of affliction God doth give leave to his people to be sensible of what they suffer Christ doth not say Do not count that a crosse which is a crosse but take up your crosse daily As it is in the body natural if the body takes physick and is not able to bear it but presently vomits it up or if it be not at all sensible if it stir not the body either of these waies the physick doth no good but argues the body much distempered and will hardly be cured So it is with the spirits of men under afflictions if either they cannot bear Gods potions but cast them up again or are not sensible of them and their souls are no more stir'd by them than the body is by a draught of smal beer it is a sad symptome that their souls are in a dangerous and almost incurable condition So that this inward quietnesse is not in opposition to the sense of affliction for indeed there were no true Contentment if you were not apprehensive and sensible of your afflictions when God is angry It is not opposed 2 To an orderly making our moan and complaint to God and to our friends Though a Christian ought to be quiet under Gods correcting hand yet he may without any breach of Christian contentment complain to God as one of the Ancients saith though not with a tumultuous clamour and skreeking out in a perplexed passion yet in a quit still submissive way he may unbosom his heart unto God And likewise communicate his sad condition to his gracious friends shewing them how God hath dealt with him and how heavy the affliction is upon him that they may speak a word in due season to his wearied soul It is not opposed 3 To all lawful seeking out for help into another condition or simply endeavouring to be delivered out of the present affliction by the use of lawfull means No I may lay in provision for my deliverance use Gods meanes waiting on him because I know not but that it may be his will to alter my condition and so far as he leads me I may follow his providence it is but my duty God is thus far mercifully indulgent to our weakness and he will not take it ill at our hands if by earnest and importunate prayer we seek unto him for deliverance till we know his good pleasure therein And certainly thus seeking for help with such a submission and holy resignation of spirit to be delivered when God will and as God will and how God will so that our wils are melted into the will of God this is no opposition to the quietness which God requires in a contented spirit Quest But then what is this quietnesse of spirit opposed unto Ans To murmuring and repining at the hand of God as the discontented Israelits often did which if we our selves cannot indure either in our children or servants much lesse can God bear it in us 2 To vexing and fretting which is a degree beyond murmuring It is a speech I remember of an Heathen A wise man may greive under but not be vexed with his afflictions There is a vast difference betwixt a kindly grieving and a distempered vexation 3 To tumultuousness of spirit When the thoughts run distractingly and work in a confused manner so that the affections are like the unruly multitude in the Acts who knew not for what end they were come together The Lord expects that you should be silent under his rod and as he said in Act. 19.36 You ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly 4 To unsetledness and unfixedness of spirit whereby the heart is taken off from the present duty that God requires in our several relations both towards God our selves and others We should prize duty at a higher rate than to be taken off by every trivial occasion a Christian indeed values every service of God so much that though some may be in the eye of the world and of natural reason a slight empty businesse beggerly rudiments foolishnesse yet seeing God cals for it the authority of the command doth so over awe his heart that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in the discharge of it It is an expression of Luthers ordinary works that are done in faith and from faith are more precious than heaven and earth And if this be so and a Christian know it it is not a little matter that should divert him but he should answer every avocation and resist every tentation as Nehemiah did chap. 6.3 Sanballat Geshem and Tobiah when they would have hindred the building of the wall with this I am doing a great woâ—k saith he so that I cannot come down why should the work of the Lord cease 5 To distracting heart-eating cares and fears A gracious heart so estimates it's union with Christ and the work that God sets it about as it will not willingly suffer any thing to come in to choak it or dead it A Christian is desirous that the word of God should take such full possession as to divide between soul and spirit but he would not suffer the fear and noise of evil-tidings to take such impression in his soul as to make a division and strugling there like the twins in Rebeckah's womb A great man will permit common people to stand without his doors but he will not let them come in and make a noise in his closet or bed-chamber when he purposely retires himself from all worldly imployments So a well tempered spirit though it may inquire after things abroad without doors in the world and suffer some ordinary cares and fears to break in to the suburbs of the soul so as to have a light touch upon the thoughts Yet it will not upon any terms admit of an intrusion into the privy-chamber which should be wholly reserved for Jesus Christ as his inward Temple 6 To sinking discouragements When things fall not out according to expectation when the tyde of second causes runs so low that we see little left in the outward means to bear up our hopes and hearts That then the heart begins to reason as he in the Kings If the Lord should open the windows of heaven how should this be Never considering that God can open the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle he can work above beyond nay contrary to means he often makes the fairest flowers of mans indeavours to wither and brings improbable things to passe that the glory of interprizes may be given to himself Nay if his people stand in need of miracles to work their deliverance miracles fall as easily out of Gods hands as to give his people daily bread Gods blessing is many times secret upon his servants that they know not which way it comes as 2 Kings 3.17 Ye shall not see wind neither shall you see rain yet the valley shall be filled with water God would have us depend on him though we do not see means how the thing
should be brought to passe else we do not shew a quiet spirit though an affliction be upon thee let not thy heart sink under it So far as thy heart sinks and thou art discouraged under thy affliction so much thou wantest of this lesson of Contentment 7 To sinful shiftings and shirkings out for ease and help As we see in Saul running to the witch of Endor and in his offering sacrifice before Samuel came Nay the good King Jehoshaphat joynes himself with Ahaziah 2 Chron. 20. Vlt. And Asa goes to Penhadad King of Assyria for help not relying upon the Lord 2 Chr. 16.7 8. Though the Lord had delivered the Ethiopian Army into his hands consisting of a thousand thousand 2 Chro. 14.11 And good Jacob joyned in a lye with his mother to Isaac he was not content to stay Gods time and use Gods means but made too great haste and stept out of his way to procure the blessing which God intended for him as many do through the corruption of their hearts and weaknesse of their faith because they are not able to trust God and follow him fully in all things and alwaies and for this cause the Lord often follows the Saints with many sore temporal crosses as we see in Jacob though they obtain the mercy It may be thy wretched carnal heart thinks I care not how I be delivered so I may but get free from it Is it not so many times in some of your hearts when any crosse or affliction befals you Have not you such kind of workings of spirit as this Oh that I could but be delivered out of this affliction any way I would not care your hearts are far from being quiet And this sinful shifting is the next thing in opposition to this quietnesse which God requires in a contented spirit The Eighth and last thing that this quietnesse of Spirit is opposite to is desparate risings of heart against God in a way of rebellion That is most abominable I hope many of you have learned so far to be content as to keep down your hearts from such distempers and yet the truth is not only wicked men but sometimes the very Saints of God find the beginnings of this when an affliction lies long and is very sore and heavy upon them indeed and strikes them as it were in the master vein they find somewhat of this in their hearts arising against God their thoughts begin to bubble and their affections begin to stir in rising against God himself especially such as together with their corruptions have much melancholy and the Devil working both upon the corruptions of their hearts and the melancholy distemper of their bodies though there may lie much grace at the bottom yet there may be some risings against God himself under affliction Now Christian quietness is opposite to all these things that is When afflictions come be it what affliction it will be yet you do not murmur though you be sensible though you make your moan though you desire to be delivered and seek it by all good means yet you do not murmur nor repine you do not fret nor vex there is not that tumultuousness of spirit in you there is not unsetledness in your spirits there are not distracting fears in your hearts no sinking discouragements no base shiftings no rising in rebellion any way against God This is the quietness of Spirit under an affliction and that is the second thing when the soul is so far able to bear an affliction as to keep quiet under it Now the Third thing I would open in the discription is this It is an inward quiet gracious frame of Spirit It is a frame of Spirit and then a gracious frame of Spirit Contentment it is a Soule businesse First it is inward Secondly quiet Thirdly it is a quiet Frame of Spirit Frame by that I mean these Three things There are Three things considerable when I say Contentment consists in the quiet frame of the Spirit of a man First That it is a grace that spreads it self through the whol Soul as thus It is in the judgment that is The judgment of the soul