The Art of Divine Contentment, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
USE. 4.
Shewing how a Christian may know whether he hath learned this divine Art.
Use. IV. THus having laid down these three Cautions,Vse. IV. Triall. I proceed in the next place to an use of Triall. 4. How may a Christian know that he hath learned this lesson of Contentment? I shall lay down some foreign, or characters by which you shall know it.
1. A contented spirit is a silent spirit. 1 Character.He hath not one word to say against God; I was dumb, or silent *Psal. 39., because thou, Lord, didst it *Psal. 39., Ps. 39. Contentment silenceth all dispute; He sitteth alone and keepeth silence *Lam. 3. 28.: There is a sinfull silence, when God is dishonoured, his truth wounded, and men hold their peace; this silence is a loud sinne: and there is an holy silence, when the soul sits down quiet and content with its condition; When Samuel tells Eli that heavy message from God, that he would judge his house, and that the iniquity of his family should not bee purged away with sacrifice for ever *1 Sam. 3. 13., doth Eli murmur, or dispute? No, he hath not one word to say against God; It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good *Ver. 18.. A discontented spirit saith as Pharaoh, Who is the Lord? why should I suffer all this? why should I bee brought into this low condition? Who is the Lord? But a gracious heart saith as Eli, It is the Lord, let him doe what he will with me. When Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, had offered up strange fire, and fire went from the Lord, and devoured them *Levit. 10 1., is Aaron now in a passion of discontent? No, Aaron held his peace *Vers. 3.. A contented spirit is never angry, unless with himselfe for having hard thoughts of God. When Ionah said, I do well to be angry, this was not a contented spirit, it did not become a Prophet.
2. A contented spirit,2 Charact. is a chearfull spirit; the Greeks call it foreign; Contentment is something more then Patience; for Patience denotes onelyonly submission*foreign Significat, adversitates sustinere, Cyprian. item perseverare, Causabon., Contentment denotes chearfulnesse. A contented Christian is more then passive; he doth not only bear the Cross, but take up the Crosse *Matth. 16. 24.. He looks upon God as a wise God; and whatever hee doth, though it bee not ad voluntatem, yet ad sanitatem *Aug.; it is in order to a cure: Hence the contented Christian is chearfull, and with the Apostle, takes pleasure in infirmities, distresses, &c. *2 Cor. 12. 10.He doth not onelyonly submit to Gods dealings, but rejoyce in them; he doth not onelyonly say, Iust is the Lord in all that is befallen me; but Good is the Lord. This is to be contented. A sullen melancholy is hatefull; it is said, God loves a chearfull giver *2 Cor. 9. 7.; I, and God loves a chearfull liver. We are bid in Scripture not to be careful, but we are no where bid not to bee chearfull. He that is contented with his condition, doth not abate of his spirituall joy; and indeed he hath that within him which is the ground of chearfulnesse; hee carries a pardon sealed in his heart*Mat. 9. 2..
3. A contented spirit,3. Charact. is a thankfull spirit *Job 1. 2 foreign.. This is a degree above the other; In every thing giving thanks *1 …hes. 5.. A gracious heart spies merciemercy in every condition, therefore hath his heart scrued up to thankfulness: others will bless God for prosperity, he blesseth him for affliction. Thus he reasons with himselfe, Am I in want? God sees it better for me to want then to abound; God is now dieting of me, he sees it better for my spirituall health, sometimes to be kept fasting; therefore he doth not onelyonly submit, but is thankfull. The Male-content is ever complaining of his condition; the contented spirit is ever giving thanks. Oh what height of grace is this! A contented heart is a Temple where the praises of God are sung forth, not a Sepulchre wherein they are buried. A contented Christian in the greatest straits hath his heart enlarged, and dilated in thankfulnesse. Hee oft contemplates Gods love in election, hee sees that he is a monument of mercy, therefore desires to be a paterne of praise. There is alwayes gratulatory musick in a contented soule; the Spirit of grace works in the heart like new wine, which under the heaviest pressures of sorrow, will have a vent open for thankfulnesse; this is to bee content.
