The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Table of contents 1 – Table of contents 2
THE CONTENTS OF THE INSUING TREATISE OF Contentment,
SERMON I
A HE Words opened Page 2
Doctrine To be well skil'd in the myſtery of Chriſtian Contentment, is the duty, glory and excellency of a Chriſtian Page 3
Chriſtian Contentment deſcribed Page 4
1 It is inward Ibid
2 It is quiet, which is not oppoſed.
1 To ſence of affliction Page 5
2 To complaint to God or man ibid
3 To a lawful ſeeking of help, Page 6
But it is oppoſed
1 To murmuring ibid
2 To fretting and vexing ibid
3 To tumult of ſpirit ibid
4 To unſetledneſs of ſpirit Page 7
5 To diſtracting cares and fears ibid
6 To ſinking diſcouragments ib.
7 To ſinful ſhifting Page 8
8 To riſing of the heart againſt God Page 9
3 It is a frame of ſpirit
1 It is ſpread through the whol ſoul 10.
2 It is a frame of ſoul Page 11
3 It is a habitual frame Page 13
4 It is a gracious frame oppoſed
1 To natural ſtilneſs ibid
2 To ſturdy reſolutions ibid
3 To ſtrength of natural reaſon. Page 14
5 It is a frame of ſpirit freely ſubmitting
1 The heart is readily brought over Page 15
2 It is not by conſtraint Page 16
3 It is not out of ſtupidity 17
6 Freely ſubmitting ibid
7 Taking complacency in Gods diſpoſe ibid
8 In Gods diſpoſe Page 19
9 In every condition Page 20
We muſt ſubmit to God in every affliction
1 For the kind Page 22
2 For the time Page 23
3 For the variety 25
Contentment a Myſterie Page 26
1 A Chriſtian is content, yet unſatisfied Page 27
2 A Chriſtian comes to Contentment by ſubſtraction Page 29
3 By adding another burden to that he hath Page 31
4 By changing the affliction into another Page 33
5 By doing the work of his condition Page 35
6 By melting his will into Gods will Page 37
7 By purging out that that is within 38
8 He lives by the dew of Gods bleſſing Page 40
1 He hath the love of God in that he hath Page 41
2 It is ſanctified for his good, ib
3 There is no after-reckoning for it Page 42
4 It is by the purchaſe of Chriſt
5 It is an earneſt of glory he reafter Page 43
9 A Chriſtian ſees Gods love in affliction Page 44
10 His afflictions ſanctified in Chriſt Page 45
11 He fetches ſtrength from Chriſt Page 47
12 He makes up his wants in God Page 49
13 He fetcheth Contentment from the Covenant Page 53
Objection concerning the plague Anſwered Page 54
He ſupplieth wants by what he finds in himſelf Page 57
He fetches ſupply from the CoveCovenant Page 61
1 In General ibid
2 From particular premiſes Page 64
14 He reallizeth the things of Heaven Page 67
15 He letteth his heart out to God ibid
Leſſons whereby Chriſt teacheth Contentment
1 Self-denial Whereby a Chriſtian knows Page 68
1 That he is nothing Page 69
2 That he deſerves nothing ibid
3 That he can do nothing Page 70
4 That he can receive no good of himſelf ibid
5 If God withdraw himſelf he can mak uſe of nothing ibid
6 That he is worſe than nothing Page 71
7 That there is no loſs of him if he periſh ibid
8 That he comes to rejoyce in Gods waier Page 72
2 Leſſon, To know the vanity of the Creature Page 73
3 Leſſon, To know that one thing, wherefore Page 74
4 Leſſon, To know his relation in this world Page 76
5 Leſſon, Wherein the good of the Creature is Page 79
6 Leſſon, The knowledge of his own heart Page 82
Which helps to Contentment
1 By diſcovering wherein diſcontent lies ibid
2 By knowing what is ſutable to our condition Page 83
3 By this we know what we are able to mannage Page 84
7 Leſſon, To know the burden of a proſperous eſtate Page 85
Which is four fold
1 The burden of trouble ibid
2 The burden of danger Page 86
3 The burden of duty Page 89
4 The burden of account ibid
8 Leſſon, A great evil to be given up to our own hearts deſire Page 91
9 Leſſon, The right knowledge of of Gods providence Page 94
Wherein four things
1 The univerſality of it ibid
2 The efficacy of it Page 95
3 The variety of it ibid
4 Gods particular dealing with his people Page 97
In three things
1 They are ordinarily in affliction Page 98
2 When he intends them greateſt mercies he brings them loweſt ibid
3 He works by contraries Page 99
The Excellency of Contentment
