immoderately in his own private comforts when the Church is in affliction when the publick suffers grievous and hard troubles if any man shall then rejoyce and give liberty to himself at that time to satisfie his flesh to the uttermost in all outward comforts this is a great aggravation of his sin So on the contrary for any man to be immoderately troubled for any private afflictions when it goes well with the publick with the Churches this is a great aggravation of his sin It may be when the Church of God was lowest and it went worst in other parts yet thou didst abate nothing of the comfort of thy flesh but gavest full liberty to satisfie thy flesh as formerly know this was thy great sin so on the other side when we have received such mercies in publick we should have all our private afflictions swallowed up in the publick merciâ—s and we should think with our selves though we be afflicted for our particular yet blessed be God it goes well with the Church and with the publick the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents and if it doth not so know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins This is a sad thing this is to turne the mercies of God to be our misery Did'st not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the publick these great victories that God hath given did'st not thou pray for them now thou hast them Is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some privat trouble thou meetest withall in thy family Is not there goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment Certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions Publick mercies are the aggravation of privat discontent as so of publick discontent too if we receive so many publick mercies yet if every thing goes not in the publick according as we desire if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin God may say what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent Oh! it's exceeding evil So in particular the mercies that concerns thy self thy family if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou had'st afflictions I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation suppose thy afflictions be what they will there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions Object You will say I but you do not know what our afflictions are our afflictions are so as you do not conceive of them because you feel them not Answ Though I cannot know what your afflictions are yet I know what your mercies are and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have If it weâ—e but this mercy that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you it 's a greater mercie than any affliction set any affliction by this mercie and see which would weigh heaviest this is certainly greater than any affliction that you have the day of grace and salvation that you are not now in Hell this is a greater mercie that you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears that you have the use of your reason this is a greater mercie than your afflictions that you have the use of your limbs your sences that you have the health of your bodies health of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction there is no man that is rich but if he be wise if he hath a sickly body he would part with all his riches that he might have his health therefore thy mercies are more than thy afflictions We find in Scripture how the holy Ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16 of Numb 8. verse c. It 's a speech of Moses to Korah and his company when they murmured And Moses said unto Korah hear I pray you ye sons of Levi there 's somewhat that you are sons of Levi Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them Korah and his company were murmuring but mark how Moses aggravates this Seemeth it a smal thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himselfe to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord c. You see 't is a great honour that God puts upon a man a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to seperate him from others for himself to come neer to him to imploy him in the service of the Tabernacle to minister to the Congregation in holy things this is a great mercy and indeed it 's such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction It 's true many Ministers of God they meet with hard things that might discourage them and trouble and grieve their spirits but now this consideration that God is pleased to imploy them in such a service neer to himself that though they cannot do good to themselves yet they may do good to others this should quiet them And yet in the 10. verse And he hath brought thee neer to him and all thy Brethren the Sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the Priest-hood also have not you enough already but still you are discontented with what you have and must have more seek ye yet more Seek ye the Priest-hood also for which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord And what is Aaron that ye murmur against him what hath God given you such things and yet will you be murmuring because you cannot have more Me thinks that this place should keep Ministers from murmuring though they should meet with never such afflictions and crosses and unkind dealings from men yet still they should go on with hearts quieted and comforted in the work that God hath set them about and labour to countervaile all their Afflictions by being more abundant in the work of the Lord. That is the first text of Scripture that shews how the mercies we enjoy are Aggravations to the sin of murmuring And then a second Scripture is in the 2. of Job 10. vers A speech of Job to his wife what saith Job when his wife would have had him curse God and die that was a degree beyond murmuring saith he Thou speakest
as one of the foolish women shall we receive good at the band of God and not evil you see Job did help himself against all murmuring thoughts against the waies of God with this consideration that he had received so much good from the Lord what though we receive evil yet do not we receive good as well as evil let us set one against the other that 's the way we should go In the 17. of Ecclesiastes the 14. vers you have a notable Scripture there whereby you may see what course is to be taken when the heart rises in murmuring In the day of prosperity be joyfull but in the day of Adversity consider what should they consider mark what follows God also hath set the one over against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him God also hath set the one over against the other that 's thus When thou art in prosperity then indeed every man can be joyfull but what if Afflictions befals him what then then consider consider what That God hath set one over against the other thou hast a great deal of Affliction and thou hast had a great deal of prosperity thou hast many troubles and thou hast had many mercies make one column of mercies and one column of afflictions and write one against the other and fee if God hath not fil'd one column as full as the other you look altogether upon your afflictions but look upon your mercies also for instance It may be God hath afflicted you in one child but he hath been merciful to you in another child set one against the other God afflicted David in Absolom but he was merciful to David in Solomon and therefore when David cryed out Oh Absolom my Son my Son if David had thought upon Solomon and cried Oh Solomon my son my son it would have quieted him And it may be God hath been merciful to thee in a wife or in thy husband set that against thy affliction it may be God crosses thee in thy estate but it may be he doth imploy thee in his service it may be thou art afflicted in some of thy friends but thou hast other friends that are great mercies to thee and therefore you should set one against the other and it doth concern you so to do for those mercies will be aggravations of your sins and you had better make Gods mercies a means to lessen your sins than to be the aggravation of your sins If you make not the mercies of God to help you against your murmuring you will make them to be aggravations of the sin of murmuring I beseech you for this take but this one consideration further and if you will but work it upon your hearts I hope you may find a great deal of power in it You find afflictions and your hearts are troubled and murmur consider how Gods mercies doth aggravate this sin thus In the midst of our sins we do make account God should accept of our services do but consider thus if in the midst of our manie sins we hope that God will accept of our poor services why then should not we in the midst of our afflictions blesse God for his manie mercies shall God be thus gracious to us that notwithstanding our many sins yet he will not cast away our poor duties and services that we perform then why should not we in the midst of our sufferings accept of what mercies we have and not slight them and disregard them If thou in the