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
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
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
It was a speech of Oecolampadius to Parillus saith he when they were speaking about his extream poverty Not so poor though I have been very poor yet I would be poorer I could be willing to be poorer than I am for the truth is as if he should say the Lord knew that that was more sutable to me and I knew that my own heart was such that a poor condition was more sutable to me than a rich so certainly would we say if we knew our own hearts that such and such a condition is better for me than if it had been otherwise The Seventh lesson Is the burden of a prosperous estate Such a one that comes into Christ's School to be instructed in this Art never comes to attain to any great skill in this Art untill he comes to understand the burden that is in a prosperous estate Object You will say What burden is there in a prosperous estate Answ Yes certainly a great burden and there needs a great strength to bear it as men had need of strong brains that can bear strong wine so they had need of strong spirits that are able to bear prosperous conditions and not to do themselves hurt there 's a fourfold burden in a prosperous estate Many men and women look at the shine and glittering of prosperity but they little think of the burden but there 's a fourfould burden 1 There 's A burden of trouble A rose hath it's prickles and so the Scripture saith that he that will be rich pierceth himself through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 If a mans heart be set upon it that he must be rich and he will be rich such a man will pierce himself through with many sorrows he looks upon the delight and glory of riches that appears outwardly but he considers not what piercing sorrows he may meet withal in them The consideration of the trouble in a prosperous condition I have divers times thought of and I cannot tell by what similitude to expresse it better than by travelling in some champian country where round about is very fair and sandy ground and you see there a Town a great way off in a bottom and you think Oh how bravely is that Town seated but when you come and ride into the Town you shall ride through a durty lane and through a company of fearful durty holes and you could not see the durty lane and holes when you were two or three miles off so sometimes we look upon the prosperity of men and think such a man lives bravely and comfortably but if we did but know what troubles he meets withal in his family in his estate in his dealings with men we would not think his condition so happy One may have a very fine new shoe but no body knows where it pinches him but he that hath it on so you think such and such men are happy but they may have many troubles that you little think of 2 There is a burden of danger in it Men that are in a prosperous condition they are in a great deal of danger you see some times in the evening when you light up your candles the mothes and the gnats will be flying up and down in the candle but they scorch their wings and there they fal down dead so there is a great deal of danger in a prosperous estate those men that are set upon a Pinacle on high these men they are in greater danger than other men are Honey we know doth invite Bees and Wasps unto it and so the sweet of prosperity doth invite the Devil and temptation Men that are in a prosperous estate are subject to many temptations that other men are not subject to The Scripture cals the Devil Beelzebub that is the god of flies so Beelzebub come where the honey of prosperity is they are in very great danger of temptations that are in a prosperous condition The dangers of men that are in a prosperous estate that have more than others should be considered of by those that are lower think with thy selfe though they be above me yet they are in more danger than I am the tal trees are more shattered a great deal than low shrubs so you know the ship that hath all the sails up the top sail all in a storm this is in more danger than that that hath al the sails drawn in And so men that have their Top-gallant and all up and brave they are more like to be drown'd drown'd in perdition than other men are and therefore you know what the Scripture saith how hard it is for rich men to go into the kingdom of Heaven such a text should make poor people to be contented with their estates We have a notable example for that in the Children of Kohath you shall find that they were in a more excellent estate than the other of the Levites but they were in more danger than the other and more trouble First That the Children of Kohath were in a higher condition than other of the Levites that I 'le shew you out of the fourth of Numb 4. vers there you shall find what their condition was This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation about the most holy things Mark the Levites were exercised about holy things but the sons of Kohath their service was about the most holy things of all and you shall find in the 21. of Joshua vers 10. That God did honour the sons of Kohath in a more special manner than he did honor the other Levites which honour the Children of Aaron being of the families of the Kohathites who were of the Children of Levi had for theirs was the first lot and they were prefer'd before the other families of Levi those that were imployed in the most honourable imployment they had the most honourable Lot the first Lot fell to them thus you see God honoured the Children of the Kohathites But might other Levites say how hath God prefer'd this family before us They were honoured more than the other were But now mark their burden that comes in with their honour and that I 'le shew you out of two Scriptures the first is Numb 7.6 7 8 9. And Moses took the Wagons and the Oxen and gave them unto the Levites Two wagons and four oxen be gave unto the sons of Gershom according to their service and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari according unto their service under the hand of Ithamer the son of Aaron the Priest But saith he in the 9. vers Vnto the sons of Kohath he gave none because the service of the Sanctuary that belonged unto them was that they should bear upon their shouldiers Mark the other Levites had oxen and wagons given to them to ease them of their service but saith he to the sons of Kohath he gave none but they should bear their service upon their shoulders and that 's the
