A Treatise of Conversion, Chapter 1 · Section 23
SECT. XXIII.
7. THe last Change we shall mention on the Affections, that is made by Converting Grace, is in regard of a mans Content and Discontent. Before Conversion a man is Discontent if he have not the desires of his flesh: He hath no rest in his mind, if he be poor or afflicted, and see not some hope of coming out of it: but for the love of God, and the life of Grace, and the Joys of godly, he can be well enough content without these. If he had but what he would have in the world, take you the rest, for he thinks he can live well enough without them. When Cains sacrifice was not accepted, as his brothers, he was discontented at his brother, and consequently at God himself. He was very wroth, and his countenance fell, Gen. 4. 5. Because his brother was preferred before him, and was judged Righteous, when he was judged unrighteous: But he could be content without true Righteousness it self, though he could not be content without the estimation of it: So can all ungodly men be content well enough to be ungodly, but not to be called ungodly: The name troubleth them, when the thing is so far from troubling them, that they will not be perswaded by any means to leave it. In a word, it is the things of this world, that wicked men do seek content in, though they find it not: but as for spiritual and heavenly things, they can be better content in the case that they are now in; without them, then with them.
But Conversion turneth the heart also in this Regard. For when a man is once truly changed, he can be contented with any state, if he have but the favor of God, and the life of his Grace, and communion with him; and without this he can be content with nothing. Nothing but Christ will serve his turn: if God will give him more upon the by, he will take it, and be thankful; but without Christ he takes all things to be as nothing; What if he had Lands and Lordships, Honour and Dignity, what will this do for him without God in Christ? And blame him not, for he hath felt such a disease, that these things could not heal, When Christ and Christ alone could do it: and therefore, Christ he must have whatsoever else he go without. A little of the world will serve with Christ, but nothing in the world will serve without him. As a wicked man is troubled and restless, because he hath not that which he would have, when every thing is not according to his mind; If friends, if estate, if his house, or his body, or any thing be out of order, he is in discontent, because its here that he seeks content; and therefore is troubled when he misseth of it: so is it with a Believer in respect of Christ. If God hide his face, if the Spirit seem to withdraw, if Christ seem strange to him, if doubts of salvation come in upon his soul, he is as a bone out of Joynt, pained and troubled, and nothing will quiet him till he be set in joynt again. Like a child, that will be quieted with nothing but that which he cries for: If you offer him any thing else, he throweth it away, for that is not it which he crieth for. So is it with this poor Christian: if you tell him of Riches, or Honour, or Pleasure, and not of Christ, and Grace, and Glory, you do but trouble him, for these are not the things that he looks after. There is but one thing in the world that can give him content, let him have that, and he hath enough. Oh, did he but know that God is Reconciled to him, and that he is united to Christ, and the Spirit is in him, and that he is in the safe way to the Kingdom of Glory, then if he have but food and rayment, he can therewith be content, 1 Tim. 6. 8. Yea, or if he were without them, if God so dispose of it: For he hath learned by the teaching of Converting Grace, to abound and to want, and in what state soever he is, therewith to be content, Phil. 4. 11. And therefore his Conversation is without covetousness, and he is content with such things as he hath, because God hath promised him that he will never leave him nor forsake him, Heb. 13. 5. So this is another fruit of Conversion about mens Content, or Discontent.