The Art of Contentment, Section 10
SECT. X.
Of particular Aids for the gaining of Contentment.
1. WE have now past thro all those considerations we at first proposed, and may trust the considering Reader to make his own collections: yet because impatience is the vice that has bin all this while arraign'd, I am to fore-see it possible, that those who have the greatest degree of that, may be the least willing to attend the whole process, and therefore I think it may not be amiss, for their ease to suit and reduce all into some short directions and rules for the acquiring contentment.
2. THE first and most fundamental is, the mortifying our pride, which as it is the seminary of most sins, so especially this of repining. Men that are highly opinion'd of themselves are commonly unsatisfiable: for how well soever they are treated, they still think it short of their merits. Princes have often experimented this in those who have don them signal services; but God finds it in those who have don him none, and we expect he shall dispence to us according to those false estimates we put upon our selves. Therefore he that aspires to Content, must first take truer mesures of himself, and consider that as he was nothing till God gave him a being, so all that he can produce from that being, is Gods by original right, and therefore can pretend to nothing of reward; so that whatever he receives, is still upon the account of new bounty; and to complain that he has no more, is like the murmurs of an unthankful debtor, who would still increase those scores which he knows he can never pay.
3. IN the second place, let every man consider how many blessings (notwithstanding his no clame to any) he daily injoies: and whether those he so impatiently raves after be not much inferior to them. Nay let him ask his own heart, whether he would quit all those he has, for them he wants, and if he would not (as I suppose no man in his wits would, those wits being part of the barter) let him then judg how unreasonable his repinings are, when himself confesses he has the better part of worldly happiness, and never any man living had all.
4. IN the third place therefore let him secure his duty of thankfulness for those good things he hath, and that will insensibly undermine his impatiencies for the rest, it being impossible to be at once thankful and murmuring. To this purpose it were very well, if he would keep a solemn catalogue of all the bounties, protections, and deliverances he has receiv'd from Gods hand, and every night examin what accessions that day has brought to the sum: and he that did this, would undoubtedly find so many incitations to gratitude, that all those to discontent would be stifled in the croud. And since acknowledgment of Gods mercies is all the tribute he exacts for them, we must certainly look on that as an indispensable duty: and therefore he that finds that God shortens his hand, stops the efflux of his bounty towards him, should reflect on himself, whether he be not behind in that homage by which he holds, and have not by his unthankfulness turn'd away good things from him, Esa. 59. 8. And if he find it so (as who alas is there that may not) he cannot sure for shame complain, but must in prudence reinforce his gratitude for what is left, as the best means to recover what he has lost.
5. BUT his murmurs will yet be more amazingly silenc'd, if in the fourth place he compares the good things he enjoies with the ill he has don. Certainly this is a most infallible cure for our impatiencies, the holiest man living being able to accuse himself of such sins, as would according to all human mesures of equity forfeit all blessings, and pull down a greater weight of judgment then the most miserable groan under. Therefore as before I advised to keep a catalogue of benefits receive'd, so here it would be of use to draw up one of sins committed. And doubtless he that confronts the one with the other cannot but be astonished to find them both so numerous, equally wondring at Gods mercy in continuing his blessings, in despight of all his provocations, and at his own baseness in continuing his provocations, in despight of all those blessings. Indeed tis nothing but our affected ignorance of our own demerits, that makes it possible for us to repine under the severest of Gods dispensations. Would we but ransack our hearts, and see all the abominations that lie there, nay would the most of us but recollect those barefac'd crimes which even the world can witness against us, we should find more then enough to balance the heaviest of our pressures. When therefore by our impatient struglings we fret and gall our selves under our burdens, let us interrogate our souls in the words of the Prophet, Why doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sin? Let us not spend our breath in murmurs and out-cries, which will only serve to provoke more stripes: but let us search and try our waies, and turn again to the Lord, Lam. 3. 39. diligently seek out that accursed thing which has caused our discomfeiture, Jos, 6. 18. and by the removal of that, prepare the way for the access of mercy. But alas how preposterous a method do we take in our afflictions? We accuse every thing but what we ought, furiously fly at all the second causes of our calamity, nay too often at the first by impious disputes of providence, and in the mean time, as Iob speaks, the root of the matter is found in us, Job. 19. 28. We shelter and protect in our bosoms the real Author of our miseries. The true way then to allay the sense of our sufferings, is to sharpen that of our sins. The prodigal thought the meanest condition in his fathers family a preferment, Make me one of thy hired servants, Luk. 15. 19. And if we have his penitence, we shall have his submission also, and calmly attend Gods disposals of us.
