way challenge whatsoever they have need of We cannot express the right of a holy man the difference between his right and the right of the wicked more fully than by this similitude a Malefactor that is condemned to die yet he hath by favour granted to him his supper provided over night and you cannot say though the Malefactor hath forfeited all his right to all things to every bit of bread yet if he shall have a supper granted to him he doth not steal it though all his right is forfeited by his fault after he is once condemned he hath no right to any thing so it is with the wicked they have forfeited all their right to all comforts in this world they are condemned by God as Malefactors and are going to execution but if God will in his bounty give them something to preserve them here in the world they cannot be said to be thieves or robbers Now a man hath granted to him a supper over night before his execution but is that like the supper that he was wont to have in his own house when he eat his own bread and had his wife and children about him Oh a dish of green herbs at home would be a great deal better than any dainties in such a supper as that is but now a child of God hath not a right meerly by donation but what he hath it is his own through the purchase of Christ every bit of bread that thou eatest if thou beest a godly man or woman Jesus Christ hath bought it for thee thou goest to market and buyest thy meat and drink with thy money but know that before thou hast bought it or paid money Christ hath bought it at the hand of God the Father with his blood thou hast it at the hands of men for money but Christ hath bought it at the hand of his Father by his blood And certainly it is a great deal better and sweeter now though it be but a little Fifthly There 's another thing that shews the sweetness that there is in that little that the Saints have by which they come to have contentment whereas others cannot that is Every little that they have it is but as an earnest penny of all the glory that is reserved for them it is given them by God but as the Fore-runner of those eternal mercies that the Lord intends for them now if a man hath but twelve pence given to him as an earnest penny for some great possession that he must have is not that better than if he had forty pounds given unto him otherwise So every comfort that the Saints have in this world it is an earnest penny to them of those eternall mercies that the Lord hath provided for them as every affliction that the wicked have here it is but the beginning of sorrowes and fore-runner of those eternall sorrows that they are like to have hereafter in Hell so every comfort thou hast is a fore-runner of those eternal mercies thou shalt have with God in Heaven not only the consolations of Gods Spirit are the fore-runners of those eternal comforts thou shalt have in Heaven but when thou sittest at thy Table and rejoycest with thy wife and children and friends thou mayest look upon every one of those but as a fore-runner yea the very earnest-penny of eternal life unto thee Now then if this be so no marvel though a Christian be contented this is a mystery to the wicked I have what I have out of the love of God and I have it sanctified to me by God and I have it of free-cost from God by the purcase of the blood of Jesus Christ and I have it as a fore-runner of those eternal mercies that are reserved for me and in this my soul rejoyces There 's a secret dew of Gods goodness and blessing upon him in his estate that others have not and by all this you may see the meaning of that Scripture Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right A man that hath but a little yet if he hath it with righteousness it is better than a great deale without right yea better than the great revenues of the wicked so you have it in another Scripture That 's the next Particular in Christian Contentment the mystery is in this That he lives upon the dew of Gods blessing in all the good things that he doth enjoy The Ninth thing wherein the mystery of Christian Contentment consists is this Not only the good things that he hath he hath the dew of Gods blessing in them and they are very sweet to him but all the afflictions all the evils that do befall him he can see love in them all And can enjoy the sweetness of love in his afflictions as well as in his mercies yea the truth is the afflictions of Gods people comes from the same Eternal love that Jesus Christ did come from And that speech of Hierom He is a happy man that is beaten when the stroke is a stroke of love All Gods strokes are strokes of love and mercy all Gods waies are mercy and truth to those that fear him and love him Psalm 25.10 The wayes of God the waies of affliction as well as the waies of prosperity are mercy and love to him Grace gives a man an eye a piercing ye to pierce into the Councels of God those Eternal Counsels of God for good unto him even in his afflictions to see the love of God in every affliction as well as in prosperity Now this is a mystery to a carnal heart they can see no such thing perhaps they think God loves them when he prospers them and makes them rich but they think God loves them not when he doth afflict them that 's a mystery but grace instructs men in that mystery grace inables men to see love in the very frowns of Gods face and so comes to receive contentment In the Tenth place A godly man hath Contentment in the way of a mystery because as he sees all his afflictions come from the same love that Jesus Christ did so he sees them all sanctified in Jesus Christ sanctified as a Mediator he sees I say all the sting and venom and poyson of them all to be taken out by the vertue of Jesus Christ the Mediator between God and Man As now for instance Thus a Christian when he would have Contentment fals a working what is my affliction Is it poverty that God strikes me withall Jesus Christ had not a house to hide his head in the Fowls of the air had nests and the Foxes had holes but the Son of Man not a hole to hide his head in now my poverty is sanctified by Christs poverty I can see by faith the curse and sting and venom of my poverty taken out by the poverty of Jesus Christ Christ Jesus he was poor in this world to deliver me from the curse of my poverty that it should not be cursed unto