must be purged out of thee before thou canst be healed and let God do with thee what he will till he purges out that fretting humour thy wound will not be healed a murmuring heart is a very sinful heart so that when thou art troubled for such an affliction thou hadst need turn thy thoughts rather to be troubled for the murmuring of thy heart for that 's the greatest trouble there is an affliction upon thee and that is grievous but there is a murmuring heart within and that 's more grievous Oh that we could but convince men and women that a murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction let the affliction be what it will be We shall shew more afterward that a murmuring spirit is the evil of the evil and the misery of the misery Secondly The evill of murmuring is such that God when he would speak of wicked men and describe them and slew the brand of a wicked and ungodly man or woman he instances in this sin in a more special manner I might name many Scriptures but that Scripture in Jude is a most remarkable one in the 14. verse and so forward there it is said That the Lord comes with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Mark here in this 15. verse there is four times mentioned ungodly ones All that are ungodly among them all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him This is in the general But now he comes in the particular to shew who these are these are saith he Murmurers that 's the very first Would you know who are ungodly men that God when he comes with ten thousand of Angels shall come to punish for all their ungodly deeds that they do and those that speak ungodly things against them These ungodly ones are murmurers murmurers in the Scripture are put in the fore front of ungodly one it 's a most dreadfull Scripture that the Lord when he speaks of ungodly ones puts murmurers in the very fore-front of all you had need look to your spirits you may see that this murmuring which is the vice contrary to this Contentment is not so small a matter as you think you think you are not so ungodly as others because you do not swear and drink as others do but you may be ungodly in murmuring it 's true there is no sin but some seeds and remainers of it are in those that are godly but when they are under the power of this sin of murmuring it doth convince them to be ungodly as well as if they were under the power of drunkennesse or whordom or any other sin God will look upon you as ungodly for this sin as well as for any sin whatsoever This one Scripture should make the heart shake at the thought of the sin of murmuring Thirdly As it 's made a brand of ungodly men so you shal find in Scripture that God accounts it rebellion that is contrary to the worship that there was in contentednesse that 's worshiping of God crouching to God and falling down before him even as a dog that would crouch when you hould a staffe over him but a murmuring heart it 's a rebellious heart and that you shall find if you compare two Scriptures together they are both in the book of Numb 16.41 But on the morrow saith the text all the congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord. They all murmured now compare this with the Chap. 17. vers 10. And the Lord said unto Moses Bring Aarons rod again before the testimony to be kept for a token against the Rebels In the 16. Chap. they murmured against Moses and Aaron and in the 17. Chap. bring the rod of Aaron again before the testimony for a token against the Rebels So that to be a murmurer and to be a Rebel you see in Scripture phrase is all one It is a rebellion against God as it is the beginning of rebellion and sedition in a kingdom when the people are discontent and when discontentment comes it grows to murmuring and you can go into no house almost but there is murmuring when men are discontent so that within a little while it breaks forth into sedition or rebellion Murmuring it's but as the smoke of the fire there is first a smoke and smother before the flame breaks forth and so before open rebellion in a kingdom there is first a smoke of murmuring and then it breaks forth into open rebellion but because it hath rebellion in the seeds of it therefore it is accounted before the Lord to be rebellion Wilt thou be a Rebel against God When thou feelest thy heart discontented and murmuring against the dispensations of God towards thee thou shouldest check thy heart thus Oh thou wretched heart what wilt thou be a Rebel against God wilt thou rise in a way of Rebellion against the infinite God yet thus thou hast done charge thy heart with this sin of rebellion you that are guilty of this sin of murmuring you are this day by the Lord charged as being guilty of Rebellion against him and God expects that when you go home you should humble your souls before him for this sin that you should charge your souls for being guilty of rebellion against God many of you may say I never thought that I had been a Rebel against God before I thought that I had many infirmities but now I see the Scripture speaks of sin in another manner than men do the Scripture makes men though but murmurers to be Rebels against God Oh this rebellious heart that I have against the Lord that hath manifested it's self in this way of murmuring against the Lord That 's a Third particular in the evil of discontentment A Fourth particular in the evil of Discontentment it is a wickedness that is exeeeding contrary to Grace and especially contrary to the work of God in bringing of the soul home to himself I know no distemper more opposite and contrary to the work of God in conversion of a sinner than this is Quest What 's the work of God when he brings a sinner home to himself Answ The usual way is for God to make the soul to see and be sensible of the dreadful evil that there is in sin and the great breach that sin hath made between God and it for certainly Jesus Christ can never be known in his beauty and excellency till the soule know that I do not speak what secret work of the Holy-Ghost there may be in the soul but before the soul can actually apply Jesus Christ to its self it is impossible but it must come to know the
