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 skil'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 parallel places more for the confirmation of it 1 Tim. 6.6 and 8. you have both the duty exprest and the glory thereof Having food and raiment saith verse 8. let us therewith be content there is the duty But godliness with Contentment is great gain verse 6. there is the glory and excellency of it as if godliness 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 the spiritual mystery of Contentment as this our Apostle hath done throughout his Epistles For the clear opening and proving of this practical conclusion I shall endeavour 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 Concerning the first take this description Christian Contentment is that sweet inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods wise and fatherly dispose in every condition I shall break open this description for it is a box of precious Oyntment very comfortable and useful for troubled hearts in troubled times 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 verse 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 its peace but the soul must bee silent Many may sit down silently forbearing discontented expressions yet are inwardly swollen with discontentment now this manifesteth a perplexed distemper and a great frowardness in their hearts And God notwithstanding their outward silence hears the peevish fretting language of their souls The shooe may be smooth and neat without whilst the flesh is pinched within There may be much calmness and stilness outwardly and yet wonderful confusion bitterness 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 hee betrayed Christ with a kiss but still they boyl inwardly and eat like a Canker As David speaks concerning some whose words are smoother than honey and butter and yet have war in their hearts and as hee saith in another place whilst I kept silence my bones waxed old so these whilst there is a serene calm 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 turbulet workings of their hearts that is within If the attainment to true Contentment were as easie as keeping quiet outwardly there need bee no great learning of it it might be had with less 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 business Secondly It is the quiet of the heart All is sedate and still there and to understand this the better This quiet gracious frame of spirit It is not opposed 1 To a due sense of affliction God doth give leave to his people to be sensible of what they suffer Christ doth not say do not count that a cross which is a cross but take up your cross 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 those waies the Physick doth no good but argues the body much distempered and will hardly bee 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 small beer it is a sad symptome that their souls are in a dangerous and almost incurable condition So that this inward quietness 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 Antients saith though not with a tumultuous clamour and skreeking out in a perplexed passion yet in a quiet still submissive way hee may unbosome 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 To all lawful seeking out for help unto another condition or simply endeavouring to be delivered out of the present affliction by the use of lawful means No I may say in provision for my deliverance and use Gods means waiting on him because I know not but that it may be his will to alter my condition and so far as hee 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
this further to you in this Similitude The being content upon some external thing it is like the warming of a mans cloaths by the fire but being content by the inward disposition of the soul it is like the warmth that a mans cloaths hath from the natural heat of his body A man that is of a healthfull body he puts on his cloaths and perhaps when he puts them on at the first in a cold morning he feels his cloaths cold but after he hath them on a little while they are warm why how come they warm they come 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 cloaths 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 affliction 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 grievous and it may be if you bring them some external arguments somwhat from without as the fire that warms the cloaths 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 a fire that is a Contentment that comes meerly from external 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 to 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 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 its 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 truly 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 are 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 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 sanctifyed 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 stilness of body through a natural constitution and temper nor sturdiness of resolution nor meerly thorow 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 stilness of mens spirits many men and women have such a natural stilness of spirit and constitution of body that you shal find them seldom disquieted But now mark these kind of people that are so they likewise are very dull of a dul spirit in any good thing they have no quickness nor liveliness of spirit in that which is good but now mark where Contentment of heart is gracious the heart is very quick 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 dul 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 befal him The difference will appear very clear thus One that is of a still disposition he is not disquieted indeed as others neither hath he any activeness of spirit in sanctifying the Name of God in the affliction but now one that is content in a gracious way as he is not disquieted but keeps his heart quiet in respect to vexing and trouble so on the other side he is not dull nor heavy but is very active to sanctify Gods Name in the affliction that is upon him for it is not enough meerly not to murmur not to bee 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 conscionableness in you to sanctify 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 discontentedness in a gracious heart I say the desire and care
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 Uzziah when God struck Vzziah with a Leprosie they say that the beams of the Sun was darted upon the forehead of Vzziah and he was struck with a Leprosie with the darting of the beams of the Sun upon his forehead the Scripture saith Indeed the Priests looked upon him but they say there was a special light and beam of the Sun upon the forehead 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 Country 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 Country 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 conveyes 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 Spiritual Judgements are the greatest Judgements of all the Lord says 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 external judgements but he hath not inflicted spiritual Judgements upon thee he hath not given thee up to hardness 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 wrath of God to be given up to a mans desires and for Spiritual Judgements 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 neighbor 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 neighbors 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 Isa 29. 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 been 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 teach 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 special help and means to cure your murmuring against and repinings at the hand of God And so you will come to learn Christian Contentment The Lord teach you throughly by his Spirit these Lessons of Contentment SERMON VI. at Stepney Aug. 31. 1645. PHIL. 