of a man or woman tends to quiet the heart In my judgment I am satisfied that is one thing to be satisfied in ones understanding and judgment as thus This is the hand of God and this is that that is sutable to my condition or best for me although I do not see the reason of the thing yet I am satisfied in my judgment about it And then it is in the thoughts of a man or woman As my judgement is satisfied so my thoughts are kept in order And then it comes to the will My will yeilds and submits to it my affections are all likewise kept in order so that it goes through the whol soul There is in some a partiall Contentment and so 't is not the frame of the soul but some part of the soul hath some Contentment as thus Many a man may be satisfied in his judgment about a thing and yet cannot for his life rule his affections nor his thoughts cannot rule his thoughts nor the wil nor the affections though the judgments be satisfied I make no question but many of you may know this by your own experience if you do but observe the workings of your own hearts Cannot you say when such an affliction befals you I can blesse God I am satisfied in my judgment about it I have nothing in the world to say in respect of my judgment against it I see the hand of God and I should be content yea I am satisfied in my judgment that my condition is a good condition in which I am but I cannot for my life rule my thoughts and will and my affections me thinks I feel my heart heavy and sad and troubled more than it should be and yet my judgment is satisfied This seem'd to be the case of David Psal 43. O my Soul why art thou disquieted David as far as his judgment went there was a contentednesse that is His judgment was satisfied in the work of God upon him and he was troubled but he knew not wherefore O my soul why art thou east down within me That Psalm is a very good Psalm for those that feel a fretting discontented distemper in their hearts at any time for them to be reading or singing he hath it once or twice in that Psalm Why art thou cast down O my soul In vers 5. And why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance David had enough to quiet him and that that he had had prevailed with his judgement but after it had prevailed with his judgement he could not get it further He could not get this grace of Contentment to go through the whole frame of the Soul There is a great deal of stir sometimes to get Contentment into their judgments that is To satisfie their judgment
and think that no evil shall come of it Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them you that are discontented you lift up your hearts against God and you cause God to lift up his hand against you perhaps God laies his finger upon you softly in some afflictions that are upon you in your families or else where and you cannot bear the hand of God that lies upon you as tenderly as a tender-hearted nurse that laies her hand upon the child you cannot bear the tender hand of God that is upon you in a lesser affliction it were just with God to lift up his hand against you in another manner of affliction Oh a murmuring spirit provokes God exceedingly There is another place in 16. of Num. compare the 41. verse and the 46. vers together But on the morrow all the Congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord and mark in the 46. verse And Moses said unto Aaron Take a Censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put on incense and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun mark how Gods wrath is kindled in the 41. verse the Congregation had murmured and they murmured but against Moses and Aaron perhaps you murmur more directly against God and that was against God in murmuring against Gods Ministers it was against God but not so directly but it may be the murmuring of your hearts is more directly against Gods dealings with you if you murmur against those that God makes instruments because you have not every thing that you would have as against the Parliament or such and such that are publique instruments it 's against God it was but against Moses and Aaron that the Israelites murmured and they said that Moses and Aaron had killed the people of the Lord though it was the hand of God that was upon them for their former wickednesse in murmuring It is usual for wicked vile hearts to deal thus with God that when Gods hand is a little upon them for to murmur again and again and so to bring upon themselves even infinite kind of evils but now the anger of God was quickly kindled Oh saith Moses Go take the Censer quickly for wrath is gone out from Jehovah the plague is begun so while you are murmuring in your families the wrath of God may quickly go out against you quickly in a morning or evening when you are murmuring the wrath of God may come quickly out upon your families or persons you are never so prepared for present wrath as when you are in a murmuring discontented fit those that stand by and see you in a murmuring discontented fit have cause to say Oh let us go and take the censer let us go to prayer for we are afraid that wrath is gone out against this familie against this person And it were a verie good thing for thee that art a godly wife when you see your husband come home and fall to murmuring because things go not according to his desire to go to prayer and say Lord perdon the sin of my husband and so for the husband to go to God in prayer falling down and beseeching of him that wrath may not come out against his familie for the murmuring of his wife And the truth is at this day there hath been at least lately as much murmuring in England as ever was and even in this very particular the plague is begun and this very judgment it doth come many times upon murmuring upon those that are so discontented in their families and are alwaies grumbling and murmuring at any thing that fals out amisse I say this text of Scripture in Numbers doth cleerly hold forth this that the Lord brings the plague upon men for this sin of murmuring he doth it in kingdomes and families and upon particular persons Though we cannot alwaies point out the particular sin that God brings this for yet this should be examined how far we are guilty of the sin of murmuring because the Scripture holds forth this so cleerly that Moses when he did but hear that they murmured Do they murmur saith he Go forth quickly and seek to passifie the anger of God for wrath is gone out and the plague is begun And in 1 Cor. 10.10 there you have an notable example of Gods heavie displeasure against murmuring Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Take heed of murmuring as some of them did he speaks of the people of Israel in the wildernesse but saith he what came of it They were destroyed of the destroyer Now the destroyer is thought to be the fiery-serpents that were sent among them They murmured and God sent fiery serpents to sting them What do you think that such a cross and affliction doth sting you perhaps such an affliction is upon you and it seems to be grievous for the present what do you murmur and repine God hath greater crosses to bring upon you Those people that murmur for the want of outward comforts for want of water sometimes and for the want of bread they murmur but the Lord sends fiery-serpents among them I may say to a murmuring heart Wo to thee that strivest with thy Maker wo to that man that woman that strives against their Maker what doest thou else but strive against thy Maker Thy Maker hath the absolute dispose of thee and wilt thou strive against thy Maker What doth this murmuring discontented heart of thine do otherwise but wrangle and contind and strive even with God himself Oh wo to him that strives against his Maker I may further say to thee as Gods speaks to Job Job 38.1 2. when Job was impatient Now God spake saith the text out of the whirlwind and said Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge So doest thou speak against Gods waies and his providences that hath fallen out concerning thy estate and outward comforts who is this Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Where 's that man or woman whose hearts are so bold and impudent as dares speak against the administration of Gods providence The Tenth Evil of murmuring and discontent is this There 's a great curse of God upon it so far as it doth prevail in one that is wicked it hath the curse of God upon it In Psal 59.15 see there what the curse of God is upon wicked and ungodly men Let them wander up and down for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied That is the imprecation and curse upon wicked and ungodly men that if they be not satisfied they shall grudge when thou art not satisfied in thy desires and findest thy heart grudging against God apply this Scripture What is the curse of the wicked upon me This is the curse that is threatned
