The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Sermon 1 · Sermon 2
SERMON II.
PHILIPPIANS. 4.11.
Stepney. Aug. 3. 1645.For I have learned in whatſoever ſtate I am, therewith to be content.
WEE have made entrance (you may remember) into the Argument of Chriſtian Contentment. And have opened the words, and ſhewed you what this Chriſtian Contentation is; that it is, The inward, quiet, gracious frame of Spirit, freely ſubmitting too, and taking Complacency in Gods diſpoſe in every condition. And therein came to this laſt thing, [In every condition] Now we ſhall a little in large that, and ſo proceed:
1 Submitting to God in what ever Affliction befalls us: for the kind.
2 For the time and continuance of the Affliction.
3 For the variety and changes of Affliction: Let them be what they will, yet there muſt be a ſubmitting to Gods diſpoſe in every condition.
Firſt for the kind, Many men and women will in the general ſay, that they muſt ſubmit to God in affliction; I ſuppoſe now if you ſhould come from one end of this Congregation to another, and ſpeak to every ſoul thus; Would not you ſubmit to Gods diſpoſe, in what ever condition he ſhould diſpoſe of you too; you would ſay, God forbid it ſhould be otherwiſe, but we uſe to ſay, There is a great deal of deceit in generals. In general you would ſubmit to any thing: but what if it be in this and that particular, that is moſt croſſe to you? Then any thing but that: we are uſually apt to think that any condition is better than the condition that God doth diſpoſe us too, now here is not Contentment; it ſhould not be only to any condition in general, but for the kind of the affliction, if it be that which is moſt croſſe to you. God (it may be) ſtriks you in your Child, Oh if it had been in my Eſtate ſaith one, I ſhould be content; perhaps he ſtriks you in your Match, Oh ſaith he I had rather have been ſtrucken in my health; and if he had ſtruck you in your health, Oh then if it had been in my trading I would not have cared; but we muſt not be our own carvers, what particular afflictions God ſhall diſpoſe us to, there muſt be Contentment in them.
Secondly, There muſt be a ſubmiſſion to God in every affliction, for the time and continuance of the affliction. It may be ſaith one I could ſubmit and be content, but this affliction hath been upon me a long time, a quarter of a year, a year, divers years, and I know not how to yeild and ſubmit to it, my patience is even worn and broke; yea it may be it is a ſpiritual affliction, you could ſubmit to God you ſay in any outward affliction, but not in a ſoul-affliction, or if it were an affliction upon the ſoul, trouble upon the heart, if it were the withdrawing of Gods face, yet if this had been but for a little time I could ſubmit; but ſeeking of God ſo long a time and yet God doth not appear, Oh how ſhall I bear this! We muſt not be our own diſpoſers for the time of deliverance no more than the kind and way of deliverance, and I will give you a Scripture or two about this; That we are to ſubmit unto God for the time as well as the kind, in the latter end of the 1. Chap. of Ezek. When I ſaw it I fel upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that ſpake, (the Prophet was caſt down upon his face, but how long muſt he lie upon his face) And he ſaid vntounto me, Son of man ſtand upon thy feet and I will ſpeak unto thee, and the Spirit entered into me, when he ſpake unto me and ſet me upon my feet. Ezekiel was caſt down upon his face, and there he muſt lie till God bid him ſtand up, yea and not only ſo, but till Gods Spirit came into him to enable him to ſtand up: So when God caſts us down, we muſt be content to lie till God bid us ſtand up, and Gods Spirit enter into us to enable us to ſtand up. So you know Noah he was put into the Ark, certainly he knew there was much affliction in the Ark, having all kind of creatures ſhut up with him for twelve monthes together, it was a mighty thing, yet God ſhutting him up (though the waters were aſſwaged) Noah was not to come out of the Ark til God bid him: So though we be ſhut up in great afflictions, and we may think there may be this and that and the other means to come out of that affliction, yet till God doth open the door we ſhould be willing to ſtay; God hath put us in, and God is to bring us out: As we reade in the Acts, of Paul, when they had ſhut him in Priſon and would have ſent for him out; Nay, ſaith Paul they ſhut us in, let them come and fetch us out: So in a holy gracious way ſhould a ſoul ſay, Well, this affliction that I am brought into, it is by the hand of God, and I am content to be here till God brings me out himſelf. God doth require it at our hands, that we ſhould not be willing to come out till he comes and fetches us out. In Joſh. 4.10. you have a notable hiſtory there that may very well ſerve our purpoſe; we reade of the Prieſts, that the Prieſts bear the Ark and ſtood in the middeſt of Jordan; you know when the children of Iſrael went into the Land of Canaan they went through the River of Jordan: Now the going through the river Jordan was a very dangerous thing, only God bad them to go, they might have been afraid that the