midst of Gods mercies shalt not be willing to bear afflictions that God laies upon thee then it were just with God that in the midst of thy sins he should not regard any of thy duties now is there not as much power in thy manifold sins to cause God to reject thy duties and services as there is power in afflictions in the midst of many mercies to take off thy heart from being affected with Gods mercies And that 's the first aggravation of the sin of murmuring to murmur in the midst of mercies A Second Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is When we murmur for smal things Saith Naamans servant to him Father for so he called him if the Prophet had required you to do some great thing would not you have done it how much more this little thing So I say if the Lord had required you to suffer some great matter would not you have been willing to suffer How much more this little thing I remember I have read in Seneca a Heathen he hath this similitude which is a very fine one to set out the great evil of murmuring upon smaller afflictions saith he Suppose a man hath a very fair house to dwell in and he hath fair orchyards and gardens and set about with brave tall trees for ornament if this man now should murmur because the wind blows off a few leaves off his trees what a most unreasonable thing were it for him to be weeping and wringing his hands because he loses a few leaves off his trees when he hath abundance of all kind of fruit thus it is with many saith he though they have a great many comforts about them yet some little matter the blowing off of a few leaves from them is enough to disquiet them It was a great evil when Ahab having a kingdom yet the want of his neighbours vinyard had such power to disquiet him So for us to murmur not because we have not such a thing as we have need of but because we have not what possibly we might have this is a very great sin Suppose God gives a child that hath all the limbs and parts compleat a child that is very comly and hath excellent parts wit and memory but it may be there is a wart that grows upon the finger of the child and she murmurs at it and Oh what an affliction is this to her she is so taken up with that as she forgets to give any thanks to God for her child and all the goodnesse of God to her in the child is swallowed up in that would not you say this were a folly a very great evil in a woman so to do Truly our afflictions if we weighed them aright they are but such kind of things in comparison of our mercies Rebeckah she had a mighty desire to have children but because she found some trouble in her body when she was with child saith she Why am I thus As if she should say I had as good have none only because she found a little pain and trouble in her body To be discontent when the affliction is small and little that increases very much the sin of murmuring it is to much for any one to murmur upon the heaviest crosse that can befall one in this world but upon some small things to be discontent and murmur that 's worse I have read of one when he lay upon a heap of damask-roses he complained that there was one of the rose
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
of affliction takes not away sense of mercies Page 165 2 It hinders not Duty ibid 3 It will make us bless God for the mercies of others ibid 2 Plea My trouble is for my sins 1 It is not if you were not troubled for sin before Page 166 2 When the greatest care is to remove affliction ibid 3 If after affliction is removed sin troubles not ibid 4 If there be not care to avoid sin after Page 167 5 There is the more cause to accept of the punishment ibid 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 ibid 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 instrrments Page 170 2 We should rather pity them than murmur Page 171 3 We have righteous dealing with God ibid 5 Plea It is an affliction I looked not for 1 It is folly not to look for afflictions ibid 2 We should be more careful of our carriage in it Page 172 6 Plea The affliction is exceeding great 1 It is not so great as thy sins ibid 2 It might have been greater Page 173 3 It is greater for thy murmuring ibid 7 Plea It is greater than others afflictions Answered in 4 things Page 173 8 Plea If any other affliction they could be content Answered in 4 things Page 174 9 Plea My afflictions make me unservicable to God 1 Though thou art mean thou art a member of the body Page 176 2 Thy generall calling is high Page 177 3 Thou art equal with Angels ibid 4 God highly esteems the actions of mean Christians Page 178 5 Faithfulness in a mean calling shall be rewarded ibid 10. Plea My condition is unsetled 1 Every man in his setled estate is vanity Page 179 2 God will have us live in dependance ibid 3 Thy spiritual condition may be setled Page 181 11 Plea I have been in a better condition 1 Thy eye should not he evill because the eye of God hath been good Page 182 2 Prosperity was to prepare thee for affliction ibid 12 Plea I am crost after much pains 1 The greater the cross the more the obedience Page 184 2 Thy pains should be with submission to God Page 185 3 Contentment in such a condition is a testimony of more love to God ibid 13 Plea Distempers of heart accounted as words before God ibid Considerations to work the heart to Contentment 1 Consid The greatness of the mercies we have Page 187 2 God is beforehand with us with mercies Page 188 3 The abundance of mercies we enjoy Page 189 4 All creatures in a visicitude ib. 5 The creature suffers for us ibid 6 We have little time in the world Page 190 7 It hath been the condition of our betters Page 191 8 We were once content with the world without grace and should now with grace without the world Page 193 9 When we had Contentment we gave not God the glory ibid 10 Experience of Gods doing us good in afflictions ibid Directions to Contentment 1 There must be grace to make the soul steady Page 195 2 Not to gripe too much of the world ibid 3 Have a cal in every business Page 196 4 Walk by rule ibid 5 Exercise much faith Page 197 6 Labour to be spiritually minded Page 198 7 Promise not your selves great things Page 200 8 Get mortified hearts to the world ibid 9 Pore not too much on afflictions Page 201 10 Make a good construction of Gods wayes towards us Page 202 11 Regard not others fancies but what we feel Page 205 12 Be not inordinately taken with the comforts of the world Page 206 The CONTENTS of the last Sermon On EXODVS 14.13 STanding still five waies evill Page 304 Good three wayes Page 307 Doct. 1 When God is in a way of salvation he may bring his people into straights Page 311 Reasons 1 Because God will humble them Page 313 2 He delights in the exercise of their faith Page 315 3 He delights in their prayers Page 316 4 To discover those that are evill ibid 5 That the adversaries may vent theie malice Page 317 6 That Christs work may appear the more ibid Use Not to sink because of straights Page 318 Doct. 2. In straights Gods people are mightily troubled ibid Reasons 1 Because there is much flesh in the best Page 319 2 There is a great deal of guilt ib. 3 There is self-confidence ib. Use 1 To blame our selves for sinking in straights Page 320 2 To think what will become of wicked men ibid Doct. 3 In those straits we should quiet our selves and look for Gods salvation Page 321 1. Quiet our selves 1 Because then we are fit to look to the wisdom faithfulness and power of God Page 322 2 Because else we cannot make use of our graces ibid 3 We cannot shew our subjection to God Page 323 4 Nor our reverence to God ib. 5 We cannot make use of that we hear ib. 6 We shall hinder others Page 224 2 To expect salvation from God 1 Hereby we sanctifie Gods Name ib. 2 This shews the excellency of faith Page 325 3 It engageth God in our Cause ib. Doct. 4 The sight of salvation after straits a glorious thing Page 328 FINIS THE RARE JEWEL OF CHRISTIAN Contentment PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content HERE is a very seasonable Cordial to revive the drooping spirits of the Saints in these sad and sinking times For the hour of temptation is already come upon all the world to try the Inhabitants of the earth and in special this is the day of Jacobs troubles in our owne bowels Our great Apostle experimentally holds forth in this Gospel-Text the very life and soul of all practical Divinity wherein we may plainly reade his own proficiency in Christs School and what lesson every Christian that would evidence the power and growth of godliness in his own soul must necessarily learn from him These words are brought in by Paul as a plain argument to perswade the Philippians that he did not seek after great things in the world and that he sought not theirs but them He did not passe for a great estate he had better things to take up his heart withal I do not speak saith he in respect of want For whether I have or have not my heart is fully satisfied I have enough I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I have learned Contentment in every condition is a great art a spiritual mystery It is to be learned and so to be learned as a mystery And therefore verse 12. he affirms I know how to be abâ—sed and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed The word which is translated Instructed is derived from that word which signifies Mystery and it is
