The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Sermon 1 · Sermon 3
SERMON III.
PHILIPPIANS. 4.11.
For I have learned in whatſoever ſtate I am, therewith to be content.
THE Myſtery of Contentment will appear yet further. A gracious heart gets Contentment in a myſterious way, a way that the world is not aquainted with
Eightly, He lives upon the dew of Gods bleſſing. It's the ſimilitude of one Adrian Junius ſetting out a Contented man by a Graſhopper, leaping and skipping up and down, that lives upon the dew, and he hath this motto, I am content with what I have, and hope for better. A graſhopper doth not live upon the graſs as other things do, you cannot know what it feeds upon, other things though as little as graſhppers, yet feed upon ſeeds or little flies, and ſuch things, but the graſhopper, you know not what it feeds upon. So a Chriſtian can get food that the world knows not of, in a ſecret way is a Chriſtian fed by the dew of the bleſſing of God, a poor man or woman that hath but a little which hath grace, lives a more contented life than his rich neighbour that hath a great deal coming in, we find it ſo ordinarily, ſo that though they have but a little, yet they have a ſecret bleſſing of God going in it, that they are not able to expreſſe to any other man; if you would come to them and ſay; How comes it that you live ſo comfortably as you do? they are not able to tell you what they have, but they find there is a ſweetneſſe in what they do injoy, and they know this by experience that they never had ſuch ſweetneſſe in former times, that though they had more plenty in former times than now they have, yet they know they had not ſuch ſweetneſſe; but how this comes they cannot tell; and we may ſhew ſome particulars, even in that godly men do enjoy, that make their condition to be ſweet.
As now, Take theſe four or five particulars that godly men finds Contentment in what he hath, though it be never ſo little.
1 Becauſe in what he hath, he hath the love of God, he hath Gods love to him in what he hath: If a King ſhould ſend a piece of meat from his own table, it is a great deal more comfortable to a Courrier than if he had twenty diſhes at ordinary allowance, if the King ſend but any little thing and ſay, Go and carry this to ſuch a man as a token of my love, Oh how delightful is that unto him? are your husbands at Sea and ſend you a token of their love, it is more than forty times ſo much that you have in your houſes already: Every good thing the people of God do injoy, they injoy it in Gods love, as a token of Gods love, and coming from Gods eternal love unto them, and this muſt needs be very ſweet unto them.
2. What they have it is ſanctified to them for good; Other men have what they injoy in a way of common providence, but the Saints in a ſpecial way; Others have what they have and there is all, they have meate, and drink, and houſes, and cloaths, and money and that's all. But a gracious heart finds contentment in this, I have it, and I have a ſanctified uſe of it too; I find God going along with what I have to draw my heart neerer to him, and ſanctifie my heart to him: If I find my heart drawn nearer to God by what I injoy; it's more a great deal than if I have it without any ſanctifying my heart by it; there's a ſecret dew that goes along with it, there's the dew of Gods love in it, and the dew of ſanctification.
3. A gracious heart what he hath he hath it upon free-coſt, he is not like to be called to pay for what he hath: The difference between what a godly man hath; and a wicked man is in this: A godly man is as a child in an Inne; an In-keeper hath his child in his houſe, and the Father provides his dyet, and lodging, and what is fit for him; Now there comes a ſtranger, and the ſtranger hath dinner and ſupper provided, and lodging, but the ſtranger muſt pay for all; it may be the childs fare is meaner than the fare of the ſtranger, the ſtranger hath boyld, and roſt and baked; but he muſt pay for it, there muſt come a reckoning for it. Juſt thus it is, many of Gods people have but mean fare; but God as a father provides it, and it is on free-coſt, and they muſt not pay for what they have, it is paid for before; but the wicked in all their pomp, and pride, and bravery, they have what they call for, but there muſt come a reckoning for all, they muſt pay for all in the concluſion, and is it not better to have a little upon free coſt, than to come to have all to pay for? Grace doth ſhew a man that what he hath, he hath it on free coſt, from God as from a Father, and therefore muſt needs be very ſweet.