6ly. As every man in his affliction is to look inward on his own heart, so also upward, and consider by whose providence all events are order'd. Is there any evil (i. e. of punishment) in the city, and the Lord hath not don it? Am. 3. 6. and what are we worms that we should dispute with him? Shall a man contend with his Maker? Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth, Isa. 45. 9. And as his power is not to be control'd, so neither is his justice to be impeach'd. Shall not the judg of all the earth do right? Gen. 18. 25. And where we can neither resist nor appeal, what have we to do but humbly to submit? Nor are we only compell'd to it by necessity, but induced and invited by interest, since his dispensations are directed not barely to assert his dominion, but to evidence his paternal care over us. He discerns our needs, and accordingly applies to us. The benignity of his nature permits him not to take delight in our distresses, he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 3. 33. and therefore when ever he administers to us a bitter cup, we may be sure the ingredients are medicinal, and such as our infirmities require. He dares not trust our intemperate appetites with unmixt prosperities, the lushiousness whereof tho it may please our palats, yet like St. Johns book Rev. 10. 9. that hony in the mouth may prove gall in the bowels, ingender the most fatal diseases. Let us therefore in our calamities not consult with flesh and blood, Gal. 1. 16. (which the more it is bemoan'd, the more it complains) but look to the hand that strikes; and assure our selves, that the stripes are not more severe, then he sees necessary in order to our good: and since they are so, they ought in reason to be our choices as well as his; and not only religion, but self love will promt us to say, with old Ely, it is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good, 1 Sam. 3. 11. But alas we do not understand what is our interest, because we do not rightly understand what we are ourselves. We consider our selves merely in our animal being, our bodies and those sensitive faculties vested in them, and when we are invaded there, we think we are undon, tho that breach be made only, to relieve that diviner part within us, besieged and opprest with the flesh about it (for so God knows it too often is;) or if we do not consider it in that notion of an enemy, yet at the utmost estimate, the body is to the soul but as the garment to the body, a decent case or cover: now what man (not stark frantic) would not rather have his clothes cut then his flesh? and then by the rate of proportion, we may well question our own sobriety, when we repine that our souls are secur'd at the cost of our bodies, and that is certainly the worst, the unkindest design, that God has upon us; and our impatient resistances serve only to frustrate the kind, the medicinal part of afflictions, but will not at all rescue us from the severe. Our murmurings may ruine our souls, but will never avert any of our outward calamities.
7. A seventh help to contentment is to have a right estimate of the world, and the common state of humanity: to consider the world but as a stage and our selves but as actors, and to resolve that it is very little material what part we play so we do it well. A Comedian may get as much applause by acting the slave as the conqueror, and he that acts the one to day, may to morrow reverse the part, and personate the other. So great are the vicissitudes of the world, that there is no building any firm hopes upon it. All the certainty we have of it, is, that in every condition it has its uneasinesses: so that when we court a change, we rather seek to vary then end our miseries. And certainly he that has well imprest upon his mind the vanity and vexation of the world, cannot be much surprised at any thing that befalls him in it. We expect no more of any thing but to do its kind, and we may as well be angry that we cannot bring the lions to our cribes, or fix the wind to a certain point, as that we cannot secure our selves from dangers and disappointments in this rough and mutable world. We are therefore to lay it as an infallible maxim, that in this vale of tears every man must meet with sorrows and disasters: and then sure we may take our peculiar with evenness of temper, as being but the natural consequent of our being men. And tho possibly we may every one think himself to have double portion, yet that is usually from the deceitful comparisons we make of our selves with others. We take the magnifying glasses of discontent and envy when we view our own miseries and others felicities, but look on our enjoiments and their sufferings thro the contracting optics of ingratitude and incompassion: and whilst we do thus, tis impossible but we must foment our own dissatisfactions. He that will compare to good purpose must do it honestly and sincerely, and view his neighbors calamities with the same attention he do's his own, and his own comforts with the same he do's his neighbors; and then many of the great seeming inequalities would come pretty neer a level.
