The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Sermon 1 · Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
PHILIPPIANS. 4.11.
For I have learned in whatſoever ſtate I am, therewith to be content.
IN the laſt Exerciſe we ſpoke of divers things in the Myſtrie of Contentment, and in the cloſe we ſpoke of two more, but we could not have time to open either of them, I ſhall open them a little more largely, & then proceed to ſome few more, and ſo to other things in the point.
That's the next then, A Chriſtian heart hath not only Contentment in God, (and certainly, he that hath God, muſt have all, he that hath him that hath all, he hath all) But he is able to make up all his outward wants of creature-comforts from what he finds in himſelf: That may ſeem to be more ſtrange: It's true, perhaps we may convince men though they doe not feel by experience what it is to make up all in God, yet we may convince them that if they have him that hath all things, then they have al; for there is ſuch a fulneſs in God, he being the infinite firſt-being of all things that may make up all their wants. But here's another thing that's further, I ſay a godly man can make up whatſoever he wants without the creature, he can make it up in himſelf, in the 14. of the Prov. 14. A good man is ſatisfied in himſelf: as now, If he wants outward comforts, good chear, feaſting; a good conſcience is a continual feaſt, he can make up the want of a feaſt by that peace he hath in his own conſcience: if he wants melody abroad, he hath a bird within him that ſings the moſt melodious ſongs that are in the world, and the moſt delightful. And then doth he want honour? he hath his own conſcience witneſſing for him, that is as a thouſand witneſſes, the Scripture ſaith in the 17. of Luke, v. 21. Neither ſhall they ſay, Lo here, or lo there, for behold the Kingdome of God is within you; a Chriſtian then whatſoever he wants he can make it up, for he hath a Kingdom in himſelfe, the Kingdom of God is within him. If one that is a King ſhould meet with a great deal of trouble when he is abroad, yet he Contents himſelf with this, I have a Kingdom of mine own; now here it's ſaid the Kingdom of God is within a man; truly, upon this Scripture of the Kingdom of God being within, thoſe that are learned if they would but look into that Coment upon the Goſpel that we have of a learned man, they ſhall find a very ſtrange conceit that he hath about this very text, he confeſſes indeed it is unutterable, and ſo indeed it is; the Kingdom of God is within you, he makes it that there is ſuch a preſence of God and Chriſt within the ſoul of a man, that when the body dies, he ſaith, that the ſoul goes into God and Chriſt that is within him, the ſouls going into God and Chriſt, and enjoying of that Communion with God and Chriſt that is within it's ſelf, that's Heaven to it (ſaith he) he confeſſes he is not able to expreſſe himſelf, nor others cannot underſtand fully what he intends; but certainly for the preſent before death, there's a Kingdom of God within the ſoul, ſuch a manifeſtation of God in the ſoul that is enough to Content the heart of any godly man in the world, the Kingdom that he hath now within him, he ſhall not ſtay till afterwards, till he goes to Heaven, but certainly there is a Heaven in the ſoul of a godly man, he hath Heaven already: many times when you go to comfort your friends in their afflictions, you will ſay Heaven will pay for all; nay, you may certainly find Heaven pays for all already: there is a Heaven within the ſouls of the Saints, that's a certain truth, no ſoul ſhall ever come to heaven, but that Soul that hath Heaven come to it firſt. When you die you hope you ſhall goe to Heaven: But if you ſhall goe to Heaven when you die, Heaven will come to you before you die. Now this is a great Myſterie to have the Kingdom of Heaven in the Soul, no man can know this but that Soul that hath it, that Heaven which is within the Soul for the preſent (I ſay) it is like the white ſtone and the new name, that none but thoſe that have it can underſtand it: It's a miſerable condition my brethren to depend upon creatures altogether for our Contentment, you know that rich men account it a great happineſſe, if they need not go to buy things by the penny as others do, they have all things for pleaſure or profit upon their own ground; and all their inheritance lies intire together, they have no body comes within them, but they have all within themſelves, there lies their happineſſe: Whereas other poorer people are fain to go from one Market to another to provide them neceſſaries, but yet great rich men they have ſheep and beeves, corn and cloathing, and all things elſe of their own within themſelves, and herein they place their happineſſe: But this is the happineſſe of a Chriſtian, that he hath that within himſelfe that may ſatisfie him more than all theſe; That place that we have in the firſt of James, ſeems to allude to that condition of men that have all their eſtates within themſelves, Jam. 1.4. But let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect, and entire, wanting nothing: the word there uſed ſignifies to have the whole inheritance to our ſelves, not a broken inheritance, but that where all