The Practice of Christian Graces, Partition 7
PARTITION. VII.
Of CONTENTEDNES and the Contraries to it; Murmuring, Ambition, Covetousness, Envy, Helps to Contentedness, Of DUTIES which concern our BODIES Of CHASTITY, &c. Helps to it. Of TEMPERANCE▪ Rule of Temperance in EATING.
§. 1. THe fourth vertue is contendedness, Contentedness.and this surely is a duty we much own to our selves, it being that without which it is impossible to be happy. This contentedness is a well-pleasedness with that condition, whatever it is that God hath placed us, not murmuring, and repining of our lot, but cheerfully well-c…ming whatsoever God sends. How great, and withal how pleasant a vertue this is, may appear by the contrariety it hath to several great and painful vices, so that where this is rooted in the heart▪ it subdues not only some such single sin, but … cluster of them together.
2. And first it is contrary to all murmuring i… general,Contrary to murmuring. which is a sin most hateful to God, as may appear by his sharp punishments of it on the Israelites in the wilderness, as you may read in several places of the book of Exodus, and Numbers. And sure it is also very painful, and uneasie to a mans self, for if, as the Psalmist saith, it be a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful, we may by the rule of contraries conclude, it is a sad and unpleasant thing to be murmuring; and I doubt not every mans own experience will confirm the truth of it.
3. Secondly, It is contrary to ambition, the ambitions man is alwayes disliking his present condition,To ambition. and that makes him so greedily to seek a higher, whereas he that is content with his own, lies quiet out of the road of his temptation. Now ambition is not only a great sin in it self, but it puts men upon many other; There is nothing so horrid, which a man that eagerly seeks greatness will stick at; lying, perjury, murder, or any thing will down with him; if they seem to tend to his advancement. And the uneasiness of it is answerable to the sin. This none can doubt of, that considers what a multitude of fears and jealousies, cares and distractions there are that attend ambition in its progresse, besides the great and publick ruines that usually befal it in the end. And therefore sure contentedness is in this respect as well a happines, as a vertue.
4. Thirdly, it is contrary to covetousness; To covet…usness.this the Apostle witnesseth. Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have, where you see contentedness is set as the direct contrary to covetousness. But of this there needs no other proof, then common experience, for we see the covetous man never thinks he hath enough, and therefore can never be content, for no man can be said to be so, that thirsts after any thing he hath not. Now that you may see how excellent, and necessary a virtue this is, that secures us against covetousness, it will not be amiss a little to consider the nature of that sin.
5. That it is a very great crime, is most certain, for it is contrary to the very foundation of all good life, I mean those three great duties to God, to our selves, to our neighbour. First, Covetousness contrary to our duty to God.It is so contrary to our duty to God, that Christ himself tels us Luk. 16 13. We cannot serve God and Mammon; he that sets his heart upon wealth, must necessarily take it off from God. And this we daily see in the covetous mans practice, he is so eager in the gaining of riches, that he hath no time or care to perform duty to God, let but a good bargain, or opportunity of gain come in his way, prayer and all duties of Religion must be neglected to attend it. Nay, when the committing the greatest sin against God may be likely either to get, or save him ought, his love of wealth quickly perswades him to commit it.
6. Secondly, To our selves.It is contrary to the duty we owe our selves, and that both in respect of our Souls, and bodies▪ The covetous man despises his Soul, sels that to eternal destruction for a little pelf; For so every man does, that by any unlawful means seeks to enrich himself; Nay though he do it not by unlawful means, yet if he have once set his heart upon wealth, he is that covetous person, of whom the Apostle hath pronounced, that he shall not enter into the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6. 10. Nor doth he onelyonly offend against his Soul, but against his body too. For he often denies that those necessary refreshments it wants, and for which his wealth (as far as it concerns himself) was given him. This is so constantly the custome of rich Misers, that I need not prove it to you.
7. In the third place. Covetousness is contrary to the duty we owe to our neighbours. To our neighbour… ▪And that in both the parts of it, Justice and Charity: he that loves money immoderately, will not care whom he cheats, and defrauds, so he may bring in gain to himself, and from hence spring those many tricks of deceit and cousenage, so common in the world. As for Charity, that is never to be hoped for from a covetous man, who dreads the lessening of his own heaps more then the starving of his poor Brother. You see how great a sin this is that containes under it so many others; so that we may well say of it, as the Apostle doth 1 Tim. 6. 10. The love of money is the root of all evil. And it is not much less uneasy, then wicked, for between the care of getting, and the fear of loosing, the covetous man enjoyes no quiet hour. Therefore every man is deeply concerned, as the tenders his happiness, either in this world, or the next, to guard himself against this sin, which he can no way do▪ but by possessing his heart with this vertue of contentedness.