be no space nor time for murmuring to work upon thy heart that 's the Fourth Particular The Fift thing in the evil of discontentment Murmuring and discontentment is exceedingly below a Christian Oh! it is too mean and base a distemper for a Christian to give place to it Now it 's below a Christian in many respects 1 How below the relation of a Christian The relation in which thou standest With what relation you will say First The relation thou standest in to God Do'st not thou call God thy father and do'st not thou stand in relation to him as a child what thou murmer In 2 Sam. 13.4 it 's a speech of Jonadab to Amnon Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day wilt thou not tell me and so he told him but that was for a wicked cause he perceived that his spirit was troubled for otherwise he was of a fat and plump temper of body but because of trouble of spirit he was even pin'd away why what 's the matter thou that standest in this relation to the King and yet any thing should trouble thy heart that 's his meaning is there any thing that should disquiet thy heart and yet standest in such a relation to the King the King's Son So I may say to a Christian Art thou the King's Son the Son the Daughter of the King of Heaven and yet so disquieted and troubled and vext at every little thing that falls out as if a King's Son should cry out he is undone for losing a bable what an unworthy thing were this So doest thou thou criest out as if thou wert undon and yet a Kings Son thou that standest in such relation to God as unto a father thou doest dishonour thy father in this as if so be either he had not wisdom or not power or not mercy enough to provide for thee 2. The relation that thou standest in to Jesus Christ thou art the spouse of Christ what one married to Jesus Christ yet troubled and discontented hast thou not enough in him doth not Christ say to his spouse as Elkanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I better to thee than ten sons So doth not Christ thy husband say to thee Am not I better to thee than thousands of riches and comforts such comforts as thou murmurest for want of hath not God given thee his Son and will he not with him give thee all things hath the love of God bin to thee to give thee his Son in way of marriage why art thou discontented and murmuring consider thy relation to Jesus Christ as thou art a spouse and married to him his person is thine and so all the riches of Jesus Christ is thine as the riches of a husband are the wives and though there are some husbands so vile as the wives may be forced to sue for maintainance certainly Jesus Christ will never deny maintainance to his spouse it 's a dishonour for a husband to have the wife go whining up-and down what thou art macht with Christ 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 chearly 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 face 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 only 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 murmur 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 Oh 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 discontentednesse is below the high dignities that God hath put upon him Do but consider the high dignitie 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 himselfe Kings unto God not Kings unto men to rule over them and yet I say every Christian is lord of heaven and earth yea of life and death That is as Christ he is 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 's 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 respects too and yet discontented that thou who wert as a firebrand of hell and might have been scorching and yelling and roring 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
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
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
then it would be sweet now if God should put a spoonful or two of sugar in it would be bitter still But the way to Contentment is to purge out thy lusts and bitter humours Jam. 4.1 From whence are wars and strifs are they not from your lusts that are within you they are not so much from things without but from within as sometimes I have said it is not all the storms that are abroad that can make an earthquake but the vapours that are got within and so if those lusts that are within in thy heart if they were got out thy condition would be a contented condition These are the mysterious waies of godlinesse that the men of the world never think of when didest thou ever think of such a way as this is for to go and purge out the distempers of thy heart that are within Here are Seaven particulars now named there were a great many more that I had thought of and now without the understanding of these things and the practice of them you will never come to a true Contentation in your way Oh you will be bunglers in this trade of Christianity but the right perceiving of these things will help you to be instructed in it as in a Mystery SERMON III. