The Art of Contentment, Section 5
SECT. V.
Of our Demerit towards God.
1. IT is the common fault of our nature, that we are very apt to be partial to our selves; and to square our expectations more by what we wish, then by what we deserve. Somthing of this is visible in our dealings with men. We oft look to reap where we have not sowed, Mat. 25. 25. expect benefits where we do none: yet in civil transactions there are still remaining such footsteps of natural justice, that we are not universally to unreasonable: all traffic and commerce subsisting upon the principle of equal retribution, giving one good thing for another equivalent; so that no man expects to buy corn with chaff, or Gold with dross. But in our dealings with God, we put off even this common equity; are vast in our expectations, but penurious and base in our returns; and as if God were our steward not our Lord, we require of him with a confidence proper only to those who ask their own: whilst in the interim, what we offer to him is with such a disdainful slightness, as if we meant it rather an alms then an homage.
2. GOD indeed is so munificent, that he prevents us with his blessings, Psal. 21. 3. gives us many things before we ask: had he not don so, we could not have bin so much as in a capacity of asking. But tho the first & fundamental mercies are absolute and free, yet the subsequent are conditional: and accordingly we find in scripture, that God makes no promise either concerning this life or a better, but on condition of Obedience. The jews who had much larger proposals of temporal happiness then Christians have, yet never had them upon other terms. God expressly articled for the preformance of his commands, and made all their enjoiments forfeitable upon the failure, as we may see at large in the book of Deuteronomy. And under the Gospel St. Paul appropriates the promises as well of this life as of that to come unto godliness, 1 Tim. 4. 8. It will therefore be a material inquiry for every man, whether he have kept his title entire, and have not by breach of the condition forfeited his clame, even to the most common ordinary blessings; for if he have, common reason will tell him he can challenge none: and that the utmost he can hope for, must be only upon a new score of unmerited favor.
3. And here certainly every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God, Rom. 3. 19. For alas who is there that can say his obedience has bin in any degree proportionable to his obligation? Tis manifest we have all received abundantly from Gods hand, but what has he had from ours? I may challenge the best man, to cast up the account of his best day, and tell me whether his receits have not infinitly exceeded his disbursments: whether for any one good thing he has don, he has not received many. Nor is the disparity only in number, but much more in value. Gods works are perfect, all he do's for us like the first 6 daies productions, are all very good, Gen. 1. but alass our very righteousness is as filthy rags, Esai. 64. 6. we offer him the blind and the lame, Mal. 1. 9. a few yewning drowsy praiers perhaps, wherein he has the lest share: the fuller current of our thoughts running towards our secular or sinful concerns. We drop it may be a scanty Alms, wherein tis odds our vain-glory scrambles for a share with him, if it do not wholly ingross it. We sit an hour at a sermon, but tis rather to hear the wit or eloquence of the preacher, then the word of God. Like the duller sort of animals, we like well to have our itching ears scratcht, but grow sturdy and restive when we should do what we are there taught. In a word all our services at the best are miserably maim'd, and imperfect; and too often corrupt and unsound. So that God may well upbraid us as he did Israel, Offer it now to thy governor, will he be pleas'd with it? Mal. 1. 8. These very iniquities of our holy things, are enough to defeat all our pretences to any good from Gods hand; yet God knows this is much the best side of us: tis not every one that can make so fair an appearance as this amounts to. With many, there is no place to complain of the blemishes of their sacrifices, for they offer none; of whom we may say in the words of the Psalmist, God is not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10. 4. I fear there want not those who drive away the day, the week, nay the year, without remembring in whose hand their time is, Psal. 31. 18. or paying him any solemn tribute of it; who enjoy the services of all inferior creatures, without considering that theirs are more due to the supreme Lord: in a word, who live as if they were absolutly independent; had their existence purely from themselves, and had no Creator to whom they owed their being, or any consequent duty. And sure men who thus discard themselves from Gods family, have very little reason to expect the provisions of it: yet even such as these have the impudence to complain, if any thing be wanting to their needs (shall I say) or to their lusts; can ravingly profane Gods name in their impatiencies, which they know not how to use in their praiers: as if the Deity were considerable in no other notion, then that of their caterer or steward.