Fourthly, A godly man may very well be content, though he hath but little, For what he hath he hath it by right of Jeſus Chriſt, by the purchaſe of Jeſus Chriſt, he hath a right to it, another manner of right to what he hath, than any wicked man can have to what he hath; a wicked man hath theſe outward things; I do not ſay they are uſurpers of what they have, but they have a right to it, and that before God, but how? it is a right by meer donation, that is, God by his free bounty doth give it to them; but the right that the Saints have, it is a right of purchaſe, it is paid for, and it is their own, and they may in a holy manner, and holy way, challenge whatſoever they have need of. We cannot expreſs the right of a holy man, the difference between his right, and the right of the wicked more fully than by this ſimilitude; a Malefactor that is condemned to die, yet he hath by favour granted to him his ſupper provided over night, and you cannot ſay though the Malefactor hath forfeited all his right to all things, to every bit of bread, yet if he ſhall have a ſupper granted to him he doth not ſteal it, though all his right is forfeited by his fault, after he is once condemned he hath no right to any thing; ſo it is with the wicked, they have forfeited all their right to all comforts in this world, they are condemned by God as Malefactors and are going to execution; but if God will in his bounty give them ſomething to preſerve them here in the world, they cannot be ſaid to be thieves or robbers: Now a man hath granted to him a ſupper over night before his execution, but is that like the ſupper that he was wont to have in his own houſe, when he eat his own bread, and had his wife and children about him? Oh a diſh of green herbs at home would be a great deal better than any dainties in ſuch a ſupper as that is; but now a child of God hath not a right meerly by donation, but what he hath it is his own through the purchaſe of Chriſt; every bit of bread that thou eateſt, if thou beeſt a godly man or woman, Jeſus Chriſt hath bought it for thee, thou goeſt to market and buyeſt thy meat and drink with thy money, but know that before thou haſt bought it, or paid money, Chriſt hath bought it at the hand of God the Father with his blood, thou haſt it at the hands of men for money, but Chriſt hath bought it at the hand of his Father by his blood: And certainly it is a great deal better and ſweeter now though it be but a little▪
Fifthly, There's another thing that ſhews the ſweetneſs that there is in that little that the Saints have, by which they come to have contentment, whereas others cannot; that is, Every little that they have, it is but as an earneſt penny of all the glory that is reſerved for them, it is given them by God, but as the Fore-runner of thoſe eternal mercies that the Lord intends for them; now if a man hath but twelve pence given to him as an earneſt penny for ſome great poſſeſſion that he muſt have; is not that better than if he had forty pounds given unto him otherwiſe? So every comfort that the Saints have in this world, it is an earneſt penny to them of thoſe eternall mercies that the Lord hath provided for them; as every affliction that the wicked have here it is but the beginning of ſorrowes, and fore-runner of thoſe eternall ſorrows that they are like to have hereafter in Hell; ſo every comfort thou haſt is a fore-runner of thoſe eternal mercies thou ſhalt have with God in Heaven; not only the conſolations of Gods Spirit are the fore-runners of thoſe eternal comforts thou ſhalt have in Heaven; but when thou ſitteſt at thy Table, and rejoyceſt with thy wife and children and friends, thou mayeſt look upon every one of thoſe but as a fore-runner, yea the very earneſt-penny of eternal life unto thee. Now then if this be ſo, no marvel though a Chriſtian be contented; (this is a myſtery to the wicked:) I have what I have out of the love of God, and I have it ſanctified to me by God, and I have it of free-coſt from God by the purcaſe of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, and I have it as a fore-runner of thoſe eternal mercies that are reſerved for me; and in this my ſoul rejoyces, There's a ſecret dew of Gods goodneſs, and bleſſing upon him in his eſtate that others have not; and by all this you may ſee the meaning of that Scripture, Prov. 16.8. Better is a little with righteouſneſs, than great revenues without right. A man that hath but a little, yet if he hath it with righteouſneſs, it is better than a great deale without right; yea, better than the great revenues of the wicked: ſo you have it in another Scripture; That's the next Particular in Chriſtian Contentment; the myſtery is in this, That he lives upon the dew of Gods bleſſing, in all the good things that he doth enjoy.
