Contentment Leading a Christian, Treatise 1 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of the power of godlinesse to breed contentment, whence it is.
VVHereas in the former discourse Whence godlinesse hath power make con tented.we have referred the whole strength and benefit of Contentment unto godlinesse, it will be good in the close of this Treatise to enquire, wherein the great power of this Sampson lyeth, and whence it is, that godlinesse draweth so great vertue to give the Contentment above specified.
First, without controversie, great is the mystery of godlinesse: God was manifest in the flesh, &c. 1 Tim. 3. 16. And this is the foundation of al Contentment, even God incarnate, God with us, God in our nature, Iehovah our righteousnesse, our Peace-maker, our Advocate and Mediatour, our King, Priest & Prophet, our portion and great reward; wholly ours, what ever he is, or hath, or can doe, or hath done, or suffered, to make us happy; as namely redemption, recōciliation, justification, adoption, & all his benefits. These are complete every way, & adequate to the nature, need, and desire of man. Mans soule, being a divine particle, is infinite in desires, and cannot be satisfied but with an infinite good. This good is not to be found in any creature, nor in all the creatures put together, which are all finite, & changeable, and if God pleased, reducible to their first nothing. OnelyOnly the glorious and infinite God can give satisfiction to the soule, and make it rest in his love, as a contentfull and sufficient Object of delight. After the resurrection, and in his heavenly kingdome, there is an absolute fulnesse to the creature in the fruition of the Creator: as Psal. 17. 15. I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likenesse.
Here in this life the onelyonly Contentment is by faith, which layeth hold on the promises, and on Christ by whom God is certainely and comfortably made ours: that though there was a great breach made by mans sinne, God estranged and provoked infinitely, the creatures yeelding vexation of spirit, the best not able to helpe, nor man to helpe himselfe; yet now, upon atonement made, the Lord wholly returnes to man, with all the good he hath and is able to doe for him: Genesis 17. 1. When Abram was ninety yeeres old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God all sufficient, walke before me, and be thou upright, and I will make my Covenant betweene me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly. Afterward, as this Covenant is more firmely beleeved, and application of the promises more stedfastly made, and assurance of Gods love more comfortably gathered; the beleeving soule growes to bee more quiet, and filled with joy unspeakeable, and full of glory; and, seeing God hath dealt so graciously with it in the maine, therefore whatsoever shall bee his portion of temporall or spirituall gifts, it will be well contented, and rest satisfied. Not an attribute of God, but yeelds abundant matter of sweet repose in the bosome of our heavenly Father: infinite mercy, infinite power, infinite holinesse, infinite wisedome, infinite truth, every excellency infinite and incomprehensible, must needs ravish and swallow up the soule with infinite admiration and contentation.
The Greeke word here used to signifie foreign ▪Contentment, implies a selfe-sufficiency: and that is a great matter to be affirmed of a creature, especially now after sin admitted, and the wofull desolations and confusions which sinne hath brought. God alone is properly selfe-sufficient. But take it with godlines, the Mother of it, as hath been shewed, and then it is no Ipsa s…is pollent opibus, …il in diga nostri. Lucret.strange thing. A godly man, who hath this great mystery sealed up in his breast, is selfe-sufficient, and needeth not any carnall or sinfull additions to make him blessed.
Philosophers disputed of blessednesse, and called it the highest and Arist. Eth. Nic. l. 1. c7.perfectest good, being the end of all our actions: and perfectest, because it is sufficient to it selfe, without any further desireable good. But this they affirmed blindely, not reaching at that which is the top of mans felicity; and therefore fell into other expressions of perfect vertue, perfect life, contemplation and the pleasure thereof, and the society of man, by the which they expected their blessednesse. OnelyOnly the beleever attaines this autarkey, being in fellowship with the Allsufficient Iehova; and this blessednesse, because his sins are forgiven, and his person accepted in Christ, and withall enriched with so goodly endowments, that he may well be both contented and thankefull abundantly.