4. IF now we seriously reflect, what can be more admirable then that infinit patience of God; who notwithstanding the miserable infirmities of the pious, and the leud contemt of the impious, still goes on resolutly in his bounty, and continues to all mankind some, and to some all his temporal blessings? He has no obligation of justice to do so, for it is no part of his compact; he has none of gratitude, for he is perpetually affronted and disobliged. Surely we may well say with David, Is this after the manner of men, O Lord? 1 Chro. 17. 17. Can the highest human indulgence bear any proportion with this divine Clemency? no certainly, no finite patience but would be exhausted with the thousandth part of our provocations.
5. BUT is not our dealing too as little after the manner of men? I mean of reasonable creatures: for us who have forfeited our right to all, and yet by mere favor are still kept in the possession of many great blessings: for us to grow mutinous, because there is perhaps somthing more trifling which is deni'd us, is such a stupid ingratitude, as one would think impossible to human nature. Should a Tenant with us have at once forfeited his lease and maliciously affronted his Landlord, he would sure think himself very gently dealt with, if he were suffer'd to enjoy but a part of his first estate; but we should think him not only insolent, but mad, who when the whole were left him, should quarrel and clamor if he might not have his Cottage adorn'd with marble floors, and gilded roofs. Yet at this wild rate we behave our selves to our great Landlord, grow pettish and angry if we have not every thing we can fancy, tho we enjoy many more useful, merely by his indulgence. And can there be any thing imagin'd more unreasonable? Let us therefore if not for piety, yet at least to justify our clame to rationality, be more ingenuous; let us not consult only with our fond appetites, and be thus perpetually solliciting their satisfaction; but rather reflect on what tenure we hold what we already have, even that of superabundant mercy; and fear, least like insolent beggers by the impudence of our demands we divert even that charity which was design'd us. In short let every man when he computes what he wants of his desires, reckon as exactly how much he is short of his duty; and when he has duly ponder'd both, he will think it a very gentle composition to have the one unsupplied, so he may have the other remitted; and will see cause contentedly to sit down and say with honest Mephibosheth, What right have I to cry any more unto the King? 2 Sam. 19. 28. But if it be thus with us upon the mere score of our imperfectionsor omissions, what an obnoxious state do our innumerable actual sins put us in? If the spots of our sacrifices are provoking, what are our sacrileges and bold profanations? If those who neglect or forget God are listed among his enemies, what are those who avowedly defy him? Indeed he that soberly considers the world, and sees how daringly the divine Majesty is daily affronted, cannot but wonder that the perversions of our manners, those prodigies in morality, should not be answer'd with as great prodigies in calamity too; that we should ever have other ruin then that of Sodom, or the earth serve us for any other purpose then to be, as it was to Korah, Num. 16. our living sepulcher.
6. NOR is this longanimity of God observable only towards the mass and collective body of mankind, but to every man in particular. Who is there that if he ransack his conscience, shall not find guilts enow to justify God in the utmost severities towards him? so that how much soever his punishments are short of that, so much he evidently owes to the lenity and compassion of God. And who is there that suffers in this world the utmost that God can inflict? We have a great many suffering capacities, and if those were all fill'd up to the height, our condition would scarce differ from that of the damned in any thing but duration. But God is more merciful, and never inflicts at that rate on us here. Every mans experience can tell him, that God discharges not his whole quiver at once upon him, but exemts him in many more particulars then he afflicts him; and yet the same experience will probably tell most of us, that we are not so modest in our assaults upon God; we attacque him in all his concerns (as far as our feeble malice can reach) in his Sovereignty, in his honor, in his relatives, nay somtimes in his very essence and being. And as they are universal in respect of him, so also in regard of our selves: we engage all our powers in this war, do not only yield (as the Apostle speaks) our members instruments of unrighteousness, Rom. 6. 18. but we press them upon the service of sensual and vile lusts, even beyond our native propensions. Nor are only the members of our body, but the faculties of our souls also thus emploied; our understandings are busied first in contriving sins, and then excuses and disguises for them; our wills are yet more sturdy rebels, and when the understanding is beat out of all its out-works, yet sullenly keep their hold in spight of all conviction; and our affections madly rush on like the horse into the battel, Jer. 8. 6. deterred by nothing of danger, so there be but sin enough in the attemt.