The Ninth thing wherein the myſtery of Chriſtian Contentment conſiſts, is this, Not only the good things that he hath, he hath the dew of Gods bleſſing in them, and they are very ſweet to him; but all the afflictions, all the evils that do befall him he can ſee love in them all: And can enjoy the ſweetneſs of love in his afflictions, as well as in his mercies; yea the truth is, the afflictions of Gods people comes from the ſame Eternal love that Jeſus Chriſt did come from. And that ſpeech of Hierom, He is a happy man that is beaten when the ſtroke is a ſtroke of love. All Gods ſtrokes are ſtrokes of love and mercy, all Gods waies are mercy and truth, to thoſe that fear him and love him, Pſalm. 25.10. The wayes of God, the waies of affliction, as well as the waies of proſperity, are mercy and love to him. Grace gives a man an eye, a piercing ye to pierce into the Councels of God, thoſe Eternal Counſels of God for good unto him, even in his afflictions, to ſee the love of God in every affliction as well as in proſperity. Now this is a myſtery to a carnal heart, they can ſee no ſuch thing, perhaps they think God loves them when he proſpers them, and makes them rich; but they think God loves them not when he doth afflict them, that's a myſtery; but grace inſtructs men in that myſtery, grace inables men to ſee love in the very frowns of Gods face, and ſo comes to receive contentment.
In the Tenth place, A godly man hath Contentment in the way of a myſtery, becauſe as he ſees all his afflictions come from the ſame love that Jeſus Chriſt did; ſo he ſees them all ſanctified in Jeſus Chriſt, ſanctified as a Mediator; he ſees (I ſay) all the ſting and venom, and poyſon of them all to be taken out by the vertue of Jeſus Chriſt, the Mediator between God and Man: As now for inſtance, Thus, a Chriſtian when he would have Contentment fals a working, what is my affliction? Is it poverty that God ſtrikes me withall? Jeſus Chriſt had not a houſe to hide his head in, the Fowls of the air had neſts, and the Foxes had holes, but the Son of Man not a hole to hide his head in: now my poverty is ſanctified by Chriſts poverty, I can ſee by faith the curſe and ſting and venom of my poverty, taken out by the poverty of Jeſus Chriſt, Chriſt Jeſus he was poor in this world to deliver me from the curſe of my poverty, that it ſhould not be curſed unto me, then my poverty is not afflictive, if I can be contented in ſuch a condition. That is the way, not to ſtand and repine, becauſe I have not what others have, no, but I am poor, and Chriſt was therefore poor that he might bleſs my poverty to me.
And ſo again, Am I diſgraced, diſhonoured, is my good-name taken away? why Jeſus Chriſt he had diſhonour put upon him, he was called Beelzebub, and a Samaritan, and they ſaid he had a Devil in him, all the foul aſperſions that could be were caſt upon Jeſus Chriſt, and this was for me, that I might have the diſgrace that is caſt upon me to be ſanctified unto me, whereas another man his heart is overwhelmed with diſhonour, and diſgrace, and he goes this way to work to get Conntetment; perhaps if you be ſpoken ill of, you have no other way to eaſe and right your ſelves, but if they do rail upon you, you will rail upon them again; and thus you think to eaſe your ſelves: Oh but a Chriſtian hath another manner of way to eaſe himſelf, others rail and ſpeak ill of me, but did they not rail upon Jeſus Chriſt, and ſpeak ill of him? and what am I in compariſon of Chriſt? And the ſubjection of Chriſt to ſuch an evil, it was for me, that though ſuch a thing ſhould come upon me, I might know that the curſe of it is taken from me through Chriſts ſubjection to that evill; thus a Chriſtian can be contented when any body ſpeaks ill of him; now this is a myſterie to you to get Contentment after ſuch a manner as this is: So if men jeer and ſcoffe at you, did they not do ſo to Jeſus Chriſt? they jeer'd and ſcoff't at him, and that when he was in his greateſt extremity upon the Croſſe, ſay they, Here's the King of the Jews, and they bowed the knee, and ſaid hail King of the Jews, and put a Reed into his hand, and mocked him: now I get Contentment in the midſt of ſcorns and jeers, by conſidering that Chriſt was ſcorned, and by acting faith upon that which Chriſt did ſuffer for me. So, am I in great pain of my body? Jeſus Chriſt had as great pain upon his body as I have, though it's true he had not ſuch kind of ſickneſſes as we have, but yet he had as great pain and tortours in his body, and that that was deadly to him, as wel as any ſickneſſe is to us: the exerciſing of faith upon what Chriſt did indure, that's the way to get Contentment in the midſt of our pains: one lies vexing and fretting, and cannot bear his pain, art thou a Chriſtian? haſt thou ever tryed this way of getting contentment, to act thy faith upon all the pains and ſufferings that Jeſus Chriſt did ſuffer? this would be the way of Contentment, and a Chriſtian gets contentment under pains after this maner: ſometimes one that is very godly and gracious, you ſhall have them lie under grievous pains and extremities very cheerfully, and you wonder at it, this is the way that he gets it, he gets it by acting his faith upon what pains Jeſus Chriſt did ſuffer, thou art afraid of death; the way to get Contentment, it is by exerciſing thy faith upon the death of Jeſus Chriſt; yea, it may be thou haſt inward troubles in thy ſoule, and God withdraws himſelfe from thee, but ſtill thy faith is to be exerciſed upon the ſufferings that Jeſus Chriſt indured in his ſoul, he poured forth his ſoul before God, then when he ſweat drops of water and blood, he was in an Agony in his very Spirit, and he found even God himſelf in a way to forſake him; now the acting thy faith upon Jeſus Chriſt thus, brings Contentment, and is not this a myſterie to carnal hearts? a gracious heart finds Contentment in a way of a myſtery: no marvel though Saint Paul ſaith, I am inſtructed in a Myſtery, to be contented in whatſoever condition I am in.