8. BUT even where they do not, it in the 8th place deserves however to be consider'd how ill natur'd a thing it is, for any man to think himself more miserable because another is happy: and yet this is the very thing, by which alone many men have made themselves wretched: for many have created wants, merely from the envious contemplation of other mens abundance. And indeed there is nothing more disingenuous, or (to go higher) more Diabolical. Lucifer was happy enough in his original state, yet could not think himself so because he was not like the most high Isa. 14. 14. And when by that insolent ambition he had forfeited bliss, it has ever since bin an aggravation of his torment, that mankind is assumed to a capacity of it; and accordingly he makes it the design of his envious industry to defeat him. Now how perfectly are the two first parts of this copy transcrib'd, by those who first cannot be satisfied with any inferior degree of prosperity, and then whet their impatiencies with other mens enjoiments of what they cannot attain? And tis much to be doubted, that they who go thus far may compleat the parallel, and endeavor when they have opportunity to undermine that happiness they envy. Therefore since Satan is so apt to impress his whole image, where he has drawn any of his lineaments, it concerns us warily to guard our selves, and by a Christian sympathy with our brethren, rejoice with them that do rejoice, Rom. 12. 15. make the comforts of others, an allay not an improvement of our own miseries. Charity has a strange magnetic power, and attracts the concerns of our brethren to us, and he that has that in his breast can never want refreshment, whilst any about him are happy, for by adopting their interest, he shares in their joies. Iethro tho an alien rejoiced for all the good God had don to Israel, Exod. 18. 9. and why should not we have as sensible a concurrence with our fellow Christians? And he that has so, will still find somthing to balance his own sufferings.
9. Let him that aspires to contentment set bounds to his desire. Tis our common fault in this affaire, we usually begin at the wrong end, we enlarge our desires as hell, and cannot be satisfied, Hab. 2. 5. and then think God uses us ill, if he do not fill our insatiable appetites: whereas if we would confine our expectations to those things which we need, or he has promis'd, there are few of us who would not find them abundantly answer'd. Alas how few things are there which our nature (if not stimulated by fancy and luxury) requires? And how rare is it to find them who want those? Nay who have not many additionals for delight and pleasure? And yet Gods promise under the Gospel extends only to those necessaries, for where Christ assures his disciples that these things shall be added unto them Mat. 6. 33. the context apparently restrains these things to meat and drink and clothing. Therefore take no thought for the life what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for the body what you shall put on, verse 25. now what pretence have we to clame more then our Charter gives us? God never articled with the ambitious to give him honors, with the covetous to fill his bags, or with the voluptuous to feed his luxuries. Let us therefore, if we expect to be satisfied, modestly confine our desires within the limits he has set us: and then every accession which he superadds will appear (what it is) a largess and bounty. But whilst our appetites are boundless, and rather stretcht then filled with our acquest's, what possibility is there of their satisfaction? And when we importune God for it, we do but assign him such a task the Poets made a representation of their Hell, the filling a sieve with water, or the rolling a stone up a precipice.