7. AND now with what face can people that thus pursue an hostility, expect that it should not be return'd to them? do's any man denounce war, and yet expect from his adversary all the caresses, the obligements of friendship? self-defence will promt even the meekest nature to despoile his enemy at least of those things which he uses to his annoiance; aud if God should give way even to that lowest degree of anger, where or what were we? for since we imploy our whole selves against him, nothing but destruction can avert our injuries. But tis happy for us we have to do with one who cannot fear us, who knows the impotence of our wild attemts, and so allai's his resentment of our insolence, with his pity of our follies. Were it not for this, we should not be left in a possiblity so oft to iterate our provocations; every wicked imagination and black design, would be at once defeated and punisht by infatuation and frenzy: every blasphemous Atheistical speech would wither the tongue, like that arm of Ieroboam which he stretcht against the Prophet, 2 King. 13. 4. and every impious act would like the prohibited retrospect of Lots Wife, fix us perpetual monuments of divine vengeance.
8. AND then how much do we owe to the mercy and commiseration of our God, that he suffers not his whole displesure to arise, Psa. 78. 39. that he abates any thing of that just severity he might use toward us? He that is condemned to the Gallowes, would think it a mercy to scape with any inferior penalty: why have we then such mean thoughts of Gods Clemency, when he descends to such low compositions with us? corrects us so lightly as if twere only matter of ceremony and punctilioe, the regard of his honor, rather then the execution of his wrath. For alas let him among us that is the most innocent, and undeservedly afflicted, muster up his sins and sufferings, and he will see a vast inequality: and (had he not other grounds of assurance) would be almost temted to think those were not the provoking cause, they are so unproportionably answered. He sins in innumerable instances, and is punisht in few; he sins habitually and perpetually, and suffers rarely and seldom; nay perhaps he has somtimes sin'd with greediness, and yet God has punisht with regret and reluctancy, How shall I give thee up O Ephraim? Hos. 11. 8. And when all these disparities are consider'd, we must certainly join heartily in Ezras confession, Thou O God has punisht us less then our iniquities deserve, Ezra. 9. 13.
9. NAY besides all our antecedent, we have after guilts no less provoking, I mean our ungracious repinings at the light chastisements of our former sins, our out-cries upon every little uneasiness, which may justly cause God to turn our whips into scorpions; and according as he threatned Israel Lev. 26. 18. to punish us yet seven times more. And yet even this do's not immediately exasperate him. The Jews were an instance how long he could bear with a murmuring generation; but certainly we of this nation are a greater, yet let us not be high-minded but fear, Rom. 11. 20. for we see at last the doom fell heavy tho it was protracted, a succession of miraculous judgments pursued those murmurers, so that not one of them enter'd Canaan. And tis very observable that whereas to other sins Gods denunciations are in scripture conditional and reversible; this was absolute and bound with an oath, He sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest, Psa. 95. 11. And yet if we compare the hardships of the Israelites in the wilderness, with most of our sufferings, we shall be forced to confess our mutinies have less temtation, and consequently less excuse; from whence tis very reasonable to infer, as the greatness of our danger if we persist, so the greatness of Gods long suffering towards us, who yet allows us space to reform: and sure new complaints sound very ill from us, who are liable to so severe an account for our old ones. I fear the most resign'd persons of us will upon recollection find, they have upon one occasion or other out-vied the number of the Israelites murmurs, therefore unless we will emulate them in their plagues, let us fear to add one more, lest that make up the fatal sum, and render our destruction irrevocable.