In the Eleventh place, there is yet a further myſtery (for this I hope you will find a very uſeful point unto you) and you will ſee what a plaine way there is, (before we have done) for one that is skil'd in Religion to get Contentment, though it's hard for one that is carnal. I ſay the Eleventh myſtery in contentment is this, A gracious heart hath contentment by fetching ſtrength from Jeſus Chriſt, he is able to beare his burden by fetching ſtrength from another: now this is a riddle indeed, and it would be a rediculous thing to be ſpoken of in the ſchools of Philoſophers, to ſay, if there be a burden upon you, you muſt fetch ſtrength from another; indeed to have another to come and ſtand under the burden, that way they would know, but that you ſhall be ſtrengthened by anothers ſtrength, that is not neer you to your outward view, that they would think rediculous: but now a Chriſtian finds ſatisfaction in every condition by getting ſtrength from another, by going out of it's ſelf to Jeſus Chriſt, and by faith acting upon Chriſt, and bringing the ſtrength of Jeſus Chriſt into it's own ſoul, and thereby is inabled to bear whatſoever God laies upon him, by the ſtrength that he finds from Jeſus Chriſt, of his fulneſſe do we receive grace for grace, there is ſtrength in Chriſt not only to ſanctifie and ſave us, but ſtrength to ſupport us under all our burdens and afflictions, and Chriſt expects that when we are under any burden that we ſhould act our faith upon him to draw vertue and ſtrength from him, the acting of faith that's the great grace that is to be acted under afflictions, it's true, other graces ſhould be acted, but the grace of faith it draws ſtrength from Chriſt, in looking upon him that hath the fulneſſe of all ſtrength to be convayed into the hearts of all beleevers. Now if a man hath a burden upon him, yet if he can have ſtrength added to him, if the burden be doubled, yet if he can have his ſtrength to be tribled, the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to our natural ſtrength. Indeed our afflictions may be heavy, and we cry out, oh we cannot bear them, we cannot bear ſuch an affliction: Though thou canſt not tell how to bear it with thine own ſtrength, yet what canſt thou tell what thou ſhalt do with the ſtrnegth of Jeſus Chriſt? Thou ſaieſt thou canſt not bear it, why doeſt thou think that Chriſt could not bear it? if Chriſt could bear it, why mayeſt not thou come to bear it? You will ſay, Can I have the ſtrength of Chriſt? Yea, that is made over to thee by faith, ſo the Scripture ſaith That the Lord is our ſtrength, God himſelf is our ſtrength, and Chriſt is our ſtrength, divers Scriptures we have that way; that Chriſts ſtrength is thine, made over to thee, that ſo thou mayeſt be able to bear whatſoever lies upon thee, and therefore we find ſuch a ſtrange kind of expreſſion in the Epiſtle of Saint Paul to the Colloſſians, praying for the Saints, that they might be ſtrengthened with all might according unto his glorious power, unto what? Ʋnto all patience and long ſuffering with joyfulneſſe. Strengthned with all might, according to the power of God, the glorious power of God, unto all patience, and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſs; You may not therefore be content with a little ſtrength, ſo that you are able to bear what a man might bear by the ſtrength of reaſon and nature; But to be ſtrengthened with all might, according to the glorious power of God, unto all patience, and to all long ſuffering; Oh you that are now under very heavy and ſad afflictions more than ordinary, look upon this Scripture, and conſider how this Scripture is made good in you, why may you not have this Scripture made good in you, if you be godly? You ſhould not be quiet in your own ſpirits, except that you in ſome meaſure do get this Scripture to be made good in you; ſo that you may with ſome comfort ſay, through Gods mercy I find that ſtrength coming into me that is here ſpoken of in this Scripture. You ſhould labour when you are under any great affliction (you that are Godly) to walk ſo, that others may ſee ſuch a Scripture made good in you; Here is the glorious power of God that doth ſtrengthen his ſervants to all long ſuffering; and that with joyfulneſs. Alas it may be you do not exerciſe ſo much patience, as a wiſe man or a wiſe woman that hath but natural reaſon. But where is the power of God, the glorious power of God? where's the ſtrengthening with all might, unto all long-ſuffering and patience and that with joyfulneſſe? It is true, the ſpirit of a man may be able to ſuſtain his infirmities, may be able to ſuſtain and keep up his ſpirits, the naturall ſpirit of a man, but much more then when this ſpirit is acted with grace and holineſſe, and when it is fill'd with the ſtrength of Jeſus Chriſt; this is the way of a godly mans getting Contentment, the Myſtery of it, it is by fetching in ſtrength from Jeſus Chriſt.