of Saint Paul to the Collossians praying for the Saints that they might be strengthened with all might according unto his glorious power unto what Vnto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse Strengthned with all might according to the power of God the glorious power of God unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness You may not therefore be content with a little strength so that you are able to bear what a man might bear by the strength of reason and nature But to be strengthened with all might according to the glorious power of God unto all patience and to all long suffering Oh you that are now under very heavy and sad afflictions more than ordinary look upon this Scripture and consider how this Scripture is made good in you why may you not have this Scripture made good in you if you be godly You should not be quiet in your own spirits except that you in some measure do get this Scripture to be made good in you so that you may with some comfort say through Gods mercy I find that strength coming into me that is here spoken of in this Scripture You should labour when you are under any great affliction you that are Godly to walk so that others may see such a Scripture made good in you Here is the glorious power of God that doth strengthen his servants to all long suffering and that with joyfulness Alas it may be you do not exercise so much patience as a wise man or a wise woman that hath but natural reason But where is the power of God the glorious power of God where 's the strengthening with all might unto all long-suffering and patience and that with joyfulnesse It is true the spirit of a man may be able to sustain his infirmities may be able to sustain and keep up his spirits the naturall spirit of a man but much more then when this spirit is acted with grace and holinesse and when it is fill'd with the strength of Jesus Christ this is the way of a godly mans getting Contentment the Mystery of it it is by fetching in strength from Jesus Christ Twelfthly Another Mystery that there is in it it is That a godly heart injoys much of God in every thing it hath and doth know how to make up all wants in God himself that is another Mystery he hath God in what he hath that I spoke too somwhat before in shewing the dew of Gods blessing in what he hath for God is able to let out a great deale 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 smaler things so he lets out a great deal of goodnesse and 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 godlinesse 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 injoy the quintescence 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 Mysterie 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 makes up all there God is his all in all while he lives I say t is God that is his 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 instead 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 injoy Comfort before was the creature any other to thee but a Conduit a pipe that did convey Gods goodnesse to thee The pipe is cut off saith God come to me the Fountain and drink immeadiately though the beams be taken away yet the Sun remains the same in the firmament as ever it was What 's that that satisfies God himself but because he doth injoy all fulnesse in himself so he comes to have satisfaction in himself now if thou injoyest God to be thy portion if thy soul can say with the Church in Lamentations 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 hast 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 to thee It may be whilst thou hadest these things here they did share with God in thy affection 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 come to his house and if there be several 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 didest enjoy these things yea but a great deale 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
the service of God And it causes many distractions in duty it unfits for duty and when you come to perform duties Oh the distractions that are in your duties when your spirits are discontented when you hear of any ill news from Sea and cannot bear it or of any ill from a friend or any losse or crosse Oh what distractions do they cause in the performance of holy duties When you should be in enjoying communion with God you are distracted in your thoughts about the crosse that hath befallen you whereas had you but a quiet spirit though there should great crosses befal you yet they would never hinder you in the performance of any duty 3 Consider what wicked risings of heart resolutions of spirit there are many times in a discontented fit In some discontented fits the heart rises against God and against others and sometimes hath even desperate resolutions what to do to help themselves If the Lord should have suffered you to have done sometimes in a discontented fit what you had thought to do what wonderfull misery had you brought upon your selves Oh it was a mercy of God that did stop you had not God stopt you but let you go on when you thought to help your selves this way and the other way Oh it had been ill with you do you but remember those risings of heart and wicked resolutions that sometimes you have had in a discontented mood and learn to be humbled upon that 4 Vnthankefulnesse that 's an evil and a wicked effect that comes from discontent Unthankfulnesse the Scripture doth ranke among very great sins For men and women that are discontent though they enjoy many mercies from God yet they are thankfull for none of them for this is the vile nature of discontentment to lessen every mercy of God to make those mercies they have from God to be as nothing to them because they have not what they would have Sometimes it 's so even in spiritual things if they have not all they would have the comforts that they would have then what they have is nothing to them do you think that God will take this well If you should give a friend a kinsman a purse of money to go and trade withal and he should come and say what do you give me they are but a few counters they wil do me no good you cannot bear this at his hand if he should do so because he hath not as much money as he would So for you to be ready to say All that God hath given me is nothing worth will do me no good they are but counters though they are the precious Graces of Gods Spirit that are more worth than thousands of worlds yet for you to say they are nothing they are but common gifts and all is but in hypocrisie all counterfeit Oh! what an unthankful thing is this the graces of Gods Spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have and so for outward blessings though God hath given you health of body and strength and hath given you some competency for your family some way of lively-hood yet because you are disappointed in somwhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you Oh! what unthankfulnesse is here God expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his Name for what mercy he hath granted unto you there 's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to blesse God for but discontentednesse makes them nothing It 's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath saith he This is the Rhetorick of the Spirit of God it 's a very fine speech of his to extenuate evil things and to amplyfie good things if there fals out a crosse to make the crosse to be but little but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great as thus If there be a cross if the Spirit of God prevails in the heart such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater and will blesse God that though there be such a crosse yet that it is no more that 's the work of the Spirit of God and if there be a mercy wonders at Gods goodnesse that God granted so great a mercy The Spirit of God extenuates evils and crosses and doth magnifie and amplifie all mercies and makes all mercies seem to be great and all afflictions seem to be little But saith he the Devil goes quite contrary the Rhetorick of the Devil is quite otherwise he doth lessen Gods mercies and amplifie evill things as thus A godly man wonders at his crosse that it is no more a wicked man wonders his crosse is so much Oh saith he none was ever so afflicted as I am If there be a crosse the Devil puts the soul upon musing on it and making it greater than it is and so it brings discontent And then on the other side if there be a mercy then it 's the Rhetorick of the Devil to lessen the mercy I indeed saith he the thing is a good thing but what is it it is no great matter and for all this I may be miserable Thus the Rhetorick of Satan doth lessen Gods mercies and doth increase afflictions And for this I 'le