it ib. 2 The Efficacy of it Page 95 3 The Variety of it ib. 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 hee brings them lowest ib. 3 How he works by contraries Page 99 The Excellency of Contentment 1 Excellency By it we give God his due worship Page 101 2 Excellency In it there is much exercise of grace Page 103 1 There is much strength of grace ib. 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 which we possess not Page 111 In four Particulars SERMON VII 8 Excel Contentment a great blessing of God upon the soul Page 115 9 Excel A contented man may expect a reward Page 116 10 Excel By contentment the soul comes nearest 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 ib. 3 Taking the heart from the Creature ib. 4 Casting the soul on Christ for all good Page 124 5 Subduing the soul to Christ as King ib. 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 ib. 2 To Christ as a Spouse ib. 3 To Christ as a Member Page 127 4 To Christ as a Co-heir ib. 5 To Gods Spirit as a Temple ib. 6 To Angels as one with them ib. 7 To Saints as of the same body ib. 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 ib. SERMON VIII 6 Below the helps of a Christian Page 132 7 Below the expectation of a Christian ib. 8 Below what other Christians have done Page 133 6 Evil By murmuring we undo our prayers ib. 7 Evil The effects of a murmuring heart 1 Loss of much time Page 134 2 Unfitness for Duty ib. 3 Wicked risings of heart Page 135 4 Unthankfulness ib. 5 Shifting Page 138 8 Evil Discontent a foolish sin ib. 1 It takes away the comfort of what we have ib 2 We cannot help our selves by it Page 139 3 It causeth foolish carriage to God man ib 4 It takes out the sweetness of mercies before they come ib. 5 It makes affliction worse Page 141 9 Evil It provokes the wrath of God ib. 10 Evil There is a curse upon it Page 146 11 Evil There is much of the Spirit of Satan in it Page 147 12 Evil It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet ib. 13 Evil God may justly withdraw his protection from such ib. Aggravations of the sin of Murmuring 1 Aggravation The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring Page 150 SERMON IX 2 Aggrav When we murmur for small things Page 157 3 Aggrav When men of parts and abilities murmur Page 158 4 Aggrav The freeness of Gods mercy ib. 5 Aggrav Discontent for what we have Page 159 6 Aggrav When men are raised from a low condition ib. 7 Aggrav When men have been great sinners Page 160 8 Aggrav When those murmur that are but of little use in the world Page 161 9 Aggrav To murmur when God is about to humble us ib. 10 Aggrav When Gods hand is apparent in affliction Page 162 11 Aggrav To murmur under long affliction Page 163 Pleas of a discontented heart 1 Plea I am not sensible of my afflictions 1 Sense of affliction takes not away sense of mercies Page 165 2 It hinders not Duty ib 3 It will make us bless God for the mercies of others ib. 2 Plea My trouble is for my sins 1 It is not if you were not troubled for sin before Page 166 2 What the greatest care is to remove affliction ib. 3 If after affliction is removed sin trouble us ib. 4 If there be not care to avoid sin after Page 167 5 There is the more cause to accept of the punishment ib. 3 Plea God withdraws himself 1 We think God is departed when he doth but afflict Page 168 2 Disquiet is a sign and cause of Gods departure ib. 3 If God depart from us we should not from him Page 169 4 Plea I am troubled for mens ill dealing 1 Men are Gods Instruments Page 170 2 We should rather pitty them than murmur Page 171 3 We have righteous dealing with God ib. SERMON X. 5 Plea It is an affliction I looked not for 1 It

he is the most unsatisfied of any man in the world You never learned the mystery of contentment except it may be said of you that as you are the most contented man so you are the most unsatisfied man in the world You will say how is that A man that hath learned the art of Contentment is the most contented with any low condition that he hath in the world and yet he cannot be satisfied with the injoyment of all the world and yet he is contented if he hath but a crust but bread and water that is if God disposes of him for the things of the world to have but bread and water for his present condition he can be satisfied with Gods dispose in that yet if God should give unto him Kingdoms and Empires all the world to rule if he should give it him for his portion he would not be satisfied with that here 's the mystery of it though his heart be so inlarged as the injoyment of all the world and ten thousand worlds cannot satisfy him for his portion yet he hath a heart quieted under Gods dispose if he gives him but bread and water to joyn these two together this must needs be a great art and mystery Though he be contented with God in a little yet those things that would content other men will not content him The men of the world they seek after estates and think if they had thus much and thus much they would be content they aim at no great matters but if I had perhaps some man thinks but two or three hundred a year then I should be well enough If I had but a hundred a year or a thousand a year saith another then I should be satisfyed but saith a gracious heart If he had ten hundred thousand times so much a year it would not satisfie him if he had the quintessence of all the excellencies of all the creatures in the world it could not satisfie him yet this man can sing and be merry and joyfull when he hath but a crust of bread and a little water in the world Surely Religion is a great Mystery great is the Mystery of Godliness not only in the Doctrinal part of it but in the Practical part of it also Godliness teacheth us this Mystery Not to be satisfied with all the world for our portion and yet