lies within themſelves; as a man that hath not a piece of his eſtate here, and a piece there, but he hath it all lie together; and the heart being patient under afflictions finds it ſelf to be in ſuch an eſtate as this is, finds his whole inheritance to be together, and all intire within it's ſelf. And now ſtill to ſhew this by further ſimilitudes, it is with him being fil'd with good things, juſt like as it is with many a man that injoys abundance of comforts at home, at his own houſe, God grants to him a convenient habitation, a comfortable yoke-fellow, and fine walks and gardens, and hath all things at home that he could deſire; now this man cares not much for going abroad, other men are fain to go abroad to take the air, but he hath a ſweet air at home, and they are fain to go abroad to ſee friends, becauſe they have raylings and contendings at home; many ill husbands will give this reaſon, (if his wife make any moan, and complaint of his ill husbandry) of their bad husbandry, and will make that their excuſe to go abroad, becauſe they can never be quiet at home. Now we account thoſe men moſt happy that have all at home; thoſe that have cloſe houſes that are unſavory, and ſmels ill, they delight to go into the freſh ayr; I but it is not ſo with many others that have theſe at home; thoſe that have no good chear at home, they are fain to go abroad to friends, but thoſe that have their Tables furniſhed, they had as live ſtay at home: ſo a carnal man he hath but little Contentment in his own ſpirit; it's Auſtins ſimilitude (ſaith he) an ill conſcience is like a ſcoulding wife, a man (ſaith he) that hath an ill conſcience he cares not to look into his own ſoul, but loves to be abroad, and look into other things, but never looks to himſelf, but one that hath a good conſcience he delights in looking into his own heart, he hath a good conſcience within him: and ſo a carnal heart, becauſe theres nothing but filthineſſe, a filthy ſtink in himſelf, nothing but vileneſſe and baſeneſſe, within him; upron this it is that he ſeeks his Contentment elſe where: And as it is with a veſſel that is full of liquor, if you ſtrike upon it it will make no great noiſe, but if it be empty then it makes a great noiſe; ſo it is with the heart, a heart that is full of grace and goodneſſe within, ſuch a one will bear a great many ſtrokes, and never make any noiſe, but an empty heart if that be ſtruck that will make a noiſe, thoſe men and women that are ſo much complayning, and alwaies whyning, it is a ſign that there's an emptineſſe in their hearts, but if their hearts were filled with grace they would not make ſuch an noiſe as now they do. As a man that hath his bones fil'd with marrow, and veins fill'd with good blood, he complains not of cold as others do; ſo a gracious heart having the Spirit of God within him, and his heart fill'd with Grace, he hath that within him that makes him find Contentment. It is a ſpeech of Seneca, Indeed thoſe things that I ſuffer will be incredible heavy when I cannot bear my ſelf; but now if I be no burden to my ſelf, if I have all quiet within mine own heart, then I can bear any thing: many men through their wickedneſſe they have burdens without, but the greateſt burden is the wickedneſſe of their own hearts, they are not burdened with their ſins in a godly way, that would eaſe their burden, but they have ſtill their wickedneſſe in the power of it, and ſo they are burdens to themſelves. The diſtempers of mens hearts are mighty burdens to them; many times a godly man hath enough within to Content him; Vertue it is Content with its ſelf, for to live well; (Its a ſpeech of Cicero, and its in one of his Paradoxes) It finds enough within its own ſphere for the living happily: but how few are acquainted with this Myſterie? Many think O if I had that that another man hath, how happily and comfortably ſhould I live: Oh but if thou beeſt a Chriſtian, whatſoever thy condition be, yet thou haſt enough within thy ſelf, you will ſay ſuch and ſuch men that hath all things they need not be beholding to any body, you ſhall have many that will labour and take pains when they are young, that they might not be beholding to others, I love to live of my ſelfe; now a Chriſtian may do ſo; not that he doth not live upon God (I mean not ſo) but upon that that he hath of God within himſelfe, that he can live upon, although he doth not enjoy the comforts that are without himſelfe, thats it which I mean, and thoſe that are godly and keep cloſe to God in their Communion with him, they underſtand what I mean by this, that a Chriſtian hath ſupply of all his wants within himſelfe; and here you may ſee that the ſpirit of a Chriſtian is a precious ſpirit, a godly ſpirit is precious, why? becauſe it hath enough to make him happy within himſelf.
The next thing that the Myſtery of Contentment conſiſts in is this, That a gracious heart fetches ſupply of all from the Covenant and ſo comes to have Contentment; which is a dry thing to a carnal ſpirit: Now there are two things here.
Firſt, he fetches Contentment from the Covenant in general, that is from the great Covenant that God hath made with him in Chriſt.
Secondly, From the particular promiſes that God hath made with him in the Covenant.