give you a notable example that we have in Scripture it is the example of Korah Dathan Abiram In Numb 16.12 13. And Moses sent to call Dathan Abiram the sons of Eliab which said we will not come up Is it a smal thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us Mark they slighted the land that they were going unto the Land of Canaan that was the Land that God promised them that should flow with milk and honey But mark here their discontentednesse because they met with some troubles in the wildernesse Oh it was to slay them they made their affliction in the wilderness to be greater than it was Oh it was to kill them though it were indeed to carry them to the Land of Canaan But now their deliverance from Egypt though it was a great mercy they made that mercy to be nothing for say they you have brought us out of a land that floweth with milk and honey what land was that It was the Land of Egypt the Land of their bondage but they call it a Land that flowed with milk and honey though it were the land of their most cruel and unsupportable bondage whereas they should have blessed God as long as they had liv'd for Gods delivering them out of the land of Egypt yet meeting with some crosse they make their deliverance from Egypt no mercie no it was rather a miserie to them Oh say they Egypt was a land that flowed with milk and honey Oh what basenesse is there in a discontented spirit a discontented spirit out of envie
the Chapter is ended in the 23. verse When they came to Marah in the same Chapter they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called Marah and the people murmured against Moses After so great a mercy as this was what unthankfulnes was there here in their murmuring Then God gave them water but in the very next Chapter they fell to their murmuring you reade not that they were humbled for their former murmuring and therefore they murmur again Exod. 16.1 c. All the Congregation of the Children of Israel came to the wildernesse of Sin c. And the whole Congregation in the second verse of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse and the Children of Israel said unto them Would to God we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when we sate by the flesh-pots and when we did eat bread to the full Now they want flesh they wanted water before but now they want meat they fell to murmuring again they were not humbled for this murmuring against God neither when God gave them flesh according to their desires but they fell to murmuring again they wanted somewhat else In the very next Chapter they went not far in the 17 of Exod. beginning And all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the wildernesse of Sin and pitthed in Rephadim and there was no water for the people to drink then in the second verse Wherefore the people did chide with Moses and said Give us water that we may drink and Moses said unto them Why chide you with me wherefore do you tempt the Lord And in the third verse And the people thirsted there for water and the people murmured against Moses and said Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our Children and our Cattell with thirst So one time after another still as soon as ever they had received the mercie then they were a little quieted but they were not humbled I bring these Scriptures for this to shew that if we have not been humbled for murmuring the next crosse that we meet withal we will fall to murmuring again And now there are divers agravations of this sin of murmuring I 'le mention but one now and I shall but begin that The first Agravation is this To murmur when we enjoy abundance of mercy the greater and the more abundant the mercy is that we enjoy the greater and the viler is the sin of murmuring As here now when God had newly delivered them out of the house of bondage for them now to murmur because they want some few particulars that they desire Oh to sin against God after a great mercy this is a great agravation and a most abominable thing Now my brethren the Lord hath granted us very great mercies I 'le but speak a word of what God hath done of late what mercies hath the Lord granted to us this summer heaped mercies upon us one mercie upon another what a condition were we in at the beginning of this summer and what a different condition are we in now Oh what a mercie is it that the Lord hath not taken advantages against us that he hath not made those Scriptures before mentioned good upon us for all our murmuring the Lord hath gone on with one mercie after another We hear of mercie in Bristol and mercy to our brethren in Scotland But still if after this we should have any thing befall us that is but crosse to us that we should be ready to murmur again presently Oh let us not so requite God for those mercies of his Oh let 's take heed of giving God any ill requital for his mercies Oh give God praise according to his excellent greatness to his excellent goodnesse and grace And now hath God given to you the Contentment of your hearts Take you heed of being the cause of any greife to your brethren think not that because God hath been gracious unto you that therefore he hath given you liberty for to bring them into bondage Oh let not there be such an il effect of Gods mercy to you as for you to exclude by petitioning or any other way your Brethren that the Lord hath been pleased to make Instruments of your peace let not that be the fruit of it nor to desire any thing that your selves do not yet understand God is very jealous of the glory of his mercy and if there should be an ill use made of the mercy of God after we enjoy it Oh it would go to the heart of God! nothing is more grievous to the heart of God than the abuse of mercy As now if any way that is hard and rigid should be taken towards our Brethren and those especially that God hath made such special Instruments of good to us that have been so willing to venture their lives and all for us now when we have our turns served let God and his People and Servants that have been a means to save us shift for themselves as well as they can Oh! this is a great aggravation of your sin to sin against the mercies of God But for this Aggravation and specially in this particular we shall speak to God willing the next day SERMON IX PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content NOW because it is very hard to work upon a murmuring spirit there are divers aggravations I told you we are to consider of for the further setting out of the greatness of this sin I mentioned but only one the last day now we shall proceed in that The first Agravation of the sin of discontent and murmuring is this For men and women to be discontent in the mid'st of mercies in enjoyment of abundance of mercies To be discontent in any afflicted condition is sinful and evil but to be discontent when we are in the middest of Gods mercies when we are not able to count the mercies of God yet after to be discontent because we have not all we would have this is a greater evil I only mentioned this the last day that I might shew to you what a great sin it is at such a time as this The Lord this summer hath multiplied mercies one upon another the Lord hath made this summer to be a continued miracle of mercie never did a Kingdom enjoy in so little space of time such mercies one upon another Now the publick mercies of God should quiet our hearts and keep us from discontent and the sin of discontent for private afflictions is exceedingly aggravated by the consideration of publick mercies to the Land when the Lord hath bin so merciful to the Land wilt thou be feetting and murmuring because thou hast not in thy family all the comforts that thou would'st have As it is a great aggravation of a mans evill for him to rejoyce