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content THE Mystery of Contentment will appear yet further A gracious heart gets Contentment in a mysterious way a way that the world is not aquainted with Eightly He lives upon the dew of Gods blessing It 's the similitude of one Adrian Junius setting out a Contented man by a Grashopper leaping and skipping up and down that lives upon the dew and he hath this motto I am content with what I have and hope for better A grashopper doth not live upon the grass as other things do you cannot know what it feeds upon other things though as little as grashppers yet feed upon seeds or little flies and such things but the grashopper you know not what it feeds upon So a Christian can get food that the world knows not of in a secret way is a Christian fed by the dew of the blessing of God a poor man or woman that hath but a little which hath grace lives a more contented life than his rich neighbour that hath a great deal coming in we find it so ordinarily so that though they have but a little yet they have a secret blessing of God going in it that they are not able to expresse to any other man if you would come to them and say How comes it that you live so comfortably as you do they are not able to tell you what they have but they find there is a sweetnesse in what they do injoy and they know this by experience that they never had such sweetnesse in former times that though they had more plenty in former times than now they have yet they know they had not such sweetnesse but how this comes they cannot tell and we may shew some particulars even in that godly men do enjoy that make their condition to be sweet As now Take these four or five particulars that godly men finds Contentment in what he hath though it be never so little 1 Because in what he hath he hath the love of God he hath Gods love to him in what he hath If a King should send a piece of meat from his own table it is a great deal more comfortable to a Courrier than if he had twenty dishes at ordinary allowance if the King send but any little thing and say Go and carry this to such a man as a token of my love Oh how delightful is that unto him are your husbands at Sea and send you a token of their love it is more than forty times so much that you have in your houses already Every good thing the people of God do injoy they injoy it in Gods love as a token of Gods love and coming from Gods eternal love unto them and this must needs be very sweet unto them 2. What they have it is sanctified to them for good Other men have what they injoy in a way of common providence but the Saints in a special way Others have what they have and there is all they have meate and drink and houses and cloaths and money and that 's all But a gracious heart finds contentment in this I have it and I have a sanctified use of it too I find God going along with what I have to draw my heart neerer to him and sanctifie my heart to him If I find my heart drawn nearer to God by what I injoy it 's more a great deal than if I have it without any sanctifying my heart by it there 's a secret dew that goes along with it there 's the dew of Gods love in it and the dew of sanctification 3. A gracious heart what he hath he hath it upon free-cost he is not like to be called to pay for what he hath The difference between what a godly man hath and a wicked man is in this A godly man is as a child in an Inne an In-keeper hath his child in his house and the Father provides his dyet and lodging and what is fit for him Now there comes a stranger and the stranger hath dinner and supper provided and lodging but the stranger must pay for all it may be the childs fare is meaner than the fare of the stranger the stranger hath boyld and rost and baked but he must pay for it there must come a reckoning for it Just thus it is many of Gods people have but mean fare but God as a father provides it and it is on free-cost and they must not pay for what they have it is paid for before but the wicked in all their pomp and pride and bravery they have what they call for but there must come a reckoning for all they must pay for all in the conclusion and is it not better to have a little upon free cost than to come to have all to pay for Grace doth shew a man that what he hath he hath it on free cost from God as from a Father and therefore must needs be very sweet Fourthly A godly man may very well be content though he hath but little For what he hath he hath it by right of Jesus Christ by the purchase of Jesus Christ he hath a right to it another manner of right to what he hath than any wicked man can have to what he hath a wicked man hath these outward things I do not say they are usurpers of what they have but they have a right to it and that before God but how it is a right by meer donation that is God by his free bounty doth give it to them but the right that the Saints have it is a right of purchase it is paid for and it is their own and they may in a holy manner and holy
the Mysterie of Contentment Now if you can but 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 mysterie of godliness to be contented in the way of a Christian and it will appear yet further to be a mysterie 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 lern'd As now a Scholer that hath great learning and understanding in Arts and Sciences how did he begin it he began as we use to say his A B C and then afterwards he came to his Testament and Bible and Accidence and so to his Gramer and afterwards to his other books so he learn'd one thing after another So a Christian coming to Contentment is as a Scholer 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 scholer it cannot be said of any Christian that he is illiterate but he is litterate 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 lesson and hard as you know a child at first cries It 's hard It 's that that I remember Bradford the Martyr saith Whosoever hath not learned the lesson of the Cross hath not learned his A B C in Christianity Here Christ begins with his Scholers yea those in the lowest form must begin with this if you mean to be Christian at all you must buckle to this or you can never be Christians There is none can be a Scholler except he doth learn his A B C so thou must learn the lesson of self-denial or thou canst never come to be a Scholler in Christs School to be learned in this mystery of Contentment That 's the first lesson that Christ teaches any soul Oh self-denial that brings Contentment that brings down and softens a mans heart a thing you know that 's 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-self-love