Firſt, From the Covenant in general. I'le give you one Scripture for that, it's very remarkable, in the ſecond of Sam. 23. verſ. 5. Although my houſe be not ſo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant, ordered in all things, and ſure: for this is all my ſalvation, and all my deſire, although he make it not to grow. It's a moſt admirable Scripture of David, that yet had not the Covenant of Grace opened ſo fully as we have. But yet mark what David ſaith, Although I find not my houſe ſo, that is, ſo comfortably every way as I would, although it be not ſo, what hath he to content his ſpirit? ſaith he, He hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant; this is that that helps all: I am not (may ſome men ſay) thus and thus with God, I do not find God come in ſo fully, or it's not with my houſe and family as I hoped it might be, perhaps there is this or that affliction upon my houſe; ſuppoſe you ſhould have the plague come into your houſe, and your houſe is not ſafe, and you have not that outward comfort in your houſe as formerly you had, but can you reade this Scripture, and ſay, Although my houſe be not ſo bleſt with health as other mens houſes are; although my houſe be not ſo, yet he hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant, I am one yet in Covenant with God, the Lord hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant: as for theſe things in this world, I ſee they are but momentary, they are not everlaſting, I ſee in a family when all was well but a week ago, now all is down, and the plague hath ſwept away a great many of them, and the reſt are left in ſadneſs and mourning: we ſee there is no reſting in the things of this world, yet the Lord hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant ordered in all things: I find diſorder in my heart, in my family; but the everlaſting Covenant, that's ordered in all things; yea, and that's ſure: alack, there's no ſureneſſe here in theſe things, I can be ſure of nothing here, eſpecially in theſe times, we know that a man can be ſure of little that he hath, who can be ſure of his eſtate? perhaps ſome of you here that have lived well and comfortably before, and all was well about you, and you thought your mountain was ſtrong, but you ſee within a day or two all taken away from you, ſo that there is no ſureneſſe in the things of this world: But ſaith he the Covenant is ſure, what I venture to Sea thats not ſure, but here's an aſſurance Offiice indeed, here's a great aſſurance Office for the Saints, and they are not at charge, but only the exerciſing of Grace, for they may go to this Aſſurance Office to aſſure every thing that they venture, either to have the thing it ſelf, or be paid for it: In an aſſurance Office you cannot be aſſured to have the very goods come in that you inſured, but if they be loſt the Inſurers do ingage themſelves to make it good to you. And this Covenant of grace that God hath made with his people, it is Gods Aſſurance Office, and the Saints in all their fears may and ought to go to the Covenant to aſſure all things to them, to aſſure their eſtates and aſſure their lives. You will ſay, how are they ſure, their lives and eſtates go as well as others? But God ingages himſelf to make up all: And then mark what follows, This is all my Salvation, Why David wilt thou not have ſalvation from thine enemies and outward dangers, from peſtilence and plague? The frame of his ſpirit is quieted, as if he ſhould ſay, if that Salvation comes, wel and good, I ſhall praiſe God for it, but that that I have in the Covenant, that's my ſalvation, I look upon that as enough: Yea and then further, This is all my ſalvation, and all my deſire, Why David is there not ſomething elſe that thou wouldeſt have beſides this Covenant? No ſaith he, it is all involved in this. Now ſurely thoſe men or women muſt needs live contented lives that have all their deſires; now ſaith the holy man here, this is all my deſire, And though he make it not to grow. But for all this Covenant perhaps you will not proſper in the world as other men do, true, but I am at a point for that: Though God doth not make my houſe to grow, I have all my deſires.
Thus you ſee how a godly heart finds contentment in the Covenant, many of you ſpeak of the Covenant of God, and of the Covenant of grace, but have you found it ſo effectual to your ſouls? have you ſuckt this ſweetneſſe from the Covenant and content to your hearts in your ſad conditions? It's a ſpeciall ſign of the truth of grace in any ſoul, that when any affliction doth befal him, in a kind of natural way he doth preſently repair to the Covenant; juſt as a Child as ſoon as ever it is in danger, you ſhall not need to tell him and ſay, when you are in danger you muſt go to your father or mother, nature tels him ſo: ſo it is with a gracious heart, as ſoon as it is in any trouble or affliction there is a new nature that doth carry him to the Covenant preſently, and there it finds eaſe and reſt: and if you find that your hearts do thus work, preſently to be runing to the Covenant, it is an excellent ſign of the truth of grace: thats for the general.