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I Shall only adde one Lesson more in learning of Contentment and then I shall come to the Fourth Head The Excellency of Contentment The Ninth and last Lesson that Christ teaches those that he doth instruct in this Art of Contentment It is the right knowledge of Gods Providence and therein are these four things 1. The Universality of Providence that the soul must be throughly instructed in to come to this Art to understand the Universality of Providence that is how the Providence of God goes through the whole world extends it self to every thing Not onely that God by his providence doth rule the world and govern all things in general but that it reaches to every particular not onely to Kingdoms to order the great affairs of Kingdoms but it reaches to every mans Family it reaches to every person in the Family it reaches to every condition yea to every passage to every thing that falls out concerning thee in every particular not one hair falls from thy head not a Sparrow to the ground without the providence of God There 's nothing befalls thee good or evil but there is a providence of the Infinite Eternal First-being in that thing and therein indeed is Gods Infiniteness that it reaches to the least things to the least worm that is under thy feet Then much more it reaches unto thee that art a rational Creature the Providence of God is more special towards rational Creatures than any others The understanding in a spiritual way the universality of providence in every particular passage from morning to night every day that there 's not any thing that doth befall thee but there 's a hand of God in it it is from God it is a mighty furtherance to Contentment Every man will grant the truth of the thing that it is so but as the Apostle saith in Heb. 11.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were made by faith we understand it why by faith we can understand by reason that no finite thing can be from it self And therefore that the world could not be of it self but we can understand it by saith in another manner than by reason So whatsoever we understand of God in way of providence yet when Christ doth take us into his School we come to understand it by faith in a better manner than we do by reason 2. The efficacy that there is in providence that is That the providence of God goes on in all things with strength and power and it is not to be altered by our power let us be discontented and vext and troubled and fret and rage yet we must not think to alter the course of providence by our discontent Some of Jobs friends said to him Shall the earth be forsaken for thee and shall the rock be removed out of his place Job
of the duty before many men when they hear of a duty they should perform they will labor to perform it but first you must be humbled for the want of it therefore that 's the thing that I shall endeavor 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 honor I might have brought to the Name of God and how might I have honored 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 fretting heart within me every little cross hath put me out of temper and out of frame Oh the boisterousness 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 endeavor in these particulars to speak unto it First I shall set before you The evil of a murmuring spirit there is more evil then you are aware of In the second place I will shew you some aggravations of this evil It 's evil in all but in some more than in others Thirdly I shall labor 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 Corruption 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 rankle and to be a sore you will say surely this mans body is very corrupt his blood and flesh is corrupt that every scratch of a pin shall make it ranckle so it is in thy spirit if every little trouble and affliction shall make thee discontented and make thee murmur and even cause thy spirit within thee to ranckle or as it is in a wound of a mans body the evil of a wound it is not so much in the largness of the wound and in the abundance of blood that comes out of the wound but in the inflammation that there is in it or in a fretting and corroding humor 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 Chyrurgion comes and sees a great gash saith he this will be healed within a few days but there 's a less wound and there 's an inflammation or a fretting humor that is in it and this will cost time saith he to cure so that he doth not lay Balsom and healing Salves upon it but his great care is to get out the fretting humor or inflammation 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 arm or in my leg what good will this do that I put in my stomach Yes it purges out the fretting humor or takes away the inflammation 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 greatness of the affliction is that which makes their condition most miserable Oh no there is a fretting humor 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 humor 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 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 evil of murmuring is such that God when he would speak of wicked men and describe them and shew the brand of a wicked 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 convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly finners 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 ones it s a most dreadful 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 its true there is no sin but some seeds and remainers of it are in those that are godly but
strength from Christ Page 47 12 He makes up his wants in God Page 49 13 He fetches Contentment from the Covenant Page 53 Objection concerning the Plague Answered Page 54 SERMON IV. He supplieth wants by what he findes in himself Page 57 He fetches supply from the Covenant Page 61 1 In General ib. 2 From Particular promises Page 64 14 He reallizeth the things of Heaven Page 67 15 He letteth his heart out to God ibid. Lessons whereby Christ teacheth Contentment 1 Self denial Page 68 Whereby a Christian knows 1 That he is nothing Page 69 2 That he deserves nothing ib. 3 That he can do nothing Page 70 4 That he can receive no good of himself ib. 5 If God withdraw himself he can make use of nothing ib. 6 That he is worse than nothing Page 71 7 That there is no loss of him if he perish ib. 8 That he comes to rejoyce in Gods waies Page 72 2 Lesson To know the vanity of Creatures Page 73 3 Lesson To know that one thing necessary Page 74 SERMON V. 4 Lesson To know his relation in this world Page 76 5 Lesson Wherein the good of the Creature is Page 79 6 Lesson The knowledge of his own Heart Page 82 Which helps to Contentment 1 By discovering where discontent lies ib. 2 By knowing what is suitable to our condition Page 83 3 By this wee may know what wee are able to mannage Page 84 7 Lesson To know the burden of a prosperous estate Page 85 Which is fourfold 1 The burden of trouble ib. 2 The burden of danger Page 86 3 The burden of Duty Page 89 4 The burden of account ib. 8 Lesson A great evil to be given up to our own hearts desire Page 91 SERMON VI 9 Lesson The right knowledge of Gods providence Page 94 Wherein four things 1 The Universality of it ib. 2 The Efficacy of it Page 95 3 The Variety of it ib. 4 Gods particular dealing with his people Page 97 In three things 1 They are ordinarily in affliction Page 98 2 When he intends them greatest mercies hee brings them lowest ib. 3 How he works by contraries Page 99 The Excellency of Contentment 1 Excellency By it we give God his due worship Page 101 2 Excellency In it there is much exercise of grace Page 103 1 There is much strength of grace ib. 2 There is much beauty of grace Page 104 3 Excel The soul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106 4 Excel It is fitted to do service Page 107 5 Excel Contentment delivers from temptation Page 108 6 Excel It brings abundance of comfort Page 110 7 Excel It fetcheth in that which we possess not Page 111 In four Particulars SERMON VII 8 Excel Contentment a great blessing of God upon the soul Page 115 9 Excel A contented man may expect a reward Page 116 10 Excel By contentment the soul comes nearest the excellency of God himself Page 117 Use 1 To be humbled for want of Contentment Page 118 The Evils in a murmuring spirit 