be no space nor time for murmuring to work upon thy heart that 's the Fourth Particular The Fift thing in the evil of discontentment Murmuring and discontentment is exceedingly below a Christian Oh! it is too mean and base a distemper for a Christian to give place to it Now it 's below a Christian in many respects 1 How below the relation of a Christian The relation in which thou standest With what relation you will say First The relation thou standest in to God Do'st not thou call God thy father and do'st not thou stand in relation to him as a child what thou murmer In 2 Sam. 13.4 it 's a speech of Jonadab to Amnon Why art thou being the Kings Son lean from day to day wilt thou not tell me and so he told him but that was for a wicked cause he perceived that his spirit was troubled for otherwise he was of a fat and plump temper of body but because of trouble of spirit he was even pin'd away why what 's the matter thou that standest in this relation to the King and yet any thing should trouble thy heart that 's his meaning is there any thing that should disquiet thy heart and yet standest in such a relation to the King the King's Son So I may say to a Christian Art thou the King's Son the Son the Daughter of the King of Heaven and yet so disquieted and troubled and vext at every little thing that falls out as if a King's Son should cry out he is undone for losing a bable what an unworthy thing were this So doest thou thou criest out as if thou wert undon and yet a Kings Son thou that standest in such relation to God as unto a father thou doest dishonour thy father in this as if so be either he had not wisdom or not power or not mercy enough to provide for thee 2. The relation that thou standest in to Jesus Christ thou art the spouse of Christ what one married to Jesus Christ yet troubled and discontented hast thou not enough in him doth not Christ say to his spouse as Elkanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I better to thee than ten sons So doth not Christ thy husband say to thee Am not I better to thee than thousands of riches and comforts such comforts as thou murmurest for want of hath not God given thee his Son and will he not with him give thee all things hath the love of God bin to thee to give thee his Son in way of marriage why art thou discontented and murmuring consider thy relation to Jesus Christ as thou art a spouse and married to him his person is thine and so all the riches of Jesus Christ is thine as the riches of a husband are the wives and though there are some husbands so vile as the wives may be forced to sue for maintainance certainly Jesus Christ will never deny maintainance to his spouse it 's a dishonour for a husband to have the wife go whining up-and down what thou art macht with Christ art his spouse and wilt thou murmur now and be discontented in thy spirit You shall observe among those that are newly matched when there is discontent between the wife and the husband their friends will shake their heads and say they do not meet with that that they did expect ye see ever since they were married together how the man looks and the woman looks they are not so chearly as they were wont to be surely say they it is like to prove an ill match But it 's not so here it shall not be so between thee and Christ Oh Jesus Christ doth not love to see his spouse to have a lowring countenance no man loves to see discontentment in the face of his wife surely Christ doth not love to see discontentment in the face of his spouse 3 Thou standest in relation to Christ not only as a spouse but as a member Thou art bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and to have a member of Jesus Christ to be in such a condition it 's exceeding unworthy 4. He is thy Elder brother likewise and so thou art a Co heir with him 5 The relation that thou standest in to the Spirit of God thou art the Temple of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is thy Comforter it is he that is appointed to convey all comfort from the Father and the Son to the Souls of his people And art thou the Temple of the holy Ghost and doth he dwell in thee and yet for all that thou murmur for every little matter 6 The relation that thou standest in to the Angels thou art made one body with them for so Christ hath joyned principalities and powers with his Church they are Ministring Spirits for good to his people to supply what they need and thou and they are joyned together and Christ is the head of you and Angels 7 The relation that you stand in to the Saints you are of the same body with them they and you make up but one mystical body with Jesus Christ and if they be happy you must needs be happy Oh how beneath a Christian is a murmuring Spirit if he considers his relations in which he stands Secondly A Christian should consider That murmuring and discontentednesse is below the high dignities that God hath put upon him Do but consider the high dignitie that God hath put upon thee the meanest Christian in the world is a lord of heaven and earth he hath made us Kings unto himselfe Kings unto God not Kings unto men to rule over them and yet I say