PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
NOW there are many Pleas and reasonings yet remain, for there’s a great deal of do with a discontented murmuring heart. And I remember I find that the same Hebrew word that signifies [to lodge, to abide] it signifies to murmur, they use one word for both, for murmuring is a distemper that doth lodge in men, where it gets in once it lodgeth abideth and continues, and therefore that we may unlodge it and get it out, we will labour to shew what are the further reasonings of a discontented heart.
The Fourth Plea
Me thinks I could be content with Gods hand (saith one) so far as I see the hand of God in a thing I can be content: but when men deal so unreasonably and unjustly with me I know not how to bear it, I can bear it that I should be in Gods hands, but not in the hands of men: my friends or acquaintance when they deal so unrighteously with me, Oh this goes very hard unto me, that I know not how to bear it from men.
For the taking away of this reasoning, first, Though they be men that bring this crosse upon you, yet they are Gods Instruments, God hath a hand in it, and they can go no further then God would have them go. This was that that quieted David when Shimei curst him, (saith he) God hath a hand in it, though Shimei be a base wicked man yet I look beyond him to God. So, is there any of your friends that deal injuriously with you, and crosse with you, look up to God and see that man but as an instrument in Gods hands.
Secondly, If this be your trouble that men do so wrong you, you are rather to turn your hearts to pity them than to murmur or be discontented: For the truth is, if you be wronged by other men, you have the better of it, for it is better to bear wrong than to do wrong a great deal, if they wrong you your heart cannot submit; you are in a better condition than they, because it’s better to bear than do wrong. I remember it is said of Socrates that being very patient when wrong was done to him, they asked him how he came to be so, saith he, If I meet with a man in the street that is a diseased man, shall I be vexed & fretted with him because he is diseased? those that wrong me I look upon them as diseased men and therefore pity them.
Thirdly, Though you meet with hard dealings from men; yet you meet mith nothing but kind good and righteous dealings from God: when you meet with unrighteous dealings from them, set one against the other. And that’s for the answer to the fourth Plea.
A Fifth Plea
Oh but that affliction that comes upon me is an affliction that I never lookt for, I never thought to have met with such an affliction, and that is that I know not how to bear, that is that which makes my heart so disquiet because it was altogether unlookt for and unexpected.
For the answer of this, first, it is thy weaknesse and folly that thou didest not look for it and expect it, In Acts, 20.22, 23. see what Saint Paul saith concerning himself, And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befal me there, save that the Holy-Ghost witnesseth in every City saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. It’s true saith he, I know not the particular affliction that may befal me, but this I know that the Spirit of God witnesseth that bonds and afflictions shall abide me every where, I look for nothing else but bonds and afflictions wheresoever go; so a Christian should do, he should look for afflictions wheresoever he is, in all conditions he should look to meet with afflictions, and therefore if any affliction should befall him, though indeed he could not fore-see the particular evil, yet he should think, this is no more than I lookt for in the general. Therefore no affliction should come unexpectedly to a Christian.
A second answer I would give is this, Is it unexpected? then the lesse provision thou madest for it before it came, the more careful shouldest thou be to sanctifie Gods Name in it now it is come: it is in this case of afflictions as in mercies, many times mercy comes unexpected (and that might be a third answer) to you, set one against the other, I have many mercies that I never lookt for as well as afflictions that I never lookt for, why should not one rejoyce me as well as the other disturbs me? As it is in mercies, when they come unexpected, the lesse preparation there was in me for receiving mercy, the more need I have to be careful, now to give God the glory of the mercy, & to sanctifie Gods Name in the enjoyment of the mercy; Oh so it should be with us now, we have had mercies this summer that we never expected and therefore we were not prepared for them, now we should be so much the more careful to give God the glory of them: so when afflictions come that we did not expect, then it seems we laid not in for them before hand, we had need be the more careful to sanctifie Gods Name in them, we should have spent some pains before to prepare for afflictions and we did not, then take so much the more pains to sanctifie God in this affliction now. And that’s a fift reasoning.