There be divers inferiour, philosopicall, Senec. de Tranq. animi. …trius de consol. philos. &c.rationall perswasions, which may worke Contentment; and especially those rules and grounds of godlinesse, formerly delivered. But presupposed alwayes, that we begin in the Article of Iustification. Without reconciliation for sinne there is no sound tranquillity of minde to be expected. If the conscience be once throughly enlightened, awakened, and affrighted with sinne, there is no right pacifying it but by the blood of Christ, sprinkling and purging it from dead workes. The guilt of them Heb. 9. 14.will ever lie as a clog upon the …ou…, and take the next occasion to clam…r against the Master. In va…n do you go about to comfort an impenitent sinner, and worke him to Contentment in such and such afflictions. Your first labours should be, to drive him out of himselfe, and get him to make his peace with God, in whom alone he can obtaine a sufficient stay and supply for his sad condition. True: numbers content themselves with their riches, honors, friends, children, other comforts: but how often is it seene, that one Mordecai not bowing (one slight crosse or other) marres Est. 5. 13.the fashion of all their glory? and, though the evill spirit goe from Saul at the Musicke which David makes, yet soone afterward he returns again, and torments him as much as ever? Adde hereunto the pricking thornes of covetousnesse, the gnawing paines of envie, the torturing fits of impatience, fury, frenzie, which often interrupt the seemliest Contentment of a naturall man. All which doth hold, even in the stollen waters of hypocrites, who either in the Ministery or by private conference receive a prop for their miserable estate, that they are both contented and comfortable; yet, for want of Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, they soone returne to their old distempers, or after a while shew plainely they used a wrong phrase or method for Contentment.
Secondly, godlinesse hath this power 2to breed Contentment in all estates, while it is of power to change a man into another man, by the grace of regeneration and conversion unto God: thrusting the old man out of doores, and putting the new man into possession, which after GOD is created in knowledge, righteousnesse, and true holinesse: laying the foundation of all in selfe-deniall, in resigning the owne will to the will of God, and in care to please him, though himselfe and all the world be displeased. None but the new creatur… is capable of Contentment. Another hath his unmortified and unsubdued passions (in the goodliest civility that Nature, Art, or Education can afford) which in time of vehement trouble wil have a vent, and make a great commotion in the soule and life. Well may such discourse of the passions, and the quieting of them; but shall never obtaine what they propose, till they consult Religion and power of godlinesse, which sets up a new frame in the soule, in which Contentment may be harboured.
It is true: sundry godly persons are many times distempered, and subject to great discontents. But this is onelyonly by the imperfection of godlinesse. If they were so good as they might be, and should be, they should not so often goe out of tune as they doe. As any are partakers of the divine 2 Pot. 1. 4.nature more fully, so they are more rid of these discontents. They that have learned well to deny their owne will, wisedome, reason, and carnall resonings, have learned also to be quiet in greatest afflictions, as those holy men, It is the Lord, let him doe as he pleases: and, good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. Pride, passion, selfe-willednesse, envy, earthlinesse, other corruptions being almost dead and gasping, needs must the soule remaine in good temper and quietnesse; as the Sea is quiet, when no windes are abroad to tosse it. Whereunto adde thē strength of faith, of hope, of patience, of humility, and other graces, which as godlinesse bringeth nearer to their perfection, so the soule shall have more benefite by them to rest wel contented with Gods good pleasure in every thing. And the very exercises of godlinesse (when rightly performed) are notable diversions to put off discontents: the Christian can fall to prayer when he is likely to be surprised with sorrow, anger, feare, or the like passion, can sit and sing a Psalme, can take a Bible and read a Chapter, can goe and conferre with his Minister, or some faithfull friend; and thus, finding other imployment, he forgets the matter of discontent. And, is it indeed Gods will, that he should not be more rich, healthy, high, befriended, accommodated with outward blessings, or endowed with inward gifts of the Spirit, better ability of minde, &c? his will is laid down long ago, and therefore he can traffick contentedly with his two Talents, as wel as another with his ten. Not my will, but thy will be done, O Father.
Thirdly, godlinesse (after those two 3things so setled, I mean justification & sanctification) hath power to frame the heart to Contentment by those manifold Rules of Christian moderation, which we have above rehearsed: all being Shields and Targets out of the Lords Armory, able to guard and keepe the heart in the love of God, against all assaults of the enemy whatsoever.