to be content with the meanest condition in which we are As Luther when he had great gifts sent him from Dukes and Princes he refused it and saith he I did vehemently protest God should not put me off so 't is not that which will content me A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage Mark here lies the Mystery of it A little in the world will Content a Christian for his passage but all the world and ten thousand times more will not Content a Christian for his portion Now a carnal heart will be Content with these things of the world for his portion and there is the difference between a Carnal heart and a Gracious heart But saith a gracious heart Lord do with me what thou wilt for my passage through this world I will be content with that but I cannot be content with all the world for my portion so there is the mystery of true Contentation A contented man though he be most contented with the least things in the world yet he is the most unsatisfied man that lives in the world That Soul that is capable of God can be filled with nothing else but God nothing but God can fill a soul that is capable of God though a gracious heart knows that it is capable of God and was made for God Carnal hearts think of no reference to God but a gracious heart being inlarged to be capable of God and injoying somewhat of him nothing in the world can fill a gracious heart it must be only God himself and therefore you shall observe That let God give what he will to a gracious heart a heart that is godly except he gives Himself it will not do a godly heart will not only have the mercy but the God of that mercy as well as its self and then a little matter is enough in the world so be it he hath the God of that mercy he doth injoy In Phil. 4.7 9. I shall need go no further to shew a notable Scripture for this Compare vers 7. with vers 9. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ The peace of God shall keep your heart Then in vers 9. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you The peace of God shall keep you and the God of peace shall be with you This is that that I would observe from this Text That the peace of God is not enough to a gracious heart except it may have the God of that peace A carnal heart could be satisfied if he might but have outward peace though it be not the peace of God peace in the State and his trading would satisfie him But mark how a godly heart goes beyond a carnal all outward peace is not enough but I must have the peace of God But suppose you have the peace of God Will not that quiet you No I must have the God of peace as the peace of God so the God of peace that is I must enjoy that God that gives me the peace I must have the cause as well as the effect I must see from whence my peace comes and enjoy the fountain of my peace as well as the stream of my peace and so in other mercies have I health from God I must have the God of my health to be my portion or else I am not satisfied It is not life but the God of my life it is not riches but the God of those riches that I must have the God of my preservation as well as my preservation a gracious heart is not satisfied without this To have the God of the mercy as well as the mercy In Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but Thee and there is none upon the Earth that I desire besides thee It is nothing in Heaven or Earth can satisfie me but thy self if God give thee not only Earth but Heaven that thou shouldest rule over Sun Moon and Stars and have the rule over the highest of the sons of men it would not be enough to satisfie thee except thou hadst God himself There lies the first mystery of Contentment and truly a contented man though he be the most contented man in the world yet he is the most unsatisfied man in the world that is Those things that will satisfie the world will not satisfie him Secondly There is this Mystery in Christian Contentation A Christian comes to Contentment not so much by way of Addition as by way of Substraction that is his

of his power in little things and therefore the miracles that God hath wrought have been as much in little things as in great now as God lets out a great deal of his power in working miracles in smaller things so he lets out a great deal of goodness in mercy in comforting and rejoycing the hearts of his people in little things as well as in great there may be as much riches in a pearl as in a great deal of lumber but now this is a distinct thing Further A gracious heart as he lives upon Gods dew in a little that he hath so when that little that he hath shall be taken from him what shall he do then Then you will say if a man have nothing there can be nothing fetcht out of nothing But if the children of God have their little taken from them they can make up all their wants in God himself Such a man is a poor man the plunderers came and took away all that he had what shall he do then when all is gone But when all is gone there is an art and skill that godliness teaches to make up all those losses in God Many men that have their houses burnt go about gathering and so get up by many hands a little but a Godly man knows whither to go to get up all even in God himself so as he shall enjoy the quintessence of the same good and comfort as he had before for a Godly man doth not live so much in himself as he lives in God This is now a mystery to a carnal heart I say a gracious man doth not live so much in himself as he doth in God he lives in God continually if there be any thing cut off from the stream he knows how to go to the Fountain and makes up all there God is All in All while he lives I say it is God that is All in All. Am not I to thee saith Elkanah to Hannah instead of ten children So saith God to a gracious heart Thou wantest this thy Estate