4. He that is content, no condition comes amiss to him; so it is in the Text, in quocunque statu, in whatever state I am *foreign. Chrysost.. A contented Christian can, prout res exigit, turne himselfe to any thing, either want, or abound. The people of Israel knew neither how to abound, nor yet how to want*foreign. Theophilact.; when they were in want, they murmured; Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? & when they ate & were filled, then they lifted up the heele. Paul knew how to mannage every estate; hee could be either a note higher, or lower; he was (in this sense) an Universalist, he could do any thing that God would have him*Similis est vita rotae, in cujūsmodò infima, modò supremâ parte versamur. Aquinas.: If he were in prosperity, hee knew how to be thankfull; if in adversity, he knew how to be patient; he was neither lift up with the one, nor cast down with the other. He could carry a greater saile, or lesser*Magna & rara virtus est inter epulas esurire, inter vestes algere, inter honores humiliari. Scivit Hannibal penuriam pati, nescivit abundare, nam delitiae Capuanae Hannibalem invictum enervâ runt, & Rom…nis jam imbellem vincendum objecerunt. Bern.. Thus a contented Christian knowes how to turne himselfe to any condition. Sicut bonus est dux & peritus, qui in quolibet exercitu operatur secundùm exigentiam ejus; & coriarius, qui ex quolibet corio facit optimos sotulares; Aquinos.ità Christianus sapiens, qui scit quolibet statu bene se gerere. Wee have those who can be contented in some estate, but not in every estate. They can be content in a wealthy estate, when they have the streames of milk and honey; while Gods candle shines upon their head, now they are content; but if the winde turne and be against them, now they are discontented. While they have a silver crutch to lean upon, they are contented; but if God breaks this crutch, now they are discontented; but Paul had learned in every estate to carry himselfe with equanimity of minde*foreign. Chrysost.; others could be content with their affliction, so God would give them leave to pick and choose. They could be content to bear such a cross; they could better endure sicknesse then poverty, or bear losse of estate then losse of children; if they might have such a mans crosse, they could bee content; any condition, but the present; this is not to bee content. A contented Christian doth not goe to choose his crosse, but leaves God to choose for him; he is content both for the kinde, and for the duration. A contented spirit saith, Let God apply what medicine he pleaseth, and let it lie on as long as it will; I know when it hath done its cure, and eaten the venome of sin out of my heart, God will take it off againe. In a word, a contented Christian, being sweetly captivated under the authority of the Word, desires to be wholly at Gods dispose; and is willing to live in that sphere and climate where God hath set him; and if at any time hee hath been an instrument of doing noble and brave service in the publick, hee knowes hee is but a rational toole, a servant to authority, and is content to returne to his former private condition of life. Cincinnatus, after he had done worthily, and purchased to himself great fame in his Dictatourship, did notwithstanding afterwards voluntarily returne to till and manure his foure acres of ground.Pet▪ Maryr. Thus should it bee with Christians, professing Godliness with Contentment, having served Mars, not daring to offend Iupiter, lest otherwise they discover onelyonly to the world a brutish valour, being so untam'd and head-strong, that when they have conquered others, yet they are not able to rule their own spirits.
5. He that is contented with his condition,5. Charact. to rid himselfe out of trouble will not runne himselfe into sin. I deny not but a Christian may lawfully seek to change his condition; so farre as Gods providence doth goe before, he may follow; but when men will not follow providence, but run before it, as he said, This evill is of the Lord, why should I wait any longer *2 King. 6? if God doth not open the doore by his providence, they will break it open, and wind themselves out of affliction by sin; bringing their soules into trouble by bringing their estates out of troubble. This is far from holy Contentation, this is unbelief broken out into rebellion. A contented Christian is willing to wait Gods leasure, and will not stir till God open a door. As Paul said in another case, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romanes, and have cast us into prison, and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily, but let them come themselves and fetch us out *Act. 16. 37.: So with reverence, saith the contented Christian, God hath cast me into this condition, and though it be sad and troublesome, yet I will not stir, till God by a clear providence fetch me out. Thus those brave spirited Christians, Heb. 11. 35. They accepted not deliverance *Heb. 11., that is, upon base, dishonourable termes. They would rather stay in prison, then purchase their liberty by carnall compliance. Estius observes on the place, they might not onelyonly have had their enlargement, but been rais'd to honour, & put into offices of trust; yet the honour of Religion was dearer to them, then either liberty, or honour. A contented Christian will not remove, till as the Israelites, hee see a pillar of cloud and fire going before him: It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord *Lam. 3. 26.. 'Tis good to stay Gods leasure, and not to extricate our selves out of trouble, till wee see the star of Gods providence pointing out a way to us.