come up can you then trust in God I that is somewhat-like but because we trust so much in our selves therefore when the time cometh we should trust in God God withdraws himself from us and we are most afraid Vse This is that we should lay our hands upon our hearts and charge our souls for and be ashamed for before the Lord Never a one here but hath cause to lay his hand upon his heart and say Oh that I that have had so much experience of God of his waies of helping and delivering me out of six troubles and seven and yet the Lord knows upon any new trouble I am to seek as much as ever and in any hurly-burly in as great distemper of fear as ever be ashamed of this before the Lord. It is true Gods people may be so and you are so therefore be ashamed of it and labour to prepare for such times those that are troubled with fainting fits use to carry their bottle of Aqua-vitae about with them so you that have been disquieted in times of trouble lay up somewhat that may help in those times Though a candle light will serve to carry in a yard in calme weather yet it must be a torch a great light that must serve when the wind blows so a little may serve now but a great deal must be laid up for times of extremity First Lay up encouraging Promises Secondly Lay up encouraging experiences that may help you against such times of fainting and trouble Vse 2. But then if it be so with the Saints and Gods own people that when they are in straights they are so ready to be troubled with distracting fears cares what shal become of the wicked and ungodly then when they come in straights how must their hearts sink in horror because all their straights are no other but the beginning of eternal straights present sorrows making away to eternal sorrows the way of their deliverance from present straights is by being brought into greater straights many women with child have strong pains in their child birth yet when they think they shall be delivered they have joy in stead of sorrow but a woman that is with child and is only reprieved because she is with child till she be delivered though she have a great deal of trouble and pain before she be delivered she desires not to be rid of it because then she knows she shall come to greater to be hang'd and if she could live seven yeers together and never be delivered she could be content with the trouble because when that is gone greater comes So wicked and ungodly men that are in great straights for the present may well be content with them because when they are gone greater will come 3. Doct. In the time of these straights it is our duty to stand stil and look for Gods salvation to quiet our spirits and look up to God First For the quieting of our spirits As they were to be delivered out of this bondage in that way so they were to be delivered out of the Babilonish bondage in the same way So you shall find it Isa 30. see what God saith for that deliverence he tels them plainly at the 15. vers In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and you would not In quietness and confidence it 's true they were in a passionat way and God tels them that in quietness and in confidence is their strength and they would not So come to many people that are in great extremities to some women and others when they are wringing their hands and hanging about their husbands necks and tel them your confidence must be in quietness they wil be ready to row you off But they would not saith God So in Isa 30.7 I cried concerning this Their strength is to sit still My Brethren this day in the Name of God do I cry concerning al our straights after we have used all the means we can we are to sit still and see the salvation of our God to quiet our hearts with this beleeving stand stil and look up to God for our salvation It was their great fault they did not so in their deliverance out of their captivity there is one remarkable place for that Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter What 's the meaning of this text It is thus In the time of their deliverance from Captivity they met with a great deal of difficulty many straights and they went about to this and that sharking course and did backslide when they were in a good way they went back again and the Prophet could not get the◠〈◊〉 stand stil 〈◊〉 â—ny way as if he should have said go on right in the way be not discouraged by difficulties by extremities seck not any shifting way be not backsliding but stand to your tackling and work God hath set you about for the Lord hath created a new thing Perhaps you will say there was never the like straight we are in well God hath such mercy as he never shewed the like before God hath created a new thing many cry out in their straights O my affliction and my straitght is such as never was in the world well gratifie them so as many times we must needs gratifie distemper'd spirits when they cry out of the greatness of their straights yet is there no comfort for them to stay them yes Isa 64.4 It was never known since the beginning of the world what God hath laid up for them that wait for him Do but wait for him and there was never such mercy shown in the world as God hath laid up for thee so that come let us grant it that there was never the like of that affliction that thou art under yet there is reason enough for thee to wait and look for the salvation of God in such a way in such a condition I shall give some reasons of that part of the doctrine that we are to stand still and be quiet for by our standing still and our quieting our hearts in our straights 1. Reas We are fit to look to the Wisdom Faithfulness and Power of God we are not able to see Gods Wisdom Faithfulness and Power nor to make use of it except we get our spirits to be quiet first get them quiet and then we can look up to God Psalm 46.10 Be still saith the text and know that I am God there is a God in Heaven that can help and succour in time of great straights and extremities but for all this people are in a hurly-burly and their spirits are distemper'd and they are wringing their hands and crying they cannot know that God is God they can have no use of all the power and goodnesse and faithfulnesse and mercy of God First get your hearts still and quiet in your Families and in
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
hath been pleased to bring down my condition now if the Lord bring down my heart and make it even with my condition then I am well enough And so when God brings down his condition he doth not so much labour to raise up his condition again as to bring down his heart to his condition The Heathens themselves they had a little glimps of this they could say That the best riches that is it is the poverty of desires that is a speech of a Heathen that is If a man or woman have their desires cut short and have no large desires that man and woman they are rich when they can bring their desires to be but low So this is the Art of Contentment Not to seek to adde to our conditions but to substract from our desires Another hath this The way to be rich saith he it is not by increasing of wealth but by diminishing of our desires for certainly that man or woman is a rich man or woman that hath their desires satisfied now a contented man hath his desires satisfied God satisfies his desires that is all considered he is satisfied in his condition for the present to be the best condition and so he comes to this Contentment by way of Substraction and not Addition The Third thing in the Art of Contentment is this A Christian comes to Contentment not so much by getting off his burden that is upon him as by the adding another burden to him this is a way that flesh and blood hath little skilll in You will say how is this In this manner art thou afflicted and is there a great load and burden upon thee by reason of thy affliction thou thinkest there is no way in the world to get Contentment but O that this burden were but off O it is a heavy load and few know what a burden I have What doest thou think there is no way for the Contentment of thy spirit but this getting off thy burden O thou art deceived the way of Contentment is to adde another burden that is labour to load and burden thy heart with thy sin and the heaviour the burden of thy sin is to thy heart the lighter will the burden of thy affliction be to thy soule and so shalt thou come to be Content If thy burden were lightened that would content thee thou thinkest there is no way to lighten it but to get it off but thou art deceived for if thou canst get thy heart to be more burdened with thy sin thou wilt be lesse burdened with thy afflictions You will say this is a strange way for a man or woman to get ease to their condition when they are burdened to lay a greater burden upon them You think there is no other way when you are afflicted but to be jolly and merry and get into company Oh no you are deceived your burden will come again alas this is a poor way to get his spirit quieted poor man the burden will be upon him again but if thou wouldest have thy burden light if thou canst get alone and examine thy heart for thy sin and charge thy soul with thy sâ—n if thy burden be in thy estate for the abuse of it or if it be a burden upon thy body for the abuse of thy health and strength and the abuse of any mercies that now the Lord hath taken away from thee thou hast not honoured God with those mercies that thou hast had but thou hast walked wantonly and carelesly and so fall a bemoning thy sâ—n before the Lord and thou shalt quickly find the burden of thy affliction to be lighter than it was before do but try this piece of skill and art to get your souls contented with any low condition that God puts you into many times in a family when any affliction befals them Oh what a deal of discontentment is there between man and wife if crost in their estates at Land or ill news from Sea or those that they trusted are broke and the like and perhaps somwhat in the family fals crosse between man and wife or in reference to the children or servants and there is nothing but brabling and discontent among them now they many times are burdened with their own discontent and perhaps will say one to another this life is very uncomfortable for us to live thus discontented so as we do but have you ever tried this way the husband