is plundered Why Am not I to thee-instead of ten Houses and ten Shops I am to thee in stead of All yet not only instead of All but come to me and thou shalt have All again in me This indeed is an excellent Art to be able to draw from God what it had before in the Creature Christian How didst thou enjoy comfort before Was the Creature any other to thee but a Conduit a Pipe that did convey Gods goodness to thee The Pipe is cut off saith God Come to me to the Fountain and drink immediately though the beams be taken away yet the Sun remains the same in the Firmament as ever it was What is that that satisfies God himself but because he doth enjoy all Fulness in himself so he comes to have satisfaction in himself Now if thou enjoyest God to be thy portion if thy soul can say with the Church in Lament 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul Why shouldest thou not be satisfied and contented as God God is contented he is in eternal Contentment in himself now if thou hadst that God to be thy portion why shouldest not thou be contented with him alone God is contented with himself alone if thou hast him thou mayest be contented with him alone and it may be that is the reason that thy outward comforts are taken from thee that God may be All in All in thee It may be whilst thou hadst these things here they did share with God in thy affections a great part of the stream of thy affection ran that way now God would have the full stream run to him As you know it is with a man that hath water comes to his house and if there be severall Pipes upon which he finds the water comes but scantly into his Wash-house he will rather stop the other Pipes that he may have all the water come in where he would have it So here it may be God had some stream of thy affection that ran to him then when thou didst enjoy these things Yea but a great deal was let out to the Creature a great deal of thy affections did run waste now the Lord would not have the affections of his Children to run waste he doth not care for other mens affections but for thine they are precious and God would not have them to run waste therefore doth he cut off thy other Pipes that thy heart might run wholly upon him As if you have Children because you have servants perhaps do feed them and give them things you perceive that your servants do steal away the Hearts of your Children you would hardly be able to bear it you would be ready to turn away such a servant and when the Servant is gone the Childe is at a great loss it hath not the Nurse but the Father or Mother intends by her putting away that the affections of the Childe might run the more strongly towards himself or her self and what loss hath the Childe that the affections that run in a rough Channel before towards the servant it runs towards the Mother So those affections that run towards the creature God would have them run towards himself that so he may be All in All to thee here in this World And a gracious heart can indeed tell how to enjoy God to be All in All to him that is the happiness of Heaven to have God to be All in All. The Saints in Heaven have not Houses and Lands and Money and Meat and drink and Cloathes You will say they do not need them Why do they not It is because God is All in All to them immediately Now while thou livest in this world thou maiest come to enjoy much of God you may have much of heaven while we live here in this life we maycome to enjoy much of the very life that there is in heaven and what is that but the enjoyment of God to be all in all to us There is one text in the Revelations that speaks of the glorious condition of the Church that is like to be even here in this world Rev. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it and the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof They had no need of the Sun or Moon It speaks of such a glorious condition that the Church is like to be in here in this world this doth not speak of Heaven and that appears plainly that this is not spoken of Heaven but of a glorious estate that the Church shall be in here in this world for it follows presently in the 24. and 26. verses And they speaking of the Kings of the earth And the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor unto it Why the Kings of the Earth shall not bring their

though thy father or mother died and left thee no heritage yet thou hast a heritage in the promise This is their heritage So that ther 's no Godly man or woman but is a great Heir Therefore when thou lookest into the Book of God and findest any Promise there thou mayest make that thine own Just as an Heir that rides over divers fields and meadows saith he This meadow is my heritage and this Corn-field is my heritage and then he sees a fair house and saith he this fair house is my heritage and he looks upon them with another manner of eye than a stranger that shall ride over those fields So a carnal heart reads the Promises and reads them but meerly as stories not that they have any great interest in them But a godly man every time he reads the Scriptures remember this Note when you are reading the Scripture and there meeteth with a Promise he ought to lay his hand upon it and say this is a part of my heritage it 's mine and I am to live upon it and this will make you to be contented Here 's a Mysterious way of Contentment So in Psal 34.10 and 37.6 there 's divers other Promises that brings Contentment In Isa 58.10 And thus much for the Mystery of Contentment by way of the Covenant There is two or three things more that shew how a Godly man hath Contentment after another kind of way than any Carnal heart in the world hath it 's a Mysterious way as thus He hath Contentment by reallizing the glorious things of Heaven to him he hath the Kingdom of Heaven