come up can you then trust in God I that is somewhat-like but because we trust so much in our selves therefore when the time cometh we should trust in God God withdraws himself from us and we are most afraid Vse This is that we should lay our hands upon our hearts and charge our souls for and be ashamed for before the Lord Never a one here but hath cause to lay his hand upon his heart and say Oh that I that have had so much experience of God of his waies of helping and delivering me out of six troubles and seven and yet the Lord knows upon any new trouble I am to seek as much as ever and in any hurly-burly in as great distemper of fear as ever be ashamed of this before the Lord. It is true Gods people may be so and you are so therefore be ashamed of it and labour to prepare for such times those that are troubled with fainting fits use to carry their bottle of Aqua-vitae about with them so you that have been disquieted in times of trouble lay up somewhat that may help in those times Though a candle light will serve to carry in a yard in calme weather yet it must be a torch a great light that must serve when the wind blows so a little may serve now but a great deal must be laid up for times of extremity First Lay up encouraging Promises Secondly Lay up encouraging experiences that may help you against such times of fainting and trouble Vse 2. But then if it be so with the Saints and Gods own people that when they are in straights they are so ready to be troubled with distracting fears cares what shal become of the wicked and ungodly then when they come in straights how must their hearts sink in horror because all their straights are no other but the beginning of eternal straights present sorrows making away to eternal sorrows the way of their deliverance from present straights is by being brought into greater straights many women with child have strong pains in their child birth yet when they think they shall be delivered they have joy in stead of sorrow but a woman that is with child and is only reprieved because she is with child till she be delivered though she have a great deal of trouble and pain before she be delivered she desires not to be rid of it because then she knows she shall come to greater to be hang'd and if she could live seven yeers together and never be delivered she could be content with the trouble because when that is gone greater comes So wicked and ungodly men that are in great straights for the present may well be content with them because when they are gone greater will come 3. Doct. In the time of these straights it is our duty to stand stil and look for Gods salvation to quiet our spirits and look up to God First For the quieting of our spirits As they were to be delivered out of this bondage in that way so they were to be delivered out of the Babilonish bondage in the same way So you shall find it Isa 30. see what God saith for that deliverence he tels them plainly at the 15. vers In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and you would not In quietness and confidence it 's true they were in a passionat way and God tels them that in quietness and in confidence is their strength and they would not So come to many people that are in great extremities to some women and others when they are wringing their hands and hanging about their husbands necks and tel them your confidence must be in quietness they wil be ready to row you off But they would not saith God So in Isa 30.7 I cried concerning this Their strength is to sit still My Brethren this day in the Name of God do I cry concerning al our straights after we have used all the means we can we are to sit still and see the salvation of our God to quiet our hearts with this beleeving stand stil and look up to God for our salvation It was their great fault they did not so in their deliverance out of their captivity there is one remarkable place for that Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter What 's the meaning of this text It is thus In the time of their deliverance from Captivity they met with a great deal of difficulty many straights and they went about to this and that sharking course and did backslide when they were in a good way they went back again and the Prophet could not get the◠〈◊〉 stand stil 〈◊〉 â—ny way as if he should have said go on right in the way be not discouraged by difficulties by extremities seck not any shifting way be not backsliding but stand to your tackling and work God hath set you about for the Lord hath created a new thing Perhaps you will say there was never the like straight we are in well God hath such mercy as he never shewed the like before God hath created a new thing many cry out in their straights O my affliction and my straitght is such as never was in the world well gratifie them so as many times we must needs gratifie distemper'd spirits when they cry out of the greatness of their straights yet is there no comfort for them to stay them yes Isa 64.4 It was never known since the beginning of the world what God hath laid up for them that wait for him Do but wait for him and there was never such mercy shown in the world as God hath laid up for thee so that come let us grant it that there was never the like of that affliction that thou art under yet there is reason enough for thee to wait and look for the salvation of God in such a way in such a condition I shall give some reasons of that part of the doctrine that we are to stand still and be quiet for by our standing still and our quieting our hearts in our straights 1. Reas We are fit to look to the Wisdom Faithfulness and Power of God we are not able to see Gods Wisdom Faithfulness and Power nor to make use of it except we get our spirits to be quiet first get them quiet and then we can look up to God Psalm 46.10 Be still saith the text and know that I am God there is a God in Heaven that can help and succour in time of great straights and extremities but for all this people are in a hurly-burly and their spirits are distemper'd and they are wringing their hands and crying they cannot know that God is God they can have no use of all the power and goodnesse and faithfulnesse and mercy of God First get your hearts still and quiet in your Families and in
an afflicted condition and a sad condition and yet they can bring their hearts to a Contentation out of a sunctified judgment this is freedom Thirdly This freedom it is in opposition to stupidness for a man and woman may be contented meerly out of want of sence this is not free as a man in a dead palsie that doth not feel you nip his flesh he is not freely patient but if one should have their flesh nipt and feel it and yet for all that can be able to bridle themselves and do it freely that is another matter So it is here many are contented meerly out of stupidnesse they have a dead palsie upon them but now a gracious heart hath sence enough and yet is contented and therefore is free Sixthly Freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose Submitting to Gods dispose What is that The word Submit it signifies nothing else but to send under as thus One that is discontented the heart will be unruly and would even get above God so far as discontentment prevailes but now comes the grace of Contentment and sends it under to submit it is to send under a thing now when the soul comes to see the unrulinesse that there is in it here 's the hand of God that brings an affliction and my heart is troubled and discontented what saith the Soul Wilt thou be above God Is it not Gods hand and must thy will be regarded more than Gods O under under O thou soul get under keep under keep low keep under Gods feet thou art under Gods feet and keep under his feet keep under the Authority of God the Majesty of God the Soveraignity of God the Power that God hath over thee Keep under that is to submit then the Soul can submit to God when it can send it's self under the Power and Authority and Soveraignity and Dominion that God hath over it that is the Sixth Particular Yea but that is not enough yet you have not got to this Grace of Contentment except in the next place you take Seventhly Taking a complacency in Gods dispose That is thus I am well pleased in what God doth so far as I can see God in it though as I said I may be sensible of the affliction and may desire that God in his due time would take it off and use means to take it off yet I may be well pleased so far as Gods hand is in it To be well pleased with Gods hand that is a higher degree than the other and this comes from hence not only because I see that I should be content in this affliction but because I see that there is good in this affliction I find there is hony in this rock and so I do not only say I must or I will submit to Gods hand no but the hand of God is good it is good that I am afflicted That it is just that I am afflicted that may be in one that is not truly contented I may be convinced that God deals justly in this God is righteous and just and t is fit I should submit to what he hath done O the Lord hath done righteously in al his waies but that is not enough but thou must say Good is the hand of the Lord the expression of old Ely Good is the word of the Lord when it was a sore hard word that word that did threaten very grievous things to Ely and his house and yet Good is the word of the Lord saith Ely Perhaps some of you may say as David It is good that I was afflicted nay you must come to say thus It is good that I am afflicted Not good when you see the good fruit that it hath wrought but when you are afflicted to say It is good that I am afflicted Whatever the affliction be yet through the mercy of God my condition is a good condition it is the top indeed and the height of this art of Contentment to come to this pitch to be able to say Well my condition and afflictions are thus and thus and is very grievous and sore yet I am through Gods mercy in a good condition and the hand of God is good upon me notwithstanding Now I should have given you divers Scriptures about this I shall but give you one or two that are very remarkable you will think this is a hard lesson to come thus far not only to be quiet but to have a complacency in affliction Prov. 16.6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble Here 's a Scripture now that will shew that a gracious heart hath cause to say it is in a good condition what ever it be In the house of the Righteous is much Treasure his house what house it may be a poor Cottage perhaps he hath scarce a stool to sit on perhaps he is fain to sit upon a stump of wood a piece of a block instead of a stool or perhaps he hath scarce a bed to lie upon or a dish to eat in yet saith the Holy Ghost In the house of the righteous is much treasure Let the righteous man be the poorest man in the world It may be there are some that have come and taken all the goods out of his house for debt perhaps his house is plundered and all is gone yet still In the house of the righteous is much treasure the righteous man can never be brought to be so poor to have his house rifled and spoiled but there will remain much treasure within if he hath but a dish or a spoon or any thing in the world in his house there will be much treasure so long as he is there there is the presence of God and the blessing of God upon him and therein is much treasure but in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble There is more treasure in the poorest bodies house if he be godly than in the house of the greatest man in the world that hath his brave hangings and brave wrought beds and chairs and couches and cupbords of plate and the like what ever he hath he hath not so much treasure in it as in the house of the poorest righteous soul therefore in a verse or two after my text no mervail though Paul saith he was Content you shall see in Phil. 4.18 But I have all and abound I am full I have all Alas poor man what had Paul that could make him say he had all where was there ever man more afflicted than Paul was many times he had not tatters to hang about his body to cover his nakednesse he had not bread to eat he was often in nakednesse and put in the stocks and whipt and cruelly used yet I have all saith Paul for all that Yea you shall have it in 2. Cor. 6.10 he professes there That he did possess all things as sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet
God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ The peace of God shall keep your hearts Then in vers 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you The peace of God shall keep you and the God of peace shall be with you This is that that I would observe from this Text That the peace of God is not enough to a gracious heart except it may have the God of that peace A carnall heart could be satisfied if he might but have outward peace though it be not the peace of God peace in the State and his trading would satisfie him But mark how a Godly heart goes beyond a Carnal all outward peace is not enough but I must have the peace of God But suppose you have the peace of God Will not that quiet you No I must have the God of peace as the peace of God so the God of peace that is I must injoy that God that gives me the peace I must have the cause as well as the effect I must see from whence my peace comes and injoy the fountain of my peace as well as the stream of my peace and so in other mercies have I health from God I must have the God of my health to be my portion or else I am not satisfied It is not life but the God of my life it is not riches but the God of those riches that I must have the God of my preservation as well as my preservation a gracious heart is not satisfied without this To have the God of the mercy as well as the mercy In Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee and there is none upon the earth that I desire besides thee It is nothing in heaven or earth can satisfie me but thy self if God give thee not only earth but heaven that thou shouldest rule over Sun Moon and stars and have the rule over the highest of the sons of men it would not be enough to satisfie thee except thou hadest God himself There lies the first mystery of Contentment truly a contented man though he be the most contented man in the world yet he is the most unsatisfied man in the world that is Those things that will satisfie the world will not satisfie him Secondly There is this Mystery in Christian Contentation A Christian comes to Contentment not so much by way of addition as by way of Substraction that is his way of Contentment and that is a way that the world hath no skill in I open it thus Not so much by the adding to what he would have or to what he hath not by adding more to his condition but rather by substracting of his desires and so to make his desires and conditon to be even and equal A carnal heart knows no way to be Contented but this I have such and such an estate and if I had this added to it and the other comfort added that now I have not then I should be Contented it may be I have lost my estate if I could have but that given to me so as to make up my losse then I should be a contented man But now Contentmet doth not come in that way it comes not in I say by the adding to what thou wantest but by the substracting of thy desires it is all one to a Christian either that I may get up unto what I would have or get my desires down to what I have either that I may attain to what I do desire or bring down my desires to what I have already attained my estate is the same for it is as sutable to me to bring my desire down to my condition as it is to raise up my condition to my desire Now I say a heart that hath no grace and is not instructed in this Mystery of Contentment knows no way to get Contentment but to have his estate raised up to his desires but the other hath another way to Contentment that is He can bring his desires down to his estate and so he doth attain to his Contentment So the Lord fashions the hearts of the Children of men Now if the heart of a man be fashioned to his condition he may have as much contentment as if his condition be fashioned to his heart some men have a mighty large heart but they have a straight condition and they can never have Contentment when their hearts are big and their condition is little but now though a man cannot bring his condition to be as big as his heart yet if he can bring his heart to be as little as his condition to bring them even from thence is Contentment The world is infinitly deceived in this To think that Contentment lies in having more than they have here lies the bottom and root of all Contentment when there is an evennesse and proportion between our hearts and our conditions and that is the reason that many that are godly men that are in a low condition live more sweet and comfortable lives than those that are richer Contentment is not alwaies cloathed with silk and purple and velvets but Contentment is sometimes in a russet sure in a mean condition as well as in a higher and many men that sometimes have had great estates and God hath brought them into a lower condition they have had more Contentment in that condition than the other Now how can that possible be Thus easily For if you did but understand the root of Contentment it consists in the sutablenesse and proportion of the spirit of a man to his estate and the evenness when one end is not longer and bigger than another the heart is contented there is comfort in that condition now let God give a man never so great riches yet if the Lord gives him up to the pride of his heart he will never be contented But now let God bring any one into a mean condition and then let God but fashion and sute his heart to that condition and he will be content As now in a mans going Suppose a man had a mighty long leg and his other leg were short why though one of his legs be longer than ordinary yet he could not go so well as a man that hath both his legs shorter than he I compare a long leg when one is longer than another to a man that hath a high condition and is very rich and a great man in the world but he hath a great proud heart too and that is longer and larger than his condition now this man cannot but be troubled in his condition Now another man that is in a mean condition his condition is low and his heart is low too so that his heart and his condition is both even together and this man goes on with more ease abundantly than the other doth So that now a gracious heart works after this manner The Lord
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 mānage such a condition A man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps than he is able to mānage 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
the Chapter is ended in the 23. verse When they came to Marah in the same Chapter they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called Marah and the people murmured against Moses After so great a mercy as this was what unthankfulnes was there here in their murmuring Then God gave them water but in the very next Chapter they fell to their murmuring you reade not that they were humbled for their former murmuring and therefore they murmur again Exod. 16.1 c. All the Congregation of the Children of Israel came to the wildernesse of Sin c. And the whole Congregation in the second verse of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse and the Children of Israel said unto them Would to God we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when we sate by the flesh-pots and when we did eat bread to the full Now they want flesh they wanted water before but now they want meat they fell to murmuring again they were not humbled for this murmuring against God neither when God gave them flesh according to their desires but they fell to murmuring again they wanted somewhat else In the very next Chapter they went not far in the 17 of Exod. beginning And all the Congregation of the Children of Israel journied from the wildernesse of Sin and pitthed in Rephadim and there was no water for the people to drink then in the second verse Wherefore the people did chide with Moses and said Give us water that we may drink and Moses said unto them Why chide you with me wherefore do you tempt the Lord And in the third verse And the people thirsted there for water and the people murmured against Moses and said Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our Children and our Cattell with thirst So one time after another still as soon as ever they had received the mercie then they were a little quieted but they were not humbled I bring these Scriptures for this to shew that if we have not been humbled for murmuring the next crosse that we meet withal we will fall to murmuring again And now there are divers agravations of this sin of murmuring I 'le mention but one now and I shall but begin that The first Agravation is this To murmur when we enjoy abundance of mercy the greater and the more abundant the mercy is that we enjoy the greater and the viler is the sin of murmuring As here now when God had newly delivered them out of the house of bondage for them now to murmur because they want some few particulars that they desire Oh to sin against God after a great mercy this is a great agravation and a most abominable thing Now my brethren the Lord hath granted us very great mercies I 'le but speak a word of what God hath done of late what mercies hath the Lord granted to us this summer heaped mercies upon us one mercie upon another what a condition were we in at the beginning of this summer and what a different condition are we in now Oh what a mercie is it that the Lord hath not taken advantages against us that he hath not made those Scriptures before mentioned good upon us for all our murmuring the Lord hath gone on with one mercie after another We hear of mercie in Bristol and mercy to our brethren in Scotland But still if after this we should have any thing befall us that is but crosse to us that we should be ready to murmur again presently Oh let us not so requite God for those mercies of his Oh let 's take heed of giving God any ill requital for his mercies Oh give God praise according to his excellent greatness to his excellent goodnesse and grace And now hath God given to you the Contentment of your hearts Take you heed of being the cause of any greife to your brethren think not that because God hath been gracious unto you that therefore he hath given you liberty for to bring them into bondage Oh let not there be such an il effect of Gods mercy to you as for you to exclude by petitioning or any other way your Brethren that the Lord hath been pleased to make Instruments of your peace let not that be the fruit of it nor to desire any thing that your selves do not yet understand God is very jealous of the glory of his mercy and if there should be an ill use made of the mercy of God after we enjoy it Oh it would go to the heart of God! nothing is more grievous to the heart of God than the abuse of mercy As now if any way that is hard and rigid should be taken towards our Brethren and those especially that God hath made such special Instruments of good to us that have been so willing to venture their lives and all for us now when we have our turns served let God and his People and Servants that have been a means to save us shift for themselves as well as they can Oh! this is a great aggravation of your sin to sin against the mercies of God But for this Aggravation and specially in this particular we shall speak to God willing the next day SERMON IX 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