and the wife have you ever got alone and said Come Oh let us go and humble our souls before God together let us go into our chamber and humble our souls before God for our sin whereby we have abused those mercies that God hath taken away from us and we have provok'd God against us Oh let us charge our selves with our sin and be humbled before the Lord together have you tried such a way as this is Oh you would find the cloud would be taken away and the Sun would shine in upon you and you would have a great deal more Conntentment than ever yet you had If a mans estate be broken either by plunderers or any other way now how shall this man have Contentment how By the breaking of his heart God hath broken thy estate Oh seek to him for the breaking of thy heart likewise Indeed a broken estate and a whole heart a hard heart will not joyn together there will be no Contentment but a broken estate and a broken heart will so sute together as there will be more Contentment than there was before adde therefore to the breaking of thy estate the breaking of thy heart what thou canst and that is the way to be Contented in a Christian manner which is the Third Mystery in Christian Contentation The fourth thing is this It is not so much the removing of the affliction that is upon us as the changing of the affliction the Metamorphosing of the affliction when it is quite turned and changed into another thing I meane in regard of the use of it though for the matter the affliction abide stil The way of Contentment to a carnal heart it 's only the removing of the affliction Oh that it may be gone no but saith a gracious heart God hath taught me a way for Contentment though the affliction shall continue still for the matter of it but there is a vertue of grace to turn this affliction into good it takes away but only the sting and poyson of it As now Suppose poverty A mans estate is lost well is there no way to be contented till your estate be made up again Till your poverty be removed Yes certainly Christianity would teach Contentment though poverty continues yet it will teach you how to turn your poverty to spiritual riches that you shall be poor still for your outward estate but this shall be altered whereas before it was once a natural evil to you it comes now to be turned into a spiritual benefit to you and so you come to be content
evil of sin and the excellency of Jesus Christ there may be a seed of faith put into the soul but the soul must first know Christ and know sin and be made sensible of it Now how contrary is this sin of murmuring to any such work of God hath God made me see the dreadful evil of sin and made my soul to be sensible of the evil of sin as the greatest burden how can I then be so much troubled for every little affliction certainly if I saw what the evill of sin were that sight would swallow up all other evils and if I were burdened with the evil of sin it would swallow up all other burdens what am I now murmuring against Gods hand saith such a soul when as a while ago the Lord made me see my self to be a damned wretch and apprehend it as a wonder that I am not in Hell 2. Yea it 's mighty contrary to the sight of the infinit excellency and glory of Jesus Christ and of the things of the Gospel What am I that soul that the Lord hath discovered such infinit excellency of Jesus Christ to and yet shall I think such a little affliction to be so grievous to me when I have had the sight of such glory in Christ that is more worth than ten thousand worlds for so will a true convert say Oh! the Lord at such a time hath given me that fight of Christ that I would not be without for ten thousand thousand worlds but hath God given thee that and wilt thou be discontent for a trifle in comparison to that 3. A Third work when God brings the soul home to himself it is By taking the heart off from the Creature the disingaging the heart from all Creature-comforts that 's the Third work ordinarily that the soul may perceive of its selfe It 's true Gods work may be altogether in the seeds in him but in the several actings of the soul in turning to God it may perceive these things in it the disingagement of the heart from the Creature that 's the calling off the soul from the world Whom the Lord hath called he hath justified what 's the calling of the soul but this the soul that was before seeking for Contentment in the world and cleaving to the Creature now the Lord calls the soul out of the world and saith Oh soul thy happinesse is not here thy rest is not here thy happinesse is else-where and thy heart must be loosned from all these things that are here below in the world and this is the work of God in the soul to disingage the heart from the Creature and how contrary is a murmuring heart to such a thing a thing that is glued to another you cannot take off but you must rend it so it 's a sign thy heart is glued to the world that when God would take thee off thy heart rends if God by an affliction should come to take any thing in the world from thee if thou canst part from it with ease without rending it 's a sign then that thy heart is not glued to the world 4. A Fourth work of God in the converting of a sinner is this The casting of the soul upon Jesus Christ for all its good I see Jesus Christ in the Gospel the Fountain of all good and God out of free Grace tendering him to me for life and for salvation and now my soul casts its self rouls it self upon the infinit Grace of God in Christ for al good now hast thou done so hath God converted thee and drawn thee to his Son to cast thy soul upon him for all thy good and yet thou discontented for the want of some little matter in a creature-comfort art thou he that hath cast thy soul upon Jesus Christ for all good as he saith in another case Is this thy faith 5. The Soul is subdued to God and then it comes to receive Jesus Christ as a King to rule to order and dispose of him how he pleases and so the heart is subdued unto God Now how opposite is a murmuring discontented heart to a heart subdued to Jesus Christ as a King and receiving him as a Lord to rule and dispose of him as he pleases 6. There is in the work of thy turning to God the giving up of thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant as thou takest Christ the Head of the Covenant to be thine so thou givest up thy self to Christ In the work of Conversion there is the resignation of the Soul wholly to God in an everlasting Covenant to be his hast thou ever surrendred up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant then certainly this thy fretting murmuring heart is mighty opposite to it certainly thou forgettest this Covenant of thine and the Resignation of thy self up to God it would be of marvellous help to you to humble your Souls when you are in a murmuring condition if you could but obtain so much liberty of your own spirits as to look back to see what the work of God was in converting you there is nothing would prevail more than to think of that I am now in a murmuring discontented way but how did I feel my soul working when God did turn my Soul to himself Oh how opposite is this to that work and how unseeming Oh what shame and confusion would come upon the spirits of men and women if they could but compare the work of corruption in their murmuring and discontent with the work of God that was upon their Souls in conversion now we should labour to keep the work of God upon our Souls that was at our Conversion for Conversion must not be only at one instant at first men are deceived in this if they think their Conversion is finished meerly at first thou must be in a way of conversion to God all the daies of thy life and therefore Christ saith to his Disciples except ye be converted and become as little children Ye be Converted why were they not converted before Yes they were converted but they were still to continue the work of Conversion all the daies of their lives and what work of God there is at the first Conversion it is to abide afterwards As thus alwaies there must abide some sight and sense of sin it may be not in the way which you had which was rather a preparation than any thing else but the sight and sense of sin it is to continue still that is you are still to be sensible of the burden of sin as it is against the Holinesse and Goodnesse and Mercy of God unto thee and the sight of the excellency of Jesus Christ is to continue and thy calling out of the Creature and thy casting of thy Soul upon Christ and thy receiving Christ as a King still receive him day by day and the subduing of thy heart and the surrendring of thy selfe up to God in a way of Covenant now if this were but daily continued there would