water might have come in upon them: but mark, it is ſaid, The Prieſt that bear the Ark ſtood in the middeſt of Jordan till every thing was finiſhed that the Lord commanded Joſhua to ſpeak unto the people, according to all that Moſes commanded Joſhua, and the people haſted and paſſed over: and it came to paſs when all the people were clean paſſed over, that the Ark of the Lord paſſed over, and the Prieſts in the preſence of the people. Now it was Gods diſpoſe that all the people ſhould paſſe over firſt, that they ſhould be ſafe upon the land; but the Prieſts they muſt ſtand ſtill till all the people be paſſed over, and then they muſt have leave to go, but they muſt ſtay till God would have them go, ſtay in all that danger; for certainly in reaſon and ſence there was a great deal of danger in ſtaying: for the text ſaith, the people haſted over, but the Prieſts they muſt ſtay till the people be gone, ſtay til God cals them out from that place of danger; and ſo many times it doth prove that God is pleaſed to diſpoſe of things ſo that the Miniſters muſt ſtay longer in danger than the people, and Magiſtrates and thoſe in publike place, which ſhould make people to be ſatisfied and contented with a lower condition that God hath put them into: Though your condition be low, yet you are not in that danger that thoſe are in that are in a higher condition; God cals them in publick place to ſtand longer in the gap and place of danger than other people, but we muſt be content to ſtay even in Jordan till the Lord ſhall be pleaſed to call us out.
And then for the variety of our condition, we muſt be content with the particular affliction, and the time and all the circumſtances about the affliction; for ſometimes the circumſtances are greater afflictions than the afflictions themſelves: And for the variety, if God will exerciſe us with various afflictions one after another: As that hath been very obſervable even of late, that many that have been plundered and come away, afterwards have fallen ſick and died: They have fled for their lives and afterwards the plague hath come among them, and if not that affliction it may be ſome other affliction, it is very rare that one affliction comes alone, commonly afflictions are not ſingle things but they come one upon the neck of another; it may be God ſtrikes one in his eſtate, then in his body, then in his name, wife or child or dear friend, and ſo it comes in a various way it is the way of God ordinarily (you may find it by experience) that ſeldom one affliction comes alone, now this is hard when one affliction followes after another, when there is a variety of afflictions, when there is a mighty change in a condition, up and down, this way, and that way; there indeed is the tryal of a Chriſtian; there muſt be ſubmiſſion to Gods diſpoſe in them. I remember it is ſaid even of Cato that was a Heathen, that no man ſaw him to be changed, though he lived in a time when the Common-wealth was ſo often changed, yet it is ſaid of him, he was the ſame ſtill though his condition was changed, and he ran through variety of conditions. Oh that it could be ſaid ſo of many Chriſtians, that though their conditions be changed yet that nobody could ſee them changed, they are the ſame. Look what gracious ſweet and holy temper they were in before, that they are in ſtill: thus we are to ſubmit to the diſpoſe of God in every condition.
Obj. But you will ſay, This that you ſpeake of is good indeed if we could attain to it, but is it poſſible for one to attain to this?
Anſwer. It is if you get skill in the Art of it, you may attain to it, and it will prove to be no ſuch difficult thing to you neither, if you underſtand but the myſtery of it; as there's many things that men do in their callings, that if a country man comes and ſees, he thinks it a mighty hard thing, and that he ſhould never be able to do it, but that's becauſe he underſtands not the art of it, there is a turning of the hand ſo as you may do it with eaſe. Now that's the buſineſs of this exerciſe, to open unto you the art and myſtery of Contentment: What way a Chriſtian comes to Contentment, there is a great Myſterie and art in it, by that hath been opened to you there will appear ſome myſtery and art, as that a man ſhould be content with his affliction and yet throughly ſenſible of his affliction too, to be throughly ſenſible of an affliction, and to endeavour the removing of it by all lawful means, and yet to be content, there's a myſtery in that, how to joyne theſe two together to be ſenſible of an affliction as much as that man or woman that is not content, I am ſenſible of it as fully as they, and I ſeek waies to be delivered from it as well as they, and yet ſtill my heart abides content, this is I ſay a myſtery that is very hard to be underſtood by a carnal heart; but grace doth teach ſuch a mixture, doth teach us how to make a mixture of ſorrow and a mixture of joy together; and that makes Contentment, the mingling of joy and ſorrow, of gracious joy and gracious ſorrow together, grace teaches us how to moderate and to order an affliction ſo as there ſhall be a ſence of it, and yet for all that Contentment under it.