Twelfthly, Another Myſtery, that there is in it, it is, That a godly heart, injoys much of God in every thing it hath, and doth know how to make up all wants in God himſelf: that is another Myſtery, he hath God in what he hath; that I ſpoke too ſomwhat before, in ſhewing the dew of Gods bleſſing in what he hath, for God is able to let out a great deale of his power in little things, and therefore the miracles that God hath wrought, have been as much in little things as in great; now as God lets out a great deal of his power in working miracles in ſmaler things, ſo he lets out a great deal of goodneſſe and mercy, in comforting and rejoycing the hearts of his people in little things, as well as in great; there may be as much riches in a pearl as in a great deal of lumber; but now this is a diſtinct thing.
Further, a gracious heart as he lives upon Gods dew in a little that he hath, ſo when that little that he hath ſhall be taken from him, what ſhall he do then? Then you will ſay, If a man have nothing, there can be nothing fetcht out of nothing: But if the children of God have their little taken from them, they can make up all their wants in God himſelf: Such a man is a poor man, the plunderers came and took away all that he had, what ſhall he do then when all is gone? But when all is gone, there is an art and skill that godlineſſe teaches to make up all thoſe loſſes in God. Many men that have their houſes burnt, go about gathering, and ſo get up by many hands a little; but a godly man knows whither to go to get up all, even in God himſelf, ſo as he ſhall injoy the quinteſcence of the ſame good and comfort as he had before, for a Godly man doth not live ſo much in himſelf as he lives in God. This is now a Myſterie to a Carnal heart, I ſay a gracious man doth not live ſo much in himſelf as he doth in God, he lives in God continually; if there be any thing cut off from the ſtream he knows how to go to the fountain, & makes up all there; God is his all in all while he lives, I ſay tis God that is his all in all. Am not I to thee (ſaith Elkanah to Hannah) inſtead of ten Children? So ſaith God to a gracious heart, thou wanteſt this, thy eſtate is plundered: Why? Am not I to thee inſtead of ten houſes, and ten ſhops, I am to thee inſtead of All, yet not only inſtead of All, but come to me, and thou ſhalt have all again in me: This indeed is an excellent Art, to be able to draw from God what it had before in the creature: Chriſtian, how didſt thou injoy Comfort before? was the creature any other to thee but a Conduit, a pipe that did convey Gods goodneſſe to thee? The pipe is cut off ſaith God, come to me the Fountain and drink immeadiately: though the beams be taken away, yet the Sun remains the ſame in the firmament as ever it was; What's that that ſatisfies God himſelf, but becauſe he doth injoy all fulneſſe in himſelf, ſo he comes to have ſatisfaction in himſelf; now if thou injoyeſt God to be thy portion, if thy ſoul can ſay with the Church in Lamentations, 3.24. The Lord is my portion, ſaith my ſoul, why ſhouldeſt thou not be ſatisfied and contented as God; God is contented, he is in eternal Contentment in himſelf; now if thou haſt that God to be thy portion, why ſhouldeſt not thou be contented with him alone? God is contented with himſelf alone, if thou haſt him thou mayeſt be Contented with him alone, and it may be, that is the reaſon that thy outward comforts are taken from thee, that God may be All in All to thee: It may be whilſt thou hadeſt theſe things here they did ſhare with God in thy affection, a great part of the ſtream of thy affection ran that way, now God would have the full ſtream run to him: As you know it is with a man that hath water come to his houſe, and if there be ſeveral pipes, upon which he finds the water comes but ſcantly into his waſh-houſe, he will rather ſtop the other pipes that he may have all the water come in where he would have it. So here it may be God had ſome ſtream of thy affection that ran to him then when thou dideſt enjoy theſe things; yea, but a great deale was let out to the Creature, a great deal of thy affections did run waſte; now the Lord would not have the affections of his Children to run waſte, he doth not care for other mens affections, but for thine they are precious, and God would not have them to run waſte, therefore doth he cut off thy other pipes that thy heart might run wholly upon him: As if