Practical Divinity, Sermon 3
PHIL. 4.11.
I have learned in what ever eſtate I am therewith to be content.
THe firſt point from theſe words is this. Doct. That contentation, is a Saints leſſon; firſt, let us ſee what a Saints contentation is? Secondly, the benefits that flow from a Saints contentation.
Firſt what a Saints contentation is, it is this; to bee content with God, and in God in all conditions; herein is only a true reſt; if it be in any thing elſe but God, it is no true reſt; If honour, or pleaſure, or profit, or credit, or applauſe, or riches, or any thing beſides God doth give thee reſt; thy reſt and content is in the creature, and not in God: for then, as theſe things ebbe and flow, ſo doth thy content. But hee whoſe content is in God, his content is, as God ebbes and flowes to him; ſo that if he have God and enjoy him, hee cares not how the creature comes or goes. If hee have riches, and not God in them, he hath no true reſt.
And on the contrary, if he have poverty, diſgrace, banniſhment, or impriſonment, and enjoy God, hee hath his reſt ſtill. Becauſe his content is not in, and with the creature, but it is in and with God; Gods will is his reſt. Hee that lives in the will of God, hee ſees Gods will is beſt for him; and his will is ſo ſwallowed up in the will of God, and made one with it, that hee hath no peace but in this.
And this life hee hath and enjoyes not by reaſoning himſelfe into this condition; as, for a man to ſay thus; this is Gods will, and I muſt be content; it is but a folly to reſiſt his will; it muſt bee ſo, and I cannot helpe it; therefore I were better be content, then to fight and ſtrive againſt it; for I cannot remove it, till God pleaſe.
Now this is not the content of Saints, but that which reaſon dictates to a man, which a man without grace may reach; and in this content moſt are ſatisfied, and take it to bee a Saints ſubmiſſion, and contentation when it is not.
But a Saints reſt, content, and ſatisfaction, is not from reaſon; but from a ſweet enjoyment of God in every condition; ſo that in every condition, hee findes God ſo ſweet, ſo raviſhing, that hee concludes; theſe conditions are beſt for him, better then any other. And this man hee ſees really; that God chooſes his conditions better for him, then hee can chooſe for himſelfe; ſo that this man findes really, and experimentally, ſuch enjoyments of God, ſuch ſparklings of love, ſuch precious experiences of grace ſcattered up and downe in thoſe conditions, that hee cannot wiſh them otherwayes, except the will of God be to change them, and to put him into any other condition better for him.
For if hee deſire health, or honour, or riches, or parts, or any other conditions, and therein finde not God and his glorious out-goings in his ſoule, and experiences of his loves; hee hath no reſt: but poverty and the contrary hee deſires rather, ſo hee may have the enjoyment of his God in them.
For I told you, it was God alone, and God in all things, and with all things, was the true reſt of Saints. His reſt is not in this and that, but God in this and that; ſo that whether hee have this thing, or that thing, if hee have not God in this, and that thing, he hath no reſt, not as a Saint; I pray obſerve that. I doe not deny, but many men may have a reſt, but it is not a Saints reſt, as a ſaint; and that which flowes from grace, and from the loves and embraces of God himſelfe.
Whether it flow from reaſon (as I told you before) or whether it bee from injoying the creature. As many men that live below reaſon, that live by ſence; they have a content and ſatisfaction; becauſe they have the creature; riches, or honour, or credit, or beauty, or parts, and they are herewith content: truly friends, this is no better then a ſenſuall content; and this is farre ſhort of that content that comes from reaſon; and therefore, much more of that which flowes from God and grace; for he that hath it from God, and by enjoying that ſweetneſſe of loves that is in the will of God; hee lives with God, lives in God, is in the very boſome of God, in the very heart of Chriſt.
And hee that lives there; no marvell though hee regard not the motion and alteration of the creature; but as God alters to his injoyments.
When hee enjoyes moſt of God, then hath hee the greateſt content, though hee have the leaſt of the creature; and when he enjoyes leſſe of God, then hath he the leſſe content, though never ſo much of the creature; and the reaſon is, becauſe nothing without God, nothing below God can be his reſt.