But now for particular promiſes in the Covenant of grace. A gracious heart looks upon every promiſe as comming from the Root of the great Covenant of grace in Chriſt. Other men look upon ſome particular promiſes, that God will help them in ſtraights, and keep them and the like; but they look not upon the conection of ſuch particular promiſes, to the root, the Covenant of grace: Now Chriſtians do miſſe of a great deal of comfort they might have, from the particular promiſes in the Goſpel, if they'd look upon their conectiō to the root, the great Covenant that God hath made with them in Chriſt. Now I remember I ſpoke a little about that, that in outward promiſes in the time of the Law, they might reſt more upon them than we can in the time of the Goſpel. I gave you the reaſon why we that live in the time of the Goſpel cannot reſt ſo fully, for a litteral performance of outward promiſes that we meet withall in the old-Teſtament, as they might in the time of the Law: for there was a ſpecial Covenant, that God pleaſed to call a New Covenant by way of diſtinction from the other Covenant that is made with us in Chriſt for eternal life: And ſo even the Law was given to them in a more peculier way for an external Covenant of outward bleſſings in the land of Canaan; and ſo God did deal with them in a more external covenant than he doth now with his people. Yet godlineſſe, hath the promiſe of this life, and that which is to come. We may make uſe of the promiſes for this life, but yet not ſo much to reſt upon the litteral performance of them as they might; but that God will make them good ſome way or other, in a ſpiritual way, if not in an outward way. We muſt lay no more upon outward promiſes than this, and therefore if we will lay more, we make the promiſe to bear more than it will bear out. For to give ſome inſtance; to beleeve fully and confidently, that the Plague ſhall not come nigh ſuch a houſe (I ſay) it is to lay more upon ſuch a promiſe than it will bear. I opened that promiſe in Pſal. 91. now if I had lived in the time of the Law, perhaps I might have been ſomewhat more confident of the litteral performance of the promiſe, than I can now in the time of the Goſpel; the promiſe now bears no more than this, that God hath a ſpecial protection over his people, and that he will deliver them from the evil of ſuch an affliction; and if he doth bring ſuch an affliction it is more than an ordinary providence, it is ſome ſpecial providence that God hath in it. I had thought to have given you divers promiſes for the contentment of the heart in the time of affliction. Iſa. 43.2. When thou paſſeſt through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they ſhall not over-flow thee; when thou walkeſt through the fire thou ſhalt not be burnt, neither ſhall the flame kindle upon thee. Certainly though this promiſe was made in the time of the law, yet it will be made good to all the Saints now, one way or other, either in the letter or ſome other waies. For ſo we find it plainly, that promiſe that was made to Joſhua, I will not fail thee nor forſake thee, Joſh. 1.5. It's applied to the Chriſtians in the time of the Goſpel. So that here is the way of faith in bringing Contentment by the promiſes, that all the promiſes that ever were made to our forefathers, from the beginning of the world, the Saints of God have an intereſt in them, they are their inheritances, and ſo goes on from one generation to another, and by that they come to have Contentment, becauſe they do inherit all the promiſes made in all the book of God, So Heb. 13.5. ſhews plainly, that it is our inheritance, and we do not inherit leſs now than they did in Joſhuas time, but we inherit more; for you ſhall find in that place of the Hebrews there is more ſaid than is to Joſhua; to Joſhua God ſaith, He will not leave him nor forſake him; now in that place in the Hebrewes in the Greek there's five negatives, I will not, not, not, not, not again, there is the elegancy of it very much, in the Greek (I ſay) there is five negatives in that little ſentence; as if God ſhould ſay, I will not leave you, no I will not, I will not, I will not, with ſuch earneſtneſſe five times together: So that we have not only the ſame promiſes that they had, but we have them more inlarged and more full, though ſtill not ſo much in the litteral ſenſe, for that indeed is the leaſt part of the promiſe, In Eſa. 54.17. there God made a promiſe, That no weapon formed againſt his people ſhould proſper, and every tongue that ſhall riſe againſt them in judgment thou ſhalt condemne, (and mark what follows) This is the heritage of the ſervants of the Lord, and their righteouſneſs is of me ſaith the Lord: this is a good promiſe for a ſouldier, though ſtill not to lay to much upon the litteral ſenſe: True, it holds forth thus much, that Gods protection is in a ſpecial manner over ſouldiers that are godly, And every tongue that ſhall riſe againſt thee in judgment thou ſhalt condemne: and this is againſt falſe witneſſe too: Oh you, that your friends never left you any thing, you wil ſay, my friends died and left not me a great, but I thank God, God hath provided for me; But though thy father or mother died and left thee no heritage, yet thou haſt a heritage in the promiſe, This is their heritage. So that there's no godly man or woman, but is a great heir. Therefore when thou lookeſt into the Book of God and findeſt any promiſe there, thou mayeſt make that thine own. Juſt as an heir that rides over divers fields and meadows, ſaith he, this meadow is my heritage, and this corn-field is my heritage; and then he ſees a fair houſe, and ſaith he, this fair houſe is my heritage; and he looks upon them with another manner of eye than a ſtranger that ſhall ride over thoſe fields. So a carnal heart reades the promiſes, and reades them but meerly as ſtories, not that they have any great intreſt in them: But a godly man every time he reades the Scriptures (remember this note when you are reading the Scripture) and there meeteth with a promiſe, he ought to lay his hand upon it and ſay, this is a part of my heritage, it's mine, and I am to live upon it, and this will make you to be Contented. Here's a myſterious way of Contentment, So in Pſal. 34.10. and 37.6. there's divers other promiſes that brings Contentment. In Iſa. 58.10. And thus much for the Myſterie of Contentment by way of the Covenant.