we sit down quiet without murmuring Certainly thou never knewest what it was to be humbled for thy manifold sins that art discontented at any administration of God towards thee The Eighth Agravation of the sin of murmuring is For those men that are of little use in the world for them to be discontented If you have but a beast that you make much use of you wil feed it well but if you have but litttle use of him then you turn him into the commons little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him If we liv'd so as to be exceeding useful to God and his Church we might expect that God would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us but when our consciences tell us we live and do but little service for God what if God should turn us upon the commons yet we are fed according to our work according to our imployment why should any creature be servicable to thee who art so little servicable to God This one meditation would much help us to think I am discontent because such and such creatures are not servicable to me but why should I expect that they should be servicable to me when I am not servicable to God And that 's the Eighth Aggravation A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us It should be the care of a Christian to observe what are Gods waies towards him what is God about to do with me at this time Is God about to raise me to comfort me let me close with Gods goodnesse and blesse his Name let me joyn with the work of God when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers But again Is God about to humble me is God about to break my heart and to bring my heart down to him let me joyn with God in this work of his this is for a Christian to walk with God It is said that Enoch and Noah walked with God walked with God what 's that That is To observe what is the work of God that God is now about and to joyn with God in that work of his so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with Grd and have sutable workings unto the workings of God towards him Now then I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted Therefore thou art afflicted because God would humble thee and the great design that God hath in afflicting of thee is to break and humble thy heart and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God God is doing thee good if thou could'st see it now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine and humble that proud spirit of thine it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou had'st in all thy life now wilt thou yet stand out against God it's even as if thou shouldest say well the Lord is about to break me and humble me but he shall not this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentednesse though thou darest not say so but though thou sayest not so in words yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit Oh consider what an aggravation this is I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good but yet I stand out against him and resist him and that 's another aggravation A tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction It 's a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent but though it be a sin when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that but when I see an extraordinary providence working that 's a greater sin that is when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God shall I stand out against God when I see God doth expresse his wil in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition indeed before we see the will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction and may use means for it but now when we see God expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us it 's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist for as it is an argument of a mans disobedience when there is not only a command against a sin but when God reveals his command in a terrible way the more solemn the command of God is the greater is the sin in breaking that command so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented Then God expects that we should fall down when he as it were speaks from Heaven to thee by name and saith well I wil have this spirit of thine down do not you see that my hand is stretched out my eyes are upon you my thoughts are upon you and I must have that proud spirit of thine down Oh then it 's fit for the creature to yeeld and submit unto him When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants or children you expect they should regard what you say but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way then if they should disregard what you say you are very impatient So certainly God cannot take it well when ever he doth appeare from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction if then we do not submit to him The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this To be discontented though God hath been exercising of us long under afflictions yet still to remain discontented For a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it 's an evil but to have a murmuring heart when God hath been a long time exercising them with affliction it 's more evil Though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wrigles up and down and will not be quiet but if after many monthes or yeers it shall not draw quietly the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it So though the Lord was content to passe by that discontented spirit of thine at first yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon
thee thou hast bin under his afflicting hand it may be divers yeers and yet thou remain discontent still it were just with God that he should bear thy murmuring no longer and that thy discontent under the affliction should be but a preparation to thy destruction So you see when a man or woman hath been long exercised with afflictions and yet are discontent that 's an aggravation of the sin Mark that text in Heb. 12.11 Now saith the Scripture No chastening for the present is joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby It 's true our afflictions are not joyous but grievous though at first when our affliction comes it is very grievous but yet saith the text afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby when thou hast been a long time in the School of afflictions thou art a very dullard in Christs School if thou hast not learned this Contentment I have learned saith Saint Paul in every state therewith to be content Paul had learned this lesson quickly thou hast been a learning many yeers perhaps thou mayest say as Heman did That thou art afflicted from thy youth up in the 88. Psal Oh it 's a very evil thing if being exercised long with afflictions you are not yet contented The eye in the body of a man is as tender a part as any part that a mans body hath but yet the eye is able to continue in and bear a great deal of cold because it is more used to it so those that are used to afflictions those that God exercises much with afflictions though they have tender spirits otherwise yet they should have learned contentednesse by this time A new cart may creek and make a noise but after the use of it a while it will not do so So when thou wert first a Christian and newly come into the work of Christ perhaps thou makest a noise and canst not bear affliction but art thou an old Chistian and yet wilt thou be a murmuring Christian Oh that 's a shame for any that are ancient professors that have been a long time in the School of Jesus Christ to have murmuring and discontented spirits And thus you have had Eleven Aggravations of this sin of murmuring and discontent But now my brethren because this discontented humour is a very tough humour and it is very hard to work upon there 's none that are discontented but will have something to say for their discontent I shall therefore desire to take away what every discontented heart hath to say for himself The Pleas of a discontented heart In the first place Saith one that is discontented It is not discontentment it is the sence of my condition I hope you would have me sensible of my condition perhaps when God takes away a friend or some other comfort they are inordinatly sorrowful and wringing their hands as if they were undone and let any one but speak to them say they Would you not have me sensible of my affliction And thus many would hide their sinful murmuring under Gods hand with this pretence that it is but sensibleness of their affliction To that I answer First there is no sence of any affliction that will hinder the sense of Gods mercies nay the more we are sensible of our afflictions if it be in a gracious manner the more sensible we will be of Gods mercy but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as it takes away the sense of all thy mercies Oh this is sinful discontent this is not to be sensible of thy condition as God would have thee but it is to be sensible in a wicked way you go beyond your bounds By this rule you may come to know when your sorrows and troubles for your afflictions goes beyond the bounds we may be sorrowful when God afflicts but Oh! that I might know when my sorrow goes beyond the bounds of it truly thou mayest know it by this doth the sence of thy afflictions take away the sense of thy mercies If it doth then it goes beyond the bounds Secondly If it were but a bare