The Lessons Christ Teaches His Scholars

PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I Mentioned Three lessons the last time, that Christ teaehes those Schollers that comes into his School whereby they might come to get Contentment.

First, The lesson of Self-denial.

Secondly, The lesson of the vanity of the Creature.

Thirdly, The right understanding of that one thing that is necessary. A little to inlarge this one, & so to proceed to others.

It is said of Pompie, that when he was to carry corn to Rome in time of darth, he was in a great deal of danger by storms at Sea, but saith he, We must go on, it is necessary that Rome should be releived, but it is not necessary that we should live. So it would he certainly when the soul is once taken up with the things that are of absolute necessity, it will not be much troubled about other things. What are the things that do disquiet us here but some by-matters in this world? and it is because our hearts are not taken up with that one absolute necessary thing; who are the men that are most discontented, but idle persons, persons that have nothing to take up their minds, every little thing disquiets and discontents them? but now a man that hath businesse of great weight and consequence, if all things goes well with his great businesse that is in his head, he is not sensible of meaner things in the family; but now a man that lies at home and hath nothing to do, he finds fault with every thing; so it is with the heart, when the heart of a man hath nothing to do but to be busie about creature comforts, every little thing troubles him; but now, when the heart is taken up with the weighty things of eternity, with the great things of eternal life, the heart being taken up with them, these things that are here below that did disquiet it before, are things now of no consideration with him in comparison to the other, so as how things fall out here is not much regarded with him, if the one thing that is necessary be provided for.

The Fourth lesson that the Soul is instructed in to come to this knowledge in the art of Contentment, is this: The soul comes to understand in what relation it stands in here to the world. By that I mean thus, God comes to instruct the soul effectually through Christ by his Spirit, upon what terms it lives here in the world, in what relation it is that it doth stand: as thus, While I live in the world my condition is to be but a pilgrim, a stranger, a traveller, and a souldiar: now the right understanding of this, & being taught this not only by rote, that I can speak the words over, but when I come indeed to have my soul possest with the consideration of this truth, that God hath set me in this world, not as in my home, but as a meer stranger and a pilgrim, that I am travelling here to another home, and that I am here a souldier in my warfare; it is a mighty help to Contentment in whatsoever befalls one: as now to instance in all these conditions, When a man is at home, if he hath not things according to his desire he will be finding fault, and is not contented, but if a man travels abroad, perhaps he meets not with conveniences as he desires, the servants in the house are not at his beck, or are not so diligent as his own serveants were, and his dyet is not as at home, and his bed not as at home, yet this very thought may moderate a mans spirit, I am a traveller, and I must not be finding fault, I am but in another mans house, and it were not manners for one to find fault when he is abroad in another bodies family though things be not so as in my own family; If a man meets with ill weather he must be content, it is travellers fare (we use to say) both fair weather and foul weather, this is the common travellers fare, and we must be content with it; but if a man were at home and it should drop down in his house, he would account it an ill thing, an affliction to him, and he cannot bear it: but when he is travelling abroad though he meet with raine and stormes he is not so much troubled: When you are abroad at Sea, though you have not those many things that you have at home, you are not troubled at it, you are contented; why? you are abroad at Sea, you are not troubled at storms that do arise, and though you have many things otherwise than you would have them at home, but still you are quieted with that you are at Sea. Marriners when they are at Sea they care not what cloathes they have then, though they be pich’t and tar’d, and but a clout about their necks, and any mean cloaths, but they think when they come home, then they shall have their fine silk stockings, and brave sutes, & lac’d bands and such things, and shall be very fine; and so they are contented abroad upon that thought that it shall be otherwise with them when they come home, and though they have nothing but salt meat, and a little hard fare, yet when they come to their houses then they shall have any thing: Thus it should be with us in this world, the truth is, we are all in this world but as Sea-faring men, tost up and down on the waves of the Sea of this world, and our haven is Heaven, and we are here travelling, but our home it is another world, that long home. Indeed some men have better accommodations than others have in travelling; it’s true, it’s a great mercy of God to us in England, in that we can travell with such delight and accommodations more than they can in other Countries; and through Gods mercy we have as great accommodations in our travelling to Heaven in England as any place under Heaven hath, but yet though we do meet with travellers fare sometimes, yet it should not be greiveous to us: The Scripture tels us plainly that we must behave our selves here but as pilgrims and strangers, In 1 Peter, 2.11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the Soul: Consider what your condition is, you are pilgrims and strangers, do not think to satisfie your selves here. A man when he comes into an Inn, If there be a fair cupbord of plate he is not troubled that it is not his own, Why? Because he is going away; so let us not be troubled when we see othar men have great estates, but we have not, why? we are going away into another Country, you are lodging here but as it were for a night, if you should live an hundred yeers in comparison of eternity it is not so much as a night, it is but as you were travelling, and were come into an Inn: And were not this a madnesse for a man to be discontent because he hath not what he sees there, seeing it may be he is to go away again within half a quarter of an hour? So you find it in David, this was the argument that brought off Davids heart from the things of this world, and set him upon other manner of things, Psal. 119.19. I am a stranger in the earth, hide not thy Commandements from me: I am a stranger in the earth (what then) then Lord let me have the knowledge of thy Commandements and it’s sufficient, as for the things of the earth I stand not upon them whether I have much or little, but hide not thy Commandements from me, Lord let me know the rule that I should guide my life by.

