of affliction God doth give leave to his people to be sensible of what they suffer Christ doth not say Do not count that a crosse which is a crosse but take up your crosse daily As it is in the body natural if the body takes physick and is not able to bear it but presently vomits it up or if it be not at all sensible if it stir not the body either of these waies the physick doth no good but argues the body much distempered and will hardly be cured So it is with the spirits of men under afflictions if either they cannot bear Gods potions but cast them up again or are not sensible of them and their souls are no more stir'd by them than the body is by a draught of smal beer it is a sad symptome that their souls are in a dangerous and almost incurable condition So that this inward quietnesse is not in opposition to the sense of affliction for indeed there were no true Contentment if you were not apprehensive and sensible of your afflictions when God is angry It is not opposed 2 To an orderly making our moan and complaint to God and to our friends Though a Christian ought to be quiet under Gods correcting hand yet he may without any breach of Christian contentment complain to God as one of the Ancients saith though not with a tumultuous clamour and skreeking out in a perplexed passion yet in a quit still submissive way he may unbosom his heart unto God And likewise communicate his sad condition to his gracious friends shewing them how God hath dealt with him and how heavy the affliction is upon him that they may speak a word in due season to his wearied soul It is not opposed 3 To all lawful seeking out for help into another condition or simply endeavouring to be delivered out of the present affliction by the use of lawfull means No I may lay in provision for my deliverance use Gods meanes waiting on him because I know not but that it may be his will to alter my condition and so far as he leads me I may follow his providence it is but my duty God is thus far mercifully indulgent to our weakness and he will not take it ill at our hands if by earnest and importunate prayer we seek unto him for deliverance till we know his good pleasure therein And certainly thus seeking for help with such a submission and holy resignation of spirit to be delivered when God will and as God will and how God will so that our wils are melted into the will of God this is no opposition to the quietness which God requires in a contented spirit Quest But then what is this quietnesse of spirit opposed unto Ans To murmuring and repining at the hand of God as the discontented Israelits often did which if we our selves cannot indure either in our children or servants much lesse can God bear it in us 2 To vexing and fretting which is a degree beyond murmuring It is a speech I remember of an Heathen A wise man may greive under but not be vexed with his afflictions There is a vast difference betwixt a kindly grieving and a distempered vexation 3 To tumultuousness of spirit When the thoughts run distractingly and work in a confused manner so that the affections are like the unruly multitude in the Acts who knew not for what end they were come together The Lord expects that you should be silent under his rod and as he said in Act. 19.36 You ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly 4 To unsetledness and unfixedness of spirit whereby the heart is taken off from the present duty that God requires in our several relations both towards God our selves and others We should prize duty at a higher rate than to be taken off by every trivial occasion a Christian indeed values every service of God so much that though some may be in the eye of the world and of natural reason a slight empty businesse beggerly rudiments foolishnesse yet seeing God cals for it the authority of the command doth so over awe his heart that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in the discharge of it It is an expression of Luthers ordinary works that are done in faith and from faith are more precious than heaven and earth And if this be so and a Christian know it it is not a little matter that should divert him but he should answer every avocation and resist every tentation as Nehemiah did chap. 6.3 Sanballat Geshem and Tobiah when they would have hindred the building of the wall with this I am doing a great woâ—k saith he so that I cannot come down why should the work of the Lord cease 5 To distracting heart-eating cares and fears A gracious heart so estimates it's union with Christ and the work that God sets it about as it will not willingly suffer any thing to come in to choak it or dead it A Christian is desirous that the word of God should take such full possession as to divide between soul and spirit but he would not suffer the fear and noise of evil-tidings to take such impression in his soul as to make a division and strugling there like the twins in Rebeckah's womb A great man will permit common people to stand without his doors but he will not let them come in and make a noise in his closet or bed-chamber when he purposely retires himself from all worldly imployments So a well tempered spirit though it may inquire after things abroad without doors in the world and suffer some ordinary cares and fears to break in to the suburbs of the soul so as to have a light touch upon the thoughts Yet it will not upon any terms admit of an intrusion into the privy-chamber which should be wholly reserved for Jesus Christ as his inward Temple 6 To sinking discouragements When things fall not out according to expectation when the tyde of second causes runs so low that we see little left in the outward means to bear up our hopes and hearts That then the heart begins to reason as he in the Kings If the Lord should open the windows of heaven how should this be Never considering that God can open the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle he can work above beyond nay contrary to means he often makes the fairest flowers of mans indeavours to wither and brings improbable things to passe that the glory of interprizes may be given to himself Nay if his people stand in need of miracles to work their deliverance miracles fall as easily out of Gods hands as to give his people daily bread Gods blessing is many times secret upon his servants that they know not which way it comes as 2 Kings 3.17 Ye shall not see wind neither shall you see rain yet the valley shall be filled with water God would have us depend on him though we do not see means how the thing
not so great as others It 's a speech I remember I have met withall in Latimers Sermons that he was wont to use The half is more than the whole That is when a man is in a mean condition he is but halfe way towards the height of prosperity that others are in yet saith he this is more safe though it be a meaner condition than others Those that are in a high and prosperous condition there is anexed to it the burden of trouble and of danger and of duty and of account And thus you see how Christ traines up his Scholers in his School and though they be weak otherwise yet by his Spirit he gives them wisdom to understand these aright The Eight lesson is this Christ teaches them what a great and dreadful evil it is to be given up to ones hearts desires The understanding this lesson that it is a most dreadful evil one of the most hideous and fearfull evills that can befall any man upon the face of the earth for God to give him up to his hearts desires when the soul understands this once and together with it for it goes along together that spiritual judgments are more fearfull than any outward judgments in the world the understanding of this will teach any one to be content in Gods crossing of them in their desires Thou art crost in thy desires now thou art discontented and vext and fretted at it is that thy only misery that thou art crost in thy desires no no thou art infinitly mistaken the greatest misery of all is for God to give thee up to thy hearts lusts and desires to give thee up to thine own counsells so you have it in Psal 81.11 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me what then So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels Oh saith Bernard let me not have such a miserie as that is for to give me what I would have to give me my hearts desires it is one of the most hideous judgments in the world for a man to be given up to his hearts desires We have not indeed in Scripture any certain evident sign of a reprobate we cannot say except we knew a man had committed the sin against the Holy Ghost that he is a reprobate for we know not what God may work upon him but the neerest of all and the blackest sign of a reprobate is this for God to give up a man to his hearts desires all the pain of diseases all the calamities that can be thought of in the world are no judgments in comparison of this for a man to be given up to his hearts desires now when the Soul comes to understand this the Soul then cries out why am I so troubled that I have not my desires There is nothing that God conveys his wrath more through than a prosperous estate I remember I have read of a Jewish Tradition that they say of Vzziah when God struck Vzziah with a Leprosie they say that the beams of the Sun was darted upon the fore-head of Vzziah and he was struck with a Leprosie by the darting of the beams of the Sun upon his fore-head the Scripture saith Indeed the Priests looked upon him but they say there was a speciall light and beam of the Sun upon the fore-head that did discover the Leprosie to the Priests and they say it was the way of conveying of it Whether that were true or no I am sure this is true that the strong beams of the Sun of prosperity upon many men makes them to be leprous would any poor man in the countrey have been discontented that he was not in Vzziahs condition he was a great King I but there was the Leprosie in his fore-head the poor man may say though I live meanly in the countrey yet I thank God my body is whole and sound would not any man rather have russet and skins of beasts to cloath him with than to have sattin and velvet that should have the Plague in it The Lord conveys the plague of his curse through prosperity as much as through any thing in the world and therefore the soul coming to understand this this makes it to be quiet and content And then spirituall judgments are the greatest judgments of all the Lord laies such an affliction upon my outward estate but what if he had taken away my life a mans health is a greater mercy than his estate and you that are poor people you should consider of that but is the health of a mans body better than his estate what is the health of a mans soul that 's a great deal better the Lord hath inflicted externall judgements but he hath not inflicted spirituall judgments upon thee he hath not given thee up to hardnesse of heart and taken away the spirit of prayer from thee in thine afflicted estate Oh then be of good comfort though there be outward afflictions upon thee yet thy soul thy more excellent part is not afflicted Now when the soul comes to understand this that here lies the sore wroth of God to be given up to a mans desires and for spiritual judgments to be upon a man this quiets him and contents him though outward afflictions be upon him perhaps one of a mans children hath the fit of an ague or the tooth-ach but perhaps his next neighbour hath the plague or all his Children are dead of the plague now shall he be so discontented because his Children have the tooth-ach when his neighbours Children are dead now think thus Lord thou hast laid an afflicted condition upon me but Lord thou hast not given me the plague of a hard heart Now take these Eight things before mentioned and lay them together and you may well apply that Scripture in the 29. of Isa the last verse saith the text there They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine Hath there bin any of you as I fear many may be found that have erred in spirit even in regard of this truth that now we are preaching of and many that have murmured Oh that this day you might come to understand that Christ would bring you into his School and seach you understanding And they that murmured shall learn doctrine what doctrine shall they learn These Eight Doctrines that I have opened to you And if you will but throughly study these lessons that I have set before your eyes It will be a speciall help and means to cure your murmurings against and repinings at the hand of God And so you will come to learn Christian Contentment The Lord teach you thoroughly by his Spirit these lessons of Contentment SERMON VI. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I Shall only adde one lesson more in the learning of Contentment then I shal come to the Fourth Head The