There are divers things further for the opening of the Myſtery of Contentment
The Firſt Thing therefore is this, To ſhew that there is a great myſtery in it. One that is contented in a Chriſtian way it may be ſaid of him that he is the moſt contented man in the world, and yet the moſt unſatisfied man in the world, theſe two together muſt needs be myſterious, I ſay a contented man as he is the moſt contented ſo he is the moſt unſatisfied of any man in the world. You never learned the myſtery of contentment except it may be ſaid of you that as you are the moſt contented man ſo you are the moſt unſatisfied man in the world.
You will ſay how is that? A man that hath learned the art of Contentment is the moſt contented with any low condition that he hath in the world, and yet he cannot be ſatisfied with the injoyment of all the world, and yet he is contented if he hath but a cruſt, but bread and water, that is if God diſpoſes of him for the things of the world to have but bread and water for his preſent condition, he can be ſatisfied with Gods diſpoſe in that, yet if God ſhould give unto him Kingdoms and Empiers, all the world to rule, if he ſhould give it him for his portion he would not be ſatisfied with that, here's the myſtery of it, though his heart be ſo inlarged as the injoyment of all the world and ten thouſand worlds cannot ſatisfie him for his portion; yet he hath a heart quieted under Gods diſpoſe, if he gives him but bread and water, to joyn theſe two together, this muſt needs be a great art and myſtery. Though he be contented with God in a little, yet thoſe things that would content other men will not content him; The men of the world they ſeek after eſtates, and think if they had thus much, and thus much, they would be content, they aime at no great matters; but if I had (perhaps ſome man thinks) but two or three hundred a year, then I ſhould be well enough; If I had but a hundred a year, or a thouſand a year (ſaith another) then I ſhould be ſatisfied: but ſaith a gracious heart, If he had ten hundred thouſand times ſo much a year, it would not ſatisfie him, if he had the quinteſcence of all the excellencies of all the creatures in the world, it could not ſatisfie him, and yet this man can ſing, and be merry, and joyfull when he hath but a cruſt of bread and a little water in the world: Surely Religion is a great myſtery, great is the myſtery of godlineſſe, not only in the Doctrinal part of it, but in the Practical part of it alſo. Godlineſs teacheth us this myſtery, Not to be ſatisfied with all the world for our portion, and yet to be content with the meaneſt condition in which we are. As Luther, when he had great gifts ſent him from Dukes and Princes, he refuſed it, and ſaith he, I did vehemently proteſt God ſhould not put me off ſo; 'tis not that which will content me: A little in the world will content a Chriſtian for his paſſage: Marke, here lies the Myſtery of it, A little in the world will Content a Chriſtian for his paſſage, but all the world and ten thouſand times more will not Content a Chriſtian for his portion: Now a carnal heart will be Content with theſe things of the world for his portion; and there is the differnce between a Carnal heart and a Gracious heart: But ſaith a gracious heart, Lord do with me what thou wilt for my paſſage through this world, I will be content with that, but I cannot be content with all the world for my portion: ſo there is the myſtery of true Contentation. A contented man though he be moſt contented with the leaſt things in the world; yet he is the moſt unſatisfied man that lives in the world. That Soul that is capable of God, can be filled with nothing elſe but God; nothing but God can fill a ſoul that is capable of God: though a gracious heart knows that it is capable of God, and was made for God; Carnal hearts think of no reference to God, but a gracious heart being inlarged to be capable of God, and injoying ſomewhat of him, nothing in the world can fill a gracious heart, it muſt be only God himſelf; and therefore you ſhall obſerve, That let God give what he will to a gracious heart, a heart that is godly, except he gives Himſelf, it will not do; a godly heart will not only have the mercy, but the God of that mercy as well as its ſelf, and then a little matter is enough in the world, ſo be it he hath the God of that mercy he doth injoy; In Phil. 4.7.9. I ſhall need go no further to ſhew a notable Scripture for this, Compare verſ. 7. with verſ. 9. And the peace of God which paſſeth all underſtanding ſhall keep your hearts and minds through Jeſus Chriſt. The peace of God ſhall keep your hearts. Then in verſ. 9. Thoſe things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and ſeen in me, do: and the God of peace ſhall be with you, The peace of God ſhall keep you, and the God of peace ſhall be with you. This is that that I would obſerve from this Text, That the peace of God is not enough to a gracious heart except it may have the God of that peace. A carnall heart could be ſatisfied if he might but have outward peace, though it be not the peace of God; peace in the State and his trading would ſatisfie him: But mark how a Godly heart goes beyond a Carnal, all outward peace is not enough, but I muſt have the peace of God: But ſuppoſe you have the peace of God, Will not that quiet you? No, I muſt have the God of peace, as the peace of God ſo the God of peace, that is, I muſt injoy that God that gives me the peace, I muſt have the cauſe as well as the effect; I muſt ſee from whence my peace comes, and injoy the fountain of my peace, as well as the ſtream of my peace; and ſo in other mercies, have I health from God, I muſt have the God of my health to be my portion, or elſe I am not ſatisfied: It is not life, but the God of my life; it is not riches, but the God of thoſe riches that I muſt have, the God of my preſervation, as well as my preſervation; a gracious heart is not ſatisfied without this, To have the God of the mercy, as well as the mercy. In Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none upon the earth that I deſire beſides thee. It is nothing in heaven or earth, can ſatisfie me, but thy ſelf; if God give thee not only earth but heaven, that thou ſhouldeſt rule over Sun, Moon, and ſtars, and have the rule over the higheſt of the ſons of men, it would not be enough to ſatisfie thee, except thou hadeſt God himſelf; There lies the firſt myſtery of Contentment; & truly a contented man, though he be the moſt contented man in the world, yet he is the moſt unſatisfied man in the world, that is, Thoſe things that will ſatisfie the world, will not ſatisfie him.