1 Excellency, By it we give God his due worſhip Page 101
2 Excel. In it there is much exerciſe of grace 103
1 There is much ſtrength of grace ibid
2 There is much beauty of grace Page 104
3 Excel. The ſoul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106
4 Excel. It is fitted to do ſervice Page 107
5 Excel. Contentment delivers from temptation Page 108
6 Excel. It brings abundance of comfort Page 110
7 Excel. It fetcheth in that that we poſſeſs not Page 111
In 4 particulars
8 Excel. Contentment a great bleſſing of God upon the ſoule Page 115
9 Excel. A contented man may expect reward Page 116
10 Excel. By Contentment the ſoul comes neereſt the Excellency of God himſelf Page 117
Uſe 1 To be humbled for want of Contentment Page 118
The Evils in a murmuring ſpirit
1 It is an Argument of much corruption in the ſoul Page 119
2 It is a note of a wicked man Page 120
3 Murmuring is accounted Rebellion Page 121
4 It is exceeding contrary to grace in converſion Page 122
The works of God in converſion
1 To make us ſenſible of the evil in ſin Page 123
2 A ſight of the excellency of Chriſt ibid
3 Taking the heart from the creature ibid
4 Caſting the ſoul on Chriſt for all good Page 124
5 Subduing the ſoul to Chriſt as King ibid
6 Giving up the ſoul to God in Covenant Page 125
5 Evil, Murmuring below a Chriſtian Page 126
1 Below his relation
1 To God as a Father ibid
2 To Chriſt as a Spouſe ibid
3 To Chriſt as a Member Page 127
4 To Chriſt as a Co-heir ibid
5 To Gods Spirit as a temple ib.
6 To Angels, as one with them ib.
7 To Saints, as of the ſame body ibid
2 Below his dignity Every Chriſtian a King Page 128
3 It is below the ſpirit of a Chriſtian Page 129
4 Below the profeſſion of a Chriſtian Page 131
5 Below the grace of faith ibid
6 Below the helps of a Chriſtian Page 132
7 Below the expectation of a Chriſtian ibid
8 Below what other Chriſtians have done Page 133
6 Evill, by murmuring we undo our prayers ibid
7 Evil, The effects of a murmuring heart
1 Loſs of much time Page 134
2 Ʋnfitneſs for Duty ibid
3 Wicked riſings of heart Page 135
4 Ʋnthankfulneſs ibid
5 Shifting Page 138
8 Evil, Diſcontent a fooliſh ſin ibid
1 It takes away the comfort of what we have ibid
2 We cannot help our ſelves by it Page 139
3 It cauſeth fooliſh carriage to God, and man ibid
4 It takes out the ſweetneſs of mercies before they come ibid
5 It makes Affliction worſe Page 141
9 Evil, It provokes the wrath of God ibid
19 Evil, There is a curſe upon it Page 146
11 Evil, There is much of the ſpirit of Satan in it Page 147
12 Evill, It brings an abſolute neceſſity of diſquiet ibid
13 Evil, God may juſtly withdraw his protection from ſuch ibid
Aggravations of the ſin of murmuring
1 Aggravation, The greater the mercies the greater the ſin of murmuring Page 150
2 Agrav. When we murmur for ſmal things Page 157
3 Agrav. When men of parts and abilities murmur Page 158
4 Agrav. The freeneſs of Gods mercy ibid
5 Agrav. Diſcontent for what we have Page 159
6 Agrav. When men are raiſed from a low condition ibid
7 Agrav. When men have been great ſinners Page 160
8 Agrav. When thoſe murmur that are of little uſe in the world Page 161
9 Agrav. To murmur when God is about to humble us ibid
10 Agrav. When Gods hand is apparant in an affliction Page 162
11 Agrav. To murmur under long afflictions Page 163
Pleas of a diſcontented heart
1 Plea, I am but ſenſible of my affliction
1 Senſe of affliction takes not away ſenſe of mercies Page 165
2 It hinders not Duty ibid
3 It will make us bleſs God for the mercies of others ibid
2 Plea, My trouble is for my ſins
1 It is not, if you were not troubled for ſin before Page 166
2 When the greateſt care is to remove affliction ibid
3 If after affliction is removed ſin troubles not ibid
4 If there be not care to avoid ſin after Page 167
5 There is the more cauſe to accept of the puniſhment ibid
3 Plea, God withdraws himſelf
1 We think God is departed when he doth but afflict Page 168
2 Diſquiet is a ſign and cauſe of Gods departure ibid
3 If God depart from us we ſhould not from him Page 169
4 Plea, I am troubled for mens ill dealing
1 Men are Gods inſtrrments Page 170