Again, We are not only travellers but souldiers, this is the condition of the life in which we are here in this world: and therefore we are to behave our selves accordingly. So the Apostle makes use of this argument in writing unto Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.3. Thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good souldier of Jesus Christ. The very thought of the condition of a man that is a souldier, doth still his disquiet of heart: when he is abroad, he hath not that accomodations in his quarters as he hath in his own family; perhaps a man that had his bed and curtains drawn about him, and all accomodations in his chamber; now perhaps somtimes he must be put to lie upon straw, and he thinketh with himself, I am a souldier and it is sutable to my condition: he must have his bed warm’d at home, but he must lie abroad in the fields when he is a souldier; and the very thought of this condition in which he stands quiets him in all things; yea and he goes rejoycing, to think this is but sutable to my condition in which God hath put me: so it should be with us in respect of this world. Now would it not be an unseemly thing to see a souldier go whyning up and down with the finger in the eye and complaying, that he hath not hot meat every meal, and his bed warm’d as he had at home. Now Christians they know that they are in their warfare, they are here in this world fighting and combating with the enemies of their souls and eternal condition, and they must be willing to endure hardnesse here. The right understanding of this, that God hath put them into such a condition, it is that that will content them, especially when they consider that they are certain of the victory, and that ere long they shall triumph with Jesus Christ, and then all their sorrows shall be done away, and their tears wiped from their eyes. A souldier is content to endure hardnesse though he knows not that he shall have the victory, but a Christian knows himself to be a souldier, and knows that he shall conquer and triumph with Jesus Christ to all eternity. And that’s the fourth lesson that Christ doth teach the soul when he brings it into his School, to learn the Art of Contentment, he makes him understand throughly the relation in which he hath placed him in, in this world.