1 It is an argument of much Corruption in the soul Page 119 2 It is a note of a wicked man Page 120 3 Murmuring is accounted rebellion Page 121 4 It is exceeding contrary to grace in conversion Page 122 The works of God in Conversion 1 To make us sensible of the evil in sin Page 123 2 A sight of the Excellency of Christ ib. 3 Taking the heart from the Creature ib. 4 Casting the soul on Christ for all good Page 124 5 Subduing the soul to Christ as King ib. 6 Giving up the soul to God in Covenant Page 125 5 Evil Murmuring below a Christian Page 126 1 Below his Relation 1 To God as a Father ib. 2 To Christ as a Spouse ib. 3 To Christ as a Member Page 127 4 To Christ as a Co-heir ib. 5 To Gods Spirit as a Temple ib. 6 To Angels as one with them ib. 7 To Saints as of the same body ib. 2 Below his dignity Every Christian a King Page 128 3 It is below the Spirit of a Christian Page 129 4 Below the profession of a Christian Page 131 5 Below the grace of Faith ib. SERMON VIII 6 Below the helps of a Christian Page 132 7 Below the expectation of a Christian ib. 8 Below what other Christians have done Page 133 6 Evil By murmuring we undo our prayers ib. 7 Evil The effects of a murmuring heart 1 Loss of much time Page 134 2 Unfitness for Duty ib. 3 Wicked risings of heart Page 135 4 Unthankfulness ib. 5 Shifting Page 138 8 Evil Discontent a foolish sin ib. 1 It takes away the comfort of what we have ib 2 We cannot help our selves by it Page 139 3 It causeth foolish carriage to God man ib 4 It takes out the sweetness of mercies before they come ib. 5 It makes affliction worse Page 141 9 Evil It provokes the wrath of God ib. 10 Evil There is a curse upon it Page 146 11 Evil There is much of the Spirit of Satan in it Page 147 12 Evil It brings an absolute necessity of disquiet ib. 13 Evil God may justly withdraw his protection from such ib. Aggravations of the sin of Murmuring 1 Aggravation The greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring Page 150 SERMON IX 2 Aggrav When we murmur for small things Page 157 3 Aggrav When men of parts and abilities murmur Page 158 4 Aggrav The freeness of Gods mercy ib. 5 Aggrav Discontent for what we have Page 159 6 Aggrav When men are raised from a low condition ib. 7 Aggrav When men have been great sinners Page 160 8 Aggrav When those murmur that are but of little use in the world Page 161 9 Aggrav To murmur when God is about to humble us ib. 10 Aggrav When Gods hand is apparent in affliction Page 162 11 Aggrav To murmur under long affliction Page 163 Pleas of a discontented heart 1 Plea I am not sensible of my afflictions 1 Sense of affliction takes not away sense of mercies Page 165 2 It hinders not Duty ib 3 It will make us bless God for the mercies of others ib. 2 Plea My trouble is for my sins 1 It is not if you were not troubled for sin before Page 166 2 What the greatest care is to remove affliction ib. 3 If after affliction is removed sin trouble us ib. 4 If there be not care to avoid sin after Page 167 5 There is the more cause to accept of the punishment ib. 3 Plea God withdraws himself 1 We think God is departed when he doth but afflict Page 168 2 Disquiet is a sign and cause of Gods departure ib. 3 If God depart from us we should not from him Page 169 4 Plea I am troubled for mens ill dealing 1 Men are Gods Instruments Page 170 2 We should rather pitty them than murmur Page 171 3 We have righteous dealing with God ib. SERMON X. 5 Plea It is an affliction I looked not for 1 It
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 to me 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 enabled 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 honor 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 Object But you will say It s true If I could honor God in my low estate as much as in my prosperous estate then it were somwhat but how can that be Answ You must know the special honor 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 honor when a man is in a publike place and so he is able to do a great deal of good To countenance Godliness 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 honoring 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 calls me to and I must account God is most honored when I do the work that he calls me to He sets me a work in my prosperous estate at that time to honor him in this condition and now he sets me awork at this time to honor him in this condition Now God is most honored when I can turn from one condition to another according as he calls me to it Would you account your selves to be honored 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 honor me in that way now here 's the honoring of God that you can turn this way or that way as God calls you to it thus now you having learned this That the good of the Creature consists in the enjoyment of God in it and the honoring 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 he brings into this School is this He 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 Students of your own hearts you cannot all be Scholars in the Arts and Sciences in the world but you may all be Students in your own hearts you cannot read 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 skill in this Mystery except you study the book of your own hearts Marriners they have their books that they study those that will be good Navigators and Scholars they have their books those that study Logick they have their books according to that and those that would study Rethorick 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 read over that and this will help you to Contentment these three ways 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 wherefore they think this and 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 mercy I have found out It is in this case as it is with a little childe 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 Childe 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 Childe 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 versed in our own hearts when any thing falls 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 amiss he will presently find out the cause of it but one that hath no skill in a Watch when it goes amiss 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 will 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 afraid I should have fallen into sin A poor ignorant man that takes Physick the Physick works and he thinks it will kill him because he knows not the ill humors that are in his body and therefore he understands not how sutable the Physick is to him but a Physician takes a Purge and it makes him extreamly sick saith the Physician I like this the better it doth but work upon the humor that I know is the cause of my disease and upon that such a man that hath knowledge and understanding of 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 mannage and by this meanes 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 manage such an estate and they were not able to manage such prosperity God saw it and saith a poor soul I am in some measure convinc'd by looking into mine own heart that I was not able to manage such a condition A man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps than he is able to manage and so undoes himself As Country men do observe that if they do 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 years old should be crying for the coat of her that is twelve or fourteen years 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 childe 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 sees 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 manage them when you vex and fret for what you have not I may say to you as Christ saith you know not of what Spirit you are of It was a speech of Oecolampadius to Parillus saith he when they were speaking about his extream poverty Not so poor though I have been very poor yet I would be poorer I could be willing to be poorer than I am for the truth is as if he should say the Lord knew that that was more sutable to me and I knew that my own heart was such that a poor condition was more sutable to me than a rich certainly would we say if we knew our own