The Sixth Plea
Oh! but it is very great, mine affliction it is exceeding great saith one, and how ever you say, we must be contented, it’s true, you may say so that feel not such great afflictions, but if you felt my affliction that I feel you would think it hard to bear and be content.
To that I answer, Let it be as great an affliction as it will, it […] not so great as thy sin, He hath punished thee lesse than thy sins.
Secondly, It might have bin a great deal more, thou mightest have bin in Hell: And it is (as I remember) Bernards speech, (saith he) It is an easier matter to be opprest than perish. Thou mightest have been in Hell, and therefore the greatness of the thing should not make thee murmur, grant it be great.
Thirdly, It may be it’s the greater because thy heart doth so murmur: for shackles upon a mans legs, if his legs be sore it will pain him the more, if the shoulder be sore the burden is the greater; it is because thy heart is so unsound that thy affliction is great unto thee. And that’s the sixt reasoning.
A Seventh Plea
But howsoever you may lessen my affliction, yet I am sure it is far greater than the afflictions of others.
First, It may be it is thy discontent that makes it greater, when (indeed) it is not so in its self.
Secondly, If it were greater than others: why is thy eye evil because the eye of God is good? why shouldest thou be discontented the more because God is gracious to others?
Thirdly, Is thy affliction greater than others? then in this thou hast an opportunity to honour God more than others; so thou shouldest consider, Doth God afflict me more than other men? God gives me an opportunitie in this to honour him in this affliction more than other men? to exercise more grace than other men, let me labour to do it then.
Fourthly, If all afflictions were laid upon a heap together: It is an notable expression of Solon that wise Heathen (saith he,) Suppose all the afflictions that are in the world were laid upon a heap, and every man should come and take a proportion of those afflictions, every one equally, there is scarse any man but would rather say, let me have the afflictions that I had before or else he were like to come to a greater share, a greater affliction if so be he should equally share with all the world: Now for you that are poor, (that are not in extremity of poverty) if all the riches in the world were laid together, and you should have an equal share, you would be poorer; but take all afflictions and sorrows whatsoever, if all the sorrows in the world were laid together in a heap, and you had but an equal share of them, your portion would be rather more than it is now for the present: And therefore do not complain, that it is more than others, so as to murmur because of that.
An Eighth Plea
Another reasoning that murmuring hearts have is this, They think that if the affliction were any other than it is, then they would be more contented.
First, You must know that we are not to choose our own rod that God shall beat us with.
Secondly, It may be if it were any other than it is, it were not so fit for thee as this is, it may be therefore God chooses it because it is the most crosse to thee, as seeing it most sutable for the purging out of that humour that is in thee. If a patient comes to take phisick and finds himself sick by it, shall he say, Oh! if it were any other potion I could bear it, it may be if it were any other than it is it would not fit thy disease; yea if it did not work as it doth it would not fit thy disease: so when thou saiest of an affliction, if it were any other than it is thou couldest bear it, do but answer thy self with this, it may be if it were any other than it is it would not be fit for me, it would not hit right to that sinful humour that there is in my soul, and therefore God sees this to be the fittest and the most sutable for me.
Thirdly, Know that this is the excellency of grace in a Christian to be fitted for any condition, not only to say, if it were this or that, but if it be any. As now, a Marriner if he hath skil he would not say, if it were any other wind but this, if the wind did blow in any point but this, I could tell how to mannage my ship, I could shew skil in other points but not in this; would not Marriners laugh at such a one? it would be a shame for him to say that he hath skill in any other points but this: So it should be a shame for a Christian to say that he hath skill in any other affliction but this: a Christian should be able to mannage his ship if the wind blow any way; to guide his soul any way.