as present and the glory that is to come by faith he makes it as present So the Martyrs they had Contentment in their sufferings for said some of them Though we have but a hard breakfast yet we shall have a good dinner we shall presently be in Heaven do but shut your eyes saith one and you shall be in Heaven presently 2 Cor. 4.16 We faint not saith the Apostle Why Because these light afflictions that are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They see Heaven before them and that contents them You Mariners when you can see the Haven before you though you were mightily troubled before you could see any land yet when you come nigh the shore and can see a land-mark that contents you exceedingly a godly man in the middest of the waves and storms that he meets withall he can see the Glory of Heaven before him and so contents himself one drop of the sweetness of Heaven is enough to take away all the sour and bitter of all the afflictions in the world Indeed here we know that one drop of sour or one drop of gall will make bitter a great deal of honey put a spoonfull of Sugar into a cup of gall or wormwood that will not sweeten it but if you put a spoonful of gall into a cup of Sugar it will imbitter that now it 's otherwise in Heaven one drop of sweet will sweeten a great deal of sour affliction but a great deal of sour and gall will not imbitter a soul that sees the glory of Heaven that is to come now a carnal heart hath no Contentment but from what he sees before him in this world but a godly heart hath Contentment from that that he sees laid up for him in the highest Heavens The last thing that I would name is this A godly man hath Contentment by opening and letting out of his heart to God other men or women they are discontented but how do they help themselves by railing by ill language such an one crosses them and they have no way to help themselves but by railing and by bitter words and so they ease themselves that way when they are angry but a godly man when he is cross't how doth he ease himself he is sensible of his cross as well as you and he goes to God in Prayer and there opens his heart to God and le ts out his sorrows and fears and then can come away with a joyful countenance now do you find that you can come away from prayer and not look sad As it 's said in 1 Sam. 1.18 of Hannah that when she had been at prayer her countenance was no more sad there she was comforted and this is the right way of Contentment Thus we have done with the Mystery of Contentment Now if you can put these things together that we have spoken of you may see fully what an Art Christian Contentment is Paul had need learn it you see Contentment is not such a poor business as many make it to say you must be content c. But it is a great Art and Mystery of Godliness to be contented in the way of a Christian and it will appear yet further to be a Mystery when we come to the Third Head and that 's to shew what those lessons are that a gracious heart doth learn when it learns to be contented I have learn'd to be contented Learn'd What Lessons have you learn'd As now a Scholar that hath great learning and understanding in Arts and Sciences how did he begin it he began as we use to say his ABC and then afterwards he came to his Testament and Bible and Accidence and so to his Grammar and afterwards to his other Books so he learn'd one thing after another So a Christian coming to Contentment is as a Scholar in Christs School and there are divers Lessons to teach the soul to bring it to this learning every godly man or woman is a Scholar it cannot be said of any Christian that he is illiterate but he is literate a learned man a learned woman now the lessons that Christ teaches to bring us to Contentment are these The first great lesson is The lesson of Self-denial and though it be a great and hard lesson as you know a childe at first cries It 's hard It 's that that I remember Bradford the Martyr saith Whosoever hath not learned the Lesson of the Crosse hath not learned his ABC in Christianity Here Christ begins with his Scholars yea those in the lowest form must begin with this if you mean to be Christians all you must buckle to this or you can never be Christians There is none can be a Scholar except be doth learn his ABC so thou must learn the lesson of self-denial or thou canst never come to be a Scholar in Christs School to be learned in this Mystery of contentment That is the first lesson that Christ teaches any soul Oh self denial that brings contentment that brings down softens a mans heart a thing you know that is soft if you strike upon it it makes no noise but if you strike upon a hard thing it makes a noise so the hearts of men that are full of themselves and hardened with self love if they have any stroke they make a noise but a self-denying

you got all you desire then you would be content why you may be content now without them Certainly our Contentment doth not consist in the getting of the thing we desire but in Gods fashioning our spirits to our conditions there 's some men that have not a foot of ground of their own yet will live better than other men that are heirs to a great deal of land I have known it in the Country sometimes that a man lives upon his own land and yet lives very poorly but you shall have another man that shall farm his land and yet by his good husbandry and by his care shall live better sometimes than he that hath the land of his own So a man by this Art of Contentment may live better without an estate than another man can of an estate Oh! it adds exceeding much to the comfort of a Christian and that I may shew it further there is more comfort in the Grace of contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever a man hath more comfort in being content