complacency in Gods dispose ibid 8 In Gods dispose Page 19 9 In every condition Page 20 We must submit to God in every affliction 1 For the kind Page 22 2 For the time Page 23 3 For the variety 25 Contentment a Mysterie Page 26 1 A Christian is content yet unsatisfied Page 27 2 A Christian comes to Contentment by substraction Page 29 3 By adding another burden to that he hath Page 31 4 By changing the affliction into another Page 33 5 By doing the work of his condition Page 35 6 By melting his will into Gods will Page 37 7 By purging out that that is within 38 8 He lives by the dew of Gods blessing Page 40 1 He hath the love of God in that he hath Page 41 2 It is sanctified for his good ib 3 There is no after-reckoning for it Page 42 4 It is by the purchase of Christ 5 It is an earnest of glory he reafter Page 43 9 A Christian sees Gods love in affliction Page 44 10 His afflictions sanctified in Christ Page 45 11 He fetches strength from Christ Page 47 12 He makes up his wants in God Page 49 13 He fetcheth Contentment from the Covenant Page 53 Objection concerning the plague Answered Page 54 He supplieth wants by what he finds in himself Page 57 He fetches supply from the CoveCovenant Page 61 1 In General ibid 2 From particular premises Page 64 14 He reallizeth the things of Heaven Page 67 15 He letteth his heart out to God ibid Lessons whereby Christ teacheth Contentment 1 Self-denial Whereby a Christian knows Page 68 1 That he is nothing Page 69 2 That he deserves nothing ibid 3 That he can do nothing Page 70 4 That he can receive no good of himself ibid 5 If God withdraw himself he can mak use of nothing ibid 6 That he is worse than nothing Page 71 7 That there is no loss of him if he perish ibid 8 That he comes to rejoyce in Gods waier Page 72 2 Lesson To know the vanity of the Creature Page 73 3 Lesson To know that one thing wherefore Page 74 4 Lesson To know his relation in this world Page 76 5 Lesson Wherein the good of the Creature is Page 79 6 Lesson The knowledge of his own heart Page 82 Which helps to Contentment 1 By discovering wherein discontent lies ibid 2 By knowing what is sutable to our condition Page 83 3 By this we know what we are able to mannage Page 84 7 Lesson To know the burden of a prosperous estate Page 85 Which is four fold 1 The burden of trouble ibid 2 The burden of danger Page 86 3 The burden of duty Page 89 4 The burden of account ibid 8 Lesson A great evil to be given up to our own hearts desire Page 91 9 Lesson The right knowledge of of Gods providence Page 94 Wherein four things 1 The universality of it ibid 2 The efficacy of it Page 95 3 The variety of it ibid 4 Gods particular dealing with his people Page 97 In three things 1 They are ordinarily in affliction Page 98 2 When he intends them greatest mercies he brings them lowest ibid 3 He works by contraries Page 99 The Excellency of Contentment 1 Excellency By it we give God his due worship Page 101 2 Excel In it there is much exercise of grace 103 1 There is much strength of grace ibid 2 There is much beauty of grace Page 104 3 Excel The soul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106 4 Excel It is fitted to do service Page 107 5 Excel Contentment delivers from temptation Page 108 6 Excel It brings abundance of comfort Page 110 7 Excel It fetcheth in that that we possess not Page 111 In 4 particulars 8 Excel Contentment a great blessing of God upon the soule Page 115 9 Excel A contented man may expect reward Page 116 10 Excel By Contentment the soul comes neerest the Excellency of God himself Page 117 Use 1 To be humbled for want of Contentment Page 118 The Evils in a murmuring spirit 1 It is an Argument of much corruption in the soul Page 119 2 It is a note of a wicked man Page 120 3 Murmuring is accounted Rebellion Page 121 4 It is exceeding contrary to grace in conversion Page 122 The works of God in conversion 1 To make us sensible of the evil in sin Page 123 2 A sight of the excellency of Christ ibid 3 Taking the heart from the creature ibid 4 Casting the soul on Christ for all good Page 124 5 Subduing the soul to Christ as King ibid 6 Giving up the soul to God in Covenant Page 125 5 Evil Murmuring below a Christian Page 126 1 Below his relation 1 To God as a Father ibid 2 To Christ as a Spouse ibid 3 To Christ as a Member Page 127 4 To Christ as a Co-heir ibid 5 To Gods Spirit as a temple ib. 6 To Angels as one with them ib. 7 To Saints as of the same body ibid 2 Below his dignity Every Christian a King Page 128 3 It is below the spirit of a Christian Page 129 4 Below the profession of a Christian Page 131 5 Below the grace of faith ibid 6 Below the helps of a Christian Page 132 7 Below the expectation of a Christian ibid 8 Below what other Christians have done Page 133 6 Evill by murmuring we undo our prayers ibid 7 Evil The effects of a murmuring heart 1 Loss of much time Page 134 2Vnfitness for Duty ibid 3 Wicked risings of heart Page 135 4Vnthankfulness ibid 5 Shifting Page 138 8 Evil Discontent a foolish sin ibid 1 It takes away the comfort of what we have ibid 2 We cannot help our selves by it Page 139 3 It causeth foolish carriage to God and man ibid 4 It takes out the sweetness of mercies before they come ibid 5 It makes Affliction worse Page 141 9 Evil It provokes the wrath of God ibid 19 Evil There is a curse upon it Page 146 11 Evil There is much of the spirit of Satan in it Page 147 12 Evill It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet ibid 13 Evil God may justly withdraw his protection from such ibid Aggravations of the sin of murmuring 1 Aggravation The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring Page 150 2 Agrav When we murmur for smal things Page 157 3 Agrav When men of parts and abilities murmur Page 158 4 Agrav The freeness of Gods mercy ibid 5 Agrav Discontent for what we have Page 159 6 Agrav When men are raised from a low condition ibid 7 Agrav When men have been great sinners Page 160 8 Agrav When those murmur that are of little use in the world Page 161 9 Agrav To murmur when God is about to humble us ibid 10 Agrav When Gods hand is apparant in an affliction Page 162 11 Agrav To murmur under long afflictions Page 163 Pleas of a discontented heart 1 Plea I am but sensible of my affliction 1 Sense
as much as if he had said I have learned the mystery of this business Contentment is to be learned as a great mystery and those that are throughly trained up in that art have learned a deep Mystery The which is as Sampsons riddle to a natural man I have learned it It is not now to learn neither had I it at first I have attained it though with much ado and now by the grace of God I am become master of this art In whatsoever state I am The word State is not in the Original but In what I am that is in whatsoever concerns or befals me whether I have little or nothing at all Therewith to be content The word which we render Content here hath in the Original much elegancy and fulnesse of signification in it In strictnesse of phrase it is only attributed unto God who hath stiled himself God alsufficiant as resting wholly satisfied in and with himself alone but he is pleased freely to comunicate of his fulness to the creature so that from God in Christ the Saints receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 in somuch that there is in them an answerablenesse of the same grace in their proportion that is in Christ And in this sense Paul saith I have a Self-sufficiency as the word notes But hath Paul a self-sufficiency you will say How are we sufficient of our selves Our Apostle affirms in another case That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 His meaning therefore must be I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart through the grace of Christ that is in me though I have not outward comforts and worldly accommodations to supply my necessities yet I enjoy portion enough betwixt Christ and my own soul abundantly to satisfie me in every condition And this interpretation is sutable to that place Pro. 14 1â— A good man is satisfied from himself and agreeable to what he verifies of himself in another place that though he had nothing yet he possessed all things because he had right to the covenant and promise which virtually contains all and an interest in Christ the fountain and good of all and having that no marvell he saith that in whatsoever state he was in he was content Thus you have the genuine interpretation of the text I shall not make any division of the words because I take them only to prosecute that one duty most necessary viz. The quieting and comforting the hearts of Gods people under the troubles and changes they meet withall in these heart-shaking times And the doctrinal conclusion is in brief this Doct. That to be well skill'd in the mystery of Christian Contentment is the Duty Glory and Excellency of a Christian This Evangelical truth is held forth sufficiently in Scripture yet take one or two paralel places more for the confirmation of it 1 Tim. 6.6 8. you have both the duty exprest and the glory thereof Having food and raiment saith he vers 8. let us be therewith content there is the duty But godliness with Contentment is great gain vers 6. there is the glory and excellency of it as if godlinesse were not gain except there were Contentment withal The like exhortation you have in Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as you have I do not find any Apostle or Writer of Scripture treat so much of this spiritual mystery of Contentment as this our Apostle hath done throughout his Epistles For the cleer opening and proving of this practical conclusion I shall indeavour to demonstrate these four things First The nature of this Christian Contentment what it is Secondly The art and mystery of it Thirdly What those lessons are that must be learn'd to work the heart to contentment Fourthly Wherein the glorious excellencies of this grace doth principally consist Concerming the first take this discription Christian Contentment is that sweet inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods wise and fatherly dispose in euery condition I shall break open this discription for it is a box of precious ointment very comfortable and useful for troubled hearts in troubled time and conditions First Contentment I say is a sweet inward heart thing it is a work of the spirit within doors It is not only a not-seeking help to our selves by outward violence or a forbearance of discontented murmuring expressions in froward words and carriages against God or others but it is the inward submission of the heart Psal 62.1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God and ver 5. My soul wait thou only upon God so it is in your Books but the words may be translated as rightly My soul be thou silent unto God Hold thy peace O my soul Not only the tongue must hold it's peace but the soul must be silent Many may sit down silently forbearing discontented expressions yet are inwardly swollen with discontentment now this manifesteth a perplexed distemper and a great frowardnesse in their hearts And God notwithstanding their outward silence hears the peevish fretting language of their souls The shoe may be smooth and neat without whilst the flesh is pinched within There may be much calmnesse and stilnesse outwardly and yet wonderful confusion bitternesse disturbance and vexation within Some are so weak that they are not able to contain the disquietness of their own spirits but in words and behaviour discover what woful perturbations there are within their spirits being like the raging Sea casting forth nothing but mire and dirt being not only troublesome to themselves but to all those they live with Others there are who are able to keep in such distempers of heart as Judas did when he betrayed Christ with a kisse but still they boyl inwardly and eat like a Cankes As David speaks concerning some whose words are smoother than honey and butter and yet have war in their hearts and as he saith in another place whilst I kept silence my bones waxed old so these whilst there is a serene calme upon their tongues have yet blustring storms in their spirits and whilst they keep silence their hearts are troubled and even worn away with anguish and vexation they have peace and quiet outwardly but war from the unruly and turbulent workings of their hearts that is within If the attainment to true Contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly there need be no great learning of it it might be had with lesse skill and strength than an Apostle had yea than an ordinary Christian hath or may have Therefore certainly there is a great deal more in it than can be attained by common gifts and ordinary power of reason which often bridles in nature It is a heart-businesse Secondly It is the quiet of the heart All is sedate and still there and to understand this the better This quiet gracious frame of spirit It is not opposed 1 To a due sense