hearts that such and such a condition is better for me than if it had been otherwise The seventh Lesson Is the burden of a prosperous estate Such a one that comes into Christs School to be instructed in this Art never comes to attain to any great skill in this Art till he comes to understand the burden that is in a prosperous estate Object You will say What burden is there in a prosperous estate Answ Yes certainly a great burden and there needs a great strength to bear it as men had need have strong brains that can bear strong Wine so they had need of strong spirits that are able to bear prosperous conditions and not to do themselves hurt there 's a fourfold burden in a prosperous estate Many men and women look at the shine and glittering of prosperity but they little think of the burden but there 's a fourfold burden 1. There 's Aburden of trouble A Rose hath its prickles and so the Scripture saith That he that will be rich pierceth himself through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 If a mans heart be set upon it that he must be rich and he will be rich such a man will pierce himself through with many sorrows he looks upon the delight and glory of riches that appears outwardly but he considers not what piercing sorrows he may meet withall in them The consideration of the trouble in a prosperous condition I have divers times thought of and I cannot tell by what similitude to express it better than by travelling in some Champion Country where round about is very fair and sandy ground and you see there a Town a great way off in a bottom and you think O how bravely is that Town seated but when you come and ride into the Town you shall ride through a dirty lane and through acompany of fearful dirty holes and you could not see the dirty lane and holes when you were two or three miles off so sometimes we look upon the prosperity of men and think such a man lives bravely and comfortably but if we did but know what troubles he meets withal in his family in
revealed in his Word and we may there find he hath set it down to be his ordinary way even from the beginning of the world to this day but more especially in the times of the Gospel that his People here should be in an afflicted condition Now men that do not understand this they stand and wonder to hear of the People of God that they are afflicted and the enemies prosper in their way for those that seek God in his way and seek for Reformation for them to be afflicted routed and spoiled and the enemies to prevail they wonder at it But now one that is in the School of Christ he is taught by Jesus Christ that God by his eternal Counsels hath set this to be his course and way to bring up his People in this world in an afflicted condition and therefore saith the Apostle Account it not strange concerning the fiery tryal 1 Pet. 4.12 We are not therefore to be discontented with it seeing God hath set such a course and way and we know such is the will of God that it should be so The second thing that is in Gods way is this Vsually when God intends the greatest mercy to any of his People he doth bring them into the lowest condition God doth seem to go quite cross and work in a contrary way when he intends the greatest mercies to his People he doth first usually bring them into very low conditions if it be a bodily mercy an outward mercy that he intends to bestow he useth to bring them bodily low and outwardly low if it be a mercy in their estates that he intends to bestow he brings them low in that and then raises them and in their names he brings them low there and then raises them and in their spirits God doth ordinarily bring their spirits low and then raises their spirits usually the People of God before the greatest comfort have the greatest afflictions and sorrows now those that understand not Gods ways they think that when God brings his People into sad conditions that God leaves and forsakes them and that God doth intend no great matter of good to them but now a Childe of God that is instructed in this way of God he is not troubled my condition is very low but saith he this is Gods way when he intends the greatest mercy to bring men under the greatest afflictions When he intended to raise Joseph to be the Second in the Kingdom God cast him into a dungeon a little before So when God intended to raise David and set him upon the Throne he made him to be hunted as a Partridge in the mountains 1 Sam. 26.20 God went this way with his Son Christ himself went into Glory by suffering Heb. 2.20 And if God deal so with his own Son much more with his People As a little before break of day you shall observe it is darker than it was any time before so God doth use to make our conditions darker a little before the mercy come When God bestowed the last great mercy at Nazby we were in a very low condition God knew what he had to do before-hand he knew that his time was coming for great mercies it is the way of God to do so Be but instructed aright in this course and tract that God uses to walk in and that will help us to Contentment exceedingly The Third thing that there is in Gods way and course is this It is the way of God to work by contraries to turn the greatest evil into the greatest good To grant great good after great evil is one thing and to turn great evils into the greatest good that 's another and yet that 's Gods way the greatest good that God intends for his People many times he works it out of the greatest evil the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darkness and Luther I remember hath a notable expression for this saith he it is the way of God he doth humble that he might exalt he doth kill that he might make alive he doth confound that he might glorifie this is the way of God saith he but saith he every one doth not understand this this is the Art of Arts and the Science of Sciences the knowledge of knowledges to understand this that God doth use when he will bring life he doth use to 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 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 read of such things and hear of 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 Thus having dispatcht 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 excellency 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 Antisthenes 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 he would desire to make his life happy he would ask 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 withal and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him for what was the temper of socrates whatever befell him he continued the same man whatever cross 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 Antisthenes 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 should desire this thing that I might have the spirit of Socrates he
you got all you desire then you would be content why you may be content now without them Certainly our Contentment doth not consist in the getting of the thing we desire but in Gods fashioning our spirits to our conditions there 's some men that have not a foot of ground of their own yet will live better than other men that are heirs to a great deal of land I have known it in the Country sometimes that a man lives upon his own land and yet lives very poorly but you shall have another man that shall farm his land and yet by his good husbandry and by his care shall live better sometimes than he that hath the land of his own So a man by this Art of Contentment may live better without an estate than another man can of an estate Oh! it adds exceeding much to the comfort of a Christian and that I may shew it further there is more comfort in the Grace of contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever a man hath more comfort in being content without a thing than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way doth desire You think if I had such a thing then I should be content I say there is more good in Contentment than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent and that I shall open in divers particulars As thus 1. I would fain have such a thing and then I could be content but if I had it then it were but the