The fourth and last answer is this, Know that the Lord hath rewards and crowns for all graces, and for the honouring them in all conditions. It may be in such a way as thou thinkest thou couldest honour God, God hath a crown for that, and God hath another crown to set upon the heads of those that honour him in such a way as this is, yea he hath several sorts of crowns (as I may so say) in Heaven, and those crowns he must put upon some bodies head, and therefore he exercises thee in variety of conditions, that so thou mightst have the several rewards and crowns that God hath to reward and crown those that are faithful in several conditions.
A Ninth Plea
Oh but the condition that God hath put me in makes me to be unservicable, and this troubles me; it’s true, if it were only an affliction and trouble to my self it were not so much, but I am put into such a condition by this affliction as I am unservicable, and am like to do God no further service, God puts me into a mean estate, and what good can I do? and how burdensome is my life to me because I can do no service for God! and this is grievous to me.
Indeed if it he true that this is thy great greife, it is a good sign, If thou canst say as in the presence of God, above all afflictions here in this world to be laid aside & not to be imployed in the service of God, I account that the greatest Affliction: I had rather bear any trouble in the world so I might do more service, then to be freed from trouble and to be laid aside and do little service: Canst thou say so? It is a good sign of grace for a man to account afflictions to be great because he can do the Lord but little service. Few men account that no affliction at all.
But yet there may be a temptation in this. To murmur at Gods dispose when your calling is low and mean and you can do little service, this is many times a temptation to those that are poor, those that are servants and those that are of weak parts and are fain to work hard to provide bread for their families, it’s many times a greivous burden to them to think, such men the Lord uses in publick service, and I live in an obscure way, and to what purpose is my life?
First, To help against this temptation that thou mayest not murmur against this condition, Do but consider though thy condition be low and mean, yet thou art in the Body, thou art a member of the Body though thou beest but a mean member, the toe and the finger hath it’s use in the body, though it be not the eye, though it be not the head, or the heart yet it hath it’s use in the body. And it is an excellent expression that I remember Austin hath about this, (saith he) It is better to be the meanest member in the Body, than to be the highest member and more excellent and cut off from the Body, it is better to be a little sprig in the tree joyned to the Root, than to be an arme cut off from the Root. Now other men that have but common gifts in the world, that are not members of Jesus Christ, (indeed) they seem to have more excellency than those that are godly, that are in a mean condition, mean parts, mean callings, but they are not of the Body, they are not joyn’d to the Root, and therefore their condition is worse. As a great arme of a tree when it is cut off it hath a great many leaves upon it, and it seems a great deal more glorious than those little sprigs that are upon the tree, but that little sprig is in a better condition, why? Because joyned to the tree and hath sap from the Root and flourisheth, but the other will wither and die within a while: So it is with the men of the world, they be but like great boughs cut off from the tree, though they have excellent parts, and have great estates and pomp and glory in the world, they have no union with Jesus Christ the Root: But now others that live in a poor condition, a poor tradesman, a poor servant, a poor labouring-man that labours for his family everyday, yet he being godly, (saith he) though I have but little for the present, little glory, little credit, little comfort yet I am joyned to the Body, and there I have supply and that that will feed me with comfort, blessing, and mercy to all eternity: So all that are in a poor condition in this world if they be godly, do but think of that; though thou beest mean yet thou art in the Body, and joyned to the Root, thou art joyned to the principal of comfort, good, blessing, and mercy that will hold out to eternity, when thousand thousands of glorious pompious men in the world shall wither and perish everlastingly, and therefore be not troubled at thy mean condition.