about their condition Come to many that the hand of God is upon perhaps in a grievous manner and seek to satisfie them and tel them that there is no such cause to be disquieted O not such cause saith the troubled spirit O then there is no cause that any should be disquieted there was never any such affliction as I have and a hundred things they have to put off what is said to them so as you cannot so much as get into their judgments to satisfie them but there is a great deal of hope of Contentment if once your judgments come to be satisfied that you can sit down and say in your judgments I see cause to be contented but though you have gotten thus far yet you may have much to do with your hearts afterward for there is such unrulinesse in our thoughts and affections that our judgments are not able alwaies to rule our thoughts and affections and that makes me to say That Contentment is an inward quiet gracious frame of Spirit that is the whol Soul Judgment Thoughts Will Affections and all are satisfied and quiet I suppose in the very opening this you begin to see it is a lesson that you had need learn and it is not a thing soon got if Contentment be such a thing as this is The Second thing is this which is very observable That spiritual contentment comes from the frame of the Soul A man or woman that is contented in a right way their Contentment doth not so much come from outward arguments or any outward thing that helps them to be content as it doth from the disposition of their own hearts It is the disposition of their own hearts that causes this Contentment that brings forth this gracious Contentment rather than any external thing that doth it as thus I would open my self one that is disquieted suppose a child or man or woman if you come and bring them some great matter to please them that perhaps will quiet them and they will be contented it is the thing you bring them that quiets them but it is not the disposition of their own spirits not from any good temper that there is in their own hearts but from some external thing that is brought them but when a Christian is contented in a right way the quiet doth come more from the inward temper and disposition of their own hearts than from any external arguments or possession of any thing in the world I would yet open this further to you in this Similitude The being content upon some external thing it is like the warming of a mans cloathes by the fire but being content by the inward disposition of the soul it is like the warmth that a mans cloathes hath from the natural heat of his body A man that is of a healthful body he puts on his cloathes and perhaps when he puts them on at the first in a cold morning he feels his cloathes cold but after he hath them on a little while they are warm why how come they warm they came not nigh the fire No but it came from the natural heat of his body Now a sickly man that hath his natural heat decayed if he put on his cloathes cold they will not be hot in a long time but he must have them warmed by the fire and then they will quickly be cold again So this will difference the Contentments of men There are some men now that are very gracious and when an affliction comes upon them indeed at first it seems to be a little cold but after it hath been on a while the very temper of their hearts being gracious it makes their afflictions easie and makes them to be quiet under it and not to complain of any discontentment But now you shall have others that have an affliction upon them that have not this good temper in their hearts their afflictions are very cold upon them and greivous and it may be if you bring them some external arguments somwhat from without as the fire that warms the cloathes perhaps they will be quiet for a while but alas wanting a gracious disposition within in their own hearts that warmth will not hold long The warmth of the fire that is a Contentment that comes meerly from externall arguments will not hold long but that holds that doth come from the gracious temper of the Spirit It is from the frame and the disposition of the spirit of a man or woman there 's the true Contentment But this we shall speak too further in the opening of the Mystery of Contentment The Third thing is this It is the frame of Spirit that shews the habitualness of this grace of Contentment Contentment is not meerly one act a flash in a good mood you shall have many men and women that take them in some good mood and they will be very quiet but this will not hold this is not in a constant way there is not a constant tenour of their spirits to be holy and gracious under affliction But I say It is the quiet frame of spirit by that I mean The habitual disposition of their Souls that it is not only at this time and the other time when you take men and women in a good mood but it is the constant tenour and temper of the heart that is a Christian that hath learned this lesson of Contentment that in the constant tenour and temper of heart is contented and can carry it's self quietly in a constant way or else it is worth nothing for there is no body that is so furious in their discontent but will be quiet in some good mood or other Now First it is a heart-business Secondly it is the heart-quiet and then Thirdly it is the frame of the heart But Fourthly It is the gracious frame of the heart Indeed in Contentment there is a composition of all graces if the Contentment be Spiritual if it be truely Christian there is I say a composition of all Spiritual graces As it is in some Oyls there is a composition of a great many very precious ingredients so in this grace of Contentment which we shall yet further speak of in the opening of the Excellency of it But now the gracious frame of Spirit is in opposition to Three things 1 First In opposition to the natural stilness that there is in many men and women There is some of such a natural constitution that makes them to be more still and more quiet than others others are of a violent and hot constitution and they are more impatient than others 2 Secondly In opposition to a sturdy resolution As some men through the strength of some sturdy resolution they have not seemed to be troubled let come what will come and so it may be that through a sturdy resolution at some times they are not so much disquieted as others are Thirdly In way of distinction from the very strength of reason though not sanctified the strength of
natural reason may quiet the heart in some measure But now I say A gracious frame of spirit is not a meer stilnesse of body through a natural constitution and temper nor sturdinesse of resolution nor meerly through the strength of reason You will say wherein is this graciousness of Contentment distinguisht from all these More of this will be spoken to when we shew the mystery of it and the lessons that are learned but now we may speak a little by way of distinction here as now From the natural stilnesse of mens spirits many men and women have such a natural stilnesse of spirit and constitution of body that you shall find them seldom disquieted But now mark these kind of people that are so they likewise are very dull of a dull spirit in any good thing they have no quicknesse nor livelinesse of spirit in that which is good but now mark where contentment of heart is gracious the heart is very quick and lively in the service of God yea the more any gracious heart can bring its self to be in a contented disposition Oh the more fit it is for any service of God and is very active and lively in Gods service not dull in the service of God And as a Contented heart is very active and stirring in the work of God so he is very active and stirring in sanctifying Gods Name in the affliction that doth befall him The difference will appear very cleer thus One that is of a still disposition he is not disquieted indeed as others neither hath he any activenesse of spirit in sanctifying the Name of God in the affliction but now one that is content in a gracious way as he â—s not disquieted but keep his heartt quiet in respect of vexing and trouble so on the other side he is not dull nor heavy but is very active to sanctifie Gods Name in the affliction thas is upon him for it is not enough meerly not to murmur not to be discontented and troubled but you must be active in the sanctifying Gods Name in the affliction And indeed this will distinguish it from the other from a sturdy resolution I will not be troubled but though you have a sturdy resolution that you will not be troubled is there a conscionablenesse in you to sanctifie Gods Name in your affliction and doth it come from thence That is the main thing that brings the quiet of heart and helps against discontentednesse in a gracious heart I say the desire and care that thy soul hath to sanctifie Gods Name in an affliction it is that that quiets the soul which doth not in the other Neither when it is meerly from reason As Socrates it is said of him though he were but an heathen that what ever befel him he would never so much as change his countenance and he got this power over his spirit meerly by strength of reason and morallity but now this gracious contentment comes from principles beyond the strength of reason I cannot open that from whence it comes till we come to open the mystery of spiritual Contentment I will only give you this one note of difference between a man and a woman that is contented in a natural way and another that is contented in a spiritual way Those that are contented in a natural way they overcome themselves when outward afflictions doth befal them they are contented yea and they are contented as well when they commit sin against God either when they have outward crosses or when God is dishonoured it is all one either when themselves are crost or when God is crost but now a gracious heart that is contented with it's own affliction yet mightily rises when God is dishonoured The Fift is Freely freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose it is a free work of the spirit now there are four things to be opened in this freedom of spirit First that the heart is readily brought over that that one doth freely there is no great stir to bring them to it there are many men and women when their afflictions are grievous upon them with much adoe they are brought to be contented a great deal of stir there is to quiet their hearts when they are under affliction yet at last perhaps they are brought to it I but now this doth not come off freely if I desire a thing of another and I get it perhaps with much adoe and a great deal of stir there is but here 's no freedom of spirit but when a man is free in a thing do but mention it and presently he comes off to it So if you have learned this art of Contentment you will not only be contented after a great deal of do to quiet your hearts but readily as soon as ever you do come to think that it is the hand of God your heart presently closeth Secondly freely That is not by constraint not patience by force as we use to say As many will say that you must be content this is the hand of God and there is no help for it O this is too low an expression for Christians yet when Christians come to visit one another they say friend or neighbour you must be content this is to low an expression for a Christian Must be content no readily and freely I will be content It is sutable to my heart to yeild to God and to be content I find it is a thing that comes off of it self that my soul will be content Oh you should answer your friends so that come and tell you you must be content nay I am willing to yeild to God and I am freely content that 's the Second And then a free act it comes after a rational way that 's freedom that is it doth not come through ignorance because I know no better condition or that I know not what my affliction is I but it comes through a sanctified judgment for that is the reason that no creature can do an act of freedom but the rational creature the liberty of action is only in rational creatures and it comes from hence for that 's only freedom and out of liberty that 's wrought in a rational way as a natural freedom is when I by my judgment see what is to be done understand the thing and then there is a closing with what I do understand in my judgment that is freely done but now if a man doth a thing and understands not what he doth he cannot be said to do it freely So if men are contented but it is because they understand not what their affliction is or because they understand no better this is not freely as for instance Suppose a Child born in a prison and never in all his life went out the Child is contented why Because he never knew better but this is no free act of Contentation But now for men and women that do know better that know that the condition in which they are in it is