every Christian is lord of heaven and earth yea of life and death That is as Christ he is Lord of all so he hath made those that are his members to be lords of all all are yours saith the Apostle even life and death every thing is yours It 's a very strange expression that death should be theirs death is yours that is you are as it were lords over it you have that that shall make death to be your servant your slave even death it 's self your greatest enemies are turned to be your slaves faith makes a Christian to be as lord over all to be lifted up in excellency above all creatures that ever God made except the Angels yea and in some respect above them I say the poorest Christian that lives is raised to an estate above all the creatures in the world except Angels yea and above them in divers respects too and yet discontented that thou who wert as a firebrand of hell and might have been scorching and yelling and roring there to all eternity yet that God should raise thee to have a higher excellency in thee than there is in all the works of creation that ever he made except Angels and other Christians that are in thy condition yea and thou art neerer the Divine Nature than the Angels because thy nature is joyned in an hypostatical union to
find not such happinesse in them but they prove to be the greatest crosses and afflictions to you that ever you had and upon this ground because your hearts were immoderatly set upon them before you had them As it was with Rachel she must have children or else she died well saith God seeing you must you shal have them but though she had a child she died according to what she said Give me children or else I die So in regard of any other outward comforts people may have the thing but often times they have it so as it proves the heaviest crosse to them that ever they had in all their lives such a child as you were discontent for the want of it it may be it was sick and your hearts were out of temper for fear that you should lose it and God restores it but he restores it so as he makes it a cross to your heart all the daies of your lives One observes concerning Manna when the people were contented with their allowance that God allowed them then it was verie good but when they would not be content with Gods allowance but would gather more than God would have them then saith the text there was worms in it So when we are content with our conditions and that that God disposes of us to be in there 's a blessing in it then it 's sweet to us but if we must needs have more and keep it longer than God would have us to have it then there will be worms in it and no good at all 5. There 's a great deal of folly in discontentedness for it makes our afflictions a great deal worse than otherwise it would be it no way removes our affliction nay while they do continue they are a great deal the worse and heaviour for a discontented heart is a proud heart and a proud heart wil not pul down his sails when there comes a tempest and storme If a Marriner when a tempest and storme comes should be froward and would not pull down his sails but is discontented with the storm is his condition the better because he is discontented and will not pull down his sails Will this help him Just so is it for all the world with a discontented heart a discontented heart is a proud heart and he out of his pride is troubled with his affliction and is not contented with Gods dispose and so he will not pull down his spirit at all and make it bow to God in this condition in which God hath brought him now is his condition the better because he will not pull down his spirit no certainly abundantly worse a thousand to one but the tempest and storm over-whelms his soul And thus you see what a great deal of folly there is in the sinne of discontentment The Ninth Evil of murmuring and discontentment is this There is a mighty deal of danger in the sin of discontentment for it exceedingly provoketh the wrath of God it 's a sin that doth much provoke God against his creature we find most sad expressions in Scripture and examples too how God hath been provoked against many for their discontent in Numb 14. you have a notable text and one would think that that were enough for ever to make you fear murmuring in the 26. verse it is said The Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying what did he say How long shall I bear with this evill Congregation which murmur against me How long shall I bear with them saith God This evil congregation Oh it 's an evil congregation that murmur against me And how long shall I bear with them they do murmur and they have murmured as those that have murmuring spirits and murmuring dispositions they wil murmur again and again How long shall I hear with this evil congregation that murmur against me How justly may God speak this of many of you that are this morning before the Lord How long shall I bear with this wicked man or woman that doth murmur against me and hath usually in the course of their lives murmured against me when any thing falls out otherwise than they would have it And mark what follows after I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel You murmur it may be others hear you not nay it may be you speak not at all or but half-words yet God hears the language of your murmuring hearts and those muttering speeches and those half-words that comes from you And observe further in this verse how the Lord repeats this sin of murmuring How long shall I bear with this evill congregation which murmur against me Secondly I have heard their murmuring Thirdly which they murmur against me Murmur murmur murmur Three times in one verse he repeats it and this is to shew his indignation against the thing When you expresse indignation against a thing you will repeat it over again and again now the Lord because he would express his indignation against this sin he repeats it over again and again and it follows in