without a thing than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way doth desire You think if I had such a thing then I should be content I say there is more good in Contentment than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent and that I shall open in divers particulars As thus 1. I would fain have such a thing and then I could be content but if I had it then it were but the creature that did help to my Contentment but now it 's the Grace of God in my soul that makes me content and surely it is better to be content with the Grace of God in my soul than with the enjoying of an outward comfort 2. If I had such a thing indeed my estate might be better but my soul would not be better but by Contentment my soul is better that would not be bettered by an estate or lands or friends but Contentment makes my self to be better and therefore Contentment is a better portion than the thing is that I would fain have to be my portion 3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied that 's but self-love but when I am Contented with the hand of God and am willing to be at his dispose that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied there I am contented through self-love but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God than from a principle of self-love 4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to perhaps I am contented in that one particular but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice and froward in other things if you give children what they would have in some things they grow so much the more coy and dainty and discontented if they have not other things that they would have but if I have once overcome my heart and am contentted through the Grace of God in my heart then this doth not content me onely in particular but in general whatsoever befalls me I am discontented and would fain have such a thing and afterwards I have it now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things No but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment I am prepar'd to be contented in all conditions and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life fills a mans life full of comfort in this world yea the truth is it is even Heaven upon Earth why what is Heaven but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit what 's the special thing that is in Heaven but rest and joy that makes the life of Heaven there 's rest and joy and satisfaction in God so it 's here in a contented spirit there 's rest and joy and satisfaction in God In Heaven there 's singing praises to God a contented heart is always praising and blessing God thou hast Heaven while thou art upon Earth when thou hast a contented spirit yea in some regards it's better than Heaven How is that you will say there 's some kind of honor that God hath in it and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven and that 's this In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations they are not put to any trials by afflictions there in Heaven they have exercise of Grace but they have nothing but encouragement to it and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect and in that they do excel us but there is nothing to cross their grace they have no tryals at all to tempt them to do contrary but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions temptations and troubles and yet to have grace exercised and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ and in the Word and Promises in the mid'st of all they suffer this may seem to be an honor that God hath from us that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God hath nothing to try them no temptations is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God as for the poor soul that is in the midst of tryals and temptations and afflictions and troubles for this soul to go on praising and blessing and serving God I say it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven and God shall not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven and therefore be contented and prize this Contentment and be willing to live in this world as long as God shall please and do not think Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles here in this world if thou wert then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self but here 's a way of honoring God and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this conflict of temptation that God shall not have from thee in Heaven and therefore be satisfied and quiet be contented with thy Contentment I want such and such things that others have but blessed be God I have a contented heart that others have not then I say be content with thy Contentment for that 's a rich portion that the Lord hath granted unto them if the Lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world it would not be such a rich portion as this that he hath given thee a contented spirit Oh go away and praise the name of God and say Lord it 's true these and these comforts that others have I should be glad if I had them but thou hast cut me short but though I want these yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better thou hast given me a quiet contented heart to be

