Doctrine of Contentment, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Wherein the Doctrine is illuſtrated by Chap. 3. Containing an illuſtration of the doctrine by Examples.ſeveral examples, and proved by Scripture.
SECT. 1.
Wherein the Doctrine is illuſtrated by Examples.
2. IN the ſecond place I ſhall illuſtrate 2 Head. Wherein the doctrine is illuſtrated by Examples.the truth of the doctrine by Examples. I ſhall make mention of four Scripture Examples as choice patterns for our imitation.
The firſt Example of Contentment I 1. Example of Abraham.ſhall inſtance in, is Abraham. I before mentioned his Contentedneſs in refuſing the goods of the King of Sodom. What I ſhall now take ſpecial notice of, ſhall be concerning his Contentedneſs in managing and ending the controverſie between his herdſmen and Lots herdſmen. Firſt, Abraham perſwades to peace and amicable agreement, Gen. 13. 8. And Abraham ſaid unto Lot, Let there be no ſtrife I pray thee, between thee and me, and between thy herd-men and my herdmen, for we are brethren. Secondly, Abraham (though the uncle and ſuperiour) offers to Lot, though his nephew and inferiour, the choice of what place he would go to, v. 9. Is not the whole land before thee, ſeparate thy ſelf I pray thee from me, if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot accordingly took his choice, v. 11. Then Lot choſe him all the plain of Jordan. Thus Abraham diſcovered ſignal and exemplary humility in yielding to his nephew Lot the choice of a place, and as ſignal and excellent contentedneſs of ſpirit in taking Lots leavings.
A ſecond Example I ſhall inſtance in, is 2 Example of Jacob.of Jacob, Abraham's grand-child, who trode exactly in his grandfathers ſteps. Jacob was conſtrain'd to flie for his life, and to be an exile from his fathers family, that ſo he might eſcape the murder deſign'd by his incenſed brother Eſau. He came the firſt night of his travels to Bethel, and what lodging Gen. 28. 11.he had there, is upon record. He had no other canopy then the Expanſum of the heavens, and no other pillow. but hard ſtones; yet there where he lay ſubdiò, expoſed to wind and weather, God graciouſly appeared Gen. 28. 13, 14, 15.in a dream unto him, and renewed his covenant made with Abraham and Iſaac; and likewiſe promiſed great bleſſings to him and his ſeed: and in the mean time God promiſed his ſpecial preſence to Jacob both in going and returning. After ſuch mercies promiſed, Jacob made a ſolemn vow, Gen. 28. 20, 21. And Jacob vowed a vow ſaying, If the Lord will be with me, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, ſo that I come again to my fathers houſe in peace, then ſhall the Lord be my God. It is worth our obſervation that Jacob capitulates not for high diet, nor coſtly raiment (for beggers muſt not be chooſers) but he onelyonly deſires what is neceſſary for food and raiment. Pererius upon the place gives his verdict, (whereunto many wiſe men will give their aſſent) That Media vitae humanae conditio, & facultatum mediocritas optanda maximè eſt hominibus, &c. Quippe quòd arcet flagitia, vitámque reddit frugalem & quietam & jucundam. Pererius in Gen. 28. 20.a middle eſtate is to be moſt deſired, and he gives a ſtrong reaſon, Becauſe a middle condition drives away vices and renders the life frugal, and quiet and pleaſant. The ſaid learned Authour quotes an obſcure ſaying of an ancient Poet, and refers himſelf to Plato's interpretation thereof. The ſaying at firſt hearing ſeems a riddle or paradox, viz. The half is more worth then the foreign. Heſiod.whole. Totum accipere (as Plato obſerves) noxium eſt: Dimidium autem moderatum eſt, & conducibile. Cui parum non eſt ſatìs, ei nihil eſt ſatis. Cui quod ſatìs eſt non eſt ſatìs, ci nihil eſt ſatis.