The Fifth lesson that Christ teaches, it is this, He teacheth us wherein consists any good that is to be enjoyed in any creature in the world. It’s true, before it hath been taught that there is a vanity in the Creature, that is, take the Creature considered in it’s self, but yet though there be a vanity in the Creature in it’s self, in respect of satisfying the soul for it’s portion, yet there is some goodnesse in the Creature, though there be a vanity there’s some desirablenesse: But wherein doth that consist? It consists not in the nature of the Creature it self, for that is nothing but vanity, but it consists in the reference it hath to the first being of all things. This is a Lesson that Christ teaches, if there be any good in an estate, or in any comforts in this world, it is not so much that it pleases my sence, that it is sutable to my body, but the reference it hath to God the first being, that by these creatures there should be somewhat of Gods goodnesse conveyed to me, and I may have a sanctified use of the creature to draw me neerer to God, and that I enjoy more of God, and be made more servicable for the glory of God in the place where God hath set me, here’s the good of the Creature; Oh were we but instructed in this lesson, did we but understand, and throughly beleeve this to be a truth, that there is no creature in all the world hath any goodnesse in it any further then it hath reference to the first infinit supream good of all, that so far as I can enjoy God in it, so far it is good to me, and so far as I do not enjoy God in it, so far there is no goodnesse in any thing that I have in the Creature, how easie were it then for one to be contented; as thus, Suppose a man had a great estate but a few years ago, and now it is all gone, I would but appeale to this man, when you had your estate, wherein did you account the good of that estate to consist? a carnal heart would say, any body might know that; that it brought me in so much a year, and that I could fare of the best, and be a man of repute in the place where I live, and men would regard what I said, I might be cloathed as I would, and lay up portions for my children, in this consisted the good of my estate; this man now never came into the School of Christ to know wherein the good of an estate did consist, no marvail if he be disquieted when he hath lost his estate: But now a Christian that hath been in the School of Christ, and hath been instructed in the art of Contentment, when such a one hath an estate, he thinks, in that I have an estate above my brethren, in this consists the good of it tome, in that I have an opportunity to serve God the better, and I enjoy a great deal of Gods mercy to my Soul conveyed to me through the Creature, and hereby I am inabled to do a great deal of good, and therein I account the good of my estate. Now God hath taken this away from me, now if God will be pleased to make up the enjoyment of himself another way; that is, will call me to honour him by suffering, and if I may do God as much service now in my way of suffering, that is to shew forth the Grace of his Spirit in the way of my suffering as I did in the way of prosperity, I have as much of God as I had before; if I may be led to God in my low condition, as much as I was in my prosperous condition, I have as much comfort and contentment as I had before.

Obj. But you wil say, it is true, If I could honour God in my low estate as much as in my prosperous estate then it were somewhat, but how can that be?

Answ. You must know the special honour that God hath from his creatures in this world, it is the manifestation of the Graces of his Spirit; It’s true, God hath a great deal of honour when a man is in a publick place, and so he is able to do a great deal of good, to countenance Godlinesse, and discountenance Sin, but the main thing is in our shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. Now if I can say that through Gods mercy in my affliction I find the Graces of Gods Spirit working as strongly in me as ever they did when I had my estate, I am where I was, yea I am fully in as good a condition, for I have that good now that I had in my prosperous estate, for I accounted the good of it but in my enjoyment of God, and honouring of God, and now God hath blest the want of it to stir up the Graces of his Spirit in my soul, and this is the work that now God cals me to, and I must account God is most honoured when I do the work that he cals me to, he set me a work in my prosperous estate at that time, to honour him in that condition, and now he sets me a work at this time to honour him in this condition: Now God is most honoured when I can turn from one condition to another according as he cals me to it: would you account your selves to be honoured by your servants, when you set them about a work that hath some excellency, and they will go on and on, and you cannot get them off from it? Now let the work be never so good, yet if you will call them off to another work you do expect that they should manifest so much respect to you as to be content to come off from that, though they be set about a meaner work, if it be more sutable to your ends. So you were in a prosperous estate, and there God called you to some service that you took some pleasure in; but suppose God saith, I will use you in a suffering condition, and I will have you honour me in that way, now here’s the honouring of God that you can turn this way or that way, as God cals you to it; thus now you having learned this, That the good of the Creature cansists in the enjoyment of God in it, and the honouring of God by it, you can be content, because you have the same good that you had before. And that’s the Fifth lesson.