Secondly, for the good, and for thoſe benefits that flowe from this enjoyment, of God and from a Saints content.
1 Hee that lives this life, hee is free from the combuſtion of oppoſition; for when God doth one thing; and the will of man would have another, here now Gods will and mans, fight; and ruſh one againſt another, like two contrary ſtreames or ſeas, which will not mingle. Where theſe two wills meet, there muſt needs bee much trouble, and great combuſtion in their oppoſition; the man cannot be at reſt;Iea 1.6.7.8 but as the Apoſtle Iames ſayes, Hee is in a very unſettled, wavering condition, like a wave of the Sea carried and toſſed every way, and cannot receive any thing of the Lord, being double minded, and unſtable in all his wayes.
Hee would have a reſt compoſed of God and the creature. And ſuch a man cannot receive any thing of God, in a ſaint-like way; till hee come to enjoy God ſingly and nakedly; hee can have no laſting, no true reſt.
But did we reſt in God and not in the creature, wee ſhould be free from this combuſtion, and this alterity in our ſpirits. And ſo farre as wee want it, ſo farre wee are ſhort of a ſaint-like ſatisfaction and reſt.
And where this content is not, there is that combuſtion In oppoſition, and reſiſting Gods will, (as I ſaid) like two mighty Seas that daſh one againſt another; and where that is, there is a foame, froth, and filth caſt up which annoyes the man; A diſcontented heart, that caſt up mire and dirt; Much ſinne, froth, and defilement. And as the Apoſtle, ſaith; this man is unſtable in all his wayes, and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine. Every wind of Doctrine changeth his opinion; and certainly there is no man rightly eſtabliſht, and groundedly firme in his opinion, till hee come into this life, to live with God, and in God.
But hee whoſe will is emptied into the will of God, hee lives with God, and in God; he ſits aboue all the Alterity of the creature; change this man from one condition to another, hee changes not, as his condition changes; throw him into any condition, which way you will, hee ſtill falls on his leggs.
This is the man that David ſpeakes of, that he maketh to lye downe in greene paſtures and leads him beſide the ſtill waters, Pſ. 37.4.he reſtoreth his ſoule and leades him in the path of righteouſnes for his Name ſake, and though he walke in the valley of the ſhadow of death he will not feare; thy rod and thy ſtaffe is with me. and they comfort mee, they ſee loves, and gaines, and proffits, and ſweet experiences more precious then pearles in the very rods of God, and are fully ſatisfied with the goodnes of God. God ſpreads them a faire Table in preſence of their enemies, and their head is ſweetly anoynted with oyle, and their cup runneth over, like the oyle on Aarons head; which perfumeth al Gods dealings, to them & runneth downe to the very skirts of their garments, Pſ. 133.and like the dew of hermon and as the dew on the mountaines of Zion, for there he commandeth the bleſſing even for evermore, and this is that David ſpeakes off in the 37. Pſ. 4. Delight thy ſelfe in the Lord and he ſhal give thee the deſires of thine heart. Pſ 23.Whats that thinke you? that you ſhall have riches, and plenty, and credit, and eaſe, and full tables and great earthly poſſeſſions? No no, but that in the want or fullneſſe of theſe things, you ſhall have God to be your reſt and content; that your will and Gods being united, you ſhall have no defires but whats agreeable to the will of God.
This is that dwelling in the Land and being fed of God, as David ſpeakes in the 37. Pſ.
For ſo long as we live on the creature, we cannot have this ſpirituall life, and theſe divine promiſes made good to us; but of neceſſity, wee liveing on the creature, wee muſt be ſubject to the troubles diſtraction and changes of the creature.
As thoſe that live in any element muſt needes be ſubject to the motions, Alterations and troubles of that element in which they live. As birds, or fiſhes: birds live in the aire, if the ayre change and be infected, ſo needes muſt they: or fiſh, if the element of water wherin they live, be poyſon'd or diſturbed ſo are they; and ſo it is in this; thoſe that live in the creature and with the creature: muſt needes ſimpathize, and bee ſutably qualified to the creature.
But he that ſits above with God is above all change in the creatures element; hee is ſelfe-denied to the world, and all in the world.