creature that did help to my Contentment but now it 's the Grace of God in my soul that makes me content and surely it is better to be content with the Grace of God in my soul than with the enjoying of an outward comfort 2. If I had such a thing indeed my estate might be better but my soul would not be better but by Contentment my soul is better that would not be bettered by an estate or lands or friends but Contentment makes my self to be better and therefore Contentment is a better portion than the thing is that I would fain have to be my portion 3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied that 's but self-love but when I am Contented with the hand of God and am willing to be at his dispose that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied there I am contented through self-love but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God than from a principle of self-love 4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to perhaps I am contented in that one particular but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice and froward in other things if you give children what they would have in some things they grow so much the more coy and dainty and discontented if they have not other things that they would have but if I have once overcome my heart and am contentted through the Grace of God in my heart then this doth not content me onely in particular but in general whatsoever befalls me I am discontented and would fain have such a thing and afterwards I have it now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things No but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment I am prepar'd to be contented in all conditions and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life fills a mans life full of comfort in this world yea the truth is it is even Heaven upon Earth why what is Heaven but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit what 's the special thing that is in Heaven but rest and joy that makes the life of Heaven there 's rest and joy and satisfaction in God so it 's here in a contented spirit there 's rest and joy and satisfaction in God In Heaven there 's singing praises to God a contented heart is always praising and blessing God thou hast Heaven while thou art upon Earth when thou hast a contented spirit yea in some regards it's better than Heaven How is that you will say there 's some kind of honor that God hath in it and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven and that 's this In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations they are not put to any trials by afflictions there in Heaven they have exercise of Grace but they have nothing but encouragement to it and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect and in that they do excel us but there is nothing to cross their grace they have no tryals at all to tempt them to do contrary but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions temptations and troubles and yet to have grace exercised and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ and in the Word and Promises in the mid'st of all they suffer this may seem to be an honor that God hath from us that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God hath nothing to try them no temptations is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God as for the poor soul that is in the midst of tryals and temptations and afflictions and troubles for this soul to go on praising and blessing and serving God I say it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven and God shall not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven and therefore be contented and prize this Contentment and be willing to live in this world as long as God shall please and do not think Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles here in this world if thou wert then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self but here 's a way of honoring God and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this conflict of temptation that God shall not have from thee in Heaven and therefore be satisfied and quiet be contented with thy Contentment I want such and such things that others have but blessed be God I have a contented heart that others have not then I say be content with thy Contentment for that 's a rich portion that the Lord hath granted unto them if the Lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world it would not be such a rich portion as this that he hath given thee a contented spirit Oh go away and praise the name of God and say Lord it 's true these and these comforts that others have I should be glad if I had them but thou hast cut me short but though I want these yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better thou hast given me a quiet contented heart to be
glued to another you cannot take off but you must rend it so it s a sign thy heart is glued to the world that when God would take thee off thy heart rends if God by an affliction should come to take any thing in the world from thee if thou canst part from it with ease without rending it s a sign then that thy heart is not glued to the world 4. A Fourth Work of God in converting of a sinner is this The easting the soul upon Jesus Christ for all its good I see Jesus Christ in the Gospel the Fountain of all Good and God out of free Grace tendering him to me for life and for salvation and now my soul casts its self rouls its self upon the infinite Grace of God in Christ for all good now hast thou done so hath God converted thee and drawn thee to his Son to cast thy soul upon him for all thy good and yet art thou discontented for the want of some little matter in a Creature-comfort art thou he that hath cast thy soul upon Jesus Christ for all good as he saith in another case Is this thy faith 5. The soul is subdued to God and then it comes to receive Jesus Christ as a King to rule to order and dispose of him how he pleases and so the heart is subdued unto God Now how opposite is a murmuring discontented heart to a heart subdued to Jesus Christ as a King and receiving him as a Lord to rule and dispose of him as he pleases 6. There is in the work of thy turning to God the giving up of thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant as thou takest Christ the head of the Covenant to be thine so thou givest up thy self to Christ In the work of Conversion there is the resignation of the soul wholly to God in an everlasting Covenant to be his hast thou ever surrendred up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant then certainly this thy fretting murmuring heart is mighty opposite to it certainly thou forgettest this Covenant of thine and the Resignation of thy self up to God It would be a marvellous help to you to humble your souls when you are in a murmuring condition if you could but obtain so much liberty of your own spirits as to look back to see what the work of God was in Converting you there is nothing would prevail more than to think of that I am now in a murmuring discontented way But how did I feel my soul working when God did turn my soul to himself Oh how opposite is this to that work and how unbeseeming Oh what shame and confusion would come upon the spirits of men and women if they could but compare the work of corruption in their murmuring and discontent with the work of God that was upon their souls in Conversion Now we should labour to keep the work of God upon our souls that was at our Conversion for Conversion must not be only at one instant at first men are deceived in this if they think their Conversion is finished meerly at first thou must be in a way of Conversion to God all the days of thy life and therefore Christ saith to his Disciples Except ye be converted and become as little children Ye be converted Why were they not converted before Yes they were converted but they were to continue the work of conversion all the days of their lives and what work of God there is at the first Conversion it is to abide afterwards As thus Always there must abide some sight and sense of sin it may be not in the way which you had which was rather a preparation than any thing else