Secondly, There is this Myſtery in Chriſtian Contentation. A Chriſtian comes to Contentment, not ſo much by way of addition, as by way of Subſtraction, that is his way of Contentment, and that is a way that the world hath no skill in. I open it thus, Not ſo much by the adding to what he would have, or to what he hath, not by adding more to his condition, but rather by ſubſtracting of his deſires, and ſo to make his deſires and conditon to be even and equal. A carnal heart knows no way to be Contented but this, I have ſuch and ſuch an eſtate, and if I had this added to it, and the other comfort added that now I have not, then I ſhould be Contented; it may be I have loſt my eſtate, if I could have but that given to me ſo as to make up my loſſe, then I ſhould be a contented man: But now Contentmet doth not come in that way, it comes not in I ſay by the adding to what thou wanteſt, but by the ſubſtracting of thy deſires; it is all one to a Chriſtian, either that I may get up unto what I would have, or get my deſires down to what I have; either that I may attain to what I do deſire, or bring down my deſires to what I have already attained; my eſtate is the ſame, for it is as ſutable to me to bring my deſire down to my condition, as it is to raiſe up my condition to my deſire. Now I ſay a heart that hath no grace, and is not inſtructed in this Myſtery of Contentment, knows no way to get Contentment, but to have his eſtate raiſed up to his deſires; but the other hath another way to Contentment, that is, He can bring his deſires down to his eſtate, and ſo he doth attain to his Contentment. So the Lord faſhions the hearts of the Children of men: Now if the heart of a man be faſhioned to his condition, he may have as much contentment as if his condition be faſhioned to his heart; ſome men have a mighty large heart, but they have a ſtraight condition, and they can never have Contentment when their hearts are big and their condition is little; but now though a man cannot bring his condition to be as big as his heart, yet if he can bring his heart to be as little as his condition, to bring them even, from thence is Contentment. The world is infinitly deceived in this, To think that Contentment lies in having more than they have; here lies the bottom and root of all Contentment, when there is an evenneſſe and proportion between our hearts and our conditions; and that is the reaſon that many that are godly men that are in a low condition live more ſweet and comfortable lives than thoſe that are richer: Contentment is not alwaies cloathed with ſilk, and purple, and velvets, but Contentment is ſometimes in a ruſſet ſure, in a mean condition as well as in a higher; and many men that ſometimes have had great eſtates, and God hath brought them into a lower condition, they have had more Contentment in that condition than the other: Now how can that poſſible be? Thus eaſily, For if you did but underſtand the root of Contentment, it conſiſts in the ſutableneſſe and proportion of the ſpirit of a man to his eſtate, and the evenneſs, when one end is not longer and bigger than another; the heart is contented, there is comfort in that condition; now let God give a man never ſo great riches, yet if the Lord gives him up to the pride of his heart, he will never be contented: But now, let God bring any one into a mean condition, and then let God but faſhion and ſute his heart to that condition and he will be content. As now in a mans going, Suppoſe a man had a mighty long leg, and his other leg were ſhort, why though one of his legs be longer than ordinary yet he could not go ſo well as a man that hath both his legs ſhorter than he. I compare a long leg, when one is longer than another, to a man that hath a high condition, and is very rich, and a great man in the world, but he hath a great proud heart too, and that is longer and larger than his condition: now this man cannot but be troubled in his condition: Now another man that is in a mean condition, his condition is low, and his heart is low too; ſo that his heart and his condition is both even together, and this man goes on with more eaſe abundantly than the other doth: So that now a gracious heart works after this manner, The Lord hath been pleaſed to bring down my condition, now if the Lord bring down my heart and make it even with my condition, then I am well enough: And ſo when God brings down his condition, he doth not ſo much labour to raiſe up his condition again as to bring down his heart to his condition: The Heathens themſelves they had a little glimps of this; they could ſay, That the beſt riches that is, it is the poverty of deſires: that is a ſpeech of a Heathen, that is, If a man or woman have their deſires cut ſhort, and have no large deſires, that man and woman they are rich when they can bring their deſires to be but low: So this is the Art of Contentment. Not to ſeek to adde to our conditions, but to ſubſtract from our deſires. Another hath this, The way to be rich, ſaith he, it is not by increaſing of wealth, but by diminiſhing of our deſires; for certainly that man or woman is a rich man or woman that hath their deſires ſatisfied; now a contented man hath his deſires ſatisfied, God ſatisfies his deſires, that is, all conſidered, he is ſatisfied in his condition for the preſent to be the beſt condition, and ſo he comes to this Contentment by way of Subſtraction, and not Addition.