The Sixth Lesson that Christ doth teach the soul that hee brings into this School, is this, Hee doth instruct such a man or woman in the knowledge of their own hearts: you must learn this or you will never learn Contentment; you must learn to know your own hearts well, to be good studients of your own hearts, you cannot al be scholers in the arts and sciences in the world, but you may all be students in your own hearts, you cannot reade in the book (many of you,) but God expects that every day you should turn over a leaf in your own hearts; you will never come to get any skil in this Mysterie, except you study the book of your own hearts: Marriners, they have their books that they study, those that will be good Navigaters, and Scholers they have their books; those that study Logick, they have their books according to that; and those that would study Rhetorick and Philosophy have their books according to that; and those that study Divinity, they have their books whereby they come to be helped in the study of Divinity: but a Christian next to the book of God is to look into the book of his own heart, and to reade over that, and this will help you to Contentment these three waies:

1. By the studying of thy heart, thou wilt come presently to discover wherein thy discontent lies; when thou art discontented, thou wilt find out the root of any discontentment if thou doest study thy heart well: many men and women they are discontented, and the truth is they know not wherfore, they think this & the other thing is the cause, but a man or woman that knows their own heart, they will find out presently where the root of their discontent lies, that it lies in such a corruption, and distemper of my heart, that now through Gods mercie I have found out; It is in this case as it is with a little child that is very froward in the house, if a stranger comes in he doth not know what the matter is, perhaps the stranger will give the child a rattle, or a nut, or such a thing to quiet it, but when the Nurse comes she knows the temper and disposition of the Child, and therefore knows best how to quiet it; so it is here just thus for all the world, when we are strangers with our own hearts we are mightily discontented, and know not how to quiet our selves, because we know not wherein the disquiet lieth: and indeed when we are strangers to our own hearts we cannot tell how to quiet our selves, but if we be very well verst in our own hearts, when any thing fals out so as to disquiet us, we find out the cause of it presently, and so quickly come to be quiet. So a man that hath a Watch, and he understands the use of every wheel and pin, if it goes amisse he will presently find out the cause of it: but one that hath no skill in a Watch, when it goes amisse he knows not what the matter is, and therefore cannot mend it. So indeed our hearts are as a Watch, and there are many wheels, and windings and turnings there, and we should labour to know our hearts well, that when they are out of tune we may know what the matter is.

2 This knowledge of our hearts wil help us to Contentment because by this we shall come to know what is most sutable to our condition. As thus, a man that knows not his own heart he thinks not what need he hath of affliction, and upon that he is disquieted; but that man or woman that hath studied their own hearts, when God comes with afflictions upon them, they can say, I would not for any thing in the world have been without this affliction, God hath so suted this affliction to my condition, and hath come in such a way, that if this affliction had not come I am affraid I should have fallen into sin; a poor country man that takes Phisick, the Phisick works, and he thinks it will kill him, because he knows not the ill humours that are in his body, and therefore he understands not how sutable the Physick is to him; but a Physitian takes a purge, and it makes him extreamly sick, saith the Physitian I like this the better, it doth but work upon the humour that I know is the matter of my disease, and upon that such a man that hath knowledge and understanding in his body, and the cause of his distemper, he is not troubled or disquieted: So would we be if we did but know the distempers of our own hearts, carnal men and women they know not their own spirits, and therefore they fling and vex upon every affliction that doth befall them, they know not what distempers are in their hearts that may be healed by their afflictions, if it please God to give them a sanctified use of them.

