PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
NOW because it is very hard to work upon a murmuring spirit, there are divers aggravations (I told you) we are to consider of for the further setting out of the greatness of this sin; I mentioned but only one the last day, now we shall proceed in that.
The first Agravation of the sin of discontent and murmuring is this, For men and women to be discontent in the mid’st of mercies, in enjoyment of abundance of mercies. To be discontent in any afflicted condition, is sinful and evil, but to be discontent when we are in the middest of Gods mercies, when we are not able to count the mercies of God, yet after to be discontent because we have not all we would have, this is a greater evil. I only mentioned this the last day, that I might shew to you what a great sin it is at such a time as this. The Lord this summer hath multiplied mercies one upon another, the Lord hath made this summer to be a continued miracle of mercie; never did a Kingdom enjoy (in so little space of time) such mercies one upon another: Now the publick mercies of God should quiet our hearts and keep us from discontent; and the sin of discontent for private afflictions is exceedingly aggravated by the consideration of publick mercies to the Land; when the Lord hath bin so merciful to the Land, wilt thou be feetting and murmuring, because thou hast not in thy family all the comforts that thou would’st have? As it is a great aggravation of a mans evill for him to rejoyce immoderately in his own private comforts when the Church is in affliction, when the publick suffers grievous and hard troubles, if any man shall then rejoyce and give liberty to himself, at that time to satisfie his flesh to the uttermost in all outward comforts, this is a great aggravation of his sin: So on the contrary for any man to be immoderately troubled for any private afflictions when it goes well with the publick, with the Churches, this is a great aggravation of his sin: It may be when the Church of God was lowest, and it went worst in other parts, yet thou didst abate nothing of the comfort of thy flesh, but gavest full liberty to satisfie thy flesh as formerly, know this was thy great sin; so on the other side when we have received such mercies in publick, we should have all our private afflictions swallowed up in the publick mercies· and we should think with our selves, though we be afflicted for our particular, yet (blessed be God) it goes well with the Church, and with the publick; the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents, and if it doth not so, know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad. Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins? This is a sad thing, this is to turne the mercies of God to be our misery. Did’st not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the publick, these great victories that God hath given, did’st not thou pray for them? now thou hast them, Is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some privat trouble thou meetest withall in thy family? Is not there goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment? Certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for, except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions. Publick mercies are the aggravation of privat discontent, as so of publick discontent too; if we receive so many publick mercies, yet if every thing goes not in the publick according as we desire, if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin, God may say, what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people, and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent? Oh! it’s exceeding evil. So in particular, the mercies that concerns thy self, thy family, if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou had’st afflictions, I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation, (suppose thy afflictions be what they will) there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions.
Object. You will say, I, but you do not know what our afflictions are, our afflictions are so as you do not conceive of them because you feel them not?
Answ. Though I cannot know what your afflictions are, yet I know what your mercies are, and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have: If it were but this mercy, that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you, it’s a greater mercie than any affliction, set any affliction by this mercie and see which would weigh heaviest, this is certainly greater than any affliction; that you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not now in Hell, this is a greater mercie, that you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears; that you have the use of your reason; this is a greater mercie than your afflictions; that you have the use of your limbs, your sences, that you have the health of your bodies, health of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction, there is no man that is rich but if he be wise, if he hath a sickly body, he would part with all his riches that he might have his health, therefore thy mercies are more than thy afflictions. We find in Scripture how the holy Ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies, you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16, of Numb. 8. verse &c. It’s a speech of Moses to Korah and his company when they murmured, And Moses said unto Korah, hear I pray you ye sons of Levi, (there’s somewhat that you are sons of Levi,) Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel, to bring you neer to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them? Korah and his company were murmuring, but mark how Moses aggravates this; Seemeth it a smal thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himselfe to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord? &c. You see ‘tis a great honour that God puts upon a man a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to seperate him from others for himself, to come neer to him, to imploy him in the service of the Tabernacle, to minister to the Congregation in holy things, this is a great mercy, and indeed it’s such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction; It’s true, many Ministers of God they meet with hard things that might discourage them, and trouble and grieve their spirits, but now this consideration that God is pleased to imploy them in such a service neer to himself, that though they cannot do good to themselves, yet they may do good to others, this should quiet them. And yet in the 10. verse, And he hath brought thee neer to him, and all thy Brethren the Sons of Levi with thee, and seek ye the Priest-hood also? have not you enough already? but still you are discontented with what you have and must have more, seek ye yet more? Seek ye the Priest-hood also? for which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord: And what is Aaron that ye murmur against him? what hath God given you such things, and yet will you be murmuring, because you cannot have more? Me thinks that this place should keep Ministers from murmuring, though they should meet with never such afflictions and crosses, and unkind dealings from men, yet still they should go on with hearts quieted and comforted in the work that God hath set them about, and labour to countervaile all their Afflictions by being more abundant in the work of the Lord. That is the first text of Scripture that shews how the mercies we enjoy are Aggravations to the sin of murmuring.