The Third thing in the Art of Contentment is this, A Chriſtian comes to Contentment, not ſo much by getting off his burden that is upon him, as by the adding another burden to him; this is a way that fleſh and blood hath little skilll in. You will ſay how is this? In this manner, art thou afflicted, and is there a great load and burden upon thee by reaſon of thy affliction? thou thinkeſt there is no way in the world to get Contentment, but, O that this burden were but off, O it is a heavy load, and few know what a burden I have! What doeſt thou think there is no way for the Contentment of thy ſpirit but this getting off thy burden? O thou art deceived, the way of Contentment is to adde another burden, that is, labour to load and burden thy heart with thy ſin, and the heaviour the burden of thy ſin is to thy heart, the lighter will the burden of thy affliction be to thy ſoule, and ſo ſhalt thou come to be Content: If thy burden were lightened that would content thee, thou thinkeſt there is no way to lighten it but to get it off, but thou art deceived, for if thou canſt get thy heart to be more burdened with thy ſin; thou wilt be leſſe burdened with thy afflictions: You will ſay this is a ſtrange way, for a man or woman to get eaſe to their condition, when they are burdened, to lay a greater burden upon them? You think there is no other way when you are afflicted, but to be jolly and merry, and get into company, Oh no, you are deceived, your burden will come again, alas this is a poor way to get his ſpirit quieted, poor man, the burden will be upon him again; but if thou wouldeſt have thy burden light, if thou canſt get alone and examine thy heart for thy ſin, and charge thy ſoul with thy ſ…n: if thy burden be in thy eſtate, for the abuſe of it, or if it be a burden upon thy body, for the abuſe of thy health, and ſtrength, and the abuſe of any mercies that now the Lord hath taken away from thee, thou haſt not honoured God with thoſe mercies that thou haſt had, but thou haſt walked wantonly and careleſly; and ſo fall a bemoning thy ſ…n before the Lord, and thou ſhalt quickly find the burden of thy affliction to be lighter than it was before; do but try this piece of skill and art, to get your ſouls contented with any low condition that God puts you into; many times in a family, when any affliction befals them, Oh what a deal of diſcontentment is there between man and wife, if croſt in their eſtates at Land, or ill news from Sea, or thoſe that they truſted are broke and the like, and perhaps ſomwhat in the family fals croſſe between man and wife, or in reference to the children or ſervants, and there is nothing but brabling and diſcontent among them, now they many times are burdened with their own diſcontent, and perhaps will ſay one to another, this life is very uncomfortable for us to live thus diſcontented ſo as we do; but have you ever tried this way, the husband and the wife? have you ever got alone and ſaid, Come, Oh let us go and humble our ſouls before God together, let us go into our chamber and humble our ſouls before God for our ſin, whereby we have abuſed thoſe mercies that God hath taken away from us, and we have provok'd God againſt us, Oh let us charge our ſelves with our ſin, and be humbled before the Lord together, have you tried ſuch a way as this is? Oh you would find the cloud would be taken away, and the Sun would ſhine in upon you, and you would have a great deal more Conntentment than ever yet you had: If a mans eſtate be broken, either by plunderers, or any other way; now how ſhall this man have Contentment? how? By the breaking of his heart, God hath broken thy eſtate, Oh ſeek to him for the breaking of thy heart likewiſe; Indeed a broken eſtate, and a whole heart, a hard heart, will not joyn together, there will be no Contentment; but a broken eſtate, and a broken heart, will ſo ſute together, as there will be more Contentment than there was before; adde therefore to the breaking of thy eſtate, the breaking of thy heart what thou canſt, and that is the way to be Contented in a Chriſtian manner, which is the Third Myſtery in Chriſtian Contentation.