Againe, this is the way to perſection; ſo far as we are ſatisfied with God, and ſatisfied with truth; ſo far we live in perfection; I doe not ſay that perſon is perfect, or without ſin; no, but ſo farre as we live this life, ſo farre we come toward perfection, and live in perfection, and live with God; The new man carries us to God and perfection; it aſſends and carries us upward, to God and Chriſt: but ſo farre as we come not up to this life; ſo farre wee live below God, and are drawne downward to the Creature, to the World, to Hell-ward, to Divell-ward: as one when he ſaw a Bird tyed with a ſtone to her Legg, as ſhe mounted to flee upward, ſtill the ſtone drew her downe to the Earth, and thereupon he fell a weeping; becauſe it did ſo fully repreſent to him his own condition, hee could not but weepe. Grace carries and drawes a man on to perfection; but the old man drawes downe to the Earth, to defilement, to deſtruction.
3. Againe this conditon of a Saints reſt is a gathering condition; it puts him in a gathering way. I pray you obſerve it, this mā is the thriving man, he only is in a thriving way; this man is like to grow a rich man indeed. All our wayes are ſcattering wayes; if we live on the creature we gaine not, but ſcatter and loſe all; he that lives this life of a Saint, that God has taught him this leſſon, flowing from his own ſelfe, from the very heart of God, and the boſom of Chriſt; he gathers ſuch precious flowers of experience, and gaines ſuch precious Jewels and Pearles, that he counts himſelf rich in them, and in nothing elſe; If hee live beſide God, he lookes on himſelf as a man that ſcatters all; as a growing to be a banckrupt; one that has no experience of the rich gainings of grace;1 Tim. 6.6. Godlineſſe with content (ſayes the Apoſtle) is great gaine. Ther's no true cōtent but in gaines by grace, and the rich experriences of Gods workings in the ſoule; to ſee which way corruption comes to be cruſified, and he kild to the world and the world to him; to ſee how his power and life comes in, and to obſerve the glorious outgoings of God, and the manner of his glorious and Godlike proceedings with his ſoule; this ſatisfies and compoſes his heart; to ſee how ſweetly God hath conquered his ſoule, and brought his will into ſubjection, that was ſo raging, ſo rebellious. Then he counts it all joy to fall into divers tēptations; knowing, & finding by experience, that the trying of faith worketh patience, Iſai. 13.9.10.to be intire wanting nothing; and ſo farre as he comes into this life of perfection? to rejoyce in that he is made low; and he that is of low degree in the creature, to rejoyce in that he is made rich in God, and high in God; Ro. 5.4.and he ſees how patience bringeth forth experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not a ſhamed.
We will now come to ſome ſhort uſes and conſectories from this point, and from the benefits thereof.
Vſe the firſt; Is contentation a ſaints leſſon? is a ſaints ſpirit a ſatisfied ſpirit? then ſo far as any one of us have not a ſatisfied ſpirit, ſo far we have not a Saints ſpirit, ſo far we are not ſaints; So far as we are not ſatisfied, contented, at reſt and compoſed, ſo far wee are ſhort of God, and have not the life of God; ſo far as we live not with God and in God; For this is held out to us in the very nature of God; God is in himſelfe at reſt, ſerene, compoſed; no diſtraction in the Creature touches him, he ſits above; that is, hs is free from all changes and all alterations in the world; ſo is that man ſo farre as he is a Saint, being united and made one with God; though he live among the creatures, as God has his being in and through all the creatures, yet he is not altered by the creatures; So has this man as he is a ſaint, not his joy, his life, his riches, his treaſure in the creature, but in and with God, above all creatures.