you have Children, becauſe you have ſervants perhaps do feed them and give them things, you perceive that your ſervants do ſteal away the hearts of your Children, you would hardly be able to bear it, you would be ready to turn away ſuch a ſervant, and when the ſervant is gone, the Child is at a great loſs, it hath not the nurſe; but the father or mother intends by her putting away, that the affections of the Child might run the more ſtrongly towards himſelf, or herſelf; and what loſſe hath the Child that the affections that ran in a rough channel before towards the ſervant, it runs now towards the mother? So thoſe affections that runs towards the creature, God would have them run towards himſelf, that ſo he may be All in All to thee here in this world. And a gracious heart can indeed tel how to enjoy God to be All in All to him: that is the happineſs of Heaven, to have God to be All in All. The Saints in Heaven have not houſes, and lands, and money, and meat and drink, and cloaths, you wil ſay, they do not need them; why do they not? It is becauſe God is All in All to them imediatly: now while thou liveſt in this world, thou mayeſt come to enjoy much of God, you may have much of heaven; while we live in this life we may come to enjoy much of the very life that there is in Heaven, and what is that but the enjoyment of God to be All in All to us: There is one text in the Revelations that ſpeaks of the glorious condition of the Church that is like to be even here in this world, Revel. 21.21. And I ſaw no Temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it; and the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to ſhine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. They had no need of the Sun or Moon. It ſpeaks of ſuch a glorious condition that the Church is like to be in here in this world; this doth not ſpeak of Heaven: and that appears plainly that this is not ſpoken of Heaven, but of a glorious eſtate that the Church ſhall be in here, in this world, for it follows preſently in the 24. and 26. verſe, And they (ſpeaking of the Kings of the earth:) And the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour unto it. Why, the Kings of the Earth ſhall not bring their glory and honour into Heaven; but this is ſuch a time, when the Kings of the Earth ſhall bring their glory and honour to the Church. And in the 26. verſ. And they ſhall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it; therfore it muſt needs be meant here in this world and not in Heaven: Now if there be ſuch a time here in this world, that God ſhall be All in All, that in compariſon there ſhall be no ſuch need of creatures as now there is, then the Saints ſhall labour to live as neer that life as poſſibly they can, that is, To make up All in God: Oh that you would but mind this Myſtery, that it may be a reality to the hearts of the Saints in ſuch times as theſe are, they would find this priviledge, that they get by Grace, to be worth thouſands of worlds: Hence is that of Jacob that I mentioned in another caſe, it is remarkable, and comes in fully here, in Gen. 33. that notable ſpeech of Jacob when his brother Eſau did meet him, ye find in one place, that Eſau he refuſed Jacobs preſent, in the 8. verſe, when Jacob gave his preſent to him, he refuſed it, and tould Jacob that he had enough; What meaneſt thou by all this drove which I meet? And he ſaid, Theſe are to find grace in thy ſight: And Eſau ſaid, I have enough. Now in the 11. verſe, there Jacob urges it ſtill, (and ſaith Jacob) I beſeech thee take it for I have enough: now in your books it is the ſame in Engliſh, I have enough (ſaith Eſau:) and I have enough (ſaith Jacob:) but in the Hebrew, Jacobs word is different from Eſau's, Jacobs word ſignifies, I have all things, and yet Jacob was poorer than Eſau. Oh this ſhould be a ſhame to us, that an Eſau ſhould ſay, I have enough; but now a Chriſtian ſhould ſay, I have not only enough, but I have all: how hath he all? becauſe he hath God that is All. And it was an notable ſpeech of one, He hath all things, that hath him that hath all things. Surely thou haſt all things, becauſe thou haſt him for thy portion who hath al things: God hath all things in himſelf, and thou haſt God to be thine for thy portion, and in that thou haſt all, and this is the Myſtery of Contentment; It makes up all wants in God, this is that that the men of the world have little skill in.