who are under thee Jacob that was the heir both of Abraham and Isaac for the blessing was upon him and the Promise ran along in him yet was in a poor mean condition Abraham that was his Grandfather was able to make a kind of Army of his own houshold 300. to fight with a King yet Jacob his Grand-child he goes over Jordan with a staffe and lives in a very poor and mean condition for a long time and Moses that might have had all the treasures in Egypt and as some Historians say of him Pharoahs Daughter adopted him for her son because Pharoah had no heir for the Crown and so he was like to have come to the Crown yet what a low condition did he live in when he went to live with Jethro his Father in law 400. yeers together afterward when he returned to Egypt he and his wife and children and all that he had and yet he had but one beast to carry him to Egypt he went in a mean condition when he went from his Father in law to Egypt back again And Elijah we know how he was fed with Ravens and how he was fain to shift for his life from time to time and run into the wildernesse up and down and so did Elisha he was divers times in a very low condition the Prophets of God they were to be hid in a Cave by Obadiah and there to be fed with bread and water and the Prophet Jeremiah put into a Dungeon and oh how was he used and it were an endless thing to name the particulars of the great sufferings of the people of God In former time we have sometimes made use of this Argument other waies the great Instruments of God in the first Reformation they lived in great straights in a very low condition even Luther himself when he was to die saith he Lord though he were a man of such publick use and was a great man in the Courts of Princes Lord I have neither house nor lands nor estate to leave any thing to wife or children but I commit them to thee and so Musculus that was a very choise Instrument of God in his time though he were a man that was worth even a Kingdom for the excellency of his spirit and learning for he was one of the learnedst men of his time yet sometimes he was put to dig in the common ditch to get bread for his family what would we do if we were in such a condition as these men were But above all set Christ before us that professes that the birds of the ayr had nests and the Foxes had holes yet the Son of man had no place to hide his head in that low condition he was in the consideration of such things as these are very useful It is likewise useful for men and women of estates to go to poor peoples houses and see how they live to go to Hospitals and to see the wounds of souldiers and others and to see the lamentable condition that people live in that live in some Alms-houses and what poor fare they have and what straights they are put to you hear sometimes of them but if you went to see them it would not only stir up charity in your selves towards them but stir up thankfulnesse in your hearts towards God it would be a special means to help you against any discontent you would go away and see cause to blesse God and say if I were in such a condition as they are in what should I do how could I bear it and yet what reason is there that God doth so order and dispose of things that they should be so low in their estates and I so high I know no reason but free grace God will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy These are some good considerations for the furtherance of Contentment The Eighth Consideration A further consideration may be this That before your conversion before God wrought upon your souls you were contented then with the world without grace though you had no interest in God nor Christ why cannot you now be contented with grace and Spiritual things without the world If you your selves were content with the world without grace there 's reason you should be content with grace without the world Certainly there 's infinitly more reason Yea you see that many men of the world have a kind of contentment do not murmur nor repine when the world comes though they have no interest in God and Christ Then can'st not thou have as much Contentment with God and Christ without the world as they can with the world without God and Christ This is infinite shame it should be so The Ninth Consideration Yea consider when God hath given thee such contentment thou hast not given him the glory When God hath let thee have thy hearts desire what hast thou done with thy hearts desire thou hast not bin the better for it it may be thou hast bin the worse many times and therefore let that satisfie thee I meet with crosses but when I had contentment and all things coming in God had but little or no glory from me and therefore let that be a means now to quiet me in my discontented thoughts The Tenth Consideration Yea lastly Consider all the experience that you have had of Gods doing good unto you in the want of many comforts When God crosses you have you never had experience of abundance of good in afflictions it 's true when a Minister only tels men that God will work good out of their afflictions they hear them speak and think they speak like good men but they feel little or no good they feel nothing but pain but when we cannot only say to you that God hath said he will work good out of your afflictions but we can say to you that you your selves have found it so by experience that God hath made former afflictions to be great benefits to you and that you would not have been without them or without the good that came by them for a world such experiences wil exceedingly quiet the heart and work it to contentment therfore think thus with thy self Lord why may not this affliction work as great a good upon mee as afflictions have done heretofore Perhaps you may find many other considerations besides in your own meditations these are the principal ones that I have thought upon I 'le one add one word more to this of one that once was a great merchant and trades-man and it happened one a time that he suffered ship-rack and saith he I never made a better voyage and sail'd better than at that time that I suffered ship-rack this was a strangs speech his name war Zeno that he should never make a better voyage it would be a strang parradox to you that are marriners to say that that 's a good voyage when you suffer ship-rack but he meant because he got so much good by it God was pleased to blesse it
Egyptians had a tower built likewise besides the advantage of the rocks and of the hills there was a tower built for their further strengthening and there the people of Israel were an unarmed people yea not only by the tower but they were over against Baal-zephon I remember in the last Exercise I shewed you what Baal was and what several Baals there were that the Heathens worshiped for their gods a general name it is sometimes for any other Idol This Baal-zephon it was a god that they worshiped upon this ground they had an Idol set in that place at the going out of Egypt that was to watch those that were to go out for so zephon comes of zuri speculatus est the god was to watch was to stand and watch any run-away-servant or any people that did go out of Egypt without any leave they trusting in this Baal that he would stop them and stay them and he was set in that place for that very purpose and thereupon his name was Baal-zephon As Conjurers by their magick arts will have their spels spirits that shall stop men in such a place they shall not go out of such an orchyard or such a yard where they come in So the Egyptians had there by their magical arts they got as it were a Spel a Baal-zephon a god to stop people in that place where they would have them stopped that is the meaning of this name of the Idol Baal-zephon So that you see what a strait Israel was in upon their going out of Egypt they were got before the Sea the Egyptians had all their strength behind in a hole of rocks and a tower and their god to stop them altogether so that they themselves made sure of them and said that they were intangled in the land of the wildernesse Being in those great straits their hearts began to fail them they began to be extreamly troubled and in a most greivous distemper of spirit they were coming and chiding with Moses and said to Moses in the 11. vers Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt We had rather we had continued in Egypt still What! Brought to these straits these extremities such a perplexity as we are now in would to God we had bin in Egypt this was the baseness of their spirits they would rather be under vile bondage than endure any hazard then be put to any straits and difficulties It is the baseness of the spirits of many at this day amongst us because they see that those waies that have bin taken by the Parliament brings some troublesom difficulties some straits they cry out of the times I would to God we were as we were before we were well enough before we were quiet enough before we never knew what such stirs as these meant before now we are brought into these perplexities I this they have brought