3. Example of Agur.A third Example I ſhall give inſtance in, is in Agur. Which name of Agur amongſt ſome of the Rabbins is accounted an appellative name of *Rabbi Levi putat etiam Salomonem ſeſe nomináſſe Agur filiū Jake. Mercer.King Solomon. I put no ſtreſs upon that conjecture; however without all queſtion this Agur was a man of great wiſdom, humility and integrity, and contentedneſs: and it is worthy of an eſpecial remark, what was that which in ſuch an earneſt prayer he begs of God, Give me neither Prov. 30. 8, 9.poverty, nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me. Leſt I be full and deny thee, and ſay, Who is the Lord? or leſt I be poor and ſteal, and take the name of God in vain. He neither deſired poverty, nor riches, but an indifferent eſtate. 1. He deſired not an abundance of riches, nor a confluence of outward proſperity, leſt he ſhould with Jeſurun abuſe his plenty, of whom it is ſaid, But Jeſurun waxed fat and kicked. Thou Deut. 32… 15.art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatneſs. Then he forſook God which made him, and lightly eſteemed the Rock of his ſalvation. Riches …e ſnares, and many times it ſo falls out, that foreign, fulneſs and forgetfulneſs go together. 2. Agur deſired not 2. Paupertas inimica bonis eſt moria bus omnis.poverty, becauſe it is accompanied with many inconveniences, and an occaſion of many ſins. He deſired not poverty, leſt he ſhould be put upon the temptation of ſtealing, and ſo break the eighth Commandment, or leſt through his poverty and neceſſitous condition, he ſhould be put upon the temptation of taking the name of God in vain, and ſo incurr the breach of the third Commandment. Wherefore upon deliberate thoughts he deſires convenient food, ſufficient for neceſſity, and not for ſuperfluity: as if he ſhould ſay (to urge the ſignificant expreſſions of two learned Authors,) one whereof ſaith, Nouriſh me with the bread Ale me pane demenſi mei, qui mi…ì ſatìs ſit ut indè alar, qui n. ihi convenit. Mercer.of my allowance, which may be ſufficient for me, that I may thence be nouriſhed with that which is convenient. Hence we pray that God would give us our daily bread, (i. e.) *Quidam vertunt panem ſufficientiae noſtrae, inter quos Scultetus; ſed Syra meliùs à Tremellio vertuntur, panem neceſſitatis noſtrae, & à Bodero, indigentiae noſtrae. videtur foreign accepiſſe, quaſi foreign. Lud de Dieu. Thalazar in Prov. 30. 8.for the day, or the bread of our ſufficiency, and neceſsity and indigency, &c. Another learned Authour reads the words of Agur, Da mihi praedam panem ſtatuti mei, and he quotes a Rabbin, who draws a ſimilitude from wild beaſts, quae in diem victitant, & non plura quaerunt aut diripiunt.
A fourth and laſt Example (which I ſhall 4. Example of St Paul.mention out of Scripture) is St Paul, Phil. 4. 11, 12. I have learned in whatever ſtate I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abaſed, and I know how to abound; Every where and in all things I am inſtructed both how to be full, and to be hungry; both how to abound, and to ſuffer need: this is an excellent profeſſion, and in it are obſervable theſe particulars.
1. A leſſon learned and that is Contentment, foreign. In a proper ſenſe foreign, or ſelf-ſufficiency is attributed to God alone. But after a ſort that man may be ſaid Hoc eſt, novi quod adeſt boni conſulere. Eraſm.to be foreign, who is endowed with a contented frame of ſpirit. 2. Conſider who was this experienced ſcholar, 2. A… & res dicitur quae ſufficit, & homo qui eo quod habet contentus eſt. Grot.it was the Apoſtle Paul. Here are two words whereby are ſet forth his thorough learning of his leſſon, one is foreign, I have learned: (i. e.) by ſtudy, exerciſe and daily practiſe. Q. But it may be asked, whence had St Paul this learning? I anſwer 1. Negatively, the Apoſtle learned A. 1. Negatively.not this leſſon from Plato's Academy, nor from Zeno's Stoa, nor from Ariſtotle's Lyceum. All the moral precepts and documents of heathens came too ſhort of teaching ſo high a leſſon, as the divine art of Contentment. Though Seneca went far for a heathen in laying down precepts, yet in his own practice he condemned his precepts: and though he wrote much for the contempt of the world, yet he clave very cloſe to the world, witneſs his uſury and avarice notoriouſly branded in thoſe very times wherein he lived. 2. Poſitively I 2. Poſitively.anſwer, that this divine leſſon of Contentment the Apoſtle learned in the ſchool of Jeſus Chriſt. For Chriſt alone can teach us this leſſon, and cauſe us to learn it. Another word is mentioned v. 12. I am inſtructed. 2. foreign, I am inſtructed.The metaphor is taken from holy things. foreign ſignifies initio, imbuo, thence foreign is derived; ſo that hence it evidently appears, that the leſſon of Contentment is a great myſtery. This the Apoſtle learned, and in this myſtery he was inſtructed. 3. Conſider the extent & latitude of this great Art wch he had learned and of this high myſtery wherein he was inſtructed: it is ſaid foreign, 3 foreign, in whatſoever ſtate I am.it is not ſaid foreign, in what ſtate I have been: that is paſt, & not to be recalled; neither is it ſaid foreign, in what eſtate I ſhall be, for that is not in our power to determine, what ſhall be for the future; but it is ſaid foreign, in what eſtate I am for the preſent: according to that condition, as God the Sovereign Lord of all is pleaſed to order, diſpoſe and ſet out for me at the preſent, I have learned in that condition to be content. He then that is of a contented ſpirit, doth not torment and vex himſelf with the frequent remembrance and repetition of that proſperous eſtate which he hath formerly enjoyed and now is deprived of: neither doth he anxiouſly forecaſt and project what he may be, or would be, by giving way to tumultuous perplexing thoughts: but he upon ſerious and deliberate thoughts renders himſelf wholly to Gods diſpoſal, and he is willing to live upon Gods finding; wherefore he labours to quiet and ſatisfie himſelf with the preſent portion that God hath lent unto him, for which he returns unto God the tribute of a thankful heart. There is great reaſon why all true beleevers ſhould be contented with Sancti ſciunt it à placere Deo, ſuff…cientiam ergò non m…tiuntur rerum copiā &c. Calv. in loc.their preſent eſtate or condition: for (ſaith Calvin) The Saints know that they ſo pleaſe God, therefore they meaſure ſufficiency not by the plenty of things, but by the will of God, which they eſteem of by the thing it ſelf, becauſe they are perſwaded that all their affairs are governed by the providence and will of God.