a husband are the wives and though there are some husbands so vile as the wives may be forced to sue for maintenance certainly Jesus Christ will never deny maintenance to his Spouse it 's a dishonor for a Husband to have his Wife go whining up and down what thou art match'd with Christ and art his Spouse and wilt thou murmur now and be discontented in thy spirit You shall observe among those that are newly matched when there is discontent between the wife and the husband their friends will shake their heads and say they do not meet with that that they did expect ye see ever since they were married together how the man looks and the woman looks they are not so cheerily as they were wont to be surely say they it is like to prove an ill match But it s not so here it shall not be so between thee and Christ Oh Jesus Christ doth not love to see his Spouse to have a lowring countenance no man loves to see discontentment in the sace of his Wife surely Christ doth not love to see discontentment in the face of his Spouse 3. Thou standest in relation to Christ not onely as a Spouse but as a Member Thou art bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and to have a Member of Jesus Christ to be in such a condition it s exceeding unworthy 4. He is thy Elder brother likewise and so thou art a Co-heir with him 5. The relation that thou standest in to the Spirit of God thou art the Temple of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is thy Comforter it is he that is appointed to convey all comfort from the Father and the Son to the souls of his people And art thou the Temple of the holy Ghost and doth he dwell in thee and yet for all that thou murmurest for every little matter 6. The relation that thou standest in to the Angels thou art made one body with them for so Christ hath joyned principalities and powers with his Church they are Ministring Spirits for good to his people to supply what they need and thou and they are joyned together and Christ is the head of you and Angels 7. The relation that you stand in to the Saints you are of the same body with them they and you make up but one mystical body with Jesus Christ and if they be happy you must needs be happy On how beneath a Christian is a Murmuring spirit if he considers his relations in which he stands Secondly A Christian should consider That murmuring and discontentedness is below the high dignities that God hath put upon him Do but consider the high diguity that God hath put upon thee the meanest Christian in the world is a Lord of Heaven and Earth he hath made us Kings unto himself Kings unto God not Kings unto men to rule over them and yet I say every Christian is a Lord of Heaven and Earth yea of life and death That is As Christ he is a Lord of all so he hath made those that are his Members to be Lords of all All are yours saith the Apostle even life and death every thing is yours It s a very strange expression that death should be theirs Death is yours that is you are as it were Lords over it you have that that shall make death to be your servant your slave even death it self your greatest enemies are turned to be your slaves Faith makes a Christian to be as Lord over all to be lifted up in excellency above all creatures that ever God made except the Angels yea and in some respect above them I say the poorest Christian that lives is raised to an estate above all the Creatures in the world except Angels yea and above them in divers respect too and yet discontented that thou who wert as a firebrand of Hell and might have been scorching and velling and roaring there to all eternity yet that God should raise thee to have a higher excellency in thee than there is in all the works of Creation that ever he made except Angels and other Christians that are in thy condition yea and thou art neerer the Divine Nature than the Angels because thy nature is joyned in an hypostatical union to the Divine Nature and in that respect thy nature is more honored than the nature of the Angels And the death of Christ is thine he died for thee and not for the Angels and therefore thou art like to be raised above the Angels in divers respects yea thou art in such an estate as this is thou that art set apart to the end that God might man fest to all eternity what the infinite power of a Deity is able to raise a creature to for that 's the condition of a Saint a Believer his condition is such as he is set apart to the end that God might manifest to all eternity what his infinite power is able to do to make the creature happy art thou in such a condition Oh! how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world How unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every cross that every affliction shall be able to say to thy soul Bow down to us We accounted that a great slavery when men would say to our souls Bow down As the cruel Prelates were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences they did in effect say Let your consciences your souls bow down to us that we may tread upon them that is the greatest slavery in the world that one man should say to another let your consciences your souls bow down that we may tread upon them but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say bow down that we may tread upon thee Truly it s so when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent Know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur have said to thee Bow down that we may tread upon thee nay not afflictions but the very Devil doth prevail against you in this Oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that God hath raised a Christian unto What! the son of a King shall he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck thus doest thou in every affliction the affliction the cross and trouble that doth befall thee saith Bow down that we may come and tread upon thee Thirdly Murmuring its below the spirit of a Christian Below his Spirit the spirit of every Christian should be like the spirit of his father every father loves to see his spirit in his childe loves to see his Image not his Image of his body onely to say here 's a childe for all the world like the father but he hath the spirit of his father too a father that is a man of spirit Loves to see his spirit in his childe rather than the feature of his Body Oh the Lord that is