PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
IN the last Exercise we spoke of divers things in the Mystrie of Contentment, and in the close we spoke of two more, but we could not have time to open either of them, I shall open them a little more largely, & then proceed to some few more, and so to other things in the point.
That’s the next then, A Christian heart hath not only Contentment in God, (and certainly, he that hath God, must have all, he that hath him that hath all, he hath all) But he is able to make up all his outward wants of creature-comforts from what he finds in himself: That may seem to be more strange: It’s true, perhaps we may convince men though they doe not feel by experience what it is to make up all in God, yet we may convince them that if they have him that hath all things, then they have al; for there is such a fulness in God, he being the infinite first-being of all things that may make up all their wants. But here’s another thing that’s further, I say a godly man can make up whatsoever he wants without the creature, he can make it up in himself, in the 14. of the Prov. 14. A good man is satisfied in himself: as now, If he wants outward comforts, good chear, feasting; a good conscience is a continual feast, he can make up the want of a feast by that peace he hath in his own conscience: if he wants melody abroad, he hath a bird within him that sings the most melodious songs that are in the world, and the most delightful. And then doth he want honour? he hath his own conscience witnessing for him, that is as a thousand witnesses, the Scripture saith in the 17. of Luke, v. 21. Neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there, for behold the Kingdome of God is within you; a Christian then whatsoever he wants he can make it up, for he hath a Kingdom in himselfe, the Kingdom of God is within him. If one that is a King should meet with a great deal of trouble when he is abroad, yet he Contents himself with this, I have a Kingdom of mine own; now here it’s said the Kingdom of God is within a man; truly, upon this Scripture of the Kingdom of God being within, those that are learned if they would but look into that Coment upon the Gospel that we have of a learned man, they shall find a very strange conceit that he hath about this very text, he confesses indeed it is unutterable, and so indeed it is; the Kingdom of God is within you, he makes it that there is such a presence of God and Christ within the soul of a man, that when the body dies, he saith, that the soul goes into God and Christ that is within him, the souls going into God and Christ, and enjoying of that Communion with God and Christ that is within it’s self, that’s Heaven to it (saith he) he confesses he is not able to expresse himself, nor others cannot understand fully what he intends; but certainly for the present before death, there’s a Kingdom of God within the soul, such a manifestation of God in the soul that is enough to Content the heart of any godly man in the world, the Kingdom that he hath now within him, he shall not stay till afterwards, till he goes to Heaven, but certainly there is a Heaven in the soul of a godly man, he hath Heaven already: many times when you go to comfort your friends in their afflictions, you will say Heaven will pay for all; nay, you may certainly find Heaven pays for all already: there is a Heaven within the souls of the Saints, that’s a certain truth, no soul shall ever come to heaven, but that Soul that hath Heaven come to it first. When you die you hope you shall goe to Heaven: But if you shall goe to Heaven when you die, Heaven will come to you before you die. Now this is a great Mysterie to have the Kingdom of Heaven in the Soul, no man can know this but that Soul that hath it, that Heaven which is within the Soul for the present (I say) it is like the white stone and the new name, that none but those that have it can understand it: It’s a miserable condition my brethren to depend upon creatures altogether for our Contentment, you know that rich men account it a great happinesse, if they need not go to buy things by the penny as others do, they have all things for pleasure or profit upon their own ground; and all their inheritance lies intire together, they have no body comes within them, but they have all within themselves, there lies their happinesse: Whereas other poorer people are fain to go from one Market to another to provide them necessaries, but yet great rich men they have sheep and beeves, corn and cloathing, and all things else of their own within themselves, and herein they place their happinesse: But this is the happinesse of a Christian, that he hath that within himselfe that may satisfie him more than all these; That place that we have in the first of James, seems to allude to that condition of men that have all their estates within themselves, Jam. 1.4. But let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect, and entire, wanting nothing: the word there used signifies to have the whole inheritance to our selves, not a broken inheritance, but that where all lies within themselves; as a man that hath not a piece of his estate here, and a piece there, but he hath it all lie together; and the heart being patient under afflictions finds it self to be in such an estate as this is, finds his whole inheritance to be together, and all intire within it’s self. And now still to shew this by further similitudes, it is with him being fil’d with good things, just like as it is with many a man that injoys abundance of comforts at home, at his own house, God grants to him a convenient habitation, a comfortable yoke-fellow, and fine walks and gardens, and hath all things at home that he could desire; now this man cares not much for going abroad, other men are fain to go abroad to take the air, but he hath a sweet air at home, and they are fain to go abroad to see friends, because they have raylings and contendings at home; many ill husbands will give this reason, (if his wife make any moan, and complaint of his ill husbandry) of their bad husbandry, and will make that their excuse to go abroad, because they can never be quiet at home. Now we account those men most happy that have all at home; those that have close houses that are unsavory, and smels ill, they delight to go into the fresh ayr; I but it is not so with many others that have these at home; those that have no good chear at home, they are fain to go abroad to friends, but those that have their Tables furnished, they had as live stay at home: so a carnal man he hath but little Contentment in his own spirit; it’s Austins similitude (saith he) an ill conscience is like a scoulding wife, a man (saith he) that hath an ill conscience he cares not to look into his own soul, but loves to be abroad, and look into other things, but never looks to himself, but one that hath a good conscience he delights in looking into his own heart, he hath a good conscience within him: and so a carnal heart, because theres nothing but filthinesse, a filthy stink in himself, nothing but vilenesse and basenesse, within him; upron this it is that he seeks his Contentment else where: And as it is with a vessel that is full of liquor, if you strike upon it it will make no great noise, but if it be empty then it makes a great noise; so it is with the heart, a heart that is full of grace and goodnesse within, such a one will bear a great many strokes, and never make any noise, but an empty heart if that be struck that will make a noise, those men and women that are so much complayning, and alwaies whyning, it is a sign that there’s an emptinesse in their hearts, but if their hearts were filled with grace they would not make such an noise as now they do. As a man that hath his bones fil’d with marrow, and veins fill’d with good blood, he complains not of cold as others do; so a gracious heart having the Spirit of God within him, and his heart fill’d with Grace, he hath that within him that makes him find Contentment. It is a speech of Seneca, Indeed those things that I suffer will be incredible heavy when I cannot bear my self; but now if I be no burden to my self, if I have all quiet within mine own heart, then I can bear any thing: many men through their wickednesse they have burdens without, but the greatest burden is the wickednesse of their own hearts, they are not burdened with their sins in a godly way, that would ease their burden, but they have still their wickednesse in the power of it, and so they are burdens to themselves. The distempers of mens hearts are mighty burdens to them; many times a godly man hath enough within to Content him; Vertue it is Content with its self, for to live well; (Its a speech of Cicero, and its in one of his Paradoxes) It finds enough within its own sphere for the living happily: but how few are acquainted with this Mysterie? Many think O if I had that that another man hath, how happily and comfortably should I live: Oh but if thou beest a Christian, whatsoever thy condition be, yet thou hast enough within thy self, you will say such and such men that hath all things they need not be beholding to any body, you shall have many that will labour and take pains when they are young, that they might not be beholding to others, I love to live of my selfe; now a Christian may do so; not that he doth not live upon God (I mean not so) but upon that that he hath of God within himselfe, that he can live upon, although he doth not enjoy the comforts that are without himselfe, thats it which I mean, and those that are godly and keep close to God in their Communion with him, they understand what I mean by this, that a Christian hath supply of all his wants within himselfe; and here you may see that the spirit of a Christian is a precious spirit, a godly spirit is precious, why? because it hath enough to make him happy within himself.