There is two or three things more that ſhew how a godly man, hath Contentment after another kind of way than any Carnall heart in the world hath, it's a myſterious way, as thus.
He hath Contentment by realizing the glorious things of heaven to him, he hath the Kingdom of heaven as preſent, and the glory that is to come, by faith he makes it as preſent. So the Martyrs they had Contentment in their ſufferings, for ſaid ſome of them, though we have but a hard breakfaſt, yet we ſhall have a good dinner, we ſhall preſently be in heaven; do but ſhut your eyes (ſaith one) and you ſhall be in heaven preſently. 2 Cor. 4.16. We faint not (ſaith the Apoſtle) Why? Becauſe theſe light afflictions that are but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They ſee heaven before them and that contents them. You Marriners when you can ſee the haven before you, though you were mightily troubled before you could ſee any land, yet when you come nigh the ſhore and can ſee ſuch a land-mark, that contents you exceedingly: a godly man in the middeſt of the waves and ſtorms that he meets withall, he can ſee the glory of heaven before him and ſo contents himſelf; one drop of the ſweetneſſe of heaven is enough to take away all the ſower and bitter of all the afflictions in the world: Indeed here we know that one drop of ſower, or one drop of gall will make bitter a great deal of honey, put a ſpoonfull of ſugar into a cup of gall or wormwood, that will not ſweeten it, but if you put a ſpoonful of gall into a cup of ſugar it will imbitter that; now its otherwiſe in heaven, one drop of ſweet will ſweeten a great deal of ſower affliction, but a great deal of ſower and gall will not imbitter a ſoul that ſees the glory of heaven that is to come: now a Carnal heart hath no Contentment but from what he ſees before him in this world but a godly heart hath Contentment from that that he ſees laid up for him in the higheſt heavens.
The laſt thing that I would name is this, A godly man hath Contentment by opening and letting out of his heart to God, other men or women they are diſcontented, but how do they help themſelves? by rayling, by ill language, ſuch a one croſſes them, and they have no way to help themſelves but by railing and by bitter words, and ſo they eaſe themſelves that way when they are angry, but a godly man when he is croſt, how doth he eaſe himſelf? he is ſenſible of his croſſe as well as you, and he goes to God in prayer, and there opens his heart to God, and lets out his ſorrows and fears, and then can come away with a joyful countenance; now do you find that you can come away from prayer and not look ſad? As it's ſaid (in 1 Sam. 1.18.) of Hannah, that when ſhe had been at prayer her countenance was no more ſad, there ſhe was comforted; and this is the right way of Contentment. Thus we have done with the Myſterie of Contentment. Now if you can but put theſe things together that we have ſpoken of, you may ſee fully what an Art Chriſtian Contentment is; Paul had need learn it; you ſee Contentment is not ſuch a poor buſineſs as many make it, to ſay, you muſt be content &c. But it is a great art and myſterie of godlineſs to be contented in the way of a Chriſtian, and it will appear yet further to be a myſterie, when we come to the Third Head; and that's to ſhew what thoſe leſſons are that a gracious heart doth learn when it learns to be contented. I have learn'd to be Contented; Learn'd, what leſſons have you lern'd? As now a Scholer that hath great learning and underſtanding in Arts and Sciences, how did he begin it? he began (as we uſe to ſay) his A B C, and then afterwards he came to his Teſtament, and Bible, and Accidence, and ſo to his Gramer, and afterwards to his other books; ſo he learn'd one thing after another: So a Chriſtian coming to Contentment is as a Scholer in Chriſts School, and there are divers leſſons to teach the ſoul to bring it to this learning: every godly man or woman is a ſcholer, it cannot be ſaid of any Chriſtian that he is illiterate, but he is litterate, a learned man, a learned woman: now the leſſons that Chriſt teaches, to bring us to Contentment, are theſe:
The Firſt great Leſſon is, The leſſon of Self-denial: and though it be a great leſſon and hard; as you know a child at firſt cries, It's hard. It's that that I remember Bradford the Martyr ſaith, Whoſoever hath not learned the leſſon of the Croſs, hath not learned his A B C in Chriſtianity. Here Chriſt begins with his Scholers, yea thoſe in the loweſt form muſt begin with this; if you mean to be Chriſtian at all, you muſt buckle to this or you can never be Chriſtians: There is none can be a Scholler except he doth learn his A B C: ſo thou muſt learn the leſſon of ſelf-denial or thou canſt never come to be a Scholler in Chriſts School, to be learned in this myſtery of Contentment: That's the firſt leſſon that Chriſt teaches any ſoul: Oh ſelf-denial that brings Contentment, that brings down and ſoftens a mans heart; a thing (you know) that's ſoft if you ſtrike upon it it makes no noiſe, but if you ſtrike upon a hard thing it makes a noiſe; ſo the hearts of men that are full of themſelves, and hardened with ſelf-love, if they have any ſtroak they make a noiſe, but a ſelf-denying Chriſtian yeilds to Gods hand, and makes no noiſe; as when you ſtrike upon a woolſack it makes no noiſe becauſe it yeilds to the ſtroke; So a ſelf-denying heart yeilds to the ſtroke and thereby comes to this Contentment. Now in this leſſon of ſelf-denial there are divers things, I will not enter into the Doctrine of ſelf-denial, but only ſhew you how Chriſt teaches ſelf-denial, and how that brings Contentment.