that Christ teaches it is this He teacheth us wherein consists any good that is to be enjoyed in any creature in the world It 's true before it hath been taught that there is a vanity in the Creature that is take the Creature considered in it's self but yet though there be a vanity in the Creature in it's self in respect of satisfying the soul for it's portion yet there is some goodnesse in the Creature though there be a vanity there 's some desirablenesse But wherein doth that consist It consists not in the nature of the Creature it self for that is nothing but vanity but it consists in the reference it hath to the first being of all things This is a Lesson that Christ teaches if there be any good in an estate or in any comforts in this world it is not so much that it pleases my sence that it is sutable to my body but the reference it hath to God the first being that by these creatures there should be somewhat of Gods goodnesse conveyed to me and I may have a sanctified use of the creature to draw me neerer to God and that I enjoy more of God and be made more servicable for the glory of God in the place where God hath set me here 's the good of the Creature Oh were we but instructed in this lesson did we but understand and throughly beleeve this to be a truth that there is no creature in all the world hath any goodnesse in it any further then it hath reference to the first infinit supream good of all that so far as I can enjoy God in it so far it is good to me and so far as I do not enjoy God in it so far there is no goodnesse in any thing that I have in the Creature how easie were it then for one to be contented as thus Suppose a man had a great estate but a few years ago and now it is all gone I would but appeale to this man when you had your estate wherein did you account the good of that estate to consist a carnal heart would say any body might know that that it brought me in so much a year and that I could fare of the best and be a man of repute in the place where I live and men would regard what I said I might be cloathed as I would and lay up portions for my children in this consisted the good of my estate this man now never came into the School of Christ to know wherein the good of an estate did consist no marvail if he be disquieted when he hath lost his estate But now a Christian that hath been in the School of Christ and hath been instructed in the art of Contentment when such a one hath an estate he thinks in that I have an estate above my brethren in this consists the good of it tome in that I have an opportunity to serve God the better and I enjoy a great deal of Gods mercy to my Soul conveyed to me through the Creature and hereby I am inabled to do a great deal of good and therein I account the good of my estate Now God hath taken this away from me now if God will be pleased to make up the enjoyment of himself another way that is will call me to honour him by suffering and if I may do God as much service now in my way of suffering that is to shew forth the Grace of his Spirit in the way of my suffering as I did in the way of prosperity I have as much of God as I had before if I may be led to God in my low condition as much as I was in my prosperous condition I have as much comfort and contentment as I had before Obj. But you wil say it is true If I could honour God in my low estate as much as in my prosperous estate then it were somewhat but how can that be Answ You must know the special honour that God hath from his creatures in this world it is the manifestation of the Graces of his Spirit It 's true God hath a great deal of honour when a man is in a publick place and so he is able to do a great deal of good to countenance Godlinesse and discountenance Sin but the main thing is in our shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Now if I can say that through Gods mercy in my affliction I find the Graces of Gods Spirit working as strongly in me as ever they did when I had my estate I am where I was yea I am fully in as good a condition for I have that good now that I had in my prosperous estate for I accounted the good of it but in my enjoyment of God and honouring of God and now God hath blest the want of it to stir up the Graces of his Spirit in my soul and this is the work that now God cals me to and I must account God is most honoured when I do the work that he cals me to he set me a work in my prosperous estate at that time to honour him in that condition and now he sets me a work at this time to honour him in this condition Now God is most honoured when I can turn from one condition to another according as he cals me to it would you account your selves to be honoured by your servants when you set them about a work that hath some excellency and they will go on and on and you cannot get them off from it Now let the work be never so good yet if you will call them off to another work you do expect that they should manifest so much respect to you as to be content to come off from that though they be set about a meaner work if it be more sutable to your ends So you were in a prosperous estate and there God called you to some service that you took some pleasure in but suppose God saith I will use you in a suffering condition and I will have you honour me in that way now here 's the honouring of God that you can turn this way or that way as God cals you to it thus now you having learned this That the good of the Creature cansists in the enjoyment of God in it and the honouring of God by it you can be content because you have the same good that you had before And that 's the Fifth lesson The Sixth Lesson that Christ doth teach the soul that hee brings into this School is this Hee doth instruct such a man or woman in the knowledge of their own hearts you must learn this or you will never learn Contentment you must learn to know your own hearts well to be good studients of your own hearts you cannot al be scholers in the arts and sciences in the world but you may all be students in your own hearts you cannot reade in the book many of you
but God expects that every day you should turn over a leaf in your own hearts you will never come to get any skil in this Mysterie except you study the book of your own hearts Marriners they have their books that they study those that will be good Navigaters and Scholers they have their books those that study Logick they have their books according to that and those that would study Rhetorick and Philosophy have their books according to that and those that study Divinity they have their books whereby they come to be helped in the study of Divinity but a Christian next to the book of God is to look into the book of his own heart and to reade over that and this will help you to Contentment these three waies 1. By the studying of thy heart thou wilt come presently to discover wherein thy discontent lies when thou art discontented thou wilt find out the root of any discontentment if thou doest study thy heart well many men and women they are discontented and the truth is they know not wherfore they think this the other thing is the cause but a man or woman that knows their own heart they will find out presently where the root of their discontent lies that it lies in such a corruption and distemper of my heart that now through Gods mercie I have found out It is in this case as it is with a little child that is very froward in the house if a stranger comes in he doth not know what the matter is perhaps the stranger will give the child a rattle or a nut or such a thing to quiet it but when the Nurse comes she knows the temper and disposition of the Child and therefore knows best how to quiet it so it is here just thus for all the world when we are strangers with our own hearts we are mightily discontented and know not how to quiet our selves because we know not wherein the disquiet lieth and indeed when we are strangers to our own hearts we cannot tell how to quiet our selves but if we be very well verst in our own hearts when any thing fals out so as to disquiet us we find out the cause of it presently and so quickly come to be quiet So a man that hath a Watch and he understands the use of every wheel and pin if it goes amisse he will presently find out the cause of it but one that hath no skill in a Watch when it goes amisse he knows not what the matter is and therefore cannot mend it So indeed our hearts are as a Watch and there are many wheels and windings and turnings there and we should labour to know our hearts well that when they are out of tune we may know what the matter is 2 This knowledge of our hearts wil help us to Contentment because by this we shall come to know what is most sutable to our condition As thus a man that knows not his own heart he thinks not what need he hath of affliction and upon that he is disquieted but that man or woman that hath studied their own hearts when God comes with afflictions upon them they can say I would not for any thing in the world have been without this affliction God hath so suted this affliction to my condition and hath come in such a way that if this affliction had not come I am affraid I should have fallen into sin a poor country man that takes Phisick the Phisick works and he thinks it will kill him because he knows not the ill humours that are in his body and therefore he understands not how sutable the Physick is to him but a Physitian takes a purge and it makes him extreamly sick saith the Physitian I like this the better it doth but work upon the humour that I know is the matter of my disease and upon that such a man that hath knowledge and understanding in his body and the cause of his distemper he is not troubled or disquieted So would we be if we did but know the distempers of our own hearts carnal men and women they know not their own spirits and therefore they fling and vex upon every affliction that doth befall them they know not what distempers are in their hearts that may be healed by their afflictions if it please God to give them a sanctified use of them 3 By knowing their own hearts they know what they are able to manage and by this means they come to be Content the Lord perhaps takes away many comforts from them that they had before or denies them some things that they hoped to have got now they by knowing their hearts know this that they were not able to mannage such an estate and they were not able to mannage such prosperity God saw it and saith a poor soul I am in some measure convinced by looking into mine own heart that I was not able to mānage such a condition A man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps than he is able to mānage and so undoes himself as countrey men do observe that if they doe over-stock their Land it will quickly spoyl them and so a wise Husband-man that knows how much his ground will bear he is not troubled that he hath not so much stock as others why because he knows he hath not ground enough for so great a stock and that quiets him so many men and women that know not their own hearts they would fain have a prosperous estate as others have but if they knew their own hearts they would know that they were not able to mannage it if one of your little children of three or four yeers old should be crying for the coat of her that is twelve or twenty yeers old and say why may not I have a coat as long as my sisters If she had it would soon trip up her heels and break her face but when the Child comes to understanding she is not discontented because her coat is not so long as her sisters but saith my coat is fit for me and therein takes Content So if we come to understanding in the School of Christ we will not cry why have not I such an estate as others have the Lord seeth that I am not able to mannage it and I see it my self by the knowing of mine own heart You shall have children if they see but a knife they will cry for it because they know not their strength and that they are not able to mannage it but you know they are not able to mannage it and therefore you will not give it them and when they come to so much understanding as to know that they are not able to mannage it they will not cry for it so we would not cry for such and such things if we knew that we were not able to mannage them when you vex and fret for what you have not I may say to you as Christ saith you know not of what spirits you are