the 28. vers Say unto them as truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine ears so will I do to you Mark God swears against a murmurer sometimes in your discontent you will be ready to swear it may be do you swear in your discontent So doth God swear against you for your discontent And what was it that God would do unto them verse 29 30. Doubtless your carkeises shall fall in the wilderness and you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear to make you dwel therein as if God should say if I have any life in me your lives shall go for it as I live it shall cost you your lives A discontented murmuring fit of yours may cost you your lives You see how it provokes God there is more evil in it than you are aware of it may cost you your lives and therefore look to your selves and learn to be humbled at the very beginnings of such distempers in the heart So in Psal 106.24 25. Yea they despised the pleasant Land they beleeved not his word But murmured in their tents and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord therefore be lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wildernesse Here are divers things observable in this Scripture First That which we spoke to before How a murmuring heart doth slight Gods mercies so it is here They despised the pleasant land and that a murmuring heart is contrary to faith they beleeved not his word but saith the text they murmured in their tents and hearkened not to the voice of the Lord. Many men and women will hearken to the voice of their own base murmuring hearts that will not hearken to the voice of the Lord if you would hearken to the voice of the Lord there would not be such murmuring as there is But mark what follows upon it you may not think to please your selves in your murmuring discontentednesse
leaves lay double under him So we are readie thus for verie small things to make complaints and to be discontented with our condition And that 's a Second aggravation A Third aggravation is this For men that are of parts and abilities that God hath given wisdom to for them to be discontent and murmur that is more than if others do it Murmuring and discontentednesse is too much in the weakest yet we can bear with it sometimes in children and women that are weak but for those that are men men of understanding that have wisdom that God imployes in publick service that they should be discontent with every thing this is an exceeding great evil for men in their families to whom God hath given parts and wisdom when things fall out amisse there to be alwaies murmuring and repining their sin is greater than for women or children to do it A fourth aggravation Is the consideration of the freeness of all Gods mercies to us What ever we have it is of free cost what though we have not all we would have seeing what we have is free If what we have were earned then it were somewhat but when we consider that all is from God for us to murmur at his dispensations is verie evil Suppose a man were in a family entertained by a friend and he did not pay for his board but he hath it given him for nothing it 's expected such a one should not be ready to find fault with every thing in the house with servants or with meat at table or the like iâ— such a one that hath plentiful provision and all given him Gratis and paies nothing for his board should be discontented if a cup should not be filled for him as he would have it or if he should stay a minute of an hour longer for a thing than he would this we would account a great evil So it is with us we are at Gods table every day and it is upon free-cost whatever we have It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friends table to find fault with things though at home he may be bold Now when we are at the table of God for so all Gods administrations to us are his table and are at free-cost now for us to be finding fault and be discontented this is a great Aggravation of our sin A fift Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this When men and women murmur and are discontented and impatient when they have the things that they were discontented for the want of before they had them So it is sometimes with children they will cry for such a thing and when you give it them then throw it away they are as much discontented as they were before So it was with the people of Israel nothing would quiet them but they must have a King Samuel perswaded them to be contrary and told them what kind of King they should have and when they had a King Hos 10.3 What shall a King do to us they were not contented when they had one So Rachel she must have children or else she died and when she had a little trouble she was discontented too so that we are neither well full nor fasting as we use to say The sixt Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this For those men and women to be discontent and murmur that God hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions This is a very great aggravation if thou be discontent now There was a time when thou wert low enough and perhaps when thou wert so low then thou didest say oh if God would deliver me from such an affliction or give me but a little more in my estate I should think my self in a good condition but if God by his providence doth raise thee thou art as greedy of more still as thou wert before and as much discontented as thou wert before this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding and poor beginings for them to be so nice and dainty that nothing can please them whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough but it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding It 's to much for a child to be discontented in his fathers house but if a man hath taken a poor begger boy if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door and set him at your own table could you bear that such a one should complain that such a thing is not well