us into thus they are ready to murmur repine Oh unthankful unworthy generation men women of vile spirits that shall do so It was a speech of Cyrus speaking unto his souldiers The Historian hath this expression of him It is the part of a true valiant man either to live honourably or die honourably one of them but that is the part of a base coward rather to live basely than to die honourably rather to be under any base servitude than to be in any hazard of their lives though perhaps their lives may be saved too I remember Philo tels us even of women for in these times the publik cause of the Kingdom suffers exceedingly much by the timorousness of the spirits of women that being in danger of their enemies of being brought into bondage by them they took their children and threw them into the rivers with these words You shall not serve we had rather see you die than be slaves I commend not that fact that it was wel done but to shew what a spirit the heathen women had to see their children die rather than have them bondslaves Indeed what were our lives worth were they worth having if we return to our bondage again The utmost of the danger is our lives the killing of our bodies yet we hope God will preserve them too but suppose the worst it is but death but if our lives should not be hazarded now and if through base cowardice we should decline the Cause of God surely our lives would not be worth taking up the living after that manner we are like to live in that bondage unto these Cavalliers notorious wretches blasphemers of God himself that would make our lives worth very little nay your children perhaps to be brought up in Popery and to hold a candle to a masse-Priest at the Altar that may be the imployment of your children if so be that they should live But these people being now in this extremity and manifesting so much passion being in a distemper Moses as the Captain of the Lord comes to the people and speaks bravely to them incouraging of them saith Moses Fear not but stand stil and see the salvation of the Lord stand still the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state it signifies to settle and compose to be in a setled condition it is a reflect word upon our selves so the Learned know that it is to work upon our selves to form signifies so it is as much as if he should say Do you work upon your own hearts to get your hearts to stand still work upon your hearts to do that work arguments upon your spirits and never leave working until you have wrought your hearts into such a frame as that you may stand stil be quiet At first even the dearest servants of God wil find their hearts to shake in time of hazards and extremities but when they come to work upon their spirits to bring arguments to lay to their hearts there they get some advantage that their hearts grow quiet quickly For that we have a notable text in the example of David in the 62. Psalme saith David there in the 1 and 2. verses Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation hee onely is my Rock and my Salvation he is my defence I shall not greatly be moved Mark he begins to exercise Faith and he saies he shall not greatly be moved as if he should have said I confesse I cannot say but that my heart is somewhat stirred I am somewhat afraid and I feel some working in my spirit but I hope I shall not greatly be moved he fals a working upon his heart more and considers of his innocencie and of the mischievous device of the ungodly how long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man ye shall be slain all of you then again in the 5. verse My soul waite thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock And then he repeats the
your own spirits and then you shall know that God is God God will not appear till first you be still 2. Reas We are not able to make use of our own Graces till we be quiet and still If God have bestowed Graces when we are in a hurly-burly we have no use of them at all therefore saith the text Psalm 4. Stand in awe sin not commune with your own hearts upon your beds and be still Commune with your own hearts you have somewhat perhaps in your own hearts that may quiet you commune with your own hearts and be still you are not fit to commune with your own hearts till you get them quiet first be quiet and then commune Oh! my brethren A man or woman of a staid sound quiet and still spirit hath a mighty advantage of all passionate spirits there are many of you that are passionate at all other times and that is the reason that in such great extremities you are so over-rul'd with passion you are so over-rul'd with your passion of anger at other times and out of Gods just judgment you are over-rul'd with the passion of Fear now But if at other times you would labour to keep in your spirits God would help you now 3. Reas Because without this stilness and quietness we cannot manifest that subjection to God we owe him for then there is a great deal of sin and pride and stoutness committed against God and therefore in that fourth Psalm the old Latine hath it My soul be silent my soul is subject to God the subjection of our souls to God depends much upon this Quieting of our hearts 4. Reas Our reverence of God depends much upon it and therfore in this 4. Psalm Stand in aw and sin not commune with your own heart and be still for us to behave our selves in such a manner as many people do throwing out their hands and wringing and keeping such a stir as they do this shows there is not in their hearts that reverence they owe to God stand in awe If your hearts were possess'd with Gods fear you would not keep such a stir as you do in times of great danger 5. Reas This makes people unfit to listen to any thing that is spoken to them let any thing be spoken to them that is of any use they eannor hear it nor make use of it as we reade of the people of Israel Exod. 6.9 when Moses came to tell them of their deliverance the text saith He spake to the Children of Israel but they hearkned not to him why for anguish of spirit How many in trouble of conscience and in other times of extremity have their spirits in such anguish that they never hearken to any thing that is delivered to them and therefore they come with the same objection over and over again a hundred times in cases of conscience 6. Without this Quietness of spirit you are mighty hinderers of others and you daunt and discourage the hearts of others and many times the cause miscarries meerly upon the unquietness of the hearts of men and women in time of danger therefore you must be quiet and look up to God for salvation for Faith hath this excellency that it is able to bring life out of death light out of darkness it hath a kind of creating vertue as God himself brings one contrary out of another so faith hath such a kind of working if faith be of the right stamp a genuine faith it hath a mighty power in times of extremity to behold Gods salvation and make use of it I 'le give you one example of the use of faith in times of extremity and that is of David when he fled from Saul and when he was in the Cave mark Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge What was the shadow of Gods wings poor David was got into the shadow of the Cave and the Sun did not shine upon him but he looked upon himself in the Cave as under the shadow of Gods wings You poor people that live it may be in Cellers and in poor dark holes and Lanes the Sun scarce shines upon you in a year yet if you be godly you are under Gods wings by faith I shall now speak to the Second part of the Doctrine that we are to expect Salvation from God David did fly from Absolom and yet what confidence had David in that case in God reade but that third Psalm and you 'l see confidence enough in David and yet flying too Divers grounds and reasons I shall give for this why we must look up to God as well as be still Rea. Hereby we sanctifie Gods Name Fear ye not their fear but sanctifie God in your hearts saith the text You sanctifie not God else I suppose many of you would be loth to be guilty of swearing and taking Gods Name in vain in that kind but by your distracting thoughts and unbeseeming carriage in times of danger you take Gods Name in vain you break the third Commandement 2. Rea. This shews the beauty and excellency of Faith as David said Thou shalt see what thy servant can do So now there is a great deal of talk of faith in the world let us see now what it can do the truth of love is when I can love God for himself without his gifts so when I can beleeve in God without experience I shew the excellency of my faith when I can trust in God meerly upon his word as I love God meerly for himself when my faith taks Gods single bond without any security that is the excellency of Faith when I would have outward helps and assurances there I call for sureties So Christians when they must needs have outward helps and former experiences they call to God for sureties as if they would not trust God upon his simple bond that 's the excellency of faith to trust God upon his single bond 3. Rea. When we look up to God for salvation we engage God in our cause God owns not the cause till then and then he owns it Now how happy were we if thus we could do in al our particular and private straights stand still and look up to God for help and for salvation It 's true you cry out and complain I have lost a dear husband and a dear friend never man lost such a friend and these great straights I am brought into but lose not the quiet of thy heart too take heed of that that is a greater loss than any loss thou canst have in this world I remember I have read of a Phylosopher that had this expression saith he If the gods would grant to me my desire and bid me ask what I would have I would ask of them this thing that I might have the composed spirit of Socrates that I might have such a spirit as Socrates had for it is observed of