if they have any stroak they make a noise but a self-denying Christian yeilds to Gods hand and makes no noise as when you strike upon a woolsack it makes no noise because it yeilds to the stroke So a self-denying heart yeilds to the stroke and thereby comes to this Contentment Now in this lesson of self-denial there are divers things I will not enter into the Doctrine of self-denial but only shew you how Christ teaches self-denial and how that brings Contentment First Such a one learns to know that he is nothing he comes to this to be able to say Well I see I am nothing in my self now that man or woman which indeed knows that he or she is nothing and hath learned it throughly will be able to bear any thing The way to be able to bear any thing it is to know our selves to be nothing in our selves Saith God to us Wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is nothing Pro. 23.5 speaking of riches Why blessed God dost not thou do so thou hast set thy heart upon us and yet we are nothing God would not have us set our hearts upon riches because they are nothing and yet God is pleased to set his heart upon us and yet we are nothing that 's Gods grace free grace and therefore it 's no great matter what I suffer for I am as nothing Secondly I deserve nothing I am nothing and I deserve nothing suppose I have not this and that that others have I am sure I deserve nothing except it be Hell you will answer any of your servants so that is not content I marvell what you deserve or your children Do you deserve it that you are so eager upon it you think to stop their mouthes thus so we may easily stop our own mouthes we deserve nothing and therefore why should we be impatient if we have not what we desire if we had deserved any thing we might have some trouble of spirit as a man that hath deserved well of the State or of his friends and he finds not an answerable incouragement it troubles him mightily but if he be conscious to himself that he hath deserved nothing he is content with a repulse Thirdly I can do nothing Without me you can do nothing saith Christ Joh. 15.5 why should I stand much upon it to be troubled and discontented if I have not this and that when the truth is I can do nothing If you should come to one that is angery because he hath not such dyet as he desires and is discontented with it you will answer him I mervail what you do what use you are of Shall one that will sit still and be of no use yet for all that he must have all the supply that possibly he can desire Do but consider of what use you are in the world if you consider what little need God hath of you and what little use you are of you will not be much discontented If you have learned this lesson of self-denials though God doth cut you short of such and such comforts yet since that I do but little why should I have much this very thought will bring down a mans spirit as much as any thing That 's the Third Fourthly So vile I am that I can receive no good neither of my self I am not only an empty vessel but a corrupt and unclean vessel that would spoil any thing that comes into it so are all our hearts every one of our hearts is not only empty of good but are like a mustie vessel that if any good licquor be powred into it it spoils it And that 's the Fourth thing Fifthly If God doth cleanse us in some measure and doth put into us some good licquor some grace of his Spirit yet in the fifth place We can make use of nothing neither when we have it if God doth but withdraw himself If God doth but leave us one moment after he hath bestowed upon us the greatest gifts and whatsoever abilities we can desire if God should say I wil give you them now go and trade now I have given you these and these abilities we cannot stir one foot further neither if God doth but leave us Doth God give us gifts and parts Then let us fear and tremble least God should leave us to our selves for then how foully should we abuse those gifts parts you think other men and women have memorie and gifts and parts and you
when they come to suffer any crosse Oh that what God doth might please me I labour to do what pleases God and I labour that what God doth shall please me here 's a Christian indeed that shall endeavour both these now this is but one side of a Christian to endeavour to do what pleases God but you must as well endeavour to be pleased with what God doth and so you shall come to be a compleat Christian when you can do both And that 's the first thing in the excellency of this Grace of Contentment The Second thing in the opening of this excellency of Contentment is That in Contentment there is much exercise of Grace There is much strength of Grace yea there is much beauty of Grace in Contentment there is much exercise of Grace strength of Grace and beauty of Grace I put all these together 1 Much exercise of Grace There is a composition of Grace in Contentment there is faith and there is humility and love and there is patience and there is wisdom and there is hope all graces almost are compounded it 's an oyle that hath the ingredients of all kind of graces and therefore though you cannot see the particular grace yet in this oyl you have it all God sees the Graces of his Spirit exercised in a special manner and this pleases God at the heart to see the Graces of his Spirit exercised In some one action that you do you may exercise some one grace especially but now in Contentment you exercise a great many graces at once 2 There is a great deal of strength of Grace in Contentment It argues a great deal of strength in the body the body to be able to endure hard weather and whatsoever fals out and yet not to be much altered by it so it argues strength of Grace to be content You that complain of weaknesse of memory and weaknesse of parts you cannot do what others do in other things but have you this gracious heart-contentment that hath been opened to you I know that you have attained to strength of Grace in this when