8. In the fourth place, it is contrary to envy, Contentedness contrary to envy.for he that is content with his own condition, hath no temptation to envy anothers; How unchristian a sin this of envy is, shall hereafter be shewed; At the present, I need say no more, but that it is also a very uneasy one, it frets and knawes the very heart of him that harbours it. But the worse this sin is, the more excellent still is this grace of contentedness, which frees us from it. I suppose I have said enough to make you think this a very lovely, and desirable Virtue. And sure it were not impossible to be gained by any, that would but observe these few directions.
9. First, To consider,Helps to contentedness. that whatever our estate and condition in any respect be, it is that which is allotted us by God, and therefore is certainly the best for us, he being much better able to judge for us, then we for our selves; and therefore to be displeased at it, is in effect to say, we are wiser then he. Secondly, Consider thorowly the vanity of all worldly things, how very little there is in them, whi…e we have them, and how uncertain we are to keep them, but above all, in how little stead they will stand us at the day of death or judgement, and then thou canst not think any of them much worth the desiring, and so wilt not be discontented for want of them. Thirdly, Suffer not thy fancy to run on things thou hast not: many have put themselves out of love with what they have, onelyonly by thinking what they want. He that sees his neighbour possess somewhat, which himself hath not, is apt to think how happy he should be, if he were in that mans condition, and in the mean time never thinks of enjoying his own, which yet perhaps in many respects may be much happier, then that of his neighbours which he so much admires. For we look but upon the outside of other mens conditions, and many a man that is envied by his neighbours, as a wonderful happy person, hath yet some secret trouble, which makes him think much otherwise of himself. Therefore never compare thy condition in any thing with those thou countest more prosperous then thy self, but rather do it with those, thou knowest more unhappy, and then thou wilt find cause to rejoice in thine own portion. Fourthly, Consider how far thou art from deserving any good thing from God, and then thou canst not but with Jacob Gen. 32. 10. confess, that thou art not worthy of the least of those mercies thou enjoyest, and in stead of murmuring that they are no more, wilt see reason to admire, and praise the bounty of God, that they are so many. Fifthly, Be often thinking of the joyes laid up for thee in Heaven; look upon that as thy home, on this world, only as an Inne, where thou art fain to take up in thy passage; and then as a traveller expects not the same conveniences at an Inne, that he hath at home, so thou hast reason to be content with whatever entertainment thou findst here, knowing thou art upon thy journey to a place of infinite happiness, which will make an abundant amends for al the uneasiness, and hardship thou canst suffer in the way. Lastly, Pray to God, from whom all good things do come, that he will to all his other blessings, add this of a contented mind, without which thou canst have no taste or relish of any other.
10. A fifth duty is diligence: Diligence.This is made up of two parts, watchfulness, and industry, and both these we owe to our Souls
11. First, Watchfulness, Watchfulness against sin.in observing all the dangers that threaten them. Now since nothing can endanger our Souls, but sin, this watchfulness is principally to be imployed against that: And as in a besieged City, where there is any weak part, there it is necessary to keep the strongest guard; so it is here, wherever thou findest thy inclinations such, as are most likely to betray thee to sin, there it concerns thee to be especially watchful; Observe therefore carefully to what sins either thy natural temper, thy company, or thy course of life do particularly incline thee, and watch thy self very narrowly in those; Yet do not so lay out all thy care on those, as to leave thy self…open to any other▪ for that may give Satan as much advantage on the other side; but let thy watch be general, against all sin, though in a special manner against those, which are like oftnest to assault thee.
12. The second part of diligence, Industry in improving gifts.is industry, or labour, and this also we owe to our Souls, for without it they will as little prosper as that vineyard of the sluggard, which Solomon describes, Prov. 24. 30. For there is a husbandry of the Soul, as well as of the estate, and the end of the one, as of the other, is the creasing, and improving of its riches. Now the riches of the Soul are either natural, or Divine. By the natural I mean its faculties of reason, wit, memory, and the like; by the Divine I mean the graces of God, which are not the Souls natural portion, but are given immediatly by God, and both these we are to take care to improve, they being both talents intrusted to us for that purpose.