Againe, is a ſaint as he is a ſaint, of compoſed ſatisfied ſpirit, compoſed of one ſpirit; for that is promiſed in Jer. I will give them one heart, Ier. 32.39and one ſpirit? then he is not of a devided diſcontented ſpirit; hee is not troubled with thoſe wiſhings and wouldings as men below are. Oh that I had this condition or that condition: but (ſaies he) let any condition come, ſo I have God in it: God is my reſt and not the condition; be it riches, or health, or the beſt condition wherein the men of the world, and ſo farre as we are unregenerate, to think therein is reſt; oh ſaies one, had I but ſuch a ones conditition, ſuch Lands, ſuch Honours, I could be contented and ſatisfied; oh ſaies another, had I not ſuch enemies, were they but cut off&overthro wne, I ſhould have reſt; this is not the temper of a Saint as a ſaint; But he ſayes I have found that promiſe fullfild? I have the deſire if my heart, Pſalm. 37.4.my reſt is in God, and I cannot tell what to wiſh other then I have, what I have I would have; and what I would have I have: if thou art not come to this, thou haſt a devided heart.
Some men they are ready to ſay, and bleſſe themſelves in their condition and ſay, I thanke God I am contented; but wherein is thy content? thou haſt a good eſtate, and thou haſt the deſire of thy heart in the creature, thou haſt rare parts, or thou art honoured among men, & herein thou art ſatisfied; and thou thinks this is a gracious content; thou doſt not murmur, but bleſſeſt God for thy condition; alaſſe, this is but ſenſuall, this is but nature; if thy content were right, it would not be in the creature but in God; Should God wheele thee into another condition, and wheele away theſe outward contents, then where will be thy comfort? And ſome who are gone a little higher, they can boaſt and ſay, I bleſſe God I am content; I am in poverty, in diſgrace, in priſon, &c. I am perſwaded to ſubmit to thē, becauſe it is ſo and it cannot be no other waies; tis therefore better to bee content, then to fight againſt the conditiō, except I could help it; this is but reaſoning a mans ſelfe into content, this content is not a Saints content; that is, to be content as ſeeing an excellency in this condition; as ſeeing beawty, and loves,Pſalm. 68.24. and the glorious outgoings of Gods proceedings; They have ſeen thy goings O God who art in the Sanctuary, therefore the Virgins love thee; oh the ſparkling pearles and diamonds this ſoule diſcovers; experiences worth all the world; he ſells all that he hath to purchaſe this field where theſe jewells are. Matth. 13.46.But he that reaſons himſelfe to reſt, he is not ſatisfied nor content, though he ſaith, he is; for he ſees no loves, no joyes no gatherings, no riches in theſe conditions, he longs to have the conditions changed, if he could; he longs not for the experiences of the condition; But the other ſayes, let me have thoſe ſweet experiences, and then any condition; for thoſe experiences are my riches, my life; I am now in a gathering way; now I ſee my riches come in; inſtead of envying and wiſhing for others conditions, thou wouldſt ſay: no conditions like mine, no riches like theſe riches, no credit like this credit; what to lie in the very boſom and heart of of Chriſt; That whether he continue poverty or remoove it, honnor or remove it, ſo that I may have my joyes, my experiences, the injoyment of my God, for therein is my reſt.
For this man, a Saint, is contented with God, and not with ſomething done by God; but with God in all conditions; As we may look upon the Spouſe in the Cant. let her be buffeted ſo ſhe may but have her beloved ſhe cares not;Cant. 5.7. ſhe will through all for him; & the reaſō is, tell him, I am ſick of love; if ſhe have not her beloved, give her what you will, riches, honour, parts, ordinances; oh ſhe cryes out, what means all theſe things, you miſtake my diſeaſe, I am ſick of love.
If you be content, what means this wiſhing and woulding; what meanes this picking and chuſing your conditions? what meanes ſo much envy of others conditions, if you ſee them but before you? Does a man that has a thouſand pounds, that has pearls and diamonds, envie him that has but a peny or pibble ſtones▪ tis never ſeene. Therefore wee may conclude thou haſt no Pearles, no treaſure; thou haſt not found the field wherein is the pearls; thou haſt not found God in health, and God in ſickneſſe, God in riches, and God in poverty, and God in parts, and God in want of parts, and God in all.
I pray obſerve this; nothing contents the ſoule, but that which anſwers the ſoule in all conditions, in all its wants; riches, honour, beawty, &c. doe not anſwer the ſoules wants, without God be in them; it muſt be ſomething ſutable to the ſoules nature; that muſt be Godlike and ſpirituall, elſe it will not feed the ſoule; theſe terrene things feed but ſenſe not ſaints; A child delights not to play, but with children, not with old men; ſo the ſoule delights not to play with creatures which are all below God; but it loves God, and delights in God, in the loves and imbraces of God, aud God delights in the imbraces of ſaints, their imbraces are mutuall.