but the sight and sense of sin it is to continue still that is you are still to be sensible of the burthen of sin as it is against the Holiness and Goodness and Mercy of God unto thee and the sight of the Excellency of Jesus Christ is to continue and thy Calling out of the Creature and the Casting thy soul upon Christ as a King still receive him day by day and the Subduing of thy heart and the Surrendring of thy self up to God in the way of Covenant now if this were but daily continued there would be no space nor time for Murmuring to work upon thy heart That 's the Fourth Particulan The Fifth thing in the evil of Discontentment Murmuring and discontentment is exceeding 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 to which thou standest With what relation you will say First The relation thou standest in to God Dost not thou call God thy Father and dost not thou stand in relation to him as a childe what thou murmurer In 2 Sam. 13.4 It 's a Speech of Jonadab to Ammon 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 Kings Son So I may say to a Christian Art thou the Kings 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 Kings Son should cry out he is undone for losing a bable what an unworthy thing were this So dost thou thou criest out as if thou wert undone and yet a Kings Son thou that standest in such relation to God as unto a Father thou doest dishonor thy Father in this as if so be either he had not wisdome 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 and 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 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 been 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 maintenance certainly Jesus Christ will never deny maintenance to his Spouse it 's a dishonor for a Husband to have his Wife go whining up and down what thou art match'd with Christ and art his Spouse and wilt thou murmur now and be discontented in thy spirit You shall observe among those that are newly matched when there is discontent between the wife and the husband their friends will shake their heads and say they do not meet with that that they did expect ye see ever since they were married together how the man looks and the woman looks they are not so cheerily as they were wont to be surely say they it is like to prove an ill match But it s not so here it shall not be so between thee and Christ Oh Jesus Christ doth not love to see his Spouse to have a lowring countenance no man loves to see discontentment in the sace of his Wife surely Christ doth not love to see discontentment in the face of his Spouse 3. Thou standest in relation to Christ not onely as a Spouse but as a Member Thou art bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and to have a Member of Jesus Christ to be in such a condition it s exceeding unworthy 4. He is thy Elder brother likewise and so thou art a Co-heir with him 5. The relation that thou standest in to the Spirit of God thou art the Temple of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is thy Comforter it is he that is appointed to convey all comfort from the Father and the Son to the souls of his people And art thou the Temple of the holy Ghost and doth he dwell in thee and yet for all that thou murmurest for every little matter 6. The relation that thou standest in to the Angels thou art made one body with them for so Christ hath joyned principalities and powers with his Church they are Ministring Spirits for good to his people to supply what they need and thou and they are joyned together and Christ is the head of you and Angels 7. The relation that you stand in to the Saints you are of the same body with them they and you make up but one mystical body with Jesus Christ and if they be happy you must needs be happy On how beneath a Christian is a Murmuring spirit if he considers his relations in which he stands Secondly A Christian should consider That murmuring and discontentedness is below the high dignities that God hath put upon him Do but consider the high diguity that God hath put upon thee the meanest Christian in the world is a Lord of Heaven and Earth he hath made us Kings unto himself Kings unto God not Kings unto men to rule over them and yet I say every Christian is a Lord of Heaven and Earth yea of life and death That is As Christ he is a Lord of all so he hath made those that are his Members to be Lords of all All are yours saith the Apostle even life and death every thing is yours It s a very strange expression that death should be theirs Death is yours that is you are as it were Lords over it you have that that shall make death to be your servant your slave even death it self your greatest enemies are turned to be your slaves Faith makes a Christian to be as Lord over all to be lifted up in excellency above all creatures that ever God made except the Angels yea and in some respect above them I say the poorest Christian that lives is raised to an estate above all the Creatures in the world except Angels yea and above them in divers respect too and yet discontented that thou who wert as a firebrand of Hell and might have been scorching and velling and roaring there to all eternity yet that God should raise thee to have a higher excellency in thee than there is in all the works of Creation that ever he made except Angels and other Christians that are in thy condition yea and thou art neerer the Divine Nature than the Angels because thy nature is joyned in an hypostatical union to the Divine Nature and in that respect thy nature is more honored than the nature of the Angels And the death of Christ is thine he died for thee and not for the Angels and therefore thou art like to be raised above the Angels in divers respects yea thou art in such an estate as this is thou that art set apart to the end that God might man fest to all eternity what the infinite power of a Deity is able to raise a creature to for that 's the condition of a Saint a Believer his condition is such as he is set apart to the end that God might manifest to all eternity what his infinite power is able to do to make the creature happy art thou in such a condition Oh! how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world How unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every cross that every affliction shall be able to say to thy soul Bow down to us We accounted that a great slavery when men would say to our souls Bow down As the cruel Prelates were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences they did in effect say Let your consciences your souls bow down to us that we may tread upon them that is the greatest slavery in the world that one man should say to another let your consciences your souls bow down that we may tread upon them but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say bow down that we may tread upon thee Truly it s so when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent Know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur have said to thee Bow down that we may tread upon thee nay not afflictions but the very Devil doth prevail against you in this Oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that God hath raised a Christian unto What! the son of a King shall he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck thus doest thou in every affliction the affliction the cross and trouble that doth befall thee saith Bow down that we may come and tread upon thee Thirdly Murmuring its below the spirit of a Christian Below his Spirit the spirit of every Christian should be like the spirit of his father every father loves to see his spirit in his childe loves to see his Image not his Image of his body onely to say here 's a childe for all the world like the father but he hath the spirit of his father too a father that is a man of spirit Loves to see his spirit in his childe rather than the feature of his Body Oh the Lord that is