13. The way of improving the natural is by imploying them so,Of Nature. as may bring in most honour to God: we must not let them lye idle by us, through sloth, neither must we overwhelme them with intemperance, and brutish pleasures, which is the case of too many, but we must employ them, and set them on work. But then we must be sure it be not in the Devils service, like many, who set their wit onelyonly to the profaning of God, or cheating their neighbours, and stuff their memories with such filthiness, as should never once enter their thoughts; our use of them must be such, as may bring in most glory to God, most benefit to our neighbours, and may best fit us to make our accounts, when God shall come to reckon with us for them.
14. But the other part of the Souls riches, Of Grace.is yet more precious, that is grace, and of this we must be especially careful, to husband, and improve it. This is a duty expresly commanded us by the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in grace. And again, in the first chapter of that Epistle, verse 5. Give all diligence to add to your Faith vertue, and to vertue knowledg, &c. Now the especial means of improving grace is by imploying it, that is, by doing those things for the enabling of us whereunto it was given us; This is a sure means, not only in respect of that easiness, which a custome of any thing brings in the doing of it, but principally, as it hath the promise of God, who hath promised, Mat. 25. 29. That to him that hath (that is hath made use of what he hath) shall be given, and he shall have abundance. He that diligently, and faithfully employes the first beginnings of grace, shall yet have more, and he that in like manner husbands that more, shall yet have a greater degree; so that what Solomon saith of temporal riches, is also true of spiritual, The hand of the diligent maketh rich.
15. Therefore whenever thou findest any good motion in thy heart,To improve good motions. remember that is a season for this spiritual husbandry, If thou have but a check of conscience against any sin, thou livest in, drive that on till it come to a hatred, and then that hatred, till it come to resolution, then from that resolution, proceed to some endeavours against it. Do this faithfully, and sincerely, and thou shalt certainly find the grace of God assisting thee, not onelyonly in every of these steps, but also enableing thee to advance still higher, till thou come to some victory over it. Yet to this industry thou must not fail to add thy prayers also, there being a promise, that God wil give the holy Spirit to them that ask it, Mat. 7. 11. And therefore they that ask it not, have no reason to expect it. But it must be asked with such an earnestness, as is some way answerable to the value of the thing, which being infinitely more precious then all the world, both in respect of his own worth, and its usefulness to us, we must beg it with much more zeal and earnestness then all temporal blessi…gs, or else we shew our selves despisers of it.
16. Having directed you to the means of improving grace, The dang… of the contrary.I shall, to quicken you to it, mention the great danger of the contrary; And that is not as in other things, the loosing onelyonly those further degrees, which our industry might have helped us to, but it is the loosing even of what we already have, For from him that hath not (that is again hath not made use of what he hath) shall be taken away even that which he hath, Mat. 25. 29. God will withdraw the grace, which he sees so neglected, as we see in that parable, the talent was taken from him that had onelyonly hid it in a Napkin, and had brought in no gain to his lord. And this is a most sad punishment, the greatest that can befal any man, before he comes to hell, indeed it is some kind of foretast of it, it is the delivering him up to the power of the Devil, and it is the banishing him from the face of God, which are not the least parts of the misery of the damned. And it is also the binding a man over to that fuller portion of wretchedness in another world; For that is the last doom of the unprofitable servant, Mat. 25. 30. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You see they are no light dangers that attend this neglect of grace, and therefore if we have any love, nay any common pity to our Souls, we must set our selves to this industry. I have now done with those vertues, which respect our Souls. I come now to those which concern our bodies.
17. The first of which is chastity, Chastity.or purity, which may well be set in the front of the duties we owe to our bodies, since the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 18. sets the contrary as the especial sin against them, He that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
18 Now this vertue of chastity consists in a perfect abstaining from all kinds of uncleanness, not onelyonly that of adultery, and fornication, but all other more unnatural sorts of it, committed either upon our selves, or with any other. In a word, all acts of that kind are utterly against chastity, save onelyonly in lawful marriage. And even there men are not to think themselves let loose to please their brutish appetites, but are to keep themselves within such rules of moderation, as ag…ee to the end of marriage, which being these two, the begetting of children, and the avoiding of fornication, nothing must be done, which may hinder the first of these ends; and the second aiming onelyonly at the subduing of lust, the keeping men from any sinful effects of it, it is very contrary to that end, to make marriage an occasion of heightning, and enflaming it.