to understand this that God doth use when he will bring life he doth bring it out of death he brings joy out of sorrow and he brings prosperity out of adversity yea and many times he brings grace out of sin that is makes use of sin to work furtherance of grace it is the way of God to bring good out of evil not only to overcome the evil but to make the evil to work towards the good here 's the way of God now when the soul comes to understand this it will take away our murmuring and bring Contentment into our spirits But I fear there are but few that understand it aright perhaps they reade of such things and hear such things in a Sermon but they are not by Jesus Christ instructed in this that this is the way of God To bring the greatest good out of the greatest evil Now thus having dispach'd the Third Head the Lessons that we are to learn we come to the Fourth and that is The excellency of this Grace of Contentment And there is a great deal of excellencie in Contentment that 's a kind of Lesson too for us to learn And this Head likewise will be somewhat long Saith the Apostle I have learned As if he should say Blessed be God for this Oh! it is a mercy of God to me that I have learned this lesson I find so much good in this Contentment that I would not for a world but have it I have learned it saith he Now the very Heathens had a sight of a great excellency that there is in Contentment I remember I have read of Antistenes a Philosopher that desired of his gods speaking after the heathenish way nothing in this world to make his life happy but Contentment and if he might have any thing that hee would desire to make his life happy he would aske of them that he might have the spirit of Socrates that he might have such a spirit as Socrates had to be able to bear any wrong any injuries that he met withall and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him for that was the temper of Socrates whatever befell him he continued the same man whatever crosse befell him no body could perceive any alteration of his spirit though never so great crosses did befall him This a Heathen did attain to by the strength of Nature and a common work of the spirit Now this Antistenes saw such an excellency in this spirit As when God said to Solomon What shall I give thee he asked of God wisdom so saith he If the gods should put it to me to know what I would have I would desire this thing that I might have the spirit of Socrates he saw a great excellency that there was in this And certainly a Christian may see abundance of excellency in it I shall labour to set it out to you in this Sermon that you may be in love with this Grace of Contentment In the First place By Contentment we come to give God that worship that is due to him It is a special part of Divine worship that we owe to God if we be content in a Christian way according as hath been opened to you I say it is a special part of the Divine worship that the creature owes to the infinit Creator in that I do tender that respect that is due from me to the Creator The word that the Greeks have that signifies to worship it is as much as to come and crouch before another as a dog should come crouching unto you and be willing to lie down at your feet so the creature in the apprehension of its owne basenesse and the infinit Excellency that there is in God above it when it comes to worship God it comes and crouches to this God and it lies down at the feet of God then doth the creature worship God When you see a dog come crouching to you and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet then consider thus should you do before the Lord you should come crouching to him and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies to lie down in the dust before him so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will as somtimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand and there he lies before you according to your shewing him with your hand So when the creature shall come and lie down thus before the Lord then a Creature worships God doth tender you that worship that is due to God Now in what disposition of heart do we thus â—ouch to God more than when we have this Contentation in all conditions that God disposed us unto This is a crouching unto Gods dispose to be like the poor woman of Canaan when Christ said it is not fit to give Childrens meat to dogs but saith she the dogs have crums I am a dog I confesse I but let me have but a crum And so when the soul shall be in such a disposition as to lie down and say Lord I am but as a dog yet let me have a crum then doth it highly honour God It may be some of you have not your table spread as others have but God gives you crums now saith the poor woman dogs have crums and when you can find your hearts thus subjecting unto God to be but as a dog and can be Contented and blesse God for any crum I say this is a great worship of God you worship God by this more than when you come to hear a Sermon or spend half an hour or an hour in prayer or when you come to receive a Sacrament These are the acts of Gods worship I but these are but external acts of worship to hear and pray and receive Sacraments But now this is the Soul-worship to subject its self thus to God You that often will worship God by Hearing and Praying and receiving Sacraments and yet afterwards will be froward and discontented know that God regards not that worship he will have the soul-worship in this subjecting of the soul to God Observe it I beseech you in active obedience there we worship God by doing that that pleases God but by passive obedience we do as well worship God by being pleased with that that God doth Now when I perform a duty I worship God I do what pleases God why should I not as well worship God when I am pleased with what God doth As it was said of Christs obedience Christ was active in his passive obedience and passive in his active obedience So the Saints they are passive in their active obedience they are first passive in their reception of grace and then active And when they come to passive obedience they are active they put forth grace in active obedience when they perform actions to God then saith the Soul Oh! that I could do that that pleases God
's some kind of honour that God hath in it and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven and that 's this In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations they are not put to any trials by afflictions there in Heaven they have exercise of grace but they have nothing but encouragement to it and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect and in that they do excel us but there is nothing to cross their grace they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions temptations and troubles and yet to have grace exercised and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ and in the Word and Promises in the mid'st of all they suffer this may seem to be an honour that God hath from us that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God hath nothing to try them no temptations is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God as for the poor soul that is in the mid'st of trials and temptations and afflictions and troubles for this soul to go on praysing and blessing and serving God I say it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven and God shal not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven and therefore be contented and prize this Contentment and be willing to live in this world as long as God shal please and do not think Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world if thou wert then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self but here 's a way of honouring God and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this Conflict of temptation that God shal not have from thee in Heaven and therefore be satisfied and quiet be contented with thy Contentment I want such and such things that others have but blessed be God I have a contented heart that others have not then I say be content with thy Contenement for that 's a rich portion that the Lord hath granted unto them if the Lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world it would not be such a rich portion as this that he hath given thee a contented spirit Oh go away and praise the Name of God and say Lord it 's true these and these comforts that others have I should be glad if I had them but thou hast cut me short but though I want these yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better thou hast given me a quiet contented heart to be willing to be at thy dispose SERMON VII PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content WE proceed now There are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to Applycation of the point The Eight excellency is Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul There is Gods blessing upon those that are content the blessing of God is upon them and their estates and upon all that they have We reade in Deut. of the blessing of Judah the principal Tribe this is the blessing of Judah And he said hear Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people let his hands be sufficient for him and be thou an help to him from his enemies Let his hand be sufficient for him that is bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own that 's the blessing of Judah So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine own as every contented man hath there is the blessing of God upon thee the blessing of the principle Tribe of Judah is upon thee It is the Lord that gives us all things to injoy we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou do'st injoy it Many men have estates and do not enjoy them it 's the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy it is God that through his blessing hath fashioned thy heart and made it sutable to thy condition The Ninth excellency Those that are content they may expect reward from God that God shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without and this brings in abundance of good to a contented spirit There is such and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be very comfortable unto thee if thou had'st it but canst thou bring thy heart to submit to God in it thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other if thou hast not the thing it self in re thou shalt have it made up one way or other thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in lieu of it there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without but the Lord will give either the comfort or somewhat in stead of it Thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou art content to be without You know what the Scripture saith of active obedience and the Lord doth accept of his servants their will for the deed though we do not do a good thing yet if our hearts be upright to will to do it we shall have the blessing though we do not do the thing You that complain of weaknesse you cannot do as others do you cannot do as much service as others do if your hearts be as upright with God and would fain do the same service that you see others do you would account it a great blessing of God upon you the greatest blessing in the world if you were able to do as others do now you may comfort your selves with this having to deal with God in the way of the Covenant of Grace you shall have from God the reward of all you will do as a wicked man shall have punishment for all the sin he would commit so thou shalt have the reward for all the good thou wouldest do Now may not we draw an argument from active obedience to passive there is as good reason why thou shouldest expect that God will reward thee for all that thou art willing to suffer as well as for all that thou art willing to do now if thou beest willing to be without such a comfort and mercy when God sees it fit thou shalt be no looser certainly God will reward thee either with the comfort or with that that shall be as good to thee as the comfort therefore consider how many things have I that others want and can I bring my heart into a quiet contented frame to want what others have I have the blessing of all that they have and I shall either possesse such things as others have or else God will make it up one way or other either here or hereafter in