3 By knowing their own hearts, they know what they are able to manage, and by this means they come to be Content; the Lord perhaps takes away many comforts from them that they had before, or denies them some things that they hoped to have got; now they by knowing their hearts know this, that they were not able to mannage such an estate, and they were not able to mannage such prosperity, God saw it, and (saith a poor soul) I am in some measure convinced by looking into mine own heart, that I was not able to mannage such a condition. A man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps than he is able to mannage, and so undoes himself: as countrey men do observe, that if they doe over-stock their Land it will quickly spoyl them, and so a wise Husband-man that knows how much his ground will bear he is not troubled that he hath not so much stock as others, why? because he knows he hath not ground enough for so great a stock, and that quiets him; so many men and women that know not their own hearts, they would fain have a prosperous estate as others have, but if they knew their own hearts they would know that they were not able to mannage it: if one of your little children of three or four yeers old should be crying for the coat of her that is twelve or twenty yeers old, and say, why may not I have a coat as long as my sisters? If she had, it would soon trip up her heels, and break her face, but when the Child comes to understanding she is not discontented, because her coat is not so long as her sisters, but saith, my coat is fit for me, and therein takes Content; So if we come to understanding in the School of Christ we will not cry, why have not I such an estate as others have? the Lord seeth that I am not able to mannage it, and I see it my self by the knowing of mine own heart. You shall have children if they see but a knife, they will cry for it because they know not their strength and that they are not able to mannage it, but you know they are not able to mannage it, and therefore you will not give it them, and when they come to so much understanding as to know that they are not able to mannage it, they will not cry for it; so we would not cry for such and such things if we knew that we were not able to mannage them: when you vex and fret for what you have not, I may say to you as Christ saith, you know not of what spirits you are. It was a speech of Oecolampadius to Parillus, saith he (when they were speaking about his extream poverty,) Not so poor, though I have been very poor, yet I would be poorer, I could be willing to be poorer than I am, for the truth is (as if he should say) the Lord knew that that was more sutable to me, and I knew that my own heart was such, that a poor condition was more sutable to me than a rich; so certainly would we say if we knew our own hearts, that such and such a condition is better for me than if it had been otherwise.

The Seventh lesson, Is the burden of a prosperous estate. Such a one that comes into Christ’s School to be instructed in this Art, never comes to attain to any great skill in this Art untill he comes to understand the burden that is in a prosperous estate.

Object. You will say, What burden is there in a prosperous estate.

Answ. Yes certainly a great burden, and there needs a great strength to bear it: as men had need of strong brains that can bear strong wine, so they had need of strong spirits that are able to bear prosperous conditions, and not to do themselves hurt; there’s a fourfold burden in a prosperous estate. Many men and women look at the shine and glittering of prosperity, but they little think of the burden, but there’s a fourfould burden.

1 There’s A burden of trouble. A rose hath it’s prickles, and so the Scripture saith that he that will be rich pierceth himself through with many sorrows, 1 Tim. 6.10. If a mans heart be set upon it that he must be rich, and he will be rich, such a man will pierce himself through with many sorrows; he looks upon the delight and glory of riches that appears outwardly, but he considers not what piercing sorrows he may meet withal in them: The consideration of the trouble in a prosperous condition I have divers times thought of, and I cannot tell by what similitude to expresse it better than by travelling in some champian country, where round about is very fair and sandy ground, and you see there a Town a great way off in a bottom, and you think, Oh how bravely is that Town seated, but when you come and ride into the Town, you shall ride through a durty lane and through a company of fearful durty holes, and you could not see the durty lane and holes when you were two or three miles off; so sometimes we look upon the prosperity of men and think such a man lives bravely and comfortably, but if we did but know what troubles he meets withal in his family, in his estate, in his dealings with men, we would not think his condition so happy. One may have a very fine new shoe, but no body knows where it pinches him but he that hath it on; so you think such and such men are happy, but they may have many troubles that you little think of.