Firſt, Such a one learns to know that he is nothing, he comes to this, to be able to ſay, Well, I ſee I am nothing in my ſelf, now that man or woman which indeed knows that he or ſhe is nothing, and hath learned it throughly will be able to bear any thing: The way to be able to bear any thing, it is to know our ſelves to be nothing in our ſelves. Saith God to us, Wilt thou ſet thine heart upon that which is nothing? Pro. 23.5. ſpeaking of riches; Why bleſſed God doſt not thou do ſo? thou haſt ſet thy heart upon us and yet we are nothing. God would not have us ſet our hearts upon riches becauſe they are nothing, and yet God is pleaſed to ſet his heart upon us, and yet we are nothing, that's Gods grace, free grace, and therefore it's no great matter what I ſuffer for I am as nothing.
Secondly, I deſerve nothing. I am nothing, and I deſerve nothing: ſuppoſe I have not this and that that others have, I am ſure I deſerve nothing except it be Hell: you will anſwer any of your ſervants ſo that is not content, I marvell what you deſerve? or your children, Do you deſerve it that you are ſo eager upon it? you think to ſtop their mouthes thus; ſo we may eaſily ſtop our own mouthes, we deſerve nothing, and therefore why ſhould we be impatient if we have not what we deſire, if we had deſerved any thing, we might have ſome trouble of ſpirit, as a man that hath deſerved well of the State, or of his friends and he finds not an anſwerable incouragement, it troubles him mightily, but if he be conſcious to himſelf that he hath deſerved nothing he is content with a repulſe.
Thirdly, I can do nothing. Without me you can do nothing, ſaith Chriſt Joh. 15.5. why ſhould I ſtand much upon it to be troubled and diſcontented if I have not this and that, when the truth is I can do nothing? If you ſhould come to one that is angery becauſe he hath not ſuch dyet as he deſires, and is diſcontented with it, you will anſwer him, I mervail what you do, what uſe you are of? Shall one that will ſit ſtill and be of no uſe, yet for all that he muſt have all the ſupply that poſſibly he can deſire? Do but conſider of what uſe you are in the world; if you conſider what little need God hath of you, and what little uſe you are of, you will not be much diſcontented: If you have learned this leſſon of ſelf-denials though God doth cut you ſhort of ſuch and ſuch comforts, yet ſince that I do but little why ſhould I have much, this very thought will bring down a mans ſpirit as much as any thing, That's the Third.
Fourthly, So vile I am that I can receive no good neither of my ſelf, I am not only an empty veſſel, but a corrupt and unclean veſſel that would ſpoil any thing that comes into it: ſo are all our hearts, every one of our hearts is not only empty of good, but are like a muſtie veſſel that if any good licquor be powred into it it ſpoils it, And that's the Fourth thing.
Fifthly, If God doth cleanſe us in ſome meaſure, and doth put into us ſome good licquor ſome grace of his Spirit: yet in the fifth place, We can make uſe of nothing neither when we have it, if God doth but withdraw himſelf; If God doth but leave us one moment after he hath beſtowed upon us the greateſt gifts, and whatſoever abilities we can deſire, if God ſhould ſay, I wil give you them, now go and trade now I have given you theſe and theſe abilities, we cannot ſtir one foot further neither if God doth but leave us. Doth God give us gifts and parts? Then let us fear and tremble leaſt God ſhould leave us to our ſelves, for then how foully ſhould we abuſe thoſe gifts & parts, you think other men and women have memorie and gifts and parts and you would fain have them, But ſuppoſe God ſhould give you theſe and there leave you, you would utterly ſpoil them.