And then a second Scripture is in the 2. of Job, 10. vers. A speech of Job to his wife, what saith Job when his wife would have had him curse God and die? (that was a degree beyond murmuring) saith he, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women, shall we receive good at the band of God and not evil? you see Job did help himself against all murmuring thoughts against the waies of God with this consideration, that he had received so much good from the Lord; what though we receive evil, yet do not we receive good as well as evil? let us set one against the other, that’s the way we should go. In the 17. of Ecclesiastes the 14. vers. you have a notable Scripture there whereby you may see what course is to be taken when the heart rises in murmuring, In the day of prosperity be joyfull, but in the day of Adversity consider; what should they consider? (mark what follows) God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. God also hath set the one over against the other, that’s thus, When thou art in prosperity, then indeed every man can be joyfull, but what if Afflictions befals him, what then? then consider, consider what? That God hath set one over against the other, thou hast a great deal of Affliction, and thou hast had a great deal of prosperity, thou hast many troubles, and thou hast had many mercies, make one column of mercies, and one column of afflictions, and write one against the other, and fee if God hath not fil’d one column as full as the other, you look altogether upon your afflictions, but look upon your mercies also; for instance, It may be God hath afflicted you in one child, but he hath been merciful to you in another child, set one against the other, God afflicted David in Absolom, but he was merciful to David in Solomon, and therefore when David cryed out, Oh Absolom my Son my Son! if David had thought upon Solomon, and cried, Oh Solomon my son my son, it would have quieted him. And it may be God hath been merciful to thee in a wife, or in thy husband, set that against thy affliction, it may be God crosses thee in thy estate, but it may be he doth imploy thee in his service, it may be thou art afflicted in some of thy friends, but thou hast other friends that are great mercies to thee, and therefore you should set one against the other, and it doth concern you so to do, for those mercies will be aggravations of your sins, and you had better make Gods mercies a means to lessen your sins, than to be the aggravation of your sins: If you make not the mercies of God to help you against your murmuring, you will make them to be aggravations of the sin of murmuring: I beseech you for this take but this one consideration further, and if you will but work it upon your hearts I hope you may find a great deal of power in it, You find afflictions, and your hearts are troubled and murmur, consider how Gods mercies doth aggravate this sin, thus: In the midst of our sins we do make account God should accept of our services, do but consider thus, if in the midst of our manie sins we hope that God will accept of our poor services, why then should not we in the midst of our afflictions blesse God for his manie mercies? shall God be thus gracious to us that notwithstanding our many sins, yet he will not cast away our poor duties and services that we perform, then why should not we in the midst of our sufferings accept of what mercies we have, and not slight them and disregard them? If thou in the midst of Gods mercies shalt not be willing to bear afflictions that God laies upon thee, then it were just with God that in the midst of thy sins he should not regard any of thy duties, now is there not as much power in thy manifold sins to cause God to reject thy duties and services, as there is power in afflictions (in the midst of many mercies) to take off thy heart from being affected with Gods mercies? And that’s the first aggravation of the sin of murmuring, to murmur in the midst of mercies.