2 We ſhould rather pity them than murmur Page 171
3 We have righteous dealing with God ibid
5 Plea, It is an affliction I looked not for
1 It is folly not to look for afflictions ibid
2 We ſhould be more careful of our carriage in it Page 172
6 Plea, The affliction is exceeding great
1 It is not ſo great as thy ſins ibid
2 It might have been greater Page 173
3 It is greater for thy murmuring ibid
7 Plea, It is greater than others afflictions
Anſwered in 4 things Page 173
8 Plea, If any other affliction they could be content
Anſwered in 4 things Page 174
9 Plea, My afflictions make me unſervicable to God
1 Though thou art mean, thou art a member of the body Page 176
2 Thy generall calling is high Page 177
3 Thou art equal with Angels ibid
4 God highly eſteems the actions of mean Chriſtians Page 178
5 Faithfulneſs in a mean calling ſhall be rewarded ibid
10. Plea My condition is unſetled
1 Every man in his ſetled eſtate is vanity Page 179
2 God will have us live in dependance ibid
3 Thy ſpiritual condition may be ſetled Page 181
11 Plea I have been in a better condition
1 Thy eye ſhould not he evill, becauſe the eye of God hath been good Page 182
2 Proſperity was to prepare thee for affliction ibid
12 Plea I am croſt after much pains
1 The greater the croſs, the more the obedience Page 184
2 Thy pains ſhould be with ſubmiſſion to God Page 185
3 Contentment in ſuch a condition is a teſtimony of more love to God ibid
13 Plea Diſtempers of heart accounted as words before God ibid
Conſiderations to work the heart to Contentment
1 Conſid. The greatneſs of the mercies we have Page 187
2 God is beforehand with us with mercies Page 188
3 The abundance of mercies we enjoy Page 189
4 All creatures in a viſicitude, ib.
5 The creature ſuffers for us ibid
6 We have little time in the world Page 190
7 It hath been the condition of our betters Page 191
8 We were once content with the world without grace, and ſhould now with grace without the world Page 193
9 When we had Contentment we gave not God the glory ibid
10 Experience of Gods doing us good in afflictions ibid
Directions to Contentment
1 There muſt be grace to make the ſoul ſteady Page 195
2 Not to gripe too much of the world ibid
3 Have a cal in every buſineſs, Page 196
4 Walk by rule ibid
5 Exerciſe much faith Page 197
6 Labour to be ſpiritually minded Page 198
7 Promiſe not your ſelves great things Page 200
8 Get mortified hearts to the world ibid
9 Pore not too much on afflictions Page 201
10 Make a good conſtruction of Gods wayes towards us Page 202
11 Regard not others fancies, but what we feel Page 205
12 Be not inordinately taken with the comforts of the world Page 206
The CONTENTS of the laſt Sermon On EXODVS, 14.13.
STanding ſtill, five waies evill Page 304
Good three wayes Page 307
Doct. 1
When God is in a way of ſalvation he may bring his people into ſtraights Page 311
Reaſons
1 Becauſe God will humble them. Page 313
2 He delights in the exerciſe of their faith Page 315
3 He delights in their prayers, Page 316
4 To diſcover thoſe that are evill ibid
5 That the adverſaries may vent theie malice Page 317
6 That Chriſts work may appear the more ibid
Uſe.
Not to ſink becauſe of ſtraights Page 318
Doct. 2.
In ſtraights Gods people are mightily troubled ibid
Reaſons
1 Becauſe there is much fleſh in the beſt Page 319
2 There is a great deal of guilt, ib.
3 There is ſelf-confidence, ib.
Uſe.
1 To blame our ſelves for ſinking in ſtraights, Page 320
2 To think what will become of wicked men ibid
Doct. 3
In thoſe ſtraits we ſhould quiet our ſelves, and look for Gods ſalvation Page 321
1. Quiet our ſelves,
1 Becauſe then we are fit to look to the wiſdom, faithfulneſs and power of God, Page 322
2 Becauſe elſe we cannot make uſe of our graces, ibid
3 We cannot ſhew our ſubjection to God, Page 323
4 Nor our reverence to God ib.
5 We cannot make uſe of that we hear ib.
6 We ſhall hinder others, Page 224
2 To expect ſalvation from God,
1 Hereby we ſanctifie Gods Name, ib.
2 This ſhews the excellency of faith Page 325
3 It engageth God in our Cauſe, ib.
Doct. 4
The ſight of ſalvation after ſtraits a glorious thing Page 328
FINIS.