10ly. A great expedient for contentment, is to confine our thoughts to the present, and not to let them loose to future events. Would we but do this, we might shake off a great part of our burden: for we often heap fantastic loads upon our selves by anxious presages of things which perhaps will never happen, and yet sink more under them, then under the real weight that is actually upon us. And this is certainly one of the greatest follies imaginable: for either the evil will come or it will not, if it will, tis sure no such desirable guest that we should go out to meet it, we shall feel it time enough when it falls on us, we need not project to anticipate our sense of it: but if it will not, what extreme madness is it for a man to torment himself with that which will never be, to create engines of tortures, and by such aerial afflictions, make himself as miserable as the most real ones could do? And truly this is all that we usually get by our fore-sights. Prevision is one of Gods attributes, and he mocks at all our pretences to it, by a frequent defeating of all our fore-casts. He do's it often in our hopes: some little crosse circumstance many times demolishes those goodly machins we raise to our selves: and he do's it no less in our fears, those ills we solemnly expected often baulk us, and others from an unexpected coast suddenly invade us. And since we are so blind, so short-sighted, let us never take upon us to be scouts, to discover danger at a distance (for tis manifold odds we shall only bring home false alarms) but let us rest our selves upon that most admirable Aphorism of our blessed Lord, Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, Mat. 6. 34. apply our selves with Christian courage to bear the present, and leave God either to augment or diminish, as he sees fit for the future. Or if we will needs be looking forward, let it be in obedience not contradiction to our duty: let us entertain our selves with those futurities which we are sure are not Chimera's, death and judgment, heaven and hell. The nearer we draw these things to our view, the more insensible will all intermedial objects be; they will deceive our sense of present, and much more fore-stal the apprehension of future evils: for tis our neglect of things eternal, that leaves us thus at leisure for the transitory
11. IN the last place let us in all our distresses supersede our anxieties and sollicitudes by that most effectual remedy the Apostle prescribes, Is any man afflicted let him pray, Jam. 5. 14. And this sure is a most rational prescription: for alas what else can we do towards the redress of our griefs. We who are so impotent, that we have not power over the most despicable excrescence of our own body, cannot make one hair white or black, Mat. 5. 36. what can we do towards the new moulding our condition, or modelling things without us? Our sollicitudes serve only to bind our burdens faster upon us, but this expedient of Praier will certainly relieve us. Call upon me, saies God, in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt praise me, Psal. 50. 15. Whenever therefore we are sinking in the floods of affliction, let us thus support our selves by representing our wants unto our gracious Lord, cry unto him as St. Peter did, Mat. 14. 30. and he will take us by the hand, and be the winds never so boisterous or contrary, preserve from sinking: the waves or billows of this troublesom world, will serve but to toss us closer into his arms, who can with a word appease the roughest tempest, or rescue from it. O let us not then be so unkind to our selves, as to neglect this infallible means of our deliverance! but with the Psalmist take our refuge under the shadow of the divine wings till the calamity be over-past Psa. 57. 1. And as this is a sure expedient in all our real important afflictions, so is it a good test by which to try what are so. We are often peevish and disquieted at trifles, nay we take up the quarrels of our lusts and vices, and are discontented when they want their wisht supplies. Now in either of these cases, no man that at all considers who he praies to, will dare to insert these in his praiers, it being a contemt of God to invoke him in things so slight as the one, or impious as the other. It will therefore be good for every man when he goes to address for relief, to consider what of his pressures they are, that are worthy of that solemn deprecation: and when he has singled those out, let him reflect, and he will find he has in that prejudg'd all his other discontents as frivolous or wicked. And then sure he cannot think fit to harbour them, but must for shame dismiss them, since they are such, as he dares not avow to him, from whom alone he can expect relief. God alwaies pities our real miseries, but our imaginary ones dare not demand it. Let us not then create such diseases to our selves, as we cannot declare to our Physitian: and when those are precluded, for all the rest St. Pauls recipe is a Catholicon, Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by praiers and supplications, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Phil. 4. 6.