A Second Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is, When we murmur for smal things. Saith Naamans servant to him, Father (for so he called him) if the Prophet had required you to do some great thing, would not you have done it? how much more this little thing. So I say, if the Lord had required you to suffer some great matter, would not you have been willing to suffer? How much more this little thing. I remember I have read in Seneca a Heathen, he hath this similitude which is a very fine one to set out the great evil of murmuring upon smaller afflictions, (saith he) Suppose a man hath a very fair house to dwell in, and he hath fair orchyards and gardens, and set about with brave tall trees for ornament, if this man now should murmur because the wind blows off a few leaves off his trees, what a most unreasonable thing were it for him to be weeping and wringing his hands because he loses a few leaves off his trees, when he hath abundance of all kind of fruit? thus it is with many (saith he) though they have a great many comforts about them, yet some little matter, the blowing off of a few leaves from them is enough to disquiet them. It was a great evil when Ahab having a kingdom, yet the want of his neighbours vinyard had such power to disquiet him: So for us to murmur, not because we have not such a thing as we have need of, but because we have not what possibly we might have, this is a very great sin. Suppose God gives a child that hath all the limbs and parts compleat, a child that is very comly, and hath excellent parts, wit, and memory, but it may be there is a wart that grows upon the finger of the child, and she murmurs at it, and Oh what an affliction is this to her! she is so taken up with that as she forgets to give any thanks to God for her child, and all the goodnesse of God to her in the child is swallowed up in that; would not you say, this were a folly & a very great evil in a woman so to do? Truly our afflictions if we weighed them aright they are but such kind of things in comparison of our mercies. Rebeckah she had a mighty desire to have children, but because she found some trouble in her body when she was with child, saith she, Why am I thus? As if she should say, I had as good have none, only because she found a little pain and trouble in her body. To be discontent when the affliction is small and little, that increases very much the sin of murmuring, it is to much for any one to murmur upon the heaviest crosse that can befall one in this world, but upon some small things to be discontent and murmur, that’s worse. I have read of one when he lay upon a heap of damask-roses, he complained that there was one of the rose leaves lay double under him: So we are readie thus for verie small things to make complaints and to be discontented with our condition. And that’s a Second aggravation.
A Third aggravation is this, For men that are of parts and abilities, that God hath given wisdom to, for them to be discontent and murmur, that is more than if others do it. Murmuring and discontentednesse is too much in the weakest, yet we can bear with it sometimes in children and women that are weak, but for those that are men, men of understanding, that have wisdom, that God imployes in publick service, that they should be discontent with every thing, this is an exceeding great evil; for men in their families (to whom God hath given parts and wisdom) when things fall out amisse there, to be alwaies murmuring and repining, their sin is greater than for women or children to do it.
A fourth aggravation, Is the consideration of the freeness of all Gods mercies to us. What ever we have it is of free cost, what though we have not all we would have, seeing what we have is free? If what we have were earned then it were somewhat, but when we consider that all is from God, for us to murmur at his dispensations is verie evil. Suppose a man were in a family entertained by a friend, and he did not pay for his board, but he hath it given him for nothing, it’s expected such a one should not be ready to find fault with every thing in the house, with servants or with meat at table or the like, i[…] such a one that hath plentiful provision and all given him Gratis, and paies nothing for his board, should be discontented if a cup should not be filled for him as he would have it, or if he should stay a minute of an hour longer for a thing than he would, this we would account a great evil: So it is with us, we are at Gods table every day, and it is upon free-cost whatever we have: It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friends table to find fault with things, though at home he may be bold: Now when we are at the table of God (for so all Gods administrations to us are his table) and are at free-cost, now for us to be finding fault and be discontented this is a great Aggravation of our sin.
A fift Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, When men and women murmur and are discontented and impatient when they have the things that they were discontented for the want of before they had them. So it is sometimes with children, they will cry for such a thing, and when you give it them then throw it away, they are as much discontented as they were before. So it was with the people of Israel, nothing would quiet them but they must have a King, Samuel perswaded them to be contrary, and told them what kind of King they should have; and when they had a King, Hos. 10.3. What shall a King do to us? they were not contented when they had one. So Rachel, she must have children or else she died, and when she had a little trouble she was discontented too; so that we are neither well full nor fasting (as we use to say.)