Sixtly, We are worſe than nothing. For by ſin we come to be a great deal worſe than nothing; ſin makes us more vile than nothing, ſin makes us contrary to all good: now it's a great deal worſe to have a contrariety to all that is good, than meerly to have an emptineſs of al that is good, we are not empty pitchers in reſpect of good, but we are like pitchers fill'd with poiſon, and is it much for ſuch as we are to be cut ſhort of outward comforts?
In the Seventh place, If we periſh there will no loſs of us. If God ſhould anihilate me what loſs would there be of me? God can raiſe up another in my place, to do him other māner of ſervice than I have done. Now put but theſe Seven things together and then hath Chriſt taught you Self-denial: I may call theſe the ſeveral words in our leſſon of Self-denial; Chriſt teaches the ſoul this, ſo that as in the preſence of God upon a real ſight of its ſelf it can ſay, Lord I am nothing, Lord I deſerve nothing, Lord I can do nothing, I can receive nothing, I can make uſe of nothing, I am worſe than nothing, and if I come to nothing and periſh, there will be no loſſe at all of me, and therefore what great matter is it for me to be cut ſhort here? A man that is little in his own eyes, ſuch a man or woman will account every affliction to be little, and every mercy to be great: Saul, There was a time (the Scripture ſaith) that he was little in his own eyes, and then his afflictions were but little to him, when ſome would not have had him to be King but ſpake contemptuouſly of him he held his peace, but when Saul began to be big in his own eyes, then the affliction began to be great upon him. There was never any ſuch contented man or woman at this ſelf-denying man or woman: There was never any denied himſelf ſo much as Jeſus Chriſt did, he gave his cheeks to the ſmiters, he opened not his mouth, he was as a lamb when he was led to the ſlaughter, he made no noiſe in the ſtreet, Oh he denied himſelf above all, and was willing to empty himſelf, and ſo he was the moſt contented that ever any was in the world, & the neerer we come to learn to deny our ſelves as Chriſt did, the more contented ſhall we be, and by knowing much of our own vileneſs, we come to learn to juſtifie God, whatever the Lord ſhall lay upon us, yet, righteous is the Lord, for he hath to deal with a moſt wretched creature. A diſcontented heart he is troubled becauſe he hath no more comfort; but one that is a ſelf-denying man he rather wonders that he hath ſo much as he hath: Oh ſaith one, I have but a little; I but ſaith he that hath learned this leſſon of Self-denial, I rather wonder that God beſtows upon me the liberty of breathing in the aire, knowing how vile I am, and knowing how much ſin the Lord doth ſee in me: And that's the way of Contentment, by learning Self-denial.
Eightly, There is a further thing in ſelf-denial which brings Contentment, Becauſe thereby the Soul comes to rejoyce and take ſatisfaction in all Gods waies, (I beſeech you obſerve this) If a man be ſelviſh and have Self-love prevail in his heart, thoſe things that ſuits with his own ends he will be glad of them, but a godly man that hath denied himſelf he will ſuit with and be glad of all things that ſhall ſuit with Gods ends: Saith a gracious heart, Gods ends are my ends, and I have denied mine own ends, and ſo he comes to find Contentment in all Gods ends and waies, and his comforts are multiplyed, whereas the comforts of other men are ſingle, it's but very rare that Gods waies ſhall ſuit with a mans particular end, but alwaies Gods waies ſuit with his own ends; now if you wil only have contentment when Gods waies ſuits with your own ends, you can have it but now and then, but a Self-denying man denies his own ends and only looks at the ends of God and therein is contented: When a man is ſelviſh he cannot but have a great deal of trouble and vexation, for if I regard my ſelf, my ends are ſo narrow that I ſhall have a hundred things will come and juſſel me, and I cannot have room in thoſe narrow ends of mine own; as you know in the the City what a deal of ſtir there is in narrow ſtreets, as Thames ſtreet being ſo narrow they juſſel & wrangle and fight one with another becauſe the place is ſo narrow, but now in the broad ſtreets there they can go quietly; ſo men that are ſelviſh they meet and ſo juſſel one with another, one man is for ſelf in one thing, and another man is for ſelf in another thing, and ſo they make a great deal of ſtir, but thoſe whoſe hearts are inlarged, and make publicke things their ends, and can deny themſelves, they can walk at breadth and never juſſel one with another ſo as the other do. The leſſon of Self-denial is the firſt leſſon that Jeſus Chriſt doth learn men in the ſeeking of Contentment.