19. But this vertue of chastity reacheth not only to the restraining of the grosser act,Uncleanness forbidden in the very lowest degrees. but to all lower degrees; it sets a guard upon our eyes, according to that of our Saviour, Mat. 5. 28. He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart; and upon our hand as appears by what Christ adds in that place, If thy hand offend thee, cut it off; so also upon our tongues, that they speak no immodest or filthy words, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Eph. 4. 29 Nay upon our very thoughts, and fancies, we must not entertain any foul or filthy desires, nor so m…ch as the imagination of any such thing. Therefore he that forbears the grosser act, and yet allowes himself in any of these, it is to be suspected that it is rather some outward restraint, that keeps him from it▪ then the conscience of the sin. For if it were that, it would keep him from these too, these being sins also, and very great ones in Gods sight. Besides, he that lets himself loose to these puts himself in very great danger of the other, it being much more easy to abstain from all, then to secure against the one, when the other is allowed. But above all, it is to be considered, that even these lower degrees are such, as make men very odious in Gods eyes who seeth the heart, and loves none that are not pure there.
20. The loveliness of this vertue of chastity needs no other way of describing,The mischiefs of it. then by considering the loathsomness, and mischiefs of the contrary sin; which is first very brutish; those desires are but the same, that the beasts have, and then how far are they sunk below the nature of man, that can boast of their sins of that kind, as of their special excellency? When if that be the measure, a goat is the more excellent creature.To the Soul. But indeed they that eagerly pursue this part of bestiality do often leave themselves little, besides their humane shape, to difference them from beasts; this sin so clouds the understanding, and defaceth the reasonable Soul. Therefore Solomon very well describes the young man, that was going to the harlots house, Pro. 7. 22. He goeth after her, as an Ox goeth to th… slaughter.
21 Nor secondly are the effects of it better to the body then to the mind.To the Body. The many foul and filt…y, besides painful diseases, which ofte… follow this sin, are sufficient witnesses, how mischievous it is to the body. And alas, how many are there that have thus made themselves the Devils martyrs? Suffered such torments in the pursuit of this sin, as would exceed the invention of the greatest tyrant? Surely they that pay thus dear for damnation, very well deserve to enjoy the purchase.
22. But thirdly, The Iudgments of God against it.Besides the natural fruits of this sin, it is attended with very great and heavy Judgments from God; the most extra ordinary and miraculous Judgment that ever befel any place, Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon Sodome and Gomorrah, was for this sin of uncleanness. And many examples likewise of Gods vengeance may be observed on particular persons, for this sin. The incest of Amnon cost him his life, as you may read, 2 Sam. 13. Zimrie and Cozhi were slain in the very act, Num. 25. 8. And no person that commits the like, hath any assurance it shall not be his own case. For how secretly soever it be committed, it cannot be hid from God, who is the sure avenger of all such wickedness. Nay, God hath very particularly threatned this sin, 1 Cor. 3. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him shall God destroy. This sin of uncleanness is a kind of sacriledge, a polluting those bodies, which God hath chosen for his Temples, and therefore no wonder, if it be thus heavily punished.
23. Lastly, It shuts out from Heaven.This sin shuts us out from the Kingdom of Heaven, wherein no impure thing can enter. And we never find any list of those sins, which bar men thence, but this of uncleanness hath a special place in it. Thus it is Gal. 5. 19. and so again 1 Cor. 6. 9. If we will thus pollute our selves, we are fit company onelyonly for those black spirits, the Devil and his Angels, and therefore with them we must expect our portion, where our flames of lust shall end in flames of fire.
24. All this layed together,Helps to chastity. may surely recommend the vertue of chastity to us, for the preserving of which, we must be very careful; first, to check the beginnings of the temptation, to cast away the very first fancy of lust, with indignation, for if you once fall to parley, & talk with it, it gains still more upon you, and then it will be harder to resist, therefore your way in this temptation is, to flye rather then fight with it. This is very necessary, not onelyonly that we may avoid the danger of proceeding to act the sin, but also in respect of the present fault of entertaining such fancies, which of it self, though it should never proceed further is, as hath been shewed, a great abomination before God; Secondly, have a special care to flye idleness, which is the proper soil for these filthy weeds to grow in; And keep thy self alwayes busied in some innocent, or vertuous employment, for then these fancies will be less apt to offer themselves. Thirdly, never suffer thy self to recall any unclean passages of thy former life with delight, for that is to act over the sin again; and will be so reckoned by God, nay perhaps thus deliberately to think of it, may be a greater guilt, then a rash acting of it. For this both shews thy heart to be set upon filthiness, and is also a preparation to more acts of it. Fourthly, forbear the company of such light, and wanton persons, as either by the filthiness of their discourse, or any other means, may be a snare to thee. Fifthly, pray earnestly that God would give thee the spirit of purity, especially at the time of any present temptation. Bring the unclean Devil to Christ, to be cast out▪ as did the man in the Gospel; And if it will not be cast out with prayer alone, add fasting to it, but be sure thou do not keep up the flame by any high or immoderate feeding. The last remedy, when the former prove vain, is marriage, which becomes a duty to him, that cannot live innocently without it. But even here there must be care taken, lest this which should be for his good, become not to him an occasion of falling, for want of sobriety in the use of marriage. But this I have toucht on already, and therefore need add no more, but an earnest intreaty, that men would consider seriously of the foulness, and danger of this sin of uncleanness, and not let the commonness of it lessen their hatred of it, but rather make them abhor that shamelesse impudence of the world, that can make li…ht of this sin, against which God hath pronounced such heavy curses, Whoremongers and adulterers God will Iudge, Heb. 13. 4. and so he will certainly do all sorts of unclean persons whatsoever.