eternity to me Oh what riches are here with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches Tenthly and lastly By contentation the soul comes to an excellencie neer to God himselfe yea the neerest that may be for this word that is translated Content it is a word that signifies a Self-sufficiencie as I told you in the opening of the words A contented man is a self-sufficient man what is the great glory of God but to be happy and self-sufficient in himself Indeed he is said to be All-sufficient but that 's but a further addition of the word All rather than of any matter for to be sufficient is All-sufficient now is this the glory of God to be Sufficient to have sufficiencie in himselfe El-shaddai to be God having sufficiency in himself now thou comest neer to this thou partakest of the Divine Nature as by grace in generall so in a more peculiar manner by this grace of Christian Contentment what 's the excellency and glory of God but this Suppose there were no creatures in the world and that all the creatures in the world were anihilated God would remain the same blessed God that he is now he would not be in a worse condition if all creatures were gone neither would a contented heart if God should take away all creatures from him a contented heart hath enough in the want of al creatures and would not be more miserable than now he is Suppose that God should continue thee here and all creatures that are here in this world were taken away yet thou still having God to be thy portion wouldest be as happy as now thou art and therefore contentation hath a great deal of excellency in it Thus we have shewed in many particulars the excellency of this grace labouring to present the beauty of it before your souls that you may be in love with it Now my brethren what remains but the practice of this for this Art of Contentment it 's not a Speculative thing only for contemplation but it is an art of Divinity and therfore practicall ye are now to labour to work upon your hearts that there may be this grace in you that you may honour God and honour your profession with this grace of Contentment for there is none doth more honour God and honour their profession than those that have this grace of Contentment Now that we may fall upon the practice there is required First That we should he humbled in our hearts for the want of this that we have had so little of this grace in us For there is no way to set upon any duty with profit till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the duty before many men when they hear of a duty that they should perform they will labour to perform it but first thou must be humbled for the want of it therefore that 's the thing that I shall endeavour in the Application to get your hearts to be humbled for the want of this grace Oh had I had this grace of Contentment what a happy life I might have lived what abundance of honour I might have brought to the Name of God and how might I have honoured my profession and what a deal of comfort might I have enjoyed but the Lord knows it hath been far otherwise Oh how far have I been from this grace of Contentment that hath been opened to me I have had a murmuring a vexing and a fretting heart within me every little crosse hath put me out of temper and out of frame Oh the boisterousnesse of my spirit what a deal of evil doth God see in my heart in the vexing and fretting of my heart and murmuring and repining of my spirit Oh that God would make you to see it Now to the end that you might be humbled for the want of this I shall endeavour in these particulars to speak unto it First I shall set before you The evil of a murmuring spirit there is more evil than you are aware of In the Second place I will shew you some agravations of this evil It 's evil in all but in some more than in others Thirdly I shall labour to take away the pleas that any murmuring discontented heart hath for this distemper of his There 's these Three things in this use of humiliation of the Soul for the want of this grace of Contentment For the first now at this time The great evil that there is in a murmuring discontented heart In the first place This thy murmuring and discontentedness it argues much corruption that is in the Soul as Contentment argues much grace and strong grace and beautiful grace so this argues much corruption and strong corruption and very vile corruptions in thy heart As it is in a mans body if a mans body be of that temper that every scratch of a pin makes his flesh to ranckle and to be a sore you will say surely this mans body is very corrupt his blood and his flesh is corrupt that every scratch of a pin shal make it ranckle so it is in thy spirit if every little trouble and affliction shal make thee discontented and make thee murmur and even cause thy spirit within thee to ranckle or as it is in a wound in a mans body the evil of a wound it is not so much in the largenesse of the wound and the abundance of blood that comes out of the wound but in the inflamation that there is in it or in a fretting and corroding humour that is in the wound an unskilful man when he comes and sees a large wound in the flesh looks upon it as a dangerous wound and when he sees a great deal of blood gush out he thinks these are the evils of it but when a Chirurgion comes and sees a great gash saith he this will be heal'd within a few daies but there 's a lesse wound and there 's an inflamation or a fretting humour that is in it and this will cost time saith he to cure so that he doth not lay balsome and healing salves upon it but his great care is to get out the fretting humour or inflamation so that the thing that must heal this wound it is some drink to purge But saith the patient what good will this do to my wound You give me somewhat to drink and my wound is in my arme or in my leg what good will this do that I put in my stomack Yes it purges out the fretting humour or takes away the inflamation and till that be taken away the salves can do no good So it is just for all the world in the souls of men it may be there is some affliction upon them that I compare to the wound now they think that the greatnesse of the affliction is that that makes their condition most miserable Oh no there is a fretting humour an inflamation in the heart a murmuring spirit that is within thee and that is the misery of thy condition and that
must be purged out of thee before thou canst be healed and let God do with thee what he will till he purges out that fretting humour thy wound will not be healed a murmuring heart is a very sinful heart so that when thou art troubled for such an affliction thou hadst need turn thy thoughts rather to be troubled for the murmuring of thy heart for that 's the greatest trouble there is an affliction upon thee and that is grievous but there is a murmuring heart within and that 's more grievous Oh that we could but convince men and women that a murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction let the affliction be what it will be We shall shew more afterward that a murmuring spirit is the evil of the evil and the misery of the misery Secondly The evill of murmuring is such that God when he would speak of wicked men and describe them and slew the brand of a wicked and ungodly man or woman he instances in this sin in a more special manner I might name many Scriptures but that Scripture in Jude is a most remarkable one in the 14. verse and so forward there it is said That the Lord comes with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Mark here in this 15. verse there is four times mentioned ungodly ones All that are ungodly among them all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him This is in the general But now he comes in the particular to shew who these are these are saith he Murmurers that 's the very first Would you know who are ungodly men that God when he comes with ten thousand of Angels shall come to punish for all their ungodly deeds that they do and those that speak ungodly things against them These ungodly ones are murmurers murmurers in the Scripture are put in the fore front of ungodly one it 's a most dreadfull Scripture that the Lord when he speaks of ungodly ones puts murmurers in the very fore-front of all you had need look to your spirits you may see that this murmuring which is the vice contrary to this Contentment is not so small a matter as you think you think you are not so ungodly as others because you do not swear and drink as others do but you may be ungodly in murmuring it 's true there is no sin but some seeds and remainers of it are in those that are godly but when they are under the power of this sin of murmuring it doth convince them to be ungodly as well as if they were under the power of drunkennesse or whordom or any other sin God will look upon you as ungodly for this sin as well as for any sin whatsoever This one Scripture should make the heart shake at the thought of the sin of murmuring Thirdly As it 's made a brand of ungodly men so you shal find in Scripture that God accounts it rebellion that is contrary to the worship that there was in contentednesse that 's worshiping of God crouching to God and falling down before him even as a dog that would crouch when you hould a staffe over him but a murmuring heart it 's a rebellious heart and that you shall find if you compare two Scriptures together they are both in the book of Numb 16.41 But on the morrow saith the text all the congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord. They all murmured now compare this with the Chap. 17. vers 10. And the Lord said unto Moses Bring Aarons rod again before the testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels In the 16. Chap. they murmured against Moses and Aaron and in the 17. Chap. bring the rod of Aaron again before the testimony for a token against the Rebels So that to be a murmurer and to be a Rebel you see in Scripture phrase is all one It is a rebellion against God as it is the beginning of rebellion and sedition in a kingdom when the people are discontent and when discontentment comes it grows to murmuring and you can go into no house almost but there is murmuring when men are discontent so that within a little while it breaks forth into sedition or rebellion Murmuring it's but as the smoke of the fire there is first a smoke and smother before the flame breaks forth and so before open rebellion in a kingdom there is first a smoke of murmuring and then it breaks forth into open rebellion but because it hath rebellion in the seeds of it therefore it is accounted before the Lord to be rebellion Wilt thou be a Rebel against God When thou feelest thy heart discontented and murmuring against the dispensations of God towards thee thou shouldest check thy heart thus Oh thou wretched heart what wilt thou be a Rebel against God wilt thou rise in a way of Rebellion against the infinite God yet thus thou hast done charge thy heart with this sin of rebellion you that are guilty of this sin of murmuring you are this day by the Lord charged as being guilty of Rebellion against him and God expects that when you go home you should humble your souls before him for this sin that you should charge your souls for being guilty of rebellion against God many of you may say I never thought that I had been a Rebel against God before I thought that I had many infirmities but now I see the Scripture speaks of sin in another manner than men do the Scripture makes men though but murmurers to be Rebels against God Oh this rebellious heart that I have against the Lord that hath manifested it's self in this way of murmuring against the Lord That 's a Third particular in the evil of discontentment A Fourth particular in the evil of Discontentment it is a wickedness that is exeeeding contrary to Grace and especially contrary to the work of God in bringing of the soul home to himself I know no distemper more opposite and contrary to the work of God in conversion of a sinner than this is Quest What 's the work of God when he brings a sinner home to himself Answ The usual way is for God to make the soul to see and be sensible of the dreadful evil that there is in sin and the great breach that sin hath made between God and it for certainly Jesus Christ can never be known in his beauty and excellency till the soule know that I do not speak what secret work of the Holy-Ghost there may be in the soul but before the soul can actually apply Jesus Christ to its self it is impossible but it must come to know the
