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.