him that he did scarce change his countenance upon any thing that befell him he was alwaies in a quiet composed frame and yet a Heathen How much more should a Christian say If God would give me my asking I would ask nothing but that for indeed there is a great deal of glory and excellency in a composed spirit this is worthy of the Gospel therefore mark what the Apostle saith Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come to see you or be absent from you I may hear of your affairs and that you stand fast in one spirit This is to walk worthy of the Gospel to stand fast in one spirit and observe this that except we do stand fast and quiet our hearts we lose every thing that should help us when we are in a hurly-burly in our spirits to get some help alas we lose all our help Therefore in Phil. 4. Let the peace of God keep your hearts the word in the Original is Guard your hearts The peace of God in your hearts must be the best guard of your hearts in the time of danger now because you would avoid trouble you put away your guard what a madnesse is this the casting away the peace of God is the casting away of your guard therefore keep that in your hearts whatsoever you lose yea it 's our Arms mark Ephes 6. what is the Arms of a Christian first The girdle of truth fear dissolves the heart and makes a man he cannot gird himself When he is in fear his heart is melted and he hath little use of his truth the girdle is loosed then In the text there is the helmet of salvation but in fear hope is gone there is the brestplate of righteousness but in fear a man hath no use of his righteous conversation nor no use of the sword of the Spirit he can use nothing in times of such distracting fears therefore lose not your Arms It is very observable in the 6. of the Ephes how the holy Ghost still cals upon us to stand verse 10. My brethren be strong in the Lord and not only strong But strong in the Lord and strong in the might of the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whol armour of God that you may be able to stand then again in the 13. verse Wherefore take ye all the whol armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the evil one and having done all â—o stand Though perhaps you have overcome at one time yet still look to your own hearts when you have done all stand four times we are called upon to stand nothing what a great advantage we have by standing It 's true our afflictions are great and the soul saith The Lord is my portion perhaps temptations and afflictions say otherwise but the soul saith The Lord is my portion and it is good for a man to say what shall I that am so full of sin yet not be willing to have some trouble but be so full of fears upon every trouble that befals me why should not I yeild to Gods providential will as well as to his commanding will how know I but that God may have glorious ends to work out of these extremities and troubles I am in why should I not give up my self to God to have his will upon me and hath not God heretofore delivered me from great straights and extremities even from the wrath of God himself and from his justice greater and other manner of straights than those I am now in and if I beleeve not in God now but be disquieted perhaps these straights may be to bring me to greater straights what if these straights of affliction should bring me to greater straights and it 's just with God to leave me to fall into the straights of sin that cannot bear the straights of afflictions therefore let me stand stil and look up to Gods salvation Let us be so affected with our straights as to carry us up to God in prayer pray as much as ye can but still keep your hearts in a quiet frame and if your prayers be right they will be to you as Luther saith they were the leeches of his cares Luther had a great many corrupt cares as in a corrupt body there is much corrupt blood but now his prayers were the leeches to suck out his cares when you are distemper'd go to prayer and then examine what a deal of corrupt blood hath my prayers suckt out of my heart As Hannah when she had been at prayer she lookt no more sad There are many things I thought to have given you to slay your hearts in time of extremities Peace shall be to that man that hath his heart stayed on God and blessed is that man that stayeth his heart upon God and if ever people had cause to stay their hearts upon God certainly we have at this day for we have God with us Therefore it 's unworthy of a Christian to have a distempered spirit I remember I have read of the Romans that when Hannibal was just before them yet they bought and sold their ground as they did at other times they were so quiet in their hearts It was a speech that Antigonor had when some were afraid of the multitude that came against him say they So many are coming against us saith he How many do you reckon me for So may we say we hear of so many thousands coming against us But how many do you reckon Jesus Christ for How many reckon you him for that is the Captain of all our Hosts Have not prayers been sent up to God Why dispise you the prayers of the Saints of God as if there were nothing in their prayers Is not Gods Name engaged in all this businesse Oh therfore stand still and be not afraid And especially let me speak a word to you that are of timorious and fearful spirits Isa 35.4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart Fear not Do not excuse your selves in this that you are of a timorious nature saith God Say to them that are of a fearful heart Fear not And especially mark what the holy Ghost speaks to women In 1 Pet. 3. Women they must cloath themselves with a meek and quiet spirit that is in the 4. verse which is in the sight of God of great price and in the 6. verse And as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord whose daughters ye are as long as you do well and are not afraid of any amazment What should be the meaning of that that woman must be the daughters of Sarah upon these terms Thus Abraham was brought into straights many times and carried from his own Country now Sarah if she had been of such a spirit as many women are Oh how would Sarah have hindered her husband Abraham in every straight he was brought into and have said Husband why go we from our own Country and
Dishonour A Christian discontented when God is dishonoured Page 15 Dispose see Freely Disquiet Disquiet the the cause of Gods departing Page 168 See Murmuring Duty Duty of a Christian in prosperity Page 89 What unfits for duty Page 134 God accepts of weak duty Page 156 Sence of affliction hinders not duty Page 165 E Efficacy Efficacy of Gods providence Page 95 Ever God gives grace for ever Page 184 Evil Evil of afflictions taken from Gods children Page 56 Excellency Excellency of God how we come neer it Page 117 Excellency of God what ibid Expectation Expectation of a Christian Page 132 F Faith Ordinary works done in Faith precious Page 7 Murmuring below the grace of Faith Page 131 Exercise of faith brings Contentment Page 198 See Affliction Mean Faithfulnesse God in rewarding looks to faithfulnesse Page 178 Father God the Father of a Christian Page 126 We should labour for the Spirit of our Father Page 129 Feel What we feel to be preferred to others fancies Page 205 Fill see God Fit God knows what afflictions are fit Page 174 Grace makes fit for any condition ibid Foolish Discontent a foolish sin 138 139 Frame Contentment a frame of spirit Page 9 Free Freely c. A Christian freely submits to God Page 15 Freedom what Page 16 God gives freely Page 42 Freeness of Gods mercies aggravate sin Page 158 Fretting Fretting opposite to a quietnss of spirit Page 6 G Glory What a Christian hath here is an earnest of glory Page 43 Glory of God wherein it appears Page 105 Glory to be given God in the enjoyment of blessings Page 193 God To look up to God in all conditions Page 19 Nothing can fill the heart but God Page 28 Happiness of a Saint in God Page 38 Saints enjoy all in God Page 49 Outward comforts taken away when they keep us from God Page 50 See Life Creature Excellency Walk Good Christians of themselves unfit to receive good Page 70 We should not be discontent that God is good to others Page 173 God doth good to his by afflictions Page 193 See Sanctifie Christ Grace Grace much exercised in Contentment Page 103 Grace the strength of it ibid Grace better than the Creature Page 113 Discontent contrary to Grace Page 122 Grace should content us without the world Page 193 See Beauty Gracious Contentment a gracious frame of heart Page 13 Great Afflictions not so great as our sins Page 172 Affliction greater for murmuring Page 173 Not to promise our selves great things Page 200 H Habitual Contentment an habitual frame Page 13 Had To praise God for what we had Page 188 Heart Contentment quiets the heart Page 5 The heart to be let out to God Page 67 The knowledge of our own hearts Page 82 Benefits of knowing our own heart Page 84 A great evil to be given up to our own heart Page 91 Rising of the heart Page 135 Distempers of the heart how esteemed with God Page 185 See Gracious Heaven Heaven in the souls of the Saints here Page 59 Things of Heaven real to a Saint Page 67 Heaven what Page 114 Contentment better than Heaven ibid Help Help of a Christian what Page 132 No help by discontent Page 139 High see Calling Angels Honour What is the greatest honour God hath of us in this world Page 81 Humble We should not murmur when God would humble us Page 161 See Contentment I Idle see Discontent Joy Joy immoderat how known Page 206 Injoy Godly men content with that that they injoy Page 4 Good men injoy what they have Page 116 See God Inward Inward discontent Page 4 Inward content ibid Judgment Many not content in their judgement Page 11 See Affections K Kind To submit to afflictions of every kind Page 22 King The soul subdued to Christ as King Page 124 Every Christian a King Page 128 L Life Life of a Saint where it is Page 56 Conversion a work all our life Page 125 Long Long afflictions not to be murmured at Page 163 Look Afflictions to be looked for Page 171 Care in afflictions not looked for Page 172 Losse No loss of us if we perish Page 71 Love Love of God in what a Christian hath Page 41 Love in afflictions to the godly Page 44 Love in a Christians estate Page 110 Love to God a sign of it Page 113 Low Lowest God brings lowest when he intends the greatest mercies Page 98 Men raised from a low condition should not murmur Page 159 Obedience seen most in a low calling Page 178 The soul oft best in a low outward estate Page 180 M Man Man Gods instrument in affliction 170 Mannage see Heart Mean Actions of a mean Christian accepted Page 178 Faith makes mean works glorious ibid Mercy How the soul is fitted to receive mercy Page 106 Mercies lessened by discontent Page 135 Discontent deprives of mercies Page 139 The greater mercies the