2 There is a burden of danger in it. Men that are in a prosperous condition they are in a great deal of danger, you see some times in the evening when you light up your candles, the mothes and the gnats will be flying up and down in the candle, but they scorch their wings, and there they fal down dead; so there is a great deal of danger in a prosperous estate, those men that are set upon a Pinacle on high, these men they are in greater danger than other men are. Honey we know doth invite Bees and Wasps unto it, and so the sweet of prosperity doth invite the Devil and temptation. Men that are in a prosperous estate are subject to many temptations that other men are not subject to. The Scripture cals the Devil Beelzebub, that is the god of flies, & so Beelzebub come where the honey of prosperity is, they are in very great danger of temptations that are in a prosperous condition. The dangers of men that are in a prosperous estate that have more than others, should be considered of by those that are lower, think with thy selfe, though they be above me, yet they are in more danger than I am, the tal trees are more shattered a great deal than low shrubs, so you know the ship that hath all the sails up, the top sail & all in a storm, this is in more danger than that that hath al the sails drawn in: And so men that have their Top-gallant, and all up and brave, they are more like to be drown’d, drown’d in perdition than other men are; and therefore you know what the Scripture saith, how hard it is for rich men to go into the kingdom of Heaven: such a text should make poor people to be contented with their estates. We have a notable example for that in the Children of Kohath, you shall find that they were in a more excellent estate than the other of the Levites, but they were in more danger than the other, and more trouble.

First, That the Children of Kohath were in a higher condition than other of the Levites, that I’le shew you out of the fourth of Numb. 4. vers. there you shall find what their condition was. This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation about the most holy things. Mark, the Levites were exercised about holy things; but the sons of Kohath, their service was about the most holy things of all: and you shall find in the 21. of Joshua, vers. 10. That God did honour the sons of Kohath in a more special manner than he did honor the other Levites, which honour the Children of Aaron (being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the Children of Levi) had, for theirs was the first lot, and they were prefer’d before the other families of Levi, those that were imployed in the most honourable imployment, they had the most honourable Lot, the first Lot fell to them: thus you see God honoured the Children of the Kohathites. But (might other Levites say) how hath God prefer’d this family before us? They were honoured more than the other were: But now, mark their burden that comes in with their honour, and that I’le shew you out of two Scriptures, the first is, Numb. 7.6, 7, 8, 9. And Moses took the Wagons and the Oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. Two wagons and four oxen be gave unto the sons of Gershom, according to their service: and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamer the son of Aaron the Priest. But saith he in the 9. vers. Vnto the sons of Kohath he gave none; because the service of the Sanctuary that belonged unto them, was, that they should bear upon their shouldiers. Mark, the other Levites had oxen, and wagons given to them, to ease them of their service: but (saith he) to the sons of Kohath he gave none, but they should bear their service upon their shoulders; and that’s the reason why God was so displeased, because that they would have more ease in Gods service than God would have them, for whereas they should carry it upon their shoulders, they would carry it upon a cart: Mark here, you see the first burden that they had, beyond what the other Levites had. And those indeed that are in more honourable places than others, those that are under them think not of their burden that they are to carry upon their shoulders, when as others have means to ease them; and many times those that are imployed in the Ministrie, or Majestracie, that sit at the stern to order the great Affairs of the Common-wealth and State, you think they live bravely: they lie awake when you are asleep; if you knew the burden that lies upon their spirits, you would think that your labour and burden were verie little in comparison of theirs.

2. There’s another burden of danger more than the rest, and that you shall find in Numb. 4.17. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites, but thus do unto them that they may live and not die: When they approch unto the most holy things, Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden; but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. Mark this text: saith the Lord to Moses and Aaron, Cut ye not off the tribe of the family of the Kohathites from among the Levites. Cut them not off, why? what had they done? had they done any thing amisse? no, they had not done any thing that provoked God: but the meaning is this; Take a great care of the family of the Kohathites, to instruct them in their duty that they were to do; for (saith God) they are in a great deal of danger, being to serve in the most holy things: if they should go in to see the holy things more than God would have them, it is as much as their lives are worth, and therefore if you should but neglect them, and not inform them thorowly in their duty they would be undone: (saith God) they are to administer in the most holy things, and if they should but dare to presume to do any thing otherwise than God would have them about those services, it would cost them their lives; and therefore be not you carelesse of them, for if you neglect them you will be a means of cutting them off. Thus you see the danger that the family of the Kohathites were in; they were prefer’d before others, but they were in more danger. So you think there are such men in a parish that bear the sway, and are imployed in publick service, and they carry all before them; but you consider not their danger. And so the Ministers, they stand in the fore-front of all the spight and mallice of ungodly men: indeed God imployes them in honourable service, and that service that the Angels would take delight in; but though the service be honourable, above the imployment of other works, yet the burden of danger, that likewise is greater than the danger of men that are in an inferiour condition. Now when the Soul comes to get wisdom from Christ to think of the danger that it is in, then it wil be content with that low estate in which it is. A poor man that is in a low condition, thinks, I am low, and others are raised, but I know not what their burden is: and so, if he be rightly instructed in the school of Christ he coms to be contented.