be no space nor time for murmuring to work upon thy heart that 's the Fourth Particular The Fift thing in the evil of discontentment Murmuring and discontentment is exceedingly below a Christian Oh! it is too mean and base a distemper for a Christian to give place to it Now it 's below a Christian in many respects 1 How below the relation of a Christian The relation in which thou standest With what relation you will say First The relation thou standest in to God Do'st not thou call God thy father and do'st not thou stand in relation to him as a child what thou murmer In 2 Sam. 13.4 it 's a speech of Jonadab to Amnon Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day wilt thou not tell me and so he told him but that was for a wicked cause he perceived that his spirit was troubled for otherwise he was of a fat and plump temper of body but because of trouble of spirit he was even pin'd away why what 's the matter thou that standest in this relation to the King and yet any thing should trouble thy heart that 's his meaning is there any thing that should disquiet thy heart and yet standest in such a relation to the King the King's Son So I may say to a Christian Art thou the King's Son the Son the Daughter of the King of Heaven and yet so disquieted and troubled and vext at every little thing that falls out as if a King's Son should cry out he is undone for losing a bable what an unworthy thing were this So doest thou thou criest out as if thou wert undon and yet a Kings Son thou that standest in such relation to God as unto a father thou doest dishonour thy father in this as if so be either he had not wisdom or not power or not mercy enough to provide for thee 2. The relation that thou standest in to Jesus Christ thou art the spouse of Christ what one married to Jesus Christ yet troubled and discontented hast thou not enough in him doth not Christ say to his spouse as Elkanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I better to thee than ten sons So doth not Christ thy husband say to thee Am not I better to thee than thousands of riches and comforts such comforts as thou murmurest for want of hath not God given thee his Son and will he not with him give thee all things hath the love of God bin to thee to give thee his Son in way of marriage why art thou discontented and murmuring consider thy relation to Jesus Christ as thou art a spouse and married to him his person is thine and so all the riches of Jesus Christ is thine as the riches of a husband are the wives and though there are some husbands so vile as the wives may be forced to sue for maintainance certainly Jesus Christ will never deny maintainance to his spouse it 's a dishonour for a husband to have the wife go whining up-and down what thou art macht with Christ art his spouse and wilt thou murmur now and be discontented in thy spirit You shall observe among those that are newly matched when there is discontent between the wife and the husband their friends will shake their heads and say they do not meet with that that they did expect ye see ever since they were married together how the man looks and the woman looks they are not so chearly as they were wont to be surely say they it is like to prove an ill match But it 's not so here it shall not be so between thee and Christ Oh Jesus Christ doth not love to see his spouse to have a lowring countenance no man loves to see discontentment in the face of his wife surely Christ doth not love to see discontentment in the face of his spouse 3 Thou standest in relation to Christ not only as a spouse but as a member Thou art bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and to have a member of Jesus Christ to be in such a condition it 's exceeding unworthy 4. He is thy Elder brother likewise and so thou art a Co heir with him 5 The relation that thou standest in to the Spirit of God thou art the Temple of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is thy Comforter it is he that is appointed to convey all comfort from the Father and the Son to the Souls of his people And art thou the Temple of the holy Ghost and doth he dwell in thee and yet for all that thou murmur for every little matter 6 The relation that thou standest in to the Angels thou art made one body with them for so Christ hath joyned principalities and powers with his Church they are Ministring Spirits for good to his people to supply what they need and thou and they are joyned together and Christ is the head of you and Angels 7 The relation that you stand in to the Saints you are of the same body with them they and you make up but one mystical body with Jesus Christ and if they be happy you must needs be happy Oh how beneath a Christian is a murmuring Spirit if he considers his relations in which he stands Secondly A Christian should consider That murmuring and discontentednesse is below the high dignities that God hath put upon him Do but consider the high dignitie that God hath put upon thee the meanest Christian in the world is a lord of heaven and earth he hath made us Kings unto himselfe Kings unto God not Kings unto men to rule over them and yet I say every Christian is lord of heaven and earth yea of life and death That is as Christ he is Lord of all so he hath made those that are his members to be lords of all all are yours saith the Apostle even life and death every thing is yours It 's a very strange expression that death should be theirs death is yours that is you are as it were lords over it you have that that shall make death to be your servant your slave even death it 's self your greatest enemies are turned to be your slaves faith makes a Christian to be as lord over all to be lifted up in excellency above all creatures that ever God made except the Angels yea and in some respect above them I say the poorest Christian that lives is raised to an estate above all the creatures in the world except Angels yea and above them in divers respects too and yet discontented that thou who wert as a firebrand of hell and might have been scorching and yelling and roring there to all eternity yet that God should raise thee to have a higher excellency in thee than there is in all the works of creation that ever he made except Angels and other Christians that are in thy condition yea and thou art neerer the Divine Nature than the Angels because thy nature is joyned in an hypostatical union to
the Divine Nature and in that respect thy nature is more honoured than the nature of the Angels And the death of Christ is thine he died for thee and not for the Angels and therefore thou art like to be raised above the Angels in divers respects yea thou that art in such an estate as this is thou that art set apart to the end that God might manifest to all eternity what the infinite power of a Deity is able to raise a creature too for that 's the condition of a Saint a Beleever his condition is such as he is set apart to the end that God might manifest to all eternity what his infinite power is able to do to make the creature happy art thou in such a condition Oh! how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world How unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every crosse that every affliction shal be able to say to thy soul bow down to us We accounted that a great slavery when men would say to our souls bow down As the cruel Prelats were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences they did in effect say let your consciences your souls bow down to us that we may tread upon them that is the greatest slavery in the world that one man should say to another let your consciences your souls bow down that we may tread upon them but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say bow down that we may tread upon thee truly it 's so when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent Know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur have said to thee bow down that we may tread upon thee nay not afflictions but the very Devil doth prevail against you in this Oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that God hath raised a Christian unto What! the son of a King shal he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck thus doest thou in every affliction the affliction the cross and trouble that doth befal thee saith bow down that we come and tread upon thee Thirdly Murmuring it's below the Spirit of a Christian Below his Spirit the Spirit of every Christian should be like the Spirit of his Father every father loves to see his spirit in his child loves to see his image not the image of his body only to say here 's a child for all the world like the father but he hath the spirit of his father too a father that is a man of spirit loves to see his spirit in his child rather than the feature of his body Oh the Lord that is our Father loves to see his Spirit in us Great men love to see great spirits in their Children and the great God loves to see a great Spirit in his Children we are one Spirit with God and with Christ and one Spirit with the Holy-Ghost therefore we should have a Spirit that might manifest the glory of the Father Son holy-Ghost in our Spirits that 's the spirit of a Christian indeed The spirit of a Christian should be a lyon-like Spirit as Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah so he is cal'd so we should manifest somewhat of the Lyon-like Spirit of Jesus Christ he manifested his Lyon-like Spirit in passing through all afflictions and troubles whatsoever without any murmuring against God When he came to drink that bitter cup and even the dregs of it he prayed to God indeed that if it were possible it might passe from him but presently not my will but thy will be done As soon as ever he did mention the passing of the cup from him though it were the most dreadful cup that ever was drunk since the world began yet at the mentioning of it not my will but thy will be done here Christ shewed a Lyon-like Spirit in going through all kind of afflictions whatsoever with out any murmuring against God in them now a murmuring spirit is a base dejected spirit crosse and contrary to the Spirit of a Christian and it 's very base I remember that the Heathens accounted it very base Plutarch doth report of a certain people that did use to manifest their disdain to men that were overmuch dejected by any affliction they did condemn them to this punishment to wear womens cloaths all their daies or such a space of time at least they should go in womans cloaths in token of shame and disgrace to them because they had such effeminate spirits they thought it against a manlike spirit and therefore seeing they did un-man themselves they should go as women now shall they account it an unmanlike spirit to be overmuch dejected in afflictions and shall not a Christian account it an unchristian-like spirit to be overmuch dejected by any affliction whatsoever I remember another compares murmuring spirits to children when they are weaning what a deal of stir have you with your children when you wean them how froward and vexing are they So when God would wean thee from some outward comforts in this world Oh how fretting and discontented art thou Children will not sleep themselves nor let their mothers sleep when they are weaning and so when God would wean us from the world and we fret vex and murmur this is a childish spirit Fourthly It 's below the profession of a Christian The profession of a Christian what 's that A Christians profession is to be dead to the world and to be alive to God that 's his profession to have his life to be hid with Christ in God to satisfie himself in God what is this thy profession and yet if thou hast not every thing that thou wouldest have to murmur and be discontent thou doest in that even deny thy profession Fiftly It is below that special Grace of faith Faith is that that doth overcome the world it is that that makes all the promises of God to be ours Now when thou tookest upon thee the profession of Religion did God ever promise thee that thou shouldest live at ease and quiet and have no trouble I remember Austin hath such an expression What is this thy faith what did I ever promise thee saith he that thou shouldest ever flourish in the world art thou a Christian to that end and is this thy faith I never made any such promise to thee when thou tookest upon thee to be a Christian Oh it 's mighty contrary to thy profession thou hast never a promise for this that thou shouldest not have such an affliction upon thee And a Christian should live by his faith it is said that the just do live by faith now thou shouldest not look after any other life but the life that thou hast by faith now thou hast no ground for thy faith to beleeve that thou shouldest be delivered out of such an affliction and then why shouldest thou
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