10. UPON all these considerations it appears how little reason any of us have to repine at our heaviest pressures; but there is yet a farther circumstance to be adverted to, and is too applicable to many of us, that is, that our sins are not only the constant meritorious cause of our sufferings, but they are also very often the instrumental cause also; and produce them not only by way of retaliation from God, but by a natural efficacy. Solomon tells us he that loves plesure, shall be a poor man, and that a whorish woman will bring a man to a piece of bread Prov. 6. 26. that he that sits long at the wine shall have redness of eies, Chap. 23. 29. 30. that the slothful soul shall suffer hunger, 19. 15. and all these not by immediate supernatural infliction from God, but as the proper genuine effects of those respective vices. Indeed God in his original establishment of things, has made so close a connexion between sin and punishment, that he is not often put to exert his power in any extraordinary way, but may trust us to be our own Lictors, our own backslidings reprove us Jer. 2. 19. and our iniquities are of themselves enough to become our ruine, Exod. 18. 38.
11. It may therefore be a seasonable question for every man to put to himself, whether the troubles he labors under; be not of this sort; whether the poverty he complains of, be not the effect of his riot and profusion, his sloth and negligence? whether when he cries out that his comeliness is turn'd into corruption, Dan. 10. 8. he may not answer himself, that they are his visits to the harlots houses which have thus made rottenness enter into his bones, Hab. 3. 16. whether when he is beset with contentions, and has wounds without cause, he have not tarried long at the wine; when he has lost his friend, whether he have not by some trecherous wound Eccle. 22. 22. forced him to depart: or when he lies under infamy, whether it be not only the Echo of his own scandalous crimes. If he find it thus with him, certainly his mouth is stopt, and he cannot without the most disingenuous impudence complain of any but himself. He could not be ignorant that such effects did naturally attend such causes, and therefore if he would take the one, he must take the other also. No man sure can be so mad, as to think God should work miracles (disunite those things which nature hath conjoin'd) only that he may sin at ease, have all the bestial plesures he can project, and none of the consequent smart. We read in deed God divided the sea, but it was to make the way for the Ransomed of the Lord to pass over Isa. 51. 10. those who were his own people, and went in at his command; but when they were secured, we find the waters immediatly return'd to their chanel, and overwhelmed the Egyptians, who ventured without the same warrant. And sure the case is alike here, when any man can produce Gods mandate for him to run into all excess of riot, to desecrate the temple of the holy Ghost, and make his body the member of an harlot, 1 Cor. 6. 15. In a word when God bids him do any of those things, which God and good men abhor, then and not before he may hope he may sever such acts from their native penal effects; for till then (how profuse soever some Legendary stories represent him) he will certainly never so bestow his miracles.
12. But I fear upon scrutiny there will appear a yet farther circumstance upon which to arraign our mutinies, for tho it be unreasonable enough to charge God with the ill effects of our own leudness, yet tis a higher step to murmur because we have not materials to be wicked enough. And this I fear is the case with too many of us, who tho they are not so dispoil'd by their sins, but that they can keep up their round of vicious plesures, yet are discontented because they think some others have them more exquisite, think their vices are not Gentile enough, unless they be very expensive, and are covetous only that they may be more Luxurious. These are such as St Iames speaks of, who ask amiss, that they may consume it upon their lusts. Jam. 4. 3. and sure to be mutinous on this account is one of the highest pieces of frenzy. Would any man in his wits tell another he will cut his throat, and then expect he should furnish him with a knife for it? And yet to this amount our murmurs against God, for his not giving us those things wherewith we only design to wage war with him. For surely if the discontents of mankind were closely inspected, I doubt a great many would be found of this kind. It concerns the Reader therefore to make the inquisition in his own breast, both in this and all the former particulars, and I doubt not, if he do it with any ingenuity and uprightness, he will be abundantly convinced that for his few mites of obedience he paies to God, he receives talents of mercies (even temporal) from him: and that on the other side, that God as much underpaies his sins, as he overpaies his services: by which God do's sufficiently attest how little he delights in our affliction, how gladly he takes any light occasion of caressing and cherishing, and over-skips those of punishing us. Which sure ought to make us convert all our displesures against our sins, which extort those acts of severity from him, to which his nature is most averse. And here indeed our resentments cannot be too sharp, but towards God our fittest address will be in the penitential form of the prophet Daniel, O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, tho we have rebelled against him, Dan. 9. 8. 9. And as his justice is to be revered in his inflictions, so is his wisdom also, in so disposing of events to particular persons, as may best consist with the universal Oeconomy and managery of the world, the consideration whereof is the design of the next Section.