The sixt Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For those men and women to be discontent and murmur that God hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions; This is a very great aggravation if thou be discontent now: There was a time when thou wert low enough, and perhaps when thou wert so low then thou didest say, oh if God would deliver me from such an affliction, or give me but a little more in my estate I should think my self in a good condition: but if God by his providence doth raise thee, thou art as greedy of more still as thou wert before, and as much discontented as thou wert before: this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding, and poor beginings for them to be so nice, and dainty that nothing can please them, whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough; but it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty, and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding: It’s to much for a child to be discontented in his fathers house, but if a man hath taken a poor begger boy, if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door, and set him at your own table, could you bear that such a one should complain that such a thing is not well drest, or the like, you could not bear it if your children should do it, but you could bear it a great deal better with them than to hear such a one do it: But thou art a poor beggar, and God hath (as it were) taken thee into his great family, and if the Lord hath been pleased to raise thee higher, that now thou hast a competency, that thou mayest live as a man, to be of use and service in the place where God hath set thee, now wilt thou be discontent because thou hast not every thing that thou desirest? We know the Prodigal, when he came to himself, Oh! saith he, In my fathers house is bread enough. He did not say, there’s good-chear enough, and a great deal of dainties; no, he thought of nothing but bread, there’s bread enough: So it’s ordinary for men and women when they are in a low condition, they think that if they may have bread, any competency, they will be contented and bless God, but when they have their bread and things convenient, they must have more or else they are not contented; know that this is an exceeding great aggravation to thy discontentment, when you are raised from a very low condition and yet you cannot be contented with what you have.
A Seventh Aggravation of this sin is this, For them to be discontent that have been very great sinners and ungodly in their former time. For men and women that have much guiltinesse upon them, the guilt of very many sins upon them, that have provok’d God exceedingly against them, and have brought themselves in a most dreadful manner under the sentence of Gods justice, and yet God being pleased to reprieve them, for them to murmur and to be discontent with Gods administrations towards them, this is exceeding evil, Oh it were consideration enough to quiet any murmuring in our hearrs, to think thus, We are but sinners, why should not we be sufferers that are sinners? but then consider, we that are such great sinners, guilty of such notorious sins, that it is a wonder that we are out of Hell at this present, yet for us to be discontent and murmur, how exceedingly doth this increase our sin! Consider how we have crossed God in our sinnes, then if God should crosse us in the way of our sufferings, should not we sit down quiet without murmuring? Certainly thou never knewest what it was to be humbled for thy manifold sins, that art discontented at any administration of God towards thee.
The Eighth Agravation of the sin of murmuring is, For those men that are of little use in the world, for them to be discontented. If you have but a beast that you make much use of, you wil feed it well, but if you have but litttle use of him then you turn him into the commons, little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him: If we liv’d so as to be exceeding useful to God and his Church, we might expect that God would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us, but when our consciences tell us, we live and do but little service for God, what if God should turn us upon the commons, yet we are fed according to our work? according to our imployment? why should any creature be servicable to thee, who art so little servicable to God? This one meditation would much help us, to think, I am discontent because such and such creatures are not servicable to me, but why should I expect that they should be servicable to me when I am not servicable to God? And that’s the Eighth Aggravation.
A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us. It should be the care of a Christian, to observe what are Gods waies towards him, what is God about to do with me at this time? Is God about to raise me, to comfort me? let me close with Gods goodnesse, and blesse his Name, let me joyn with the work of God, when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers. But again, Is God about to humble me? is God about to break my heart, and to bring my heart down to him? let me joyn with God in this work of his, this is for a Christian to walk with God. It is said that Enoch, and Noah walked with God; walked with God, what’s that? That is, To observe what is the work of God that God is now about, and to joyn with God in that work of his; so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with Grd, and have sutable workings unto the workings of God towards him. Now then, I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted; Therefore thou art afflicted because God would humble thee, and the great design that God hath in afflicting of thee, is to break and humble thy heart; and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God? for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God, God is doing thee good if thou could’st see it, now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine, and humble that proud spirit of thine, it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou had’st in all thy life, now wilt thou yet stand out against God? it’s even as if thou shouldest say, well, the Lord is about to break me, and humble me, but he shall not; this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentednesse, though thou darest not say so, but though thou sayest not so in words, yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit, Oh consider what an aggravation this is: I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good, but yet I stand out against him and resist him, and that’s another aggravation.
A tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this, The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction, the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction. It’s a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent, but though it be a sin, when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that, but when I see an extraordinary providence working that’s a greater sin, that is, when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of, shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God, shall I stand out against God when I see God doth expresse his wil in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition? indeed before we see the will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction, and may use means for it, but now when we see God expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably, then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him, and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us, it’s our best way to fall down before him and not to resist; for as it is an argument of a mans disobedience, when there is not only a command against a sin but when God reveals his command in a terrible way, the more solemn the command of God is, the greater is the sin in breaking that command; so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us, the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented. Then God expects that we should fall down when he (as it were) speaks from Heaven to thee by name and saith, well, I wil have this spirit of thine down, do not you see that my hand is stretched out, my eyes are upon you, my thoughts are upon you, and I must have that proud spirit of thine down? Oh then it’s fit for the creature to yeeld and submit unto him. When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants, or children, you expect they should regard what you say, but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way, then if they should disregard what you say, you are very impatient: So certainly God cannot take it well when ever he doth appeare from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction, if then we do not submit to him.
The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, To be discontented though God hath been exercising of us long under afflictions, yet still to remain discontented. For a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it’s an evil, but to have a murmuring heart when God hath been a long time exercising them with affliction it’s more evil. Though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wrigles up and down and will not be quiet, but if after many monthes or yeers it shall not draw quietly, the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it: So though the Lord was content to passe by that discontented spirit of thine at first, yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon thee, thou hast bin under his afflicting hand (it may be) divers yeers; and yet thou remain discontent still; it were just with God that he should bear thy murmuring no longer, and that thy discontent under the affliction should be but a preparation to thy destruction. So you see when a man or woman hath been long exercised with afflictions and yet are discontent, that’s an aggravation of the sin: Mark that text in Heb. 12.11. Now (saith the Scripture) No chastening for the present is joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. It’s true, our afflictions are not joyous but grievous, though at first when our affliction comes it is very grievous, but yet (saith the text) afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby; when thou hast been a long time in the School of afflictions, thou art a very dullard in Christs School if thou hast not learned this Contentment, I have learned (saith Saint Paul) in every state therewith to be content: Paul had learned this lesson quickly, thou hast been a learning many yeers, perhaps thou mayest say as Heman did, That thou art afflicted from thy youth up, in the 88. Psal. Oh it’s a very evil thing if being exercised long with afflictions you are not yet contented: The eye in the body of a man is as tender a part as any part that a mans body hath, but yet the eye is able to continue in and bear a great deal of cold, because it is more used to it; so those that are used to afflictions, those that God exercises much with afflictions, (though they have tender spirits otherwise) yet they should have learned contentednesse by this time. A new cart may creek and make a noise, but after the use of it a while it will not do so: So when thou wert first a Christian and newly come into the work of Christ, perhaps thou makest a noise and canst not bear affliction: but art thou an old Chistian and yet wilt thou be a murmuring Christian? Oh that’s a shame for any that are ancient professors, that have been a long time in the School of Jesus Christ to have murmuring and discontented spirits. And thus you have had Eleven Aggravations of this sin of murmuring and discontent.
But now my brethren because this discontented humour is a very tough humour, and it is very hard to work upon, there’s none that are discontented but will have something to say for their discontent, I shall therefore desire to take away what every discontented heart hath to say for himself.
The Pleas of a discontented heart
In the first place, Saith one that is discontented, It is not discontentment, it is the sence of my condition, I hope you would have me sensible of my condition: perhaps when God takes away a friend or some other comfort they are inordinatly sorrowful, and wringing their hands as if they were undone, and let any one but speak to them, (say they) Would you not have me sensible of my affliction? And thus many would hide their sinful murmuring under Gods hand with this pretence, that it is but sensibleness of their affliction.