Fourthly, godlinesse proposeth, …and also perswadeth the heart of the excellency of spiritual things; namely the favour of God, the image of God, the providence of God, his Son, his spirit, his Angels, his Word, his creatures sanctified, his corrections mitigated and made profitable, his glory worth having, thogh we stay long for it, & though in the mean time we endure many and sharp trials. When the palate is oncein a good relish (as godlines is able to set it) it finds the Word in all the blessed cōtents of it sweeter Psal. 19. 10. Prov. 3. 14, 15.then hony and the hony-comb, richer then Rubies and Diamonds, and all that ye can thinke or speake of; meere nothing in comparison of this heavenly wisdome. Now the Christian is able to make a right estimate of things, and be affected toward them according to their worth. A world of advantage, above men of the world.
Fiftly, godlinesse doth two things 5about earthly matters, which are the ordinary causes of discontent. One, to shew the vanity of them: that they are the slenderest and slightest favours which God bestowes on his children, and many times thinkes good to bestow most largely on his very enemies: Which if we shall often and earnestly thinke of, we shall be the better contented either to want them, or be scanted in them. The like of cSmon gifts, of illumination, memory, utterance, eloquence, courtlinesse, and the like. The other, to teach us to accustome our selves to have what we have, as if we possessed not, and to use the world as not using it, namely, with much weignednesse and retyrednesse, as those that are forced to make use of them, and not those that come willingly and eagerly to an enjoyment, 1 Cor. 7. 30, 31. Contempt of the world brought some of the Philosophers to a strange kinde of resolution, for quieting their mindes in all sad accidents. Pitty it should not doe the like for true Christians, who have better Principles, better Evidences and matters of comfort, and better assurance of the glory and felicity of heaven.
Sixtly, godlinesse teacheth, that 6we must goe farther then Contentment; namely, to be thankefull and blesse God, even for afflictions: to rejoyce in the Lord alwayes: to count it a mercy, that we are not consumed, and already in hell: to esteeme our selves lesse then the least of all Gods mercies: to rejoyce in tribulations, and account it all joy when we fall into divers temptations: to make our selves equall to them of the lower sort, who, though they deserve as much as we, or more, yet fare not so well: and, How many deare children hath God in sundry places, who would be glad of our scraps, together with the peace of our Sion, and prosperity of the Gospell? And finally, to suffer persecutions with Ioy and Contentment, as did the Martyrs and Confessors in those bitter dayes: which how shall they doe, who have not attained Contentment in a better and quieter condition? they that cannot runne with a footman, how can they thinke to keepe company with an Horseman?
Consider learne to be godly, and thereby learne to be contented. There foreign, 1 Tim 3. 16 foreign, Phil. 4. 12, 13.is a mystery in godlinesse, and a mystery in Contentment. In both we must become schollers, and be instructed. Both Arts to be had in the schoole of Christ, and by the power of Christ. I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, saith the Apostle, where he speakes of learning Contentment. It is thine own fault, if thou obtaine not this grace as well as other, and thou must not complain of crosses, but of thy selfe who makest not use of the grace that is offered. He that gave commandment to be content with such things as we Heb. 13. 5.have, is ready also to give power thereunto. And it is pitty but hee should be eaten up of discontent, who respecteth neither the one, nor the other. No marvell, if men wonder at him, asking how it comes to passe; and if himselfe finde no quietnesse Qui fit, Mea…as, &c. Hor. ser. 1. sat. 1. Inde…fi, ut ra…ò &c. ibid. Iohn 2. 8.in any calling or condition; nor die contented with his terme of life, and that portiō of goods wch the most wise God thought fit to cōmit unto him. He that observeth lying vanities forsaketh his owne mercies. To say nothing of those, whom discontent hath brought to selfe-murder, to the mudering of others, to take counsell of the Devill, to change their religion, to prostitute their consciences to Antiachrist, &c. Had they not been crost & discontented, they had never done as now they have done: nor should we ever have heard of such dolefull conclusions and confusions.
LUKE 3. 14.
Be content with your wages.
1 TIM. 6. 8.
Having food and rayment, let us be therewith content.
FINIS.