if thou couldest see it now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine and humble that proud spirit of thine it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou hadst in all thy life Now wilt thou yet stand out against God It s even as if thou shouldest say Well the Lord is about to break me and humble me but he shall not this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentedness though thou darest not say so but though thou sayest not so in words yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit Oh! consider what an aggravation this is I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good but yet I stand out against him and resist him That 's the Ninth Aggravation The tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction It 's a great evil at any time to murmure and be discontent but though it be a sin when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that but when I see an extraordinary providence working that 's a greater sin that is when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God shall I stand out against God when I see God express his will in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition Indeed before we see the Will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction and may use means for it but now when we see God expressing his Will from Heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkable then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us it 's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist for as 't is an argument of a mans disobedience when there is not only a Command against a sin but when God reveals his Command in a terrible way the more solemn the Command of God is the greater is the sin in breaking that Command so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us the greater is the sin for us to murmure and be discontented Then God expects that we should fall down when he as it were speaks from Heaven to thee by name and saith Well I will have this spirit of thine down do not you see that my hand is stretched out my eyes are upon you my thoughts are upon you and I must have that proud spirit of thine down Oh then it 's fit for the creature to yield and submit unto him When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants or Children you expect they should regard what you say but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way then if they should disregard what you say you are very impatient So certainly God cannot take it well when ever he doth appear from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction if then we do not submit to him The Eleventh Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this To be discontented though God hath been exercising of us long under afflictions yet still to remain discontented For a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it 's an evil but to have a murmuring heart when God hath been a long time exercising them with afflictions it 's more evil Though an Heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wriggles up and down and will not be quiet but if after many moneths or years it shall not draw quietly the Husbandman would rather feed and fat and prepare it for the Butcher than be troubled any longer with it So though the Lord was content to pass by that discontented spirit of thine at first yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon thee thou hast been under his afflicting hand it may be divers years 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 discontented 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 yieldeth the peaceable 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 yieldeth the peaceable 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 years perhaps thou mayst say as Heman did That thou art afflicted from thy youth up in 88. Psal Oh it s a very evil thing if being exercised long with afflictions you are not yet contented The eye is as tender a part as any is in a mans body 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 Contentedness 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 madest a noise and couldst not bear affliction but art thou an old Christian 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 discontentment 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 sense of my condition I hope
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 and 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 with nothing but kind good and righteous dealing from God When you meet with unrighteous dealings from them set one against another And that 's for the Answer to the Fourth Plea The 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 's that I know not how to bear that 's that which makes my heart so disquiet because was altogether unlookt for and unexpected For Answer to this First It is thy weakness and folly that thou didst 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 to 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 I 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 shall give is this Is it unexpected then the less 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 disturb me As it is in mercies when they come unexpected the less preparation there was in me for receiving mercy the more need I have to be carefull now to give God the glory of the mercy and 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 fifth reasoning The Sixth PLEA Oh! but it is very great mine affliction it is exceeding great saith one and however 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 is not so great as thy sin He hath punished thee less than thy sins Secondly It might have been a great deal more thou mightest have been in Hell And it is as I remember Bernards speech saith he It is an eafier matter to be opprest than perish Thou mightest have been in Hell and therefore the greatness of the thing should not make thee murmure grant it be great Thirdly It may be 't is the greater because thy heart doth so murmure for shackles upon a mans legs if his legs be sore it will pain him the more if the shoulder be sore the burden is the greater It is because thy heart is so unsound that thy affliction is great unto thee and that is the sixth Reasoning The seventh PLEA But howsoever you may lessen my affliction yet I am sure it is far greater than the afflictions of others First It may be it is thy discontent that makes it greater when indeed it is not so in its self Secondly If it were greater than others why is thy eye evil because the eye of God is good why shouldest thou be discontented the more because God is gracious to others Thirdly Is thy affliction greater than others Then in this thou hast an opportunity to honor God more than others So thou shouldst consider Doth God afflict mee more than other men God gives me an opportunity in this to honor him in this affliction more than other men to exercise more grace than other men let me labour to do it then Fourthly If all afflictions were laid upon a heap together It 's a notable expression of Solon that wise Heathen saith he Suppose all the afflictions that are in the World were laid upon an heap and every man should come and take a proportion of those afflictions every one equally there is scarce any man but would rather say Let me have the afflictions that I had before or else he were like to come to a greater share a greater affliction if so be he should equally share with the whole world Now for you that are poor that are not in extremity of poverty if all the riches in the world were laid together and you should have an equal share you would be poorer but take all afflictions and sorrows whatsoever if all the sorrows in the world were laid together in a heap and you had but an equal share of them your portion would be rather more than it is now for the present and therefore do not complain that it is more than others so as to murmure because of that The Eighth PLEA Another Reasoning that murmuring hearts have is this why they think that if the affliction were any other than it is then they would be more contented First You must know that we are not to chuse our own rod that God shall beat us with Secondly It may be if it were any other than it is it were not so fit for thee as this is it may be therefore God chuses it because it is most cross to thee as seeing it most suitable for the purging out of that humour that is in thee If a Patient comes to take Physick and finds himself sick by it shall he say Oh! if it were any other potion I could bear it it may