Take this as another conſectory from this Doct. Is a ſaints reſt & ſatiſfaction in the injoying of God? then ti's not not a ſeſſation of any outward accommodation, can ceaſe a ſaints content and ſatisfaction; for his joy, his reſt lives, when all outward comforts dies. As Habac. 3.17. Allthough the figtree ſhall not bloſſome, neither ſhall fruit be in the Vine: the labour of the Olive ſhall faile, and the fields ſhall yeeld no meat, the flock cut off from the fold, and their ſhould be no heard in the ſtalles. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord: and joy in the God of my ſalvation. The Lord God is my ſtrength.
Againe, If ſo farre as a ſpirit is content and at reſt, its ſo farre like God; then thoſe that profeſſe themſelves ſonnes and daughters of God and are not content; they are not like God; they are not ſonnes and daughters of God; they are not the Image and offſpring of God; for thoſe that are Gods ſonnes, and borne of God, they are like God, hold forth Gods Image; and ſo farre as we come ſhort of this wee hold forth the Divells image; and we are no farther to account our ſelves the ſonnes of God, then as wee are begotten of God, and ſo far as we are content with God, and God in all things; Elſe we are begotten of the will of man, and of the will of fleſh, and not of the will of God.
Againe, dos this contentation of a Saint give him abilitie to be in a gathering way in all conditions; then thoſe that thrive not by all conditions ſo farre they are no Saints, but they are in a ſcattering, undoing way; they are ſcatterers and loſers in all condititions, becauſe they injoy not God.
Contentation with God is our greateſt gaine, and the reaſon is; becauſe this fixes a mans heart to his own portion, which is God alone; and ſo farre as we run out from God to the creature for content, ſo farre we run out to ſtrange women, to commit adultery, and play the harlots, as Jer. 3. ſhewes, Thou haſt played the harlot with many lovers, Jer. 3.1.yet retutne againe unto me ſaith the Lord. Surely as a wife treacherouſly departeth from her huſhand, ſo have you dealt treacherouſly mith me, oh houſe of Iſrael. All things but God is ſtrange women.
Againe, is he that is content with God free from the combuſtion of oppoſition; then we gather further; that no condition is croſſe to this ſpirit; we commonly cry out of croſſes; from men, from friends, from enemies; croſſes by Kings, and croſſes by Parliaments, and why is all this? croſſes in a Presbiterian way, and croſſes in an Independent way, and why? the reaſon is, becauſe our ſpirits are not laid levell to all conditions; to ſee all conditions equall to him, that lives with and in God. truly friends think of this ſeriouſly; our croſſes are not without, but all our croſſes are from within; we have wills of our own, which croſſes; and daſhes againſt Gods will in our conditions; and hence is the croſſe: for were my will and the conditions ſutable and laid levell, here would be no croſſe; And hence it is we are ſo unquiet: the working of our wills and conditions being ſo thwart and contrary, that they caſt up fome, mire, and dirt; and hence it is that we are ſo unſtable, we are not fixed, but carried up and downe with every wind of doctrine; hence it is, that ſo far as we are content with any thing below God, we are lyable to the change and confuſion of the nature of all things.
See then friends wherein a ſaints content and reſt lies; tis God in friends, God in relations, God in all outward accommodations? you ſee allſo how great a good and benefit ariſes from this life; When they faile God ſtands; we are free from the combuſtion of oppoſition; that man has no croſſe, no cōditiō is rough to him; ye are in a gathering way, ye ſhall grow rich; your heart ſhall be fixt and not carried away with every wind of doctrine and opinion; Laſtly, this fixes your heart faſt to your own portiō, which is God himſelf. And thoſe rich injoyments of his glorious outgo-ings;Pſal. 68.24. they have ſeen thy goings o God, even the goings of my God, and my King even in the Sanctuary.
FINIS
End of the text · Paul Hobson, Practical Divinity (1646)