It would be no difficult task to add teſtimonies from humane Authours, but I ſhall be very ſparing in this kind. Solinus Polybiſtor tells a ſtory of one Aglaus, who Cortina Aglaus in anguſtiſſimo Arcadiae angulo pauperis ſoli dominus, nunquam egreſſus paterni ceſpitis terminos invenitur. Jul. Sol. Polyhiſt.all his time went not one ſtep out of his own ground. Quintilian accounted his cottage his kingdom, and accounted it riches enough Hoc mihi parvulum & humilis tugurii ruſticum culmen aquitas animi regna fecerat ſatisque divitiarum erat nihil amplius velle. Quint. Declam.to deſire no more. The Poet accounts the poor mans cottage his kingdom. By all theſe examples there is ſhewed much of a contented ſpirit. But I ſhall not ſtay in the farther enumeration of examples borrowed from heathens, having named Scripture examples, which are inſtar omnium, and it is needleſs labour to light a candle to the Sun which went before.
Pauperis & tugurii congeſtum ceſpite culmen,
Poſt aliquot mea regna videns mirabor ariſtas.Virgil. Eclog. 1,
SECT. 2.
Wherein the Doctrine is proved by Scripture.
IN the third place my work lies before me; Head of Scripture precepts commanding the duty of Contentment.to give in Scripture precepts, commanding this excellent duty of Contentment. I ſhall inſiſt on three or four ſelect Scriptures onelyonly. One is Eccleſ. 9. 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. I ſhall endeavour to give the ſenſe of theſe words. 1. It is ſaid Go thy ways: It is uſed adverbially, as much as Age igitur, eia, agedum; and this is a word of incouragement. 2. Eat thy bread and drink thy wine, implying that we muſt eat and drink of our own, we muſt not by fraud or robbery get our meat and drink: for though ſtoln waters and bread of deceit may be ſweet at firſt, yet they end in gall and bitterneſs; any ſubſtance got unjuſtly will moulder away and periſh. 3. It is ſaid with joy and with a merry heart. God would have us enjoy the fruit of our labours with cheerfulneſs, and it is well pleaſing to God that we ſhould enjoy comfortably and cheerfully the outward things of this preſent life. 4. Here is a reaſon rendred: for God now accepteth thy work. (i. e.) It is well pleaſing to God for a man in the fear of God to labour diligently in the works of his calling, and to rejoyce in the bleſſing of God upon his labours. It is Gods acceptance of our work that expells anxiety and immoderate carefulneſs, and cauſeth joy and alacrity in the ſpirit. Compare this Scripture with Eccleſ. 3. 12, 13. I know there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoyce and to do good in his life time, and alſo that every man ſhould eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labours, it is the gift of God. Solomon gave his experimental verdict of all earthly things; and gives this ſentence, that there is no good in them, except a man with Contentment rejoyce in Gods bleſſings and do good in his life time. For he reaps the fruits of his charity, and doth moſt good, who makes his own eyes his Overſeers, and his own hands his Executours. He that hath a large and a liberal heart to honour God with his ſubſtance, and Prov. 3. 9. Eccleſ. 11. 1.to caſt his bread upon the waters, and in the confluence of his riches to be doing of good, this is the man that enjoys the good of his labour. He ſeeth a good improvement of his charity, and he finds the benefit of it: for he enjoys the benefit of many prayers, and his own eyes ſee the rich increaſe of his charity. Contentment is a duty in an eſpecial manner enjoyned to ſouldiers. Luke 3. 14. And the ſouldiers demanded of John the Baptiſt ſaying, And what ſhall we do? And he ſaid unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuſe any falſly, and be content with your wages. Violence, falſe accuſations and robbery, are as well to be avoided by ſouldiers as other men. For war is not to be ſought for it ſelf, nor is the life of a ſouldier a conſtant abiding trade, but therefore men go to war, that peace may be procured and right Ideo ſuſcipienda ſunt bella ut pax quaeſita eſſe videatur. Cic. Offic.be done. Further, this duty of Contentment is commanded indefinitely unto all, Hebr. 13. 5. Let your converſation be without covetouſneſs, and be content with ſuch things as ye have; for he hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee. There are five negatives, which make in foreign.Greek the ſtrongeſt negation. That place is taken out of Joſhua 1. 6. God made his promiſe good to a tittle unto Joſhua: let us make the ſame promiſe our own, and apply it to our particular concernments and conditions. Let us abandon covetouſneſs and a greedy purſuit after the world, and labour to learn this excellent art of Contentment, and then we may incourage our ſelves in this good word of promiſe, That the Lord will never leave us nor forſake us.