To that I answer, First, there is no sence of any affliction that will hinder the sense of Gods mercies, nay the more we are sensible of our afflictions if it be in a gracious manner, the more sensible we will be of Gods mercy, but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as it takes away the sense of all thy mercies; Oh this is sinful discontent, this is not to be sensible of thy condition as God would have thee, but it is to be sensible in a wicked way, you go beyond your bounds: By this rule you may come to know when your sorrows and troubles for your afflictions goes beyond the bounds, we may be sorrowful when God afflicts, but Oh! that I might know when my sorrow goes beyond the bounds of it; truly thou mayest know it by this, doth the sence of thy afflictions take away the sense of thy mercies? If it doth then it goes beyond the bounds.
Secondly, If it were but a bare sence of an affliction it would not hinder thee in the duties of thy condition, the right sence of our afflictions will never hinder us in the performance of the duties of our condition, but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as thou art made unfit for the performance of the duties of the condition that God hath put thee in, surely it’s more then meer sence of thy affliction.
Thirdly, If it were but meer sence of thy affliction, yet then thou couldest in this thy condition blesse God for the mercies that others have, but thy discontentednesse usually breeds envie at it, when any one is discontented with their condition, they have an envious spirit at the conditions of those that are delivered from what afflictions they bear, certainly then it’s turn’d to be sowre and naught, when thou art so sensible of thy afflictions, and unsensible of mercies as thou art unfit for the duties of thy condition, and envious at others that are not afflicted as thou art.
The Second Plea
But wil a discontented heart say, I am not so much troubled with my afflictions, but it is for my sin rather than my affliction, and I hope you wil give leave that we should be troubled and discontented with our sin, and were it not for sin that I see in my self I should not be so discontented as I am, Oh! it is sin that is heavy upon me, and it’s that that troubles me more than my afflictions.
Deceive not thine own heart, there is a very great deceit in this, there’s many people that when Gods hand is out against them they will say, they are troubled for their sin, but the truth is, it’s the affliction that doth trouble them rather than their sin, their heart doth exceedingly deceive them in this very thing: For,
First, They were never troubled for their sin before this Affliction came; but you will say, It’s true, I was not before, for my prosperity blinded me, but now God hath opened mine eyes by afflictions: Hath he so?
Secondly, Then thy great care will be rather for the removing of thy sin, than thy affliction, art thou more solicitous about the taking away thy sin, than the taking away of thine affliction?
Thirdly, If it be thy sin that troubles thee, if God should take away thy afflictions, yet except thy sin be taken away, and thy heart be better, this would not content thee, thou couldest not be satisfied: but we see it ordinarily, that if God removes their afflictions there’s no more trouble for their sin. Oh! many do bely themselves in this, in saying, that they are so troubled for their sin, and especially those that are so troubled that they are in danger to miscarry, and to make away themselves, there’s not one in ten thousand that are in such a condition as this is, but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it; indeed you lay all upon this, as if it were the work of the word or the spirit of bondage: I remember I heard not long since of a Divine that being judicious, and used to such kind of things, there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin, and he could not tell what to do, he was ready to despaire, the Divine looks upon him, saith he, are you not in debt? he confest that he was; and at length the Minister began to find it out, that that was his trouble rather than his sin, and so was a means to help him that way, that his Creditors should not come upon him, and then the man was pretty quiet, and would not make away himself any longer, for it is a usual thing, that if any thing befals a man that doth crosse him, Oh then it’s their sin that doth trouble them. Sometimes it is thus with servants, if their Governors crosse them, then they are vext and free, and come to deale with them, Oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin: but we must take heed of dallying with God· that is the Seer and Searcher of the secrets of all hearts, many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families, and then you say it’s your sin that lies upon you, when God knows it’s otherwise, it’s because you cannot have your wils as you would have.
Fourthly, If thou beest troubled for thy sin, then it will be thy great care not to sin in thy trouble; not by thy trouble to increase thy sin, but thou art troubled in such a way as the truth is thou doest increase thy sin in thy trouble, and since thou sayest thou wert troubled for thy sin thou hast committed more sin than thou didest before.