Secondly, Though thou hast but a mean calling in this world, and so art not regarded as a man of use in the world, yet if thou beest a Christian God hath called thee to a higher calling, thy general calling it is a high calling, though thy particular calling be but low and mean: And for that you have a place in the Chapter before my text, Phil. 3.14. I press towards the mark (saith the Apostle) for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: So that every Christian hath a high calling of God in Christ Jesus, God hath called him to the highest thing that he hath call’d any creature to that he hath made, the Angels in Heaven have not a higher calling than thou hast. Thou that perhaps spendest thy time in a poor businesse, in the meanest calling, if thou beest a dung-raker, to rake channels, or cleanse places of filth or any other thing in the world that is the meanest that can be conceived of, thy general calling as a Christian doth advance thee higher than any particular calling can advance any man in the world; others indeed that are cal’d to mannage the Affairs of the State, they are in a high calling, or Ministers they are in a high calling, but thine in some respect is higher. A poor servant that must be scraping all day about poor mean things, many times may have such a temptation as this is, Oh what a poor condition hath God disposed me to! will God have regard to such a one that is in such a poor low place as I am? Oh yes, Christ hath regard to the meanest member, as a man hath as true regard to the toe if it be in pain, and will tender that as truly and verily as any other member; so Christ hath regard to his lowest and meanest ones.
Thirdly, thou art in a high calling though thy outward calling be low in respect of men, yet in respect of God thou art in the same calling with the Angels in Heaven, and in some degree cal’d to that that is higher, for the Scripture saith, that the Angels come to understand the mysterie of the Gospel by the Church; thou that art a Christian in that general calling of thine, thou art joyned with Principalities and Powers, and with Angels, in the greatest work that God hath called any creature to, and therefore let that comfort thee in this.
Fourthly, Thy calling is low and mean, yet be not discontented with that, for thou hast a principle within thee (if thou beest a godly man or woman) of Grace that doth raise thy lowest actions to be higher in Gods esteem, than all the brave glorious actions that are done in the world; the principle of faith doth it, for any man or woman to go on in obedience to God in a way of faith in the calling that God hath set them, (I say doing this through a principle of faith) it doth raise this action, and makes it a more glorious action than all the glorious victories of Alexander and Caesar, than all their Triumphs and glorious pomp that they had in all their conquests; it was not so glorious as for thee to do the lowest action out of faith. For, as Luther speaks of a poor Milk-maid, and yet being a Beleever, and doth it in faith, he compares that action to all the glorious actions of Caesar, and makes that a great deal more eminent and glorious in the eyes of God, therefore faith raises thy works that are but mean, raises them to be very glorious.
Yea, and the truth is, there is more obedience to submit to God in a low calling, than to submit to him in a higher calling, for it’s cleer obedience, meer obedience that makes thee go on in a low calling, but there may be much self-love that makes men go on in a higher calling, for there’s riches, credit and account in the world, and rewards comes in by that, which doth not in the other, to go on quietly in a low calling is more obedience to God.
Fifthly, Know further in the last place, there is like to be more reward: For the Lord when he comes to reward, he doth not come to examine what the work hath been that men and women have been exercised in, but what their faithfulnesse hath been, Well done good and faithful servant saith the Lord, he doth not say, wel done good servant for thou hast bin faithful to me in publick works, ruling Cities and States, and Affairs in Kingdoms, and therefore thou shalt be rewarded, no, but Well done good and faithful servant; now thou mayest be faithfull in little as well as others are in more, by going on and working thy daies labour, when thou gettest but a couple of shillings to maintain thy family, thou mayest be as faithful in this as those are that rules a Kingdom; now God looks to a mans faithfulnesse, and thou mayest have as great a reward for thy faithfulnesse that art a poor servant in the Kitchin all the day, as another that sits upon the Throne all day, and as great a Crown of glory thou mayest have at the day of judgement, as a King that sits upon the Throne, that hath ruled for God upon his Throne; yea, thy faithfulnesse may be rewarded by God with as great glory, as a King that hath swaid his Scepter for God; because I say the Lord doth not so much look at the work that is done, as at the faithfulnesse of our hearts in doing it, then why should not every one of us go on comfortably and cheerfully in our low condition, for why may not I be faithful as well as another? it’s true, I cannot come to be as rich a man and as honourable as others; but I may be as faithful as any other man, that every one of you may conclude with your selves: what doth let but that you that are the poorest and meanest may be as faithful as the greatest, yea you may have as glorious a crown in Heaven, and therefore go on comfortably and chearfully in your way.