Now I have divers other things yet to open in the Myſtery of Contentment. I ſhould ſhew likewiſe that a godly man not only makes up all in God, but finds enough in himſelfe to make up all, to make up all in himſelfe, not from himſelfe, but in himſelfe, and that may ſeem to be ſtranger than the other: to make up all in God is ſomewhat, nay to make up all in himſelf, not from himſelf, but in himſelf, that is, a gracious heart hath ſo much of God within himſelf, that he hath enough there to make up all his wants that are without. In Pro. 14.14. A good man ſhall be ſatisfied from himſelf, from that that is within himſelf, that is the meaning, a gracious man he hath a bird within his own boſom that makes him melody enough, though he wants muſick, The Kingdom of heaven is within you: In Luke, 17.21. He hath a Kingdom within him, and a Kingdom of God: you ſee him ſpoken ill of abroad, he hath a conſcience within him that makes up the want of a name and credit, that is inſtead of a thouſand witneſſes.
Thirtenth, A gracious heart fetches Contentment from the Covenant that God hath made with him. Now this is a way of fetching Contentment that the men of the world know not of; they can fetch contentment, if they have the creature to ſatisfie them: But to fetch contentment from the Covenant of grace that they have little skill in. I ſhould here have opened two things, Firſt, how to fetch Contentment from the Covenant of grace in generall. (But I ſhall ſpeak to that in the next Sermon and now only a word to the Second) Secondly, how he fetches Contentment from the particular branches of the Covenant, that is, from the particular promiſes that he hath for the ſupplying of every particular want: there is no condition that a Godly man or woman can be in, but there is ſome promiſe or other in the Scripture to help him in that condition. And that's the way of his Contentment, to go out to the promiſes, and fetch from the promiſe, that that may ſupply. But this is but a dry buſineſſe to a carnall heart; but it's the moſt real thing in the world to a gracious heart; when he finds want of Contentment he repaires to the Promiſe, and the Covenant; and fals a pleading the promiſes that God hath made. As I ſhould have ſhewen ſeveral promiſes that God hath made let the affliction be what it will, I will but only mention one that is the ſaddeſt affliction of all; in caſe of the Viſitation, and the Plague. In Pſalm, 91. now thoſe that cannot have their friends come to them by reaſon of the plague, and that cannot have other comforts, in other afflictions they might have their frinds and other things to comfort them, but in that they cannot, Pſal. 21.10. There ſhall no evil befal thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling; then here is a promiſe for the penilence in the 5. and 6. verſes, this is a Scripture to thoſe that are in danger of it, you will ſay, this is a promiſe that the Plague ſhall not come nigh them, but mark theſe two are joyned There ſhall no evil befal thee, neither ſhall the plague come nigh thee; the evil of i… ſhall not come nigh thee.
Object. You will ſay, It doth come to many godly men, and how can they make uſe of this Scripture, it is rather a Scripture that may trouble them, becauſe here's a promiſe that it ſhal not come nigh them, & yet it doth come nigh them as wel as others.
Anſ. Firſt, this is the Anſwer I would give, the promiſes of outward deliverāces that were made …o the people of God in the time of the law, were to be underſtood then a great deal more litterally, & fulfilled more litterally thā in the times of the Goſpel, God makes it up otherwiſe with as much mercy, though God made a covenant of grace & eternal life in Chriſt with them, yet I think there was another Covenant too, that God ſpeaks of as a diſtinct covenant for outward things, to deal with his people by according to their waies, either in outward proſperity, or in outward afflictions, more than now, in a more punctual, ſet way, then in the times of the Goſpel; and therefore when the Children of Iſrael did but ſin againſt God, they were ſure to have publique judgments to come upon them, and if they did well, alwaies publique mercies; the generall conſtant way of God was to deal with the people of the Jewes according as they did well or ill, (in an ordinary way,) with outward judgments, and outward mercies: but it's not ſo now in theſe times of the Goſpel; we cannot bring ſuch a certain concluſion, that God did deal ſo ſeverely with men by ſuch and ſuch afflictions, that he wil deal ſo with them now: and ſo, that they ſhall have outward proſperity as they had then: therfore that's the firſt thing, for the underſtanding of this, and all other texts of that kind.