with the Word that so it may passe away for that 's the way of Phisitians when they meet with a body that hath any tough humour then they give that that hath a peircing quality when there is a tough humour that stops the water that it cannot passe they give that that hath a peircing quality that may make passage for it and so thou hast need of such things that are piercing to make way through this tough humour that is in the spirits of men and women whereby they come to live very uncomfortably to themselves and others and very dishonourable unto God SERMON X. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content NOW there are many Pleas and reasonings yet remain for there 's a great deal of do with a discontented murmuring heart And I remember I find that the same Hebrew word that signifies to lodge to abide it signifies to murmur they use one word for both for murmuring is a distemper that doth lodge in men where it gets in once it lodgeth abideth and continues and therefore that we may unlodge it and get it out we will labour to shew what are the further reasonings of a discontented heart The Fourth Plea Me thinks I could be content with Gods hand saith one so far as I see the hand of God in a thing I can be content but when men deal so unreasonably and unjustly with me I know not how to bear it I can bear it that I should be in Gods hands but not in the hands of men my friends or acquaintance when they deal so unrighteously with me Oh this goes very hard unto me that I know not how to bear it from men For the taking away of this reasoning first Though they be men that bring this crosse upon you yet they are Gods Instruments God hath a hand in it and they can go no further then God would have them go This was that that quieted David when Shimei curst him saith he God hath a hand in it though Shimei be a base wicked man yet I look beyond him to God So is there any of your friends that deal injuriously with you and crosse with you look up to God and see that man but as an instrument in Gods hands Secondly If this be your trouble that men do so wrong you you are rather to turn your hearts to pity them than to murmur or be discontented For the truth is if you be wronged by other men you have the better of it for it is better to bear wrong than to do wrong a great deal if they wrong you your heart cannot submit you are in a better condition than they because it 's better to bear than do wrong I remember it is said of Socrates that being very patient when wrong was done to him they asked him how he came to be so saith he If I meet with a man in the street that is a diseased man shall I be vexed fretted with him because he is diseased those that wrong me I look upon them as diseased men and therefore pity them Thirdly Though you meet with hard dealings from men yet you meet mith nothing but kind good and righteous dealings from God when you meet with unrighteous dealings from them set one against the other And that 's for the answer to the fourth Plea A Fifth Plea Oh but that affliction that comes upon me is an affliction that I never lookt for I never thought to have met with such an affliction and that is that I know not how to bear that is that which makes my heart so disquiet because it was altogether unlookt for and unexpected For the answer of this first it is thy weaknesse and folly that thou didest not look for it and expect it In Acts 20.22 23. see what Saint Paul saith concerning himself And now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the Holy-Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me It 's true saith he I know not the particular affliction that may befal me but this I know that the Spirit of God witnesseth that bonds and afflictions shall abide me every where I look for nothing else but bonds and afflictions wheresoever go so a Christian should do he should look for afflictions wheresoever he is in all conditions he should look to meet with afflictions and therefore if any affliction should befall him though indeed he could not fore-see the particular evil yet he should think this is no more than I lookt for in the general Therefore no affliction should come unexpectedly to a Christian A second answer I would give is this Is it unexpected then the lesse provision thou madest for it before it came the more careful shouldest thou be to sanctifie Gods Name in it now it is come it is in this case of afflictions as in mercies many times mercy comes unexpected and that might be a third answer to you set one against the other I have many mercies that I never lookt for as well as afflictions that I never lookt for why should not one rejoyce me as well as the other disturbs me As it is in mercies when they come unexpected the lesse preparation there was in me for receiving mercy the more need I have to be careful now to give God the glory of the mercy to sanctifie Gods Name in the enjoyment of the mercy Oh so it should be with us now we have had mercies this summer that we never expected and therefore we were not prepared for them now we should be so much the more careful to give God the glory of them so when afflictions come that we did not expect then it seems we laid not in for them before hand we had need be the more careful to sanctifie Gods Name in them we should have spent some pains before to prepare for afflictions and we did not then take so much the more pains to sanctifie God in this affliction now And that 's a fift reasoning The Sixth Plea Oh! but it is very great mine affliction it is exceeding great saith one and how ever you say we must be contented it 's true you may say so that feel not such great afflictions but if you felt my affliction that I feel you would think it hard to bear and be content To that I answer Let it be as great an affliction as it will it â—â— not so great as thy sin He hath punished thee lesse than thy sins Secondly It might have bin a great deal more thou mightest have bin in Hell And it is as I remember Bernards speech saith he It is an easier matter to be opprest than perish Thou mightest have been in Hell and therefore the greatness of the thing should not make thee murmur grant it be great Thirdly It may be it 's the greater because thy heart doth so murmur for shackles
Egyptians had a tower built likewise besides the advantage of the rocks and of the hills there was a tower built for their further strengthening and there the people of Israel were an unarmed people yea not only by the tower but they were over against Baal-zephon I remember in the last Exercise I shewed you what Baal was and what several Baals there were that the Heathens worshiped for their gods a general name it is sometimes for any other Idol This Baal-zephon it was a god that they worshiped upon this ground they had an Idol set in that place at the going out of Egypt that was to watch those that were to go out for so zephon comes of zuri speculatus est the god was to watch was to stand and watch any run-away-servant or any people that did go out of Egypt without any leave they trusting in this Baal that he would stop them and stay them and he was set in that place for that very purpose and thereupon his name was Baal-zephon As Conjurers by their magick arts will have their spels spirits that shall stop men in such a place they shall not go out of such an orchyard or such a yard where they come in So the Egyptians had there by their magical arts they got as it were a Spel a Baal-zephon a god to stop people in that place where they would have them stopped that is the meaning of this name of the Idol Baal-zephon So that you see what a strait Israel was in upon their going out of Egypt they were got before the Sea the Egyptians had all their strength behind in a hole of rocks and a tower and their god to stop them altogether so that they themselves made sure of them and said that they were intangled in the land of the wildernesse Being in those great straits their hearts began to fail them they began to be extreamly troubled and in a most greivous distemper of spirit they were coming and chiding with Moses and said to Moses in the 11. vers Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt We had rather we had continued in Egypt still What! Brought to these straits these extremities such a perplexity as we are now in would to God we had bin in Egypt this was the baseness of their spirits they would rather be under vile bondage than endure any hazard then be put to any straits and difficulties It is the baseness of the spirits of many at this day amongst us because they see that those waies that have bin taken by the Parliament brings some troublesom difficulties some straits they cry out of the times I would to God we were as we were before we were well enough before we were quiet enough before we never knew what such stirs as these meant before now we are brought into these perplexities I this they have brought us into thus they are ready to murmur repine Oh unthankful unworthy generation men women of vile spirits that shall do so It was a speech of Cyrus speaking unto his souldiers The Historian hath this expression of him It is the part of a true valiant man either to live honourably or die honourably one of them but that is the part of a base coward rather to live basely than to die honourably rather to be under any base servitude than to be in any hazard of their lives though perhaps their lives may be saved too I remember Philo tels us even of women for in these times the publik cause of the Kingdom suffers exceedingly much by the timorousness of the spirits of women that being in danger of their enemies of being brought into bondage by them they took their children and threw them into the rivers with these words You shall not serve we had rather see you die than be slaves I commend not that fact that it was wel done but to shew what a spirit the heathen women had to see their children die rather than have them bondslaves Indeed what were our lives worth were they worth having if we return to our bondage again The utmost of the danger is our lives the killing of our bodies yet we hope God will preserve them too but suppose the worst it is but death but if our lives should not be hazarded now and if through base cowardice we should decline the Cause of God surely our lives would not be worth taking up the living after that manner we are like to live in that bondage unto these Cavalliers notorious wretches blasphemers of God himself that would make our lives worth very little nay your children perhaps to be brought up in Popery and to hold a candle to a masse-Priest at the Altar that may be the imployment of your children if so be that they should live But these people being now in this extremity and manifesting so much passion being in a distemper Moses as the Captain of the Lord comes to the people and speaks bravely to them incouraging of them saith Moses Fear not but stand stil and see the salvation of the Lord stand still the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state it signifies to settle and compose to be in a setled condition it is a reflect word upon our selves so the Learned know that it is to work upon our selves to form signifies so it is as much as if he should say Do you work upon your own hearts to get your hearts to stand still work upon your hearts to do that work arguments upon your spirits and never leave working until you have wrought your hearts into such a frame as that you may stand stil be quiet At first even the dearest servants of God wil find their hearts to shake in time of hazards and extremities but when they come to work upon their spirits to bring arguments to lay to their hearts there they get some advantage that their hearts grow quiet quickly For that we have a notable text in the example of David in the 62. Psalme saith David there in the 1 and 2. verses Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation hee onely is my Rock and my Salvation he is my defence I shall not greatly be moved Mark he begins to exercise Faith and he saies he shall not greatly be moved as if he should have said I confesse I cannot say but that my heart is somewhat stirred I am somewhat afraid and I feel some working in my spirit but I hope I shall not greatly be moved he fals a working upon his heart more and considers of his innocencie and of the mischievous device of the ungodly how long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man ye shall be slain all of you then again in the 5. verse My soul waite thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock And then he repeats the
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