A Tenth Plea
There’s another reasoning that some may have and that is this. Oh I could bear much affliction in some other way but this is very grievous to me, the unsetledness of my condition, though my condition were but low yet if it were in a setled way I could be content, but it is so unconstant, and so unsetled, that I can never know what to trust to, but am tost up and down in the world in an unsetled condition, and this is hard to be content with.
Now to that I answer, First, that the Psalmist saith, That every man in his setled estate is vanity, in Psalme, 36.5. your books have it, Every man at his best estate is vanity, the word is his setled estate; you think if you were but setled, Oh then you could be content, but the truth is, man in his setled estate is vanity.
Secondly, I answer thus, that perhaps God sees it is better for thee to live in a continual dependance upon him, and not to know what thy condition shal be one the morrow, then for thee to have a more setled condition in respect of the comforts of the creature; do but remember that we spake of before, that Christ doth not teach you to pray, Lord, give me enough that wil serve me for two or three years, but, this day our dayly bread; to teach us we must live upon God in a dependent condition every day for daily bread. Here was the difference that is observable between the Land of Canaan and Egypt, the land of Canaan that depended upon God for the watering of it with showers from Heaven, but Egypt had a constant way of watering the country, that did not so much depend upon Heaven for water, but upon the river Nylus, which did at some certain time overflow the country: and they knowing that the watering of their country did depend upon that river and not upon Heaven they grew more proud: And therefore the Scripture, to express Pharoah’s pride, brings him in saying, The River is mine: he could order the river as he pleased, for it was his: Canaan, which was a country which was to depend upon God, though they had rain at one time, yet they knew not whether they should have it at another time, and liv’d alwaies in a dependance upon God not knowing what should become of them: Now God thought this to be a better land for his people than Egypt, and this is given as one reason among others for it, because the Lord lookt upon this, as more sutable to the state of his people that were to live by faith, to be continually depending upon Heaven, upon Himself, and not to have a constant setled way in the creature for their outward dependance: and we find it by experience, that when those that are godly live in the greatest dependance upon God, and have no setled comings-in from the creature, they do exercise faith more, and are in a better condition for their souls than before. Oh! many times it fals out that the worse thy outward estate is the better thy soul is, and the better thy outward estate is the worse thy soul is. We reade in Ezra, 4.13. the objection that the enemies had against the people of Israels building of the wall of the Citie: their writing to Artaxerxes against them, saith, Be it known unto the King, that if the City be builded, and the wals set up again, then they wil not pay toll, tribute, and custome, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the Kings. If the wall be built (say thy) then they will refuse to pay toll, tribute and custome to the King: that is thus, so long as they live in such a condition, where they have dependance wholly upon the King, and lie at the Kings mercy, that is, they are in no City that hath walls built, but the King may come upon them when he will, so long they will pay custom to the King, but if once they come to build a wall, and can defend themselves, and have not their dependance upon the King as before, then they will deny paying toll, tribute, and custom. So it is thus for all the world between God and mens souls, when a soul lives in way of meer dependance upon God, that sensibly he sees God hath him at advantage every moment, Oh then such a soul will pay toll and custome, that soul exercises faith, and begs every day his dayly bread; but if God hedges that man about with an estate, with prosperity, perhaps he hath an inheritance befallen him, perhaps he hath a constant office that brings in so much yeerly to him duly paid, this man is not so sensible now of his dependance upon God, he begins now to pay lesse toll and custom to God than before, God hath lesse service from this man now than before. God sees it better for his people to live in a depending condition: we are very loth in respect of God to be dependant, we would be all independants this way, we would be of our selves, and have no dependance upon the Lord, but God sees it better for us to live in a depending condition.