The fourth thing is this, It is not ſo much the removing of the affliction that is upon us, as the changing of the affliction, the Metamorphoſing of the affliction, when it is quite turned and changed into another thing: I meane in regard of the uſe of it, though for the matter the affliction abide ſtil. The way of Contentment to a carnal heart it's only the removing of the affliction, Oh that it may be gone; no but ſaith a gracious heart, God hath taught me a way for Contentment though the affliction ſhall continue ſtill for the matter of it; but there is a vertue of grace to turn this affliction into good; it takes away but only the ſting and poyſon of it; As now, Suppoſe poverty, A mans eſtate is loſt; well, is there no way to be contented till your eſtate be made up again? Till your poverty be removed? Yes, certainly Chriſtianity would teach Contentment, though poverty continues yet it will teach you how to turn your poverty to ſpiritual riches; that you ſhall be poor ſtill for your outward eſtate; but this ſhall be altered, whereas before it was once a natural evil to you, it comes now to be turned into a ſpiritual benefit to you; and ſo you come to be content. It is a ſpeech of Ambroſe, Even poverty it's ſelf it is riches unto holy men: Godly men do make their poverty turn to be riches, they get more riches out of their poverty then ever they get out of their revenues, out of all their trading in this world they never had ſuch incomes as they have had out of their poverty; this a carnall heart will think ſtrange that a man ſhall make poverty to be the moſt gainfull trade that ever he had in the world; I am perſwaded that many Chriſtians have found it ſo, that they have got more good by their poverty than ever they got by all their riches, you find it in Scripture, therefore think not this ſtrange that I am ſpeaking of, you do not find any one Godly man that came out of an affliction worſe than when he came into it, though for a while he was ſhaken, yet at laſt he was better for an affliction; but a great many Godly men you find have been worſe for their proſperity, ſcarce one Godly man that you reade in Scripture of but was worſe for proſperity (except Daniel and Nehemiah, I do not reade of any hurt they got by their proſperity that they had) ſcarce (I think) is any one example of any Godly man, but was rather worſe for his proſperity than better; ſo that you ſee it's no ſuch ſtrange thing, neither to one that is gracious that they ſhall get good by their affliction: Luther hath ſuch an expreſſion in his Comment upon the 5. Chap. of the Galatians; in the 17. verſe in his Comment upon that place ſaith, A Chriſtian becometh a mighty worker and a wonderful creator, that is (ſaith he) to create out of heavineſſe joy, out of terrour comfort, out of ſin righteouſneſſe, out of death life, and brings light out of darkneſſe. It was Gods prerogative and great power, his creating power to command the light to ſhine out of darkneſſe; now a Chriſtian is partaker of the divine nature, ſo the ſcripture ſaith, Grace it is part of the Divine Nature, and being part of the Divine Nature it hath an impreſſion of Gods Omnipotent power that is, to create light out of darkenſſe, to being good out of evill, now by this way a Chriſtian comes to be content. God hath given a Chriſtian ſuch a vertue, as can turn affliction into mercyes, can turn darkeneſſe into light; if a man had the power that Chriſt had when the water pots were fil'd, he could by a word turn the water into wine; if you that have nothing but water to drink, yet if you had a power to turn it into wine then you may be contented: Certainly a Chriſtian hath received this power from God, to work thus miraculouſly; it is the nature of grace to turn water into wine, that is, to turn the water of your affliction, into the wine of heavenly conſolation. If you underſtand this in a carnal way, I know it will be rediculous for a Miniſter to ſpeak thus before you, and many carnal people are ready to make ſuch expreſſions as theſe to be rediculous, underſtanding them in a carnal way: Juſt as Nicodemus in the 3. of John, What can a man be born when he is old, can be enter the ſecond time into his mothers womb and be born? So when we ſpeak of grace that it can turn water into wine, and turn poverty into riches, and make poverty a gainful trade, ſaith a carnal heart, Let them have that trade if they will, and let them have water to drink, and ſee if they can turn it into wine: Oh take heed thou ſpeakeſt not in a ſcornful way of the waies of God; grace hath the power to turn afflictions into mercies. Two men ſhall have one affliction, and to one man it ſhall be as gall and wormwood, and it ſhall be wine, and honey, and delightfulneſs, and joy, and advantage, and riches, to another. This is the myſtery of Contentment, not ſo much by removing the evil, as by Metamorphoſing the evil by changing the evil into good.