And then lastly, if it be thy sin that troubles thee, then thou hast the more need to submit to Gods hand; and accept of the punishment of thine iniquity, as it is in Levit. 26.41. There’s no such consideration to take away murmuring, as to look upon my sin ae the cause of my affliction.
The Third Plea
Oh saith another, I find my Affliction is such that God withdraws himself from me in mine Affliction, that is that that troubles me, and can any body be quiet then, can any body be satisfied with such a condition when the Lord shall withdraw himself? Were my Affliction never so great, yet if I find not God withdrawing himself from me I hope I could be content with any Affliction, but I cannot find the presence of God with me in this Affliction, as some times I have found; and it is that that troubles me, and makes me to be in such a condition as I am.
Now to that I answer thus, First, it is a very evil thing for men and women upon every Affliction to conclude that God is departed from them, it may be when it comes to be examined there is no other reason why thou thinkest that God is withdrawn and departed, but because he doth afflict thee, now for thee to make such a conclusion, that every time God laies an Affliction upon thee he is departed; this is a sinful distemper of thy heart, and is very dishonourable to God, and grievous to his Spirit. In the 17. of Exod. 7. verse, you may see how God was displeased there with such a kind of distemper as this is, And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the chiding of the Children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord amongst us or not? Mark, they did murmur because they were brought into Afflictions, but see what the Text saith, therefore the place was called Massah and Meribah, because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord amonst us or not? This was to tempt God, sometimes we are afraid God is departed from us, and it was meerly because we are afflicted, I beseech you observe that Scripture, God cals it a tempting of him when he afflicts any, for them to conclude and say that God is departed from them. If a child should cry out of his Father, and say that his Father is turned to be an enemy to him, because he doth correct him, this would be taken ill, I beseech you consider of this one place, it may be of very great use to you, that you may not be ready to think that God is departed because you are afflicted.
Secondly, If God be departed, the greatest sign of Gods departing is because you are so disquiet, you make your disquiet be the fruit of Gods departing, and if it comes to be examined your disquiet is the cause of Gods departing from you, if you could but cure your disquiet, if you could but quiet your own hearts and get them into a better frame of contentedness under Gods hand in afflicting of you, then you would find Gods presence with you, will you be thus disquiet till God comes again to you? your disquiet drives him from you, and you can never expect Gods coming to manifest himself comfortably to your souls, till you have gotten your hearts quiet under your afflictions; and therefore here you see how crosly you reason, you reason, I am disquiet because God is gone, when the truth is God is gone because thou art disquiet; reason but the other way, Oh my disquiet hath driven God from me, and therefore as ever I would have the presence of God to come again to me, let my heart be quiet under the hand of God.
Thirdly, Doest thou find God departing from thee in thine affliction? wilt thou therefore depart from God too? is this thy help? Can’st thou help thy self that way? Because God is gone wilt thou go too? Do I indeed feel God departing from me? It may be it is so, it may be God for thy tryal is departed a little from thee, and is it so indeed? what unwise course do I take? I commit further sin and so I go further off from God, what a case am I in? God goes from me, and I from God: If the child sees the mother going from it, it’s not for the child to say, my mother is gon yonder & I wil go the other way, no, but the child goes crying after the mother; and so should the soul say, I see the Lord is withdrawing his presence from me, and now it is best for me to make after the Lord with all my might, and I am sure this murmuring humour is not a making after God, but by this I go further and further off from God, and what a distance is there like to be between God and me within a little while? These are some of the reasonings and pleas of a murmuring and discontented heart: there are many others that we shall meet withal, and indeavour to speak to your hearts in them, that so this tough humour of discontent may (as it were) be cut with the Word and softened with the Word, that so it may passe away: for that’s the way of Phisitians when they meet with a body that hath any tough humour then they give that that hath a peircing quality, when there is a tough humour that stops the water that it cannot passe, they give that that hath a peircing quality that may make passage for it; and so thou hast need of such things that are piercing to make way through this tough humour that is in the spirits of men and women whereby they come to live very uncomfortably to themselves and others, and very dishonourable unto God.