Further, This may be thy comfort, though for outward things thou art mightily unsetled, yet for the great things of thy soul and eternal estate, there thou art setled, there thou hast a setled way, a constant way of fetching supply, Of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace, thou hast there abundance of treasure to go to, and fetch all that thou standest in need of; and observe it, that now thy condition is more setled in the covenant of grace than it was in the covenant of works; in the covenant of works there God gave man a stock to trade with, but he put it in his own hand, so that he might trade, and get or lose; but now in the Covenant of grace God makes sure, the stock is kept in the hand of Christ, and we must go to him for supply continually, for Christ keeps the stock; perhaps we may trifle away somwhat in our trading, but God takes that care still we stall never spend the stock: As a man when his Son breaks, having squandered away his stock that he gave him before, afterwards he puts his stock into a friends hand, and saith he, you shall keep the stock and it shall not be at his dispose; so we are in a more setled condition in respect of our eternal estate then Adam was in innocencie; therefore let that comfort us in all our unsetled conditions in the matters of the world.
A Eleventh Plea
But yet there’s another reasoning that many murmuring hearts think to feed their humour withal, (say they) If I never had bin in a better condition then I could bear this affliction, if God had alwaies kept me in so low a condition I could be content, Oh but there was a time that I prospered more, and I had things at more full hand, and therefore now it is harder to me to be brought low; as in these times, perhaps a man that had five or six hundred a yeer, but now hath had nothing for a great while, if that man had not bin born to so much, or never had prospered in any higher degree than now he is in, this affliction had bin less, perhaps he hath some mony and friends to live upon, but if he had never bin in a better condition he would not have accounted it so great a matter to have been without it now. This many times is our greatest wound, that once we were in a better condition; and this is the most unreasonable thing for us to murmur upon this ground of any.
For first, Is thy eye evil because God hath been good to thee heretofore? It’s an ill thing for us to have our eye evil because God is good to others, but to look upon our condition with an evil eye now, because God was once good to us; hath God done thee any wrong because he was formerly more good to thee than he was to others?
Secondly, Thou didst heretofore more prosper, did God heretofore give thee more prosperity? it was to prepare thee for afflictions, we should look at all our outward prosperity as a preparation to afflictions, if thou hadst done so then it would not have bin so difficult for thee to have indured affliction now; when thou hadst a great estate, yet if thou hadst made use of this mercy of God to prepare thee for thy afflicted estate, then the change of thy estate would not be so greivous. That every Christian should do: have I an estate now? I should prepare for poverty, have I health now? I should prepare for sickness, have I liberty? let me prepare my self for imprisonment? what know I what God may call me to? have I comfort and peace now in my conscience, doth God shine upon me? while I have this let me prepare for Gods withdrawing from me: am I delivered from temptations? let me prepare now for the time of temptations; If thou wouldest do so, the change of thy condition would not be so greivous to thee: Marriners that are in a calme will prepare for storms, would they say, if we never had calms we would bear storms? but now we have had calms so many yeers or weeks together, this is greivous: In thy calme thou art to prepare for storms, and the storme would be lesse, thou shouldest reason quite contrary and say, Now I am in an afflicted condition, Oh but blessed be God I was in a comfortable condition, and blessed be God that he was a forehand with me in the waies of his mercy, this one consideration may help murmuring hearts. Dost thou murmur because once thou wert better? know God was beforehand with thee in the waies of mercy, thou shouldest rather think thus, I have lived for these many yeers (forty yeers perhaps or more) in a comfortable condition, I have liv’d in health, and peace, and plenty, what though the remaining part of my time have some sorrow and affliction? The Lord hath granted to me a comfortable sunshine all the day long till towards evening, and what if at seven or eight a clock at night it begins to rain? let me thank God I have had so fair weather all day. You that are going a voyage, if you have a comfortable wind, and very fair for many months together, what if you have a little storm when you are within sight of land, will you murmur and repine? Oh no, but rather blesse God that you have had such a comfortable voyage so long: Oh this consideration would help us all; If it were so that now God should say, well, you shall never see comfortable day more for outward things in