it is so spiritual as hath been opened to you in the explication of this point As it is with a mans braine if a man be distempered in his body and hath many obstructions in his body hath an ill stomack and his spleen and liver obstructed and yet for all this his brain is not distempered it is an argument of a great strength of brain and though there be many ill fumes that riseth from his corrupt stomack yet still his brain is not distempered but he continues in the free exercise of the use of his reason and understanding every one may understand that this man hath a very strong brain that such things shall not distemper him whereas other people that have a weak brain if they do not disgest but one meals meat the fumes that do arise from their stomacks doth distemper their brain and makes them unfit for every thing whereas you shall have others that have strong heads and strong brains though their stomacks be ill that they do not disgest meat yet still they have the free use of their brain this argues strength So it is in a mans spirit you shall have many that have weak spirits and if they have any ill fumes if accidents befal them you shall presently have them out of temper but you shall have other men that though things do fume up yet still they keep in a steady-way and have the use of reason and of other graces and possess their Souls with patience As I remember it 's reported of the Eagle it 's not like other fowls other fowls when they are hungrie make an noise but the Eagle is never heard to make an noise though it wants food and it is from the magnitude of his spirit that it will not make such complaints as other fowls will do when they want food it is because it is above hunger and above thirst So it is argument of a gracious magnitude of spirit that whatsoever befals it yet it is not alwaies whyning and complaining so as others are but goes on still in it's way and course and blesses God and keeps in a constant tenour whatsoever thing befals it such things as causes others to be dejected and fretted and vexed and takes away all the comfort of their lives it makes no alteration at all in the spirits of these men and women I say this is a sign of a great deal of strength of Grace 3 It 's also an argument of a great deal of beauty of Grace It 's a speech that Seneca a Heathen once had saith he When you go abroad into groves and woods and there you see the talnesse of the trees and their shadows it strikes a kind of awful fear of a Deity in you and when you see the vast rivers and fountains and deep waters that strikes a kind of fear of a God in you but saith he do you see a man that is quiet in tempests and that lives happily in the middest of adversities why do not you worship that man he doth think him a man even to be honoured that shall be quiet and live a happy life though in the middest of adversities The glory of God appears here more than in any of his works there is no works that God hath made the Sun Moon and Stars and all the world wherein so much of the glory of God doth appear as in a man that lives quietly in the middest of adversity That was that that covinc'd the King when he saw the three Children could walk in the midest of the fiery furnace not be toucht the King was mightily convinc'd by this that surely their God was a great God indeed that they were highly beloved of their God that could walk in the mid'st of the furnace and not be toucht whereas the others that came but to the mouth of the furnace were devoured so when a Christian can walk in the mid'st of fiery trials and not his garments singed but have comfort and joy in the mid'st of all as Paul in the stocks can sing that wrought upon the jaylour so it will convince men when they see the power of grace in the middest of afflictions such afflictions as would make others to rore under them yet they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner Oh it 's the glory of a Christian It is that that is said to be the glory of Christ for so by Interpreters it is thought to be meant of Christ In Micah 5.5 And this man the text saith shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land and when he shall tread in our pallaces This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land for one to be in peace when there is no enemies it 's no great matter but saith the text when the Assyrian shal come into our land then this man shall be
this Contentment it doth deliver us from abundance of temptations Oh the temptations that men of discontented spirits are subject to the Devil loves to fish in troubled waters That 's our proverb of men and women their disposition is to fish in troubled waters they say it is good fishing in troubled waters this is the maxime of the Devil he loves to fish in troubled waters where he sees the spirits men and women troubled and vext there the Devil comes saith he there 's good fishing for me when he sees men and women go discontented up and down and he can get them alone then he comes with his temptations saith he will you suffer such a thing take such a shifting indirect way do not you see how poor you are others are brave you know not what you shall do against winter to provide fewell and get bread for you and your children and so he tempts them to unlawful courses this is the special distemper that the Devil fastens upon when he brings men and women to give up their souls to him it is upon discontent That 's the ground of all those that have been witches and so have given up themselves to the Devil the rise of it hath been their discontent and therefore it is observable that those the Devil worketh upon to make them witches usually they are old and melancholy people and women especially and those that are of the poorer sort that are discontent at home their neighbours trouble them and vex them and their spirits are weak and they cannot bear it so upon that the Devil fastens his temptations and draws them to any thing if they be poor then he promises