25. The second vertue,Temperance. that concerns our bodies is temperance: And the exercises of that are divers; As first temperance in eating, secondly in drinking, thirdly in sleep, fourthly in recreation, fifthly in apparel. I shall speak of them severally; and first of temperance in eating. This temperance is observed,In Eating. when our eating is agreeable to those ends, to which eating are by God and nature designed; those are first the being,Ends of eating. secondly the well being of our bodies
26. Man is of such a frame,Preserving of life. that eating becomes necessary to him for the preserving his life, hunger being a natural disease which will prove deadly, if not prevented, and the onelyonly Physick for it is eating which is therefore become a necessary means of keeping us alive. And that is the first end of eating; and as men use not to take Physick for pleasure, but remedy, so neither should they eat.
27. But secondly, Of Health.God hath been so bountiful, as to provide not onelyonly for the being, but the well being of our bodies, and therefore we are not tyed to such strictness, that we may eat no more then will just keep us from starving, but we may also eat whatsoever either for kind or quantity most tends to the health, and welfare of them; Now that eating which is agreeable to these ends, is within the bounds of temperance, as on the contrary whatsoever is contrary to them, is a transgression against it; He therefore that sets up to himself other ends of eating, as either the pleasing of his taste, or (what is yet worse) the pampering of his body, that he may the better serve his lust, he directly thwarts and crosses these ends of Gods; for he that hath those aimes, doth that which is very contrary to health, yea and to life it self; as appears by the many diseases, and untimely deaths, which surfetting and uncleanness daily bring on men.
28. He therefore that will practice this vertue of temperance, Ru'es of Temperance in eating.must neither eat so much, nor of any such sorts of meat (provided …he can have other) as may be hurtful to his health: what the sorts or quantities shall be, is impossible to set down, for that differs according to the several constitutions of men; some men may with temperance eat a great deal, because their stomacks require it, when another may be guilty of intemperance in eating but half so much, because it is more then is useful to him. And so also for the sort of meat, it may be niceness and luxury for some to be curious in them, when yet some degree of it may be necessary to the infirmities of a weak stomack, which not out of wantonness, but disease cannot eate the courser meats But I think it may in general be said, that to healthful bodies the plainest meats are generally the most wholsome, but every man must in this be left to judg for himself; and that he may do it aright, he must be careful, that he never suffer himself to be enslaved to his palate, for that will be sure t… satisfie its self, whatever becomes of health or life.
29. To secure him the better,Means of it. let him consider, First, How unreasonable a thing it is, that the whole body should be subjected to this one sense of tasting, that it must run all hazards only to please that. But it is yet much more so▪ that the diviner part, the soul should also be thus enslaved; and yet thus it is in an intemperate person, his very soul must be sacrificed to this brutish appetite, for the sin of intemperance, though it be acted by the body, yet the soul must share in the eternal punishment of it, Secondly, Consider how extreme short and vanishing this pleasure is, it is gone in a moment, but the pains that attend the excess of it, are much more durable, and then surely it agrees not with that common reason, wherewith as men we are indued, to set our hearts upon it. But then in the third place it agrees yet worse with the temper of a Christian, who should have his heart so purified, and refined with the expectation of those higher and spiritual joyes he looks for in another world, that he should very much despise these gross and brutish pleasures, which beasts are as capable of, as we, and to them we may well be content to leave them, it being the highest their natures can reach to; but for us, who have so much more excellent hopes, it is an intolerable shame, that we should account them as any part of our happiness. Lastly, the sin of Gluttony is so great and dangerous, that Christ thought fit to give an especial warning against it; take heed to your selves, that your hearts be not overcharged with surfetting, &c. Luke 21. 34. And you know what was the end of the rich glutton, Luke 16. He that had fared deliciously every day, at last wants a drop of water to coole his tongue. So much for that first sort of temperance, that of eating.