The Second Anſwer I would give is this, It may be their faith doth not reach to this promiſe; and God brings many times many outward afflictions, becauſe the faith of his people doth not reach the promiſe, and that not only in the old Teſtament, but in the times of the new Teſtament, Zachariah his time may be ſaid to be in the time of the new Teſtament, when he was ſtruck with dumbneſs becauſe he did not beleeve, and that is given to be the cauſe why he was ſtruck with dumbneſſe. But you will ſay now, hath faith warant to beleeve deliverance, that it ſhall be fully delivered? I dare not ſay ſo, but it may act upon it, to beleeve that God will make it good his own way; perhaps you have not done ſo much, and ſo upon that, this promiſe is not fulfilled to you.
Thirdly, When God doth make ſuch promiſes to his people, yet ſtill it muſt be with this reſervation, that God muſt have liberty to theſe three things.
1. That notwithſtanding his promiſe, he will have liberty to make uſe of any thing for your chaſtiſement.
2. That he muſt have liberty, to make uſe of your eſtates, or liberties, or lives, for the furtherance of his own ends: If it be to be a ſtumbling block to wicked and ungodly men: God muſt have liberty, though he have made a promiſe to you he will not looſe the propriety that he hath in your eſtates and lives.
3. God muſt have ſo much liberty to make uſe of what you have, for to ſhew that his waies are unſearchable, and his judgments paſt finding out, God reſerves theſe three things in his hand ſtill.
Object. But you will ſay, What good then is there in ſuch a promiſe that God makes to his people?
Firſt; That thou art under the protection of God more than others. But what comfort is this if it doth befal me?
Anſ. Thou haſt this comfort, that the evill of it ſhall be taken from thee, that if God will make uſe of this affliction for other ends, yet he will do it ſo as he will make it up to thee ſome other way. Perhaps you have given your children ſuch a thing, but yet afterwards if you have uſe of that thing, you will come and ſay, I muſt have it, why father may the child ſay you gave it me? But ſaith the father I muſt have it, and I will make it up to you ſome other way: Now the child doth not think that the fathers love is ever a whit the leſs to him. So when there is any ſuch promiſe as this is, that God by his promiſe gives thee his protection, and yet for all that ſuch a thing befals thee, it is but as if the father ſhould ſay, I gave you that indeed, but let me have it and I will make it up to you ſome other way that ſhall be as good; ſaith God let me have your health and liberty, and life, and it ſhall be made up to you ſome other way.
Secondly, When ever the Plague or Peſtilence comes to thoſe that are under ſuch a promiſe, it is for ſome ſpecial and notable work, and God requires of them to ſearch and examin in a ſpecial manner to find out his meaning; there is ſo much to be learned in the promiſe that God hath made concerning this particular evill, that the people of God they may come to quiet and content their hearts in this affliction. I reade in this Pſalm that God hath made a promiſe to his people, to deliver them from the Plague and Peſtilence, and yet do I find it to come: It may be I have not made uſe of my faith in this promiſe heretofore; and if God do bring afflictions upon me, yet God will make it up ſome other way, God made a promiſe to deliver me, or at leaſt to deliver me from all the evil of it, now if this thing doth befall me and yet I have a promiſe of God, certainly the evil of it is taken away, this promiſe tels me that if it doth befall me yet it is for ſome notable end, and becauſe God hath uſe of my life, and intends to fetch about his glory ſome way that I know not of: And if he will come in a fatherly way of chaſtiſement, yet I will be ſatisfied in the thing: So a Chriſtian heart by reaſoning out of the word, comes to ſatisfie his ſoul in the middeſt of ſuch a heavy hand of God, and in ſuch a diſtreſſed condition as that is. Now Carnal hearts they find not that power in the Word, that healing vertue that there is in the Word, to heal their deſtracted cares, and the troubles of their ſpirits; but now, thoſe that are godly when they come to hear the Word they find out, that in the Word there is as a plaiſter to all their wounds, and ſo they come to have eaſe and Contentment, in ſuch conditions as are very grievous and miſerable unto others. But now, for other particular promiſes, and more generally for the Covenant of grace, how, and in what myſterious way the Saints do work to fetch out Contentment and ſatisfaction to their ſouls, we ſhall refer to the next time.