The Fifth thing is this, A Chriſtain comes to this Contentment by making up the wants of his condition, by the performance of the work of his condition. This is the way of Contentment. There is ſuch a condition that I am in, many wants, I want this and the other comfort, well, how ſhall I come to be ſatisfied and content? A carnal heart thinks this, I muſt have my wants made up or elſe it is impoſſible that I ſhould be content: No, but ſaith a gracious heart, What is the duty of the condition God hath put me into? Indeed my condition is changed, I was not long ſince in a proſperous condition, but God hath changed my condition: the Lord hath called me no more Naomi, but Marah; Now what am I to do? what can I think now, are thoſe duties that God requires of me in the condition that he hath now put me into? and let me put forth my ſtrength, in the performance of the duties of my preſent condition. Others they ſpend their thoughts in thoſe things that ſhall diſturb and diſquiet them, and ſo they grow more and more diſcontented; yea, but let me ſpend my thoughts in thinking what my duty is, what is the duty of my preſent condition which I am in: O ſaith a man whoſe condition is changed and he hath loſt his eſtate, Had I but my eſtate as I had heretofore, how would I uſe it to his glory! But God hath made me to ſee that I did not honour him with my eſtate as I ought to have done: Oh had I it again, I would do better than ever I did! but this may be but a temptation, therefore you ſhould rather think, What doth God require of me in the condition I am now brought into? And thou ſhouldeſt labour to bring thy heart to quiet and Contentnent, by ſetting thy ſoul on work about the duties of thy preſent condition: And the truth is, I know nothing more available for the quieting of a Chriſtian Soul, and getting Contentment then this, The ſetting thy heart on work about the duties of the very preſent condition that now thou art in, and take heed of thy thoughts about other conditions as a meer temptation. I cannot compare the folly of men and women that think to get Contentment with their muſing about other conditions better than to the way of Children; perhaps they are gotten upon a hill, and they look a good way off and ſee another hill, and they think if they were on the top of that, then they were able to touch the clouds with their fingers; but when they are on the top of that hill; alas then they are as far from the clouds, as they were before: So it is with many that think, If they were in ſuch a condition, then I ſhould have Contentment; and perhaps they get into that condition, then they are as far from Contentment as before: But then they think if they were in another condition, they would be contented, and then when they have got into that condition, they are ſtil as far from Contentment as before. No, no, let me conſider what is the duty of my preſent condition, and content my heart with this, and ſay, Well, though I am in a low condition, yet I am ſerving the counſels of God in that condition wherein I am; it is the counſel of God that hath brought me into this condition that I am in, and I deſire to ſerve the counſel of God in that condition. There is a notable Scripture concerning David, it is ſaid of him, That he ſerved his Generation, after David had ſerved his Generation according to the will of God, then he ſlept. It is a Speech of Paul concerning him, in Act. 13.36. So it is in your books, After he had ſerved his generation according to the will of God: But now the word that is tranſlated will, it is the counſell of God, and ſo it may be tranſlated as well, That after David in his generation had ſerved Gods counſel, then he fell aſleep. We ordinarily take the words thus, That David ſerved his generation; that is, He did the work of his generation, that is to ſerve a mans generation. But it is more plain, if you reade it thus, After David in his generation had ſerved the Counſell of God, then David fell aſleep. O that ſhould be the care of a Chriſtian to ſerve out Gods Counſels. What is the Counſel of God? The conditiō that I am in, God doth put me into it by his own Counſel, the Counſel of his own will; Now I muſt ſerve Gods Counſel in my generation, look what is the Counſel of God in my condition, I muſt look to ſerve that; and ſo I ſhall have my heart quieted for the preſent, and ſhall live and die peaceably, and comfortably, if I be carefull to ſerve Gods Counſel.