3. I a prosperous estate there is the burden of duty. You look only at the sweet and comfort that they have, and the honour and respect that they have that are in a prosperous condition; but you must consider of the duty that they owe to God: God requires more duty at their hands than at yours, you are ready to be discontented that you have not such parts and abilities as such have, but God requires more duty of them that have more parts, God requires more duty of them that have greater estates than of you that have not such estates: Oh you would faine have the honour, but can you carrie the burden of the duty.

4. The last is, The burden of account in a prosperous estate. There is a great account that they are to give to God that enjoy great estates and a prosperous condition: Now we are all stewards, and one is a steward to a meaner man, perhaps but an ordinary Knight; another is a steward to a Noble-man, an Earle: now the steward of the meaner man, he hath not so much as the other hath under his hand: now shall he be discontented because there comes not so much under his hand as under the others? No thinks he I have lesse, and I am to give the lesse account: So your account in comparison of the Ministers and Magistrates will be nothing; you are to give an account of your own souls, and so are they, you are to give an account for your own family, and so are they, but you are not to give account for Congregations, and for Towns, and Cities, and Countries. You think of Princes and Kings, Oh! what a glorious condition they are in. But what do you think of a King to give account for all the disorder and wickednesse in a Kingdom that he possibly might have prevented? What abundance of glory might a Prince bring to God if so be that he bent his soul and all his thoughts to lift up the Name of God in a Kingdom; now what God loses for want of this, that King, Prince, or Governour he must give an account for. It’s a speech of Chrysostom in that place of the Hebrewes, where it’s said that men must give an account for their souls, he wonders that any men in publick place can be saved, because their account is so great that they are to give. And I remember I have read a speech of Philip that was King of Spaine, (though the story saith of him, that he had such a natural conscience, that he profest he would not do any thing against his conscience, no not in secret for the gaining of the world, yet when this man was to die) Oh saith he, that I had never been a King; Oh that I had liv’d a sollitary and privat life all my daies; then should I have died a great deal more securely, I should with more confidence have gone before the Throne of God to give my account: but here’s the fruit of my kingdom, that I had all the glory of it, it hath made my account to be harder to give to God: and thus he cries out when he was to die. And therefore you that live in private conditions remember this, If you come into Christ’s School, and be taught this lesson, you will be quiet in your afflictions, or private estate, in regard your account is not so great as others. It’s a speech I remember I have met withall in Latimers Sermons that he was wont to use, The half is more than the whole. That is, when a man is in a mean condition, he is but halfe way towards the height of prosperity that others are in: yet saith he, this is more safe though it be a meaner condition than others. Those that are in a high and prosperous condition there is anexed to it the burden of trouble, and of danger and of duty, and of account. And thus you see how Christ traines up his Scholers in his School, and though they be weak otherwise, yet by his Spirit he gives them wisdom to understand these aright.