120 Discouragement Disconragment opposed to Contentment Page 7 Discontent Discontent the reason of it Page 73 Discontent a sin of idle men Page 76 Discontent the root of it Page 82 Discontent how aggravated Page 153 Discontent Pleas for it Page 165 See Grace Shift Foolish Mercies Devil Disgrace Disgrace how sanctified Page 45 Dishonor A Christian discontented when God is dishonored Page 15 Dispose see Freely Disquiet Disquiet 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 Sense 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 near 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 Faithfulness God in rewarding looks to faith fulness Page 178 Father God the Father of a Christian Page 126 We should labor 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 ib. Foolish Discontent a foolish sin Page 138 139 Frame Contentment a frame of Spirit Page 2 Free Freely c. A Christian freely submits to God Page 15 Freedome what Page 16 God gives freely Page 41 Freeness of Gods mercies aggravates sin Page 158. Fretting Fretting 〈…〉 to quietness of spirit Page 6 G Glory What a Christian hash here is an earnest of Glory Page 43 Glory of God wherein it appears Page 105 Glory to be given to 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 40 Outward comsorts taken away when they keep us from God Page 50 See Life Creature Excellency Walk Good 〈◊〉 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 Afflictions greater for murmuring Page 173 Not to promise our selves great things Page 200 H. Habitual Contentment an habitual frame Page 13 To praise God for what be 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 83 Benefits of knowing our own hears Page 84 A great evil to be given up to our own heart Page 90 Rising of the heart Page 135 Distemper of the heart how esteemed with God Page 18â— See Gracious Heaven Heaven in the Souls of the Saints here Page 56 Things of Heaven real to a Saint Page 67 Heaven what Page 11â— Contentment better than Heaven ib Help Help of a Christian what Page 13â— No Help by discontent Page 139 High see Calling Angels Honor What is the greatest Honor God hath of us in the world Page 81 Humble We should not murmure when God would humble us Page 161 see Contentment Idle see Discontent Joy Joy immoderate how known Page 20â— Injoy Godly men content with that they injoy Page 4 Good men injoy what they have Page 116 see God Inward Inward discontent Page 4 Inward concent ibid Judgment Many not content in their Judgment see Afflictions Page 11 K Kind To submit to afflictions of every king 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 Loss No loss 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 eslate 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 murmure Page 139 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 Page 170 Mannage see Heart Mean Actions of a mean Christian accepted Page 178 Faith makes mean works glorious ib Mercy How the soul is sitted to receive mercy Page 206 Mercies lessened by discontent Page 135 Discontent deprives of Mercies Page 139 The greater Mercies the greater sin to murmure Page 150 Every man hath more mercies than afflictions Page 154 Greatness of Mercies should make us content Page 187 God is before hand 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 Page â—26 Mortified To get out hearts mortified to the world Page â—00 Murmuring Murmuring opposite to quietness of spirit Page 6 Murmuring the evil of it Page 119 Murmuring a note of a wicked man Page 1â—0 Murmuring bolow a Christian Page 120 Murmuring the effects of it Page 134 Murmuring breeds disquiet Page 147 Murmuring the way to relapse into it Page 150 Murmuring aggravations of it ib See Affection Rebellion Loss Child Curse Mercy â—â—â—all 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 Perfection see Uprightness Particular The Creatures particular comforts Page â—â—3 Pity Pity to men that deal ill with us Page 171 Plague Promises concerning the plague Page 54 55 56 Plea see Discontent Portion A Christian not content with little for his portion Page 28 Possess Men discontent for what they possess Page 159 Poverty Poverty sanctified by Christs
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 and 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 called 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 pass 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 without any murmuring against God in them Now a murmuring spirit is a base dejected spirit cross and contrary to the Spirit of a Christian and it s very base I remember that the Heathens account it very base Plutarch doth report of a certain people that did use to manifest their disdain to men that were over-much dejected by any affliction they did condemn them to this punishment To wear womans cloathes all their dayes or such a space of time at least they should go in womens 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 unman-like spirit to be over-much dejected in affliction and shall not a Christian account it an unchristian-like spirit to be over-much 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 not 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 dost in that even deny thy profession Fifthly 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 my 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 its 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 doth 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 believe that thou shouldst be delivered out of such an affliction and then why shouldest thou account it such a great evil to be under such an affliction Certainly that good that we have in the ground for our faith it is enough to content our hearts here and to all eternity A Christian should be satisfied with that that God hath made to be the object of his faith the object of his faith is high enough to satisfie his soul were it capable of a thousand times more than it is Now if thou mayest have the object of thy faith full thou hast enough to content thy soul and know that when thou art discontented for want of such and such comforts if thou wouldest but think thus God did never promise me that I should have these comforts and at this time and in such a way as I would have but I am discontented because I have not these which God did never yet promise me and therefore I sin much against the Gospel and against the Grace of Faith There is yet another thing It s below the hopes of Christians Oh! the most glorious things that the Saints hope for And against the helps that Christians have Christians have great helps that may help them against murmuring And it is against that which God expects from Christians God expects other manner of things from them than this Yea and it is below that that God hath from other Christians These things I shall open at another time SERMON VIII at Stepney Sept. 21. 1645. PHIL. 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I Mentioned divers things the last day to set out the evil of discontent I shall name Two or Three more Sixthly It is below a Christian in this Because it s below those helps that a Christian hath more than others have they have the Promises to help them that others have not it s not so much to have a Nabal have his heart sink because he hath nothing but the Creature to uphold him but it s much for a Christian that hath Promises and Ordinances to uphold his spirit which others have not Seventhly It s below the expectation that God hath of Christians for God expects not onely that they should be patient in afflictions but that they should rejoyce and triumph in them now Christians when God expects this from you for you not so much as to have attained to contentedness under afflictions Oh this is beneathe the expectation of God from you Eighthly It is below that that God hath had from other Christians Others have not onely been contented with little crosses but they have triumphed under great afflictions they have suffered the spoiling of their goods with joy read but the latter part of the 11. of the Hebrews and you shall find what great things