The Second leſſon is, The vanity of the Creature. That's the Second leſſon in Chriſts School that he teaches thoſe that he would make Scholers in this Art: The vanity of the Creature, That whatſoever there is in the Creature hath an emptines in it, Vanity of vanities all is vanity, that's the leſſon that the Wiſe-man learn'd, that the Creature in it's ſelf can do us neither good nor hurt, but it is all but as wind, there is nothing in the Creature that is ſutable to a gracious heart to feed upon for the good and hapdineſſe of it. My brethren the reaſon why you have not Contentment in the things of the world, it is not becauſe you have not enough of them, that's not the reaſon, but the reaſon is becauſe they are not things proportionable to that immortal ſoul of yours that are capable of God himſelf; many men think when they are troubled and have not Contentment that it is becauſe they have but a little in the world, and if they had more then they ſhould be content. That were juſt thus, ſuppoſe a man is an hungrie, and ſo ſatisfie his craving ſtomak he ſhould gape and hold open his mouth to take in the wind, and then ſhould think the reaſon why he is not ſatisfied is, becauſe he hath not enough of the wind; no, the reaſon is becauſe the thing is not ſutable to a craving ſtomake, truly there is the ſame madneſſe in the world; the wind that a man takes in by gaping will as ſoon ſatisfie a craving ſtomake which is ready to famiſh, as all the comforts in the world can ſatisfie a ſoul that knows what true happineſſe means. You would be happy, and you ſeek after ſuch and ſuch comforts in the Creature; well, have you got them, do you find your hearts ſatisfied as having that happineſſe that is ſutable to you? No, no it is not here, but you think it is becauſe you want ſuch and ſuch things: O poor deluded man, it is not becauſe you have not enough of it, but becauſe it is not the thing that is proportionable to that immortal ſoul that God hath given you. Why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread, (Iſa. 55:2.) And your labour for that which ſatisfieth not? You are mad people, you ſeek to ſatisfie your ſtomaks with that that is not bread, you follow the wind, you will never have Contentment, all creatures in the world ſay, Contentment it not in us, riches ſaith Contentment is not in me, pleaſure ſaith Contentment is not in me, if you look for Contentment in the creature you will fail; No, Contentment is higher: When thou comeſt into the School of Chriſt, Chriſt teaches thee that there is a vanity in all things in the world, and the ſoul that by coming into the School of Chriſt, by underſtanding the glorious myſteries of the Goſpel comes to ſee the vanity of all things in the world, that's the ſoul that comes to true Contentment. I could tell you of abundance of ſentences from Heathens that ſhews the vanity all things in the world, and yet they did not learn the vanity of the Creature in the right School. But now when a Soul comes into the School of Jeſus Chriſt, and there comes to ſee a vanity in all things in the world, then ſuch a ſoul comes to have Contentment. If you ſeek Contentment elſe where, you do like the unclean ſpirit, ſeek for reſt but find none.
A Third leſſon that Chriſt teaches a Chriſtian when he comes into his School is this, He learns him to underſtand what that one thing is that is neceſſary which he never came to underſtand before: you know what he ſaid to Martha, O Martha thou cumbereſt thy ſelf about many things, but there is one thing neceſſary. The Soul before ſought after this and the other thing, but now ſaith the Soul I ſee really that it is not neceſſary that I ſhould be rich, but it is neceſſary that I ſhould make up my peace with God, it is not neceſſary that I ſhould live a pleaſurable life in this world, but it is abſolutely neceſſary that I ſhould have pardon of my ſin, it is not neceſſary that I ſhould have honour and preferment, but it is neceſſary that I ſhould have God to be my portion, and have my part in Jeſus Chriſt, it is neceſſary that my ſoul ſhould be ſav'd in the day of Jeſus Chriſt; the other things are pretty fine things indeed, and I ſhould be glad if God would give them me, a fine habitation, and comings-in, and cloaths, and promotion for my wife and childrrn, theſe are comfortable things, but theſe are not the neceſſary things, I may have theſe and yet periſh for ever, but the other is abſolutely neceſſary; no matter though I be poor ſo be it I may have that that is abſolutely neceſſary; thus Chriſt inſtructs the Soul. There's many of you have had ſome thoughts about this that it is indeed neceſſary for you to provide for your Souls, but when you come into Chriſts School, there Chriſt cauſes the fear of eternity to fall upon you, and there he cauſes ſuch a real ſight of the great things of eternity and the abſolute neceſſity of thoſe things, that poſſeſſes your hearts with fear, and that takes you off from all other things in the world. Now I ſhould have ſhewn you how that will bring Contentment to the Soul when it comes to be inſtructed in the thing that is abſolutly neceſſary; but thus much for this time.