them money if they have revengefull spirits then he tels them that he will revenge them upon such and such persons now this quiets and contents them Oh! there 's matter of temptation for the Devil where he meets with a discontented spirit As Luther saith of God God doth not dwell in Babylon but in Salem Babylon signifies confusion and Salem signifies peace now God doth not dwell in spirits that are in a confusion but he dwels in peacable and quiet spirits Oh if you would free your selves from temptations labour for Contentment It is the peace of God that guards the heart from temptation I remember I have read of one Marius Curio that when he had bribes sent him to tempt him to be unfaithful to his Countrey he was sitting at home at dinner with a dish of turnips and they came and promised him rewards saith he That man that can be contented with this fare that I have will not be tempted with your rewards I thank God I am content with this fare and as for rewards let them be offered to those that cannot be content to dine with a dish of turnips So the truth is we see it apparently that the reason why many do betray their trust as in the Parliament service and Kingdom because they cannot be contented to be in a low condition Let a man be contented to be in a low condition and to go meanly cloathed if God sees it fit such a man is shot-free as I may so say from thousands of temptations of the Devil that do prevail against others to the damning of their souls Oh in such times as these are when men are in danger of the loss of their estates I say these men that have not got this grace are in a most lamentable condition they are in more danger for their souls then they are for their outward estates you think it is a sad thing to be in danger of your outward estates that you may loose all in an night but if you have not this contented spirit within you you are in more danger of the temptations of the Devil to be plundered that way of any good and to be led into sin Oh when men think thus they must live as brave as they were wont to do these men make themselves a prey to the Devil but for such as can say let God do with me what he pleases I am content to submit to his hand in it the Devil wil scarce meddle with such men It 's a notable speech of a Phylosopher that lived upon mean fare and as he was eating herbs and roots saith one to him If you would but please Dionisius you need not eat herbs and roots but he answered him thus If you would but be content with such mean fare you need not flatter Dionisius So temptations will no more prevail upon a contented man then a dart that is thrown against a brasen wal That 's the Fifth particular The Sixth excellency is The abundant comforts in a mans life that Contentment will bring Contentment will make a mans life exceeding sweet and comfortable nothing more than the grace of Contentment many waies I will shew how it brings in Comfort 1 As first What a man hath he hath it in a kind of Independent way not depending upon any Creature for his Comfort 2 A Contented man whose estate is low if God raises his estate he hath the love of God in it and then it 's abundantly more sweet than if he had it and his heart not contented for if he had not the love of God in it for it may be God grants to a discontented man his desire but he cannot say it is from love if a man hath quieted his spirit first and then God grant him his desire he may have more comfort in it and more assurance that he hath the love of God in it 3 This Contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this that it doth keep in his comforts and keep out whatsoever may damp his comforts or put out the light of them I may compare this Grace of Contentment to a Marriners Lanthorn a Marriner when he is at Sea let him have never so much provision in his ship yet if he be thousands of leagues from land or in a rode that he shall not meet with a ship in three or four moneths if he hath never a Lanthorn in his ship nor nothing whereby he can keep a Candle light in a storm he will be in a sad condition he would give a great deal to have a Lanthorn or some thing that may serve in stead of it When a storm comes in the night and he cannot have any light come above-board but is puft out presently his condition is very sad so many men can have the light of comfort when there is no storm but let there come but any affliction any storm upon them their light is puft out presently and what shall they do now When the heart is furnished with this Grace of Contentment this Grace is as it were the Lanthorn and it keeps comfort in the spirit of a man light in the midst of a storm and tempest When you have a Lanthorn in the midst of a storm you can carry a light every where up and down the ship to the top
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
yet when I see this though you be a meer stranger to me I may without breach of charity conclude that your heart was immoderately set upon your child or husband or upon any other comfort that I see you greiving for when God hath taken it away If you hear ill tydings about your estates and your hearts are dejected immoderately and you are in a discontented way because of such and such a crosse certainly your hearts were immoderatly set upon the world and so likewise for your credit if you hear others report this or that ill of you and your hearts are dejected because you think you suffer in your name your hearts were inordinatly set upon your name and credit now therefore the way for you not to be immoderate in your sorrows for afflictions it is not to be immoderate in your love and delights when you have prosperity And these are the principal Directions for our help that we may live quiet and contented lives My brethren to conclude all for this point if I could tell you that I knew how to shew you a way never to be in want of any thing I make no question but then we should have much flocking to such a Sermon when a man should undertake to mannifest