A Sixt thing in the myſtery of Contentment is this, A gracious heart is contented by the melting of his will and deſires into Gods will and deſires, by this means he gets Contentment; and this is a myſtery to a carnal heart. It is not by having his own deſires ſatisfied as before, but by melting his will and deſires into Gods will: So that he comes to have (in one ſenſe) his deſires ſatisfied though he hath not the thing that before he did deſire, yet he comes to be ſatisfied in this, becauſe he makes his will to be all one with Gods will. This is a little higher degree than ſubmitting to the will of God. You all ſay, you ſhould ſubmit to Gods will; but a Chriſtian hath gotten beyond this; that is, he can make Gods will and his to be the ſame: So it is ſaid of beleevers, that they are joyned to the Lord, and are one ſpirit, that is, look what Gods will is, I do not only ſee reaſon to ſubmit to it, but Gods will is my will: When the ſoul can make over (as it were) it's will to God, it muſt needs then have Contentment. Others would fain get the thing they do deſire, O but ſaith a gracious heart, that that God would have, I would have too, I will not only yeild to it, but I would have it too; a gracious heart hath learned this art, not only to make the commanding will of God to be it's own will, that is, what God commands me to do I will do it, but to make the providential will of God, and the opperative will of God to be his will too: God commands this thing, which perhaps you that are Chriſtians may have ſome skill in, but whatſoever God works, you muſt will as well as what God commands, you muſt make Gods providential will, and his opperative will, as well your will, as Gods will, and ſo you muſt come to Contentment; here a Chriſtian makes over his will to God, and in making over his will to God, he hath no other will but only Gods; as ſuppoſe a man makes over his debt to another man, if that man that I owe the debt to, be ſatisfied and contented, I am ſatisfied becauſe I have made it over to him, and I need not be diſcontented and ſay, my debt is not payd, and I am not ſatisfied, yes, you are ſatisfied, for he that you made over your debt to, he is ſatisfied: Juſt thus it is for all the world between God and a Chriſtian, a Chriſtian heart makes over his will to God, now then if Gods will be ſatisfied, then I am ſatisfied, for I have then no will of mine own, it is melted into the will of God, for ſo that is the excellency of grace, grace doth not only ſubject the will to God, but it doth melt the will into Gods will, ſo that they are now but one will; what a ſweet ſatisfaction muſt the ſoul have then in this condition, when all is made over to God; You will ſay this is hard? I will expreſs it a little more: A gracious heart muſt needs have ſatisfaction this way, becauſe godlineſs doth teach him this, to ſee that his good is more in God than in himſelf, the good of my life, and comforts, and my happineſſe, and my glory, and my riches is more in God than it is in my ſelf; (that perhaps we may ſpeak too further, when we come to the leſſons that are to be learned.) But upon this it is, that a gracious heart hath Contentment, he doth melt his will into Gods, for ſaith he, if God have glory, I have glory, Gods glory is my glory, and therefore Gods will is mine, if God have riches, then I have riches, if God be magnified, then I am magnified, if God be ſatisfied, then I am ſatisfied, Gods wiſdom and holineſſe is mine, and therefore his will muſt needs be mine, and my will muſt needs be his; here is the art of a Chriſtians Contentment, he melts his will into the will of God, and makes over his will to God, Oh Lord thou ſhalt chooſe our inheritance for us. Pſal. 73.
The Seventh thing in the Art of Contentment is this, The Myſtery conſiſts not ſo much by bringing any thing without, to make my condition more comfortable, as to purge out ſomething that is within. The men of the world now, when they would have Contentment, and want any thing, Oh they muſt have ſomewhat from without to content them; but ſaith a godly man, let me get ſomthing out that is in already, and then I ſhall come to Contentment; As ſuppoſe a man hath an aguiſh humour that makes his drink taſte bitter, now ſaith he, You muſt put ſome ſugar into my drink, and his wife puts in ſome, and yet the drink taſtes bitter, Why? Becauſe the bitterneſſe comes from a bitter cholerick humour within; but let the Phyſitian come and give him a bitter potion to purge out the bitterneſſe that is within, and then he can taſte his drink well enough: Juſt thus it is with the men of the world, Oh ſuch a condition is bitter, and if I could have ſuch and ſuch a mercy added, to this mercy, then it would be ſweet; now if God ſhould put a ſpoonful or two of ſugar in, it would be bitter ſtill. But the way to Contentment is to purge out thy luſts and bitter humours. Jam. 4.1. From whence are wars, and ſtrifs, are they not from your luſts that are within you? they are not ſo much from things without, but from within; as ſometimes I have ſaid, it is not all the ſtorms that are abroad that can make an earthquake, but the vapours that are got within: and ſo if thoſe luſts that are within, in thy heart, if they were got out, thy condition would be a contented condition. Theſe are the myſterious waies of godlineſſe, that the men of the world never think of; when dideſt thou ever think of ſuch a way as this is, for to go and purge out the diſtempers of thy heart that are within: Here are Seaven particulars now named, there were a great many more that I had thought of, and now without the underſtanding of theſe things, and the practice of them, you will never come to a true Contentation in your way, Oh you will be bunglers in this trade of Chriſtianity; but the right perceiving of theſe things, will help you to be inſtructed in it as in a Myſtery.