sence of an affliction it would not hinder thee in the duties of thy condition the right sence of our afflictions will never hinder us in the performance of the duties of our condition but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as thou art made unfit for the performance of the duties of the condition that God hath put thee in surely it's more then meer sence of thy affliction Thirdly If it were but meer sence of thy affliction yet then thou couldest in this thy condition blesse God for the mercies that others have but thy discontentednesse usually breeds envie at it when any one is discontented with their condition they have an envious spirit at the conditions of those that are delivered from what afflictions they bear certainly then it 's turn'd to be sowre and naught when thou art so sensible of thy afflictions and unsensible of mercies as thou art unfit for the duties of thy condition and envious at others that are not afflicted as thou art The Second Plea But wil a discontented heart say I am not so much troubled with my afflictions but it is for my sin rather than my affliction and I hope you wil give leave that we should be troubled and discontented with our sin and were it not for sin that I see in my self I should not be so discontented as I am Oh! it is sin that is heavy upon me and it 's that that troubles me more than my afflictions Deceive not thine own heart there is a very great deceit in this there 's many people that when Gods hand is out against them they will say they are troubled for their sin but the truth is it 's the affliction that doth trouble them rather than their sin their heart doth exceedingly deceive them in this very thing For First They were never troubled for their sin before this Affliction came but you will say It 's true I was not before for my prosperity blinded me but now God hath opened mine eyes by afflictions Hath he so Secondly Then thy great care will be rather for the removing of thy sin than thy affliction art thou more solicitous about the taking away thy sin than the taking away of thine affliction Thirdly If it be thy sin that troubles thee if God should take away thy afflictions yet except thy sin be taken away and thy heart be better this would not content thee thou couldest not be satisfied but we see it ordinarily that if God removes their afflictions there 's no more trouble for their sin Oh! many do bely themselves in this in saying that they are so troubled for their sin and especially those that are so troubled that they are in danger to miscarry and to make away themselves there 's not one in ten thousand that are in such
peace among themselves and therefore God in mercy will discover them beforehand before Canaan comes he will discover this mixt multitude 5. Rea. God will bring them into straits because he might give occasion to the Adversary to vent his malice to the utmost and to ripen his sin that it may be ripe to the full before God comes to deliver us that they may be gathered together to be a great sacrifice to the Lord therefore Gods people are brought to such straights that if they will blaspheme they shal blaspheme to the full In our times now the more straights we are brought into the greater are the blasphemies of the wicked and if God should bring us into more straights and give them the better over us I beleeve there will be that horrible blasphemy in England that never was in any place in the world the heavens never did hear nor the earth never did bear such blasphemies and blasphemers as there would be if God should but deliver up his people in any degree to the hands of their enemies we know not but for the ripenning of their sins and that so they may come to be remarkable for Gods vengance on them here in this world God may give them power over his people and bring his people yet into greater straights And then the last reason is 6. Reas Because the work of Jesus Christ will more appear at the last the greater the straight is And therefore in Dan. 9.25 He will build up the City even in troublesome times Every one can build in quiet times but in troubled times Christ will build up the City And he rules in the midst of his enemies Christ loves to rule in the midst of his enemies that so his rule may be the more conspicuous 1. Vse Is it so with us Take heed then that we have not our hearts sinck because of straights Let us not say why is it thus with us If God be in a way of mercy why deals he thus with us and presently be ready to conclude against the waies of God certainly all is gone God is gone surely whatsoever the hopes and confidences of such and such were we see all is undone all their hopes are undone God forbid there should be such an unbeleeving heart in any of you or such murmuring and repining speeches among any of you whatsoever straight you are brought into 2 Doct. In these straights Gods people are mightily troubled It was so here in every straight they repin'd and were in a distraction and especially at this time stand still saith Moses what mean you to do They were all in a confusion and as it was there so it is many times in many of Gods Saints As the blessed man Heman that made that 88. Psalm you shall find in that Psalm he was distracted and yet though Heman was one of the wisest men upon the earth for so you shall find it in the 1. of Kings where the holy Ghost speaks of wise men in 4.31 Solomon did exceed the wisedom of all in Egypt for saith the text he was wiser than all men than Heman and yet Heman was in woful perplexity when he was brought into straights And in the 8. of Isaiah It was the same case there that seems to be ours now Oh there was a Confederacy a Confederacy and many people did joyn together against Gods servants and upon that the text saith in the 11. verse The Lord spake to me with a strong hand and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people saying say ye not A Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say A Confederacy neither fear ye their fear Mark God was fain to speak to the Prophet with a strong hand that he should not be so troubled as other people were in the time of their fears Yea we shall find that many of Gods Saints that he hath delivered in a most glorious way yet at some other times they have been too secure their hearts have bin all in a confusion and were not able to stand before the difficulties that they met withal And for that you have a famous example 1 Kings 19. of Elijah if you reade the 18. Chap. you may see what a Spirit Elijah had he would appear before Ahab As the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand I will surely shew my self to him to day to Ahab and he did shew himself to Ahab and tels him it was he and his people that troubled Israel when Ahab said to him Art thou he that troubleth Israel No saith he It is thou and thy fathers house that troubleth Israel And then he comes and gets the Priests of Baal together and gets fire from heaven to consume the Sacrifice and destroies all the Priests of Baal and gets rain from heaven to rain upon the earth What an excellent Spirit had Elijah in the 18 Chapter Yet in the 19. Chapter Jezabel did but threaten Elijah and he takes himself to his heels and runs away at the threatning of wicked Jezabel though he had such a brave Spirit in the former Chapter So it is truly with many men at some time their courage makes their adversaries afraid and at other times their cowardice makes their friends ashamed many have been so they have been a terror to their adversaries one day and a shame to their friends another day Reas 1. Because we have much flesh still in the best of us all and we are much led by sence and because we are not throughly skilful in the waies of God because the fear of God is so weak in us therefore it is that the fear of man is so strong and therefore we know so little of Gods secrets the secrets of God are with them that fear him did we fear God more we should know his secret waies and not be so much troubled Reas 2. Because there is a great deal of guilt rests in the best and that will make any one afraid where there is much guiltiness in their hearts it is exceeding troublesome to the soul Reas 3. Because they are too to confident in the flesh they are too to confident in themselves Thence it is that God withdraws himself from them and at what time they are afraid they cannot trust in God as David it is an admirable sweet text professes of himself That at what time he was afraid he would trust in God There is many a man that for the present thinks he can trust in God but he cannot do it at that time when he is afraid Psal 56.3 What time I am afraid I will trust in the Lord. When your passion comes then you make no use of your faith to trust in God As now many a man or woman can be meek quiet till they have a temptation but when your passion is up can you be meek then and rise then and beat it down with the contrary grace So when the passion of your fears and troubles
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