to people that they should never be in want any more but I have been now preaching unto you that that comes to as much that that countervails this that which is in effect all one Is it not almost all one never to be in want or never to be without Contentment that man or woman that is never without a contented spirit truly can never be said to want much Oh! the Word holds forth a way full of comfort and peace to the people of God even in this world you may live happy lives in the mid'st of all the storms and tempests in the world there is an Ark that you may come into and no men in the world may live such comfortable cheerful and contented lives as the Saints of God Oh that we had learn'd this lesson I have been many Sermons about this lesson of Contentment but I am affraid that you will be longer in learning of it than I have been preaching of it it is a harder thing to learn it than it is to speak or preach of it I remember I have read of one man reading of that place in the 39. Psalm I will take heed that I offend not with my tongue saith he I have been these 38. yeers a learning this lesson and have not learned it thorowly The truth is there are many I am affraid that have been professors neer eight and thirty yeers have hardly learn'd this lesson it were a good lesson for young professors to begin to learn this betimes But now this lesson of Christian Contentment it is as hard and perhaps you may be many yeers in learning it I am affraid there be some Christians that have not yet learned Not to offend grosly with their tongues The Scripture saith All a mans Religion is vain if he cannot bridle his tongue therefore those that make any profession of godliness one would think they should quickly learn this lesson such a lesson that except learned it makes all their Religion vain But for this lesson of Christian Contentment it may take up more time to learn and there 's many that are learning it all the daies of their lives and yet are not Proficients but God forbid that it should be said of any of us concerning this lesson as the Apostle saith of Widows in Timothy That they were ever learning and never came to the knowledge of the truth Oh let us not be ever learning this lesson of Contentment and yet never come to have skill in it You would think it much if you had used the Sea twenty years and yet to have attain'd to no skill in your art of navigation you will say I have used the Sea 20. or 30. yeers and I hope I may know by this time what belongs to Sea Oh that you would but say so in respect of the Art of Christianity When there is any thing that 's spoken concerning the duty of a Christian Oh that Christians could but say I have been a Christian thus long and I hope I am not to seek in such a thing that is so necessary for a Christian here is a necessary lesson for a Christian that Paul said He had learned in all estates therewith to be content Oh be not content with your selves till you have learned this lesson of Christian Contentment gotten some better skill in it than heretofore Now there is in the text another lesson which is a hard lesson I have learned to Abound that doth not so neerly concern us at this time because the times are afflictive times and there is now more than ordinary an uncertainty in all things in the world in such times as these are there is few that have such an abundance that they need to be much taught in that lesson FINIS THE SAINTS DVTY IN TIMES OF EXTREMITY WHAT the certainty of the cause of those fears that are upon the hearts of people is not yet apparant but that there are many distracted fears in their hearts that is apparant to the full and therefore though I prepared for that ordinary course as formerly yet for this time I desire that you would turn to that Scripture that I might speak a word in season in EXODUS 14. part of the 13. vers Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord. THE begining of the verse is thus And Moses said unto the people Fear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. In the former Chapter we have Pharaoh dismissing Israel out of Egypt In this Chapter we have him pursuing Israel with a new-heated fury against all common sense and reason his malice and rage besotted him because God intented to destroy him though Gods hand appeared gloriously for his People before yet Pharaoh will not see the Majestie of the Lord but he shall see it he gathers all the strength that possibly he can and seems too rash in his way he overtakes and overtakes them in a place of the greatest advantage that possibly could be for the Text saith that they were before Pi-hahiroth in the first verse between Migdol and the Sea over against Baal-zephon and that by Gods appointment too they were there when Pharaoh comes to find them there the Sea is before them all the strength of Egypt is behind them and they were at Pi-hahiroth Carverna rupibus inclusâ— so turn'd by some not the proper signification for Pi is the mouth and hahiroth that signifies fâ—ramen they were got into a hole as it were into the mouth of a hole that was compassed about with rocks one each side that had high rocks about it so the word imports and not only so but between Migdol over against Baal zephon Migdol signifies a tower so that in that place the