greater sin to murmur Page 150 Every man hath more mercies than afflictions Page 154 Greatness of mercies should make us content Page 187 God is beforehand with his mercies to us Page 188 See Discontent Member Every Christian a member of Christ Page 127 Mean Christians members of Christs body Page 176 Mystery Contentment a mystery 2.26 Mortified To get our hearts mortified to the world Page 200 Murmuring Murmuring opposite to quietness of spirit Page 6 Murmuring the evill of it Page 119 Murmuring a note of a wicked man Page 120 Murmuring below a Christian Page 126 Murmuring the effects of it Page 134 Murmuring breeds disquiet Page 147 Murmuring the way to relaps into it Page 150 Murmuring aggravations of it ibid See Affection Rebellion Losse Child Curse Mercy Small N Nature see Angels Necessary The knowledge of one thing necessary Page 74 Nothing How a Christian comes to know he is nothing Page 69 A Christian of himself can do nothing Page 70 Naturally we are worse than nothing Page 71 See Deserve Use O Obedience When God gives in love we should return in obedience Page 184 The greater affliction the more obedience ibid One All Gods works from eternity but one Page 96 P Pain Pain sanctified to a Christian how Page 46 Parts Discontent aggravated in men of parts Page 158 Passage see Portion People Gods dealing with his people Page 97 Three things in Gods way with his people Page 98 Perfection see Uprightnesse Particular The Creatures particular comforts Page 113 Pity Pity to men that deal ill with us Page 171 Plague Promises concerning the Plague 54 55 56. Plea see Discontent Portion A Christian not content with little for his portion Page 28 Possesse Men discontent for what they possesse Page 159 Poverty Poverty sanctified by Christs poverty Page 45 See Prosperity Prayers How we undoe our prayers Page 133 Praise see Had Profession Profession of a Christian Page 131 Promise Promises performed more literally to the Jews 54.64 Gods liberty in performing temporal promises Page 55 Christians have interest in all former promises Page 65 See Covenant
Heritage Prosperity Many good men worse for prosperity Page 34 The burden of prosperity Page 85 Prosperity should prepare for afflictions Page 182 See Trouble Danger Protection Protection of God from whom withdrawn Page 147 A great judgment to be out of Gods protection Page 148 Proud A Proud heart never Content Page 30 Punishment Ground of accepting our punishment Page 167 Providence Knowledge of Gods providence what it teacheth Page 94 Providence of God not to be altered Page 95 See Rational Efficacy Variety Universality Purchase see Christ Publick see Discontent Q Quiet Quietnesse in adversity Page 105 See Content R Rational Gods providence most over Creatures rational Page 94 Real see Heaven Reason Wherein natural reason may quiet the heart Page 14 Rebellion Murmuring accounted rebellion Page 121 Rejoyce How the soul comes to rejoyce in Gods waies Page 72 When a sin to rejoyce immoderately Page 152 Relation Relation of a Christian Page 126 Reprobate No certain sign of a reprobate in Scripture Page 91 Reward A Christian may expect a reward Page 116 He is rewarded for what he would do ibid Great reward for Christians in low callings Page 178 Rhetorick see Devil Right What right wicked men have to that they enjoy Page 42 Righteously God deals righteously with us though men do not Page 171 Risings Desparate risings in the heart against God Page 9 Rule A Christian should walk by rule Page 196 S Saints A Christian one body with the Saints Page 127 Sanctified What a Christian hath is sanctified Page 41 All afflictions to the godly sanctified Page 45 See Poverty Disgrace Scorn Scorn Scorn sanctified by Christ Page 46 Self A Christian can make up his wants in himself 53.57 See God Self-love Contentment in the creature from self-love Page 113 Self-denial Self-denial the way to Contentment Page 68 Christ the pattern of self-denial Page 71 Sence Gods Children have sence of their afflictions Page 5 Want of sence in afflictions dangerous ibid Serve Service What makes active in Gods service Page 14 What fits the soul for service Page 107 Affliction grievous when it hinders from Gods service Page 175 All things serve them that serve God Page 197 Setled Our spirituall condition setled Page 181 Shifting Shifting opposite to Contentment Page 8 Shiftting caused by murmuring Page 138 Sight see Sin Silent Grace makes silent in trouble Page 60 Small To murmur for small things Page 157 Sin Sight of sin in a Christian while he lives Page 125 Great sinners should not murmur Page 160 When trouble for affliction and not for sin Page 166 If trouble be for sin we will not sin after trouble Page 167 See Duty Command Sorrow Sorrow when beyond bounds Page 165 See Joy Soul Contentment spread through the whol soul Page 10 Contentment betters the soule Page 113 It is a blessing on the soul Page 115 See Heaven Worship Souldier Every Christian a souldier Page 78 Spirit Spirituall judgements worst Page 91 Spirit of a Christian Page 129 Spirit of the Devil Page 147 Spiritual mind brings Content Page 199 See Father Base Spouse A Christian the Spouse of Christ Page 126 Stilness Stilness natural Page 13 Steadfast Grace makes the soule steadfast Page 195 Stranger A Christian a stranger here Page 76 Strength Strength from Christ to bear afflions Page 47 A Christian strong by Christs strength Page 48 Stupid Many seem content that are stupid Page 17 Submit To submit to God what Page 17 Pains taken without submission to God not Christian-like Page 185 Substraction Contentment by subtraction Page 29 Sweetness Sweetness of mercies eaten out Page 139 T Temple A Christian the Temple of the Spirit Page 127 Temptation How to be delivered from temptation Page 108 Thorns The things of the world as thorns Page 196 Time To submit in afflictions in respect of the time Page 23 Loss of time by murmuring Page 134 Our time little in this world Page 190 Trouble Burden of trouble in prosperity Page 85 See Sin Tumult Tumult of spirit Page 6 V Vanity Every man in his settled estate is vâ—â—ity Page 179 Variety To submit in variety of conditions Page 25 Variety of Gods providence Page 95 Unsatisfied A Christian content yet unsatisfied Page 27 Unsearchable Gods waies unsearchable Page 55 Unsetled Unsetledness of spirit Page 7 Uprightnesse Uprightness accounted perfection Page 204 Use We can make use of nothing if God withdraw his grace Page 70 Men of little use not to murmur Page 161 Universal Gods providence universal Page 94 Unthankfulnesse Unthankfulnesse whence it is Page 135 W Walk To walk with God what 16â— Want How to possess that we want Page 111 Not to want and to be content all one Page 207 Wast The affections not to run wast Page 51 Way To interpret well God's wayes Page 203 See Rejoyce Wicked Wicked men may have that that Christians murmur for Page 187 See Murmuring Will To melt our will into Gods will Page 37 Within Contentment by purging out that that is within Page 39 Without see Within Works Difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works Page 181 See One World A Christians relation in the world Page 76 Wee were once content with the world without grace Page 193 Not to grasp the world Page 195 Not to be much taken with the comforts of the world Page 206 Worship How we give God due Worship Page 101 Worship what it signifies ibid Soul-worship required Page 102 Worship active and passive ibid Wrath Wrath of God how provoked Page 141 Wrong Better to suffer than to offer wrong Page 171 AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF ALL THE PRINCIPAL TRUTHS IN THE LAST SERMON ON EXODUS 14.13 A Page Amazement STanding still out of amazement Page 304 B Baal-zephon Baal-zephon what Page 300 Beauty Beauty of grace wherein seen Page 325 C Cares Prayer easeth of cares Page 327 Cause God engaged in our cause how Page 325 Coward Part of a Coward Page 301 D Disarm Distracting fear disarms a Christian Page 326 F Faith Standing still out of faith Page 307 Exercise of faith in straights Page 315 See Beauty Fearful Arguments to establish the fearfull Page 328 Flesh Trouble in straights from the flesh Page 319 Flying Flying from danger when lawfull Page 309 Frowardnesse see Humble G Glorious Sight of salvation when glorious Page 328 Gospel A composed spirit becomes the Gospel Page 325 Graces Vnquiet hinders the use of graces Page 322 Guilt Trouble in straights from guilt Page 319 H Hear Vnquietnesse makes us that we cannot hear what is said to us Page 323 Humble Gods people in straights to humble them Page 313 Frowardness from want of humiliation Page 314 I Ignorance Standing still out of ignorance 304 M Malice Malice of the enemy how vented Page 317 N Name Name of God how Sanctified Page 324 Neutrality Standing still out of neutrality Page 305 O Obedience Standing still out of obedience Page 307 Others Others hindred by unquiet spirits Page 324 P Prayer God delights in prayer Page 316 Q Quiet How Christians come to be quiet Page 302 Faith quiets the heart Page 307 In straights to quiet our spirits Page 321 Arguments to quiet the spirit Page 326 R Rebellion The present courses of Gods people not Rebellion Page 304 Reverence Reverence to God when shewed Page 323 S Salvation We should look for the salvation of the Lord 310.324 Selves Trouble in straights from confidence in our selves Page 319 Sink Our hearts should not sink in straights Page 318 Sluggishnesse Standing still out of sluggishness Page 306 Stand still Stand still in an evil sence Page 304 Stand still in a good sence Page 307 Station To keep our station till God call us out Page 308 Straights God brings his people to straights Page 311 Christs works more glorious after straights Page 317 What will become of the wicked in their straights Page 320 Suffering The greatest suffering for one godly man to suffer from another Page 314 Subjection What hinders shewing subjection to God Page 323 Sullennesse Standing still out of sullennesse Page 306 Silence Silence waiting the same Page 307 T Trouble In straights Gods people troubled Page 318 To be ashamed of distempers in trouble Page 320 W Waiting see Silence Wicked Wicked men how discovered Page 316 Wisdom Wisdom of God where seen by us Page 322 FINIS 1 Tim. 6.6 1 Cor. 2. Prov. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stepney Aug. 3. 1645. Aug. 31 1645. Sept. 21. 1645. Oct. 12. 1645. Col. 3.1