this world, Oh then you have cause to fall down and blesse Gods Name that you have had so many comfortable daies: Now you reason quite contrary, whereas you should blesse God that you have had so much comfort, you make what you have had before to be an aggravation of your afflictions now, and so murmur and are discontented. That which God gave you before, upon what terms did you hold it? did you hold it so as you have in your writings, To have and to hold for ever, God gives no such thing, God gives to no man (I say) any thing but grace to run upon that tenour, there’s no such thing in all Gods writings for any outward comforts, To have and to hold for you and your heirs; indeed for grace he doth give it to your selves, to have and to hold for ever, though not for every one that comes out of your loines to have and to hold for ever; God doth not give any outward thing so upon no such tenour as that is; if God gives me an understanding of himself, and faith, and humility, and love, and patience, and such graces of his Spirit he gives them me for ever, If he gives me Himself and his Christ, and his promise, and his Covenant, he gives me them for ever, what am I therefore that the Sun should alwaies shine upon me, that I must have fair weather all my daies? that which God gives to me he gave it to me as a pledge of his love, let me return it to him as a pledge of my obedience, there’s all the reason in the world for it, all that a godly man receives from God he receives it as a pledge of Gods love to him, therefore when he comes into an afflicted condition, saith God, Return to me as a pledge for your obedience that that you had from me as a pledge of my love; we should cheerfully come in to God and blesse God that we have any thing to render unto him as a pledg of our obedience, and say, Oh it is thy love O Lord that hath given us any thing, that doth enable us to render a pledge of our obedience to thee. When God cals for thy estate or any comforts that thou hast, God cals for it as a pledge of thy obedience to him.
A Twelfth Plea
Another reasoning of a murmuring heart is this. Oh but after I have taken a great deal of pains for such a comfort, yet then I am crost in it, after a great deal of labour and pains that I have taken now to be crost, Oh this goes very hard.
First I answer, The greater crosse, the more obedience and submission.
Secondly, When thou did’st take a great deal of pains, was it not with submission to God? Did’st thou take pains with resolution, that thou must have such a thing when thou labourest for it? Then know that thou labourest not as a Christian, but if thou did’st labour and take pains, was it not with resignation to God, Lord I am taking pains in the way of my calling, but with submission, I depend wholly upon thee for successe and a blessing; And what was it that thou did’st aime at in thy labour? was it not that thou mightest walk with God in the place that God had set thee? A Christian should do so in his outward calling, I am diligent in my outward calling, but it is, that I might obey God in it; it’s true, I do it that I might provide for my family, but the chief thing that I aime at is, That I might yeild obedience to God in the way that God hath set me: Now if God cals thee to another condition to obey him in though it be by suffering, thou wilt do it if thy heart be right.
Thirdly, There will be the more testimony of thy love to God, if so be thou shalt now yeeld up thy self to God in that that cost thee dear, shall I offer that to God (saith David) that cost me nothing? thy outward comforts hath cost thee much, and thou hast taken much pains to obtain them, and now if thou canst submit to God in the want of them, (I say) in this thy love is more shown that thou canst offer that to God that cost thee dear. Now these are the principal reasonings of a discontented heart.
A Thirteenth Plea
There’s one Plea more that may be nam’d, and that is this, saith some, Though I confess my affliction is somwhat hard, and I feel some trouble within me, yet I thank God I break not out in discontented waies to the dishonour of God, I keep in although I have much ado with my own heart.
Oh! do not satisfie your selves with that, for the distempers of your hearts, and their sinful workings are as words before God. My soul be silent to God: That we spake of in the begining of the opening of this Scripture, it is not enough for thy tongue to be silent; but thy soul must be silent, there may be a sullen discontentednesse of heart as well as a discontentednesse manifested in words: And if thou doest not mortifie that inward sullennesse, if thou beest afflicted a little more it wil break forth at last.
And thus the Lord I hope hath met with the cheife reasonings and Pleas for our discontent in our conditions, I beseech you in the Name of God consider these things, and because they do concern your own hearts, you may so much the better remember them. I had thought to have made a little enterance into the next head, and that is some way of helping you to this grace of Contentment. It is a most excellent grace, of admirable use as you have heard, and the contrary is very sinful and vile.