Dishonour A Christian discontented when God is dishonoured Page 15 Dispose see Freely Disquiet Disquiet the the cause of Gods departing Page 168 See Murmuring Duty Duty of a Christian in prosperity Page 89 What unfits for duty Page 134 God accepts of weak duty Page 156 Sence of affliction hinders not duty Page 165 E Efficacy Efficacy of Gods providence Page 95 Ever God gives grace for ever Page 184 Evil Evil of afflictions taken from Gods children Page 56 Excellency Excellency of God how we come neer it Page 117 Excellency of God what ibid Expectation Expectation of a Christian Page 132 F Faith Ordinary works done in Faith precious Page 7 Murmuring below the grace of Faith Page 131 Exercise of faith brings Contentment Page 198 See Affliction Mean Faithfulnesse God in rewarding looks to faithfulnesse Page 178 Father God the Father of a Christian Page 126 We should labour for the Spirit of our Father Page 129 Feel What we feel to be preferred to others fancies Page 205 Fill see God Fit God knows what afflictions are fit Page 174 Grace makes fit for any condition ibid Foolish Discontent a foolish sin 138 139 Frame Contentment a frame of spirit Page 9 Free Freely c. A Christian freely submits to God Page 15 Freedom what Page 16 God gives freely Page 42 Freeness of Gods mercies aggravate sin Page 158 Fretting Fretting opposite to a quietnss of spirit Page 6 G Glory What a Christian hath here is an earnest of glory Page 43 Glory of God wherein it appears Page 105 Glory to be given God in the enjoyment of blessings Page 193 God To look up to God in all conditions Page 19 Nothing can fill the heart but God Page 28 Happiness of a Saint in God Page 38 Saints enjoy all in God Page 49 Outward comforts taken away when they keep us from God Page 50 See Life Creature Excellency Walk Good Christians of themselves unfit to receive good Page 70 We should not be discontent that God is good to others Page 173 God doth good to his by afflictions Page 193 See Sanctifie Christ Grace Grace much exercised in Contentment Page 103 Grace the strength of it ibid Grace better than the Creature Page 113 Discontent contrary to Grace Page 122 Grace should content us without the world Page 193 See Beauty Gracious Contentment a gracious frame of heart Page 13 Great Afflictions not so great as our sins Page 172 Affliction greater for murmuring Page 173 Not to promise our selves great things Page 200 H Habitual Contentment an habitual frame Page 13 Had To praise God for what we had Page 188 Heart Contentment quiets the heart Page 5 The heart to be let out to God Page 67 The knowledge of our own hearts Page 82 Benefits of knowing our own heart Page 84 A great evil to be given up to our own heart Page 91 Rising of the heart Page 135 Distempers of the heart how esteemed with God Page 185 See Gracious Heaven Heaven in the souls of the Saints here Page 59 Things of Heaven real to a Saint Page 67 Heaven what Page 114 Contentment better than Heaven ibid Help Help of a Christian what Page 132 No help by discontent Page 139 High see Calling Angels Honour What is the greatest honour God hath of us in this world Page 81 Humble We should not murmur when God would humble us Page 161 See Contentment I Idle see Discontent Joy Joy immoderat how known Page 206 Injoy Godly men content with that that they injoy Page 4 Good men injoy what they have Page 116 See God Inward Inward discontent Page 4 Inward content ibid Judgment Many not content in their judgement Page 11 See Affections K Kind To submit to afflictions of every kind Page 22 King The soul subdued to Christ as King Page 124 Every Christian a King Page 128 L Life Life of a Saint where it is Page 56 Conversion a work all our life Page 125 Long Long afflictions not to be murmured at Page 163 Look Afflictions to be looked for Page 171 Care in afflictions not looked for Page 172 Losse No loss of us if we perish Page 71 Love Love of God in what a Christian hath Page 41 Love in afflictions to the godly Page 44 Love in a Christians estate Page 110 Love to God a sign of it Page 113 Low Lowest God brings lowest when he intends the greatest mercies Page 98 Men raised from a low condition should not murmur Page 159 Obedience seen most in a low calling Page 178 The soul oft best in a low outward estate Page 180 M Man Man Gods instrument in affliction 170 Mannage see Heart Mean Actions of a mean Christian accepted Page 178 Faith makes mean works glorious ibid Mercy How the soul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106 Mercies lessened by discontent Page 135 Discontent deprives of mercies Page 139 The greater mercies the greater sin to murmur Page 150 Every man hath more mercies than afflictions Page 154 Greatness of mercies should make us content Page 187 God is beforehand with his mercies to us Page 188 See Discontent Member Every Christian a member of Christ Page 127 Mean Christians members of Christs body Page 176 Mystery Contentment a mystery 2.26 Mortified To get our hearts mortified to the world Page 200 Murmuring Murmuring opposite to quietness of spirit Page 6 Murmuring the evill of it Page 119 Murmuring a note of a wicked man Page 120 Murmuring below a Christian Page 126 Murmuring the effects of it Page 134 Murmuring breeds disquiet Page 147 Murmuring the way to relaps into it Page 150 Murmuring aggravations of it ibid See Affection Rebellion Losse Child Curse Mercy Small N Nature see Angels Necessary The knowledge of one thing necessary Page 74 Nothing How a Christian comes to know he is nothing Page 69 A Christian of himself can do nothing Page 70 Naturally we are worse than nothing Page 71 See Deserve Use O Obedience When God gives in love we should return in obedience Page 184 The greater affliction the more obedience ibid One All Gods works from eternity but one Page 96 P Pain Pain sanctified to a Christian how Page 46 Parts Discontent aggravated in men of parts Page 158 Passage see Portion People Gods dealing with his people Page 97 Three things in Gods way with his people Page 98 Perfection see Uprightnesse Particular The Creatures particular comforts Page 113 Pity Pity to men that deal ill with us Page 171 Plague Promises concerning the Plague 54 55 56. Plea see Discontent Portion A Christian not content with little for his portion Page 28 Possesse Men discontent for what they possesse Page 159 Poverty Poverty sanctified by Christs poverty Page 45 See Prosperity Prayers How we undoe our prayers Page 133 Praise see Had Profession Profession of a Christian Page 131 Promise Promises performed more literally to the Jews 54.64 Gods liberty in performing temporal promises Page 55 Christians have interest in all former promises Page 65 See Covenant