The Eight lesson is this, Christ teaches them what a great and dreadful evil it is to be given up to ones hearts desires. The understanding this lesson that it is a most dreadful evil, one of the most hideous and fearfull evills that can befall any man upon the face of the earth, for God to give him up to his hearts desires: when the soul understands this once, and together with it, (for it goes along together) that spiritual judgments are more fearfull than any outward judgments in the world, the understanding of this will teach any one to be content in Gods crossing of them in their desires. Thou art crost in thy desires, now thou art discontented and vext and fretted at it, is that thy only misery that thou art crost in thy desires? no no, thou art infinitly mistaken, the greatest misery of all is for God to give thee up to thy hearts lusts and desires, to give thee up to thine own counsells: so you have it in Psal, 81.11, 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me [what then?] So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counsels. Oh saith Bernard let me not have such a miserie as that is, for to give me what I would have, to give me my hearts desires, it is one of the most hideous judgments in the world for a man to be given up to his hearts desires. We have not indeed in Scripture any certain evident sign of a reprobate, we cannot say except we knew a man had committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, that he is a reprobate, for we know not what God may work upon him, but the neerest of all and the blackest sign of a reprobate is this, for God to give up a man to his hearts desires, all the pain of diseases, all the calamities that can be thought of in the world, are no judgments in comparison of this, for a man to be given up to his hearts desires; now when the Soul comes to understand this, the Soul then cries out, why am I so troubled that I have not my desires? There is nothing that God conveys his wrath more through than a prosperous estate. I remember I have read of a Jewish Tradition that they say of Vzziah, when God struck Vzziah with a Leprosie, they say that the beams of the Sun was darted upon the fore-head of Vzziah, and he was struck with a Leprosie by the darting of the beams of the Sun upon his fore-head; the Scripture saith, Indeed the Priests looked upon him; but they say there was a speciall light and beam of the Sun upon the fore-head that did discover the Leprosie to the Priests, and they say it was the way of conveying of it. Whether that were true or no, I am sure this is true, that the strong beams of the Sun of prosperity upon many men makes them to be leprous; would any poor man in the countrey have been discontented that he was not in Vzziahs condition? he was a great King, I but there was the Leprosie in his fore-head, the poor man may say, though I live meanly in the countrey yet I thank God my body is whole and sound, would not any man rather have russet and skins of beasts to cloath him with, than to have sattin and velvet that should have the Plague in it; The Lord conveys the plague of his curse through prosperity, as much as through any thing in the world, and therefore the soul coming to understand this, this makes it to be quiet and content.

And then spirituall judgments are the greatest judgments of all; the Lord laies such an affliction upon my outward estate, but what if he had taken away my life, a mans health is a greater mercy than his estate, and you that are poor people you should consider of that; but is the health of a mans body better than his estate? what is the health of a mans soul? that’s a great deal better; the Lord hath inflicted externall judgements, but he hath not inflicted spirituall judgments upon thee, he hath not given thee up to hardnesse of heart, and taken away the spirit of prayer from thee in thine afflicted estate, Oh then be of good comfort though there be outward afflictions upon thee, yet thy soul, thy more excellent part is not afflicted. Now when the soul comes to understand this, that here lies the sore wroth of God to be given up to a mans desires, and for spiritual judgments to be upon a man, this quiets him, and contents him, though outward afflictions be upon him; perhaps one of a mans children hath the fit of an ague, or the tooth-ach, but perhaps his next neighbour hath the plague, or all his Children are dead of the plague, now shall he be so discontented, because his Children have the tooth-ach when his neighbours Children are dead? now think thus, Lord thou hast laid an afflicted condition upon me, but Lord thou hast not given me the plague of a hard heart. Now take these Eight things before mentioned, and lay them together, and you may well apply that Scripture in the 29. of Isa. the last verse, saith the text there, They also that erred in spirit, shall come to understanding; and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. Hath there bin any of you (as I fear many may be found) that have erred in spirit, even in regard of this truth that now we are preaching of, and many that have murmured, Oh that this day you might come to understand, that Christ would bring you into his School, and seach you understanding, And they that murmured shall learn doctrine: what doctrine shall they learn? These Eight Doctrines that I have opened to you. And if you will but throughly study these lessons that I have set before your eyes: It will be a speciall help and means to cure your murmurings against, and repinings at the hand of God: And so you will come to learn Christian Contentment. The Lord teach you thoroughly by his Spirit these lessons of Contentment.