drest or the like you could not bear it if your children should do it but you could bear it a great deal better with them than to hear such a one do it But thou art a poor beggar and God hath as it were taken thee into his great family and if the Lord hath been pleased to raise thee higher that now thou hast a competency that thou mayest live as a man to be of use and service in the place where God hath set thee now wilt thou be discontent because thou hast not every thing that thou desirest We know the Prodigal when he came to himself Oh! saith he In my fathers house is bread enough He did not say there 's good-chear enough and a great deal of dainties no he thought of nothing but bread there 's bread enough So it 's ordinary for men and women when they are in a low condition they think that if they may have bread any competency they will be contented and bless God but when they have their bread and things convenient they must have more or else they are not contented know that this is an exceeding great aggravation to thy discontentment when you are raised from a very low condition and yet you cannot be contented with what you have A Seventh Aggravation of this sin is this For them to be discontent that have been very great sinners and ungodly in their former time For men and women that have much guiltinesse upon them the guilt of very many sins upon them that have provok'd God exceedingly against them and have brought themselves in a most dreadful manner under the sentence of Gods justice and yet God being pleased to reprieve them for them to murmur and to be discontent with Gods administrations towards them this is exceeding evil Oh it were consideration enough to quiet any murmuring in our hearrs to think thus We are but sinners why should not we be sufferers that are sinners but then consider we that are such great sinners guilty of such notorious sins that it is a wonder that we are out of Hell at this present yet for us to be discontent and murmur how exceedingly doth this increase our sin Consider how we have crossed God in our sinnes then if God should crosse us in the way of our sufferings should not
a condition as this is but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it indeed you lay all upon this as if it were the work of the word or the spirit of bondage I remember I heard not long since of a Divine that being judicious and used to such kind of things there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin and he could not tell what to do he was ready to despaire the Divine looks upon him saith he are you not in debt he confest that he was and at length the Minister began to find it out that that was his trouble rather than his sin and so was a means to help him that way that his Creditors should not come upon him and then the man was pretty quiet and would not make away himself any longer for it is a usual thing that if any thing befals a man that doth crosse him Oh then it 's their sin that doth trouble them Sometimes it is thus with servants if their Governors crosse them then they are vext and freâ— and come to deale with them Oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin but we must take heed of dallying with God that is the Seer and Searcher of the secrets of all hearts many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families and then you say it 's your sin that lies upon you when God knows it 's otherwise it 's because you cannot have your wils as you would have Fourthly If thou beest troubled for thy sin then it will be thy great care not to sin in thy trouble not by thy trouble to increase thy sin but thou art troubled in such a way as the truth is thou doest increase thy sin in thy trouble and since thou sayest thou wert troubled for thy sin thou hast committed more sin than thou didest before And then lastly if it be thy sin that troubles thee then thou hast the more need to submit to Gods hand and accept of the punishment of thine iniquity as it is in Levit. 26.41 There 's no such consideration to take away murmuring as to look upon my sin ae the cause of my affliction The Third Plea Oh saith another I find my Affliction is such that God withdraws himself from me in mine Affliction that is that that troubles me and can any body be quiet then can any body be satisfied with such a condition when the Lord shall withdraw himself Were my Affliction never so great yet if I find not God withdrawing himself from me I hope I could be content with any Affliction but I cannot find the presence of God with me in this Affliction as some times I have found and it is that that troubles me and makes me to be in such a condition as I am Now to that I answer thus First it is a very evil thing for men and women upon every Affliction to conclude that God is departed from them it may be when it comes to be examined there is no other reason why thou thinkest that God is withdrawn and departed but because he doth afflict thee now for thee to make such a conclusion that every time God laies an Affliction upon thee he is departed this is a sinful distemper of thy heart and is very dishonourable to God and grievous to his Spirit In the 17. of Exod. 7. verse you may see how God was displeased there with such a kind of distemper as this is And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the chiding of the Children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst us or not Mark they did murmur because they were brought into Afflictions but see what the Text saith therefore the place was called Massah and Meribah because they tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord amonst us or not This was to tempt God sometimes we are afraid God is departed from us and it was meerly because we are afflicted I beseech you observe that Scripture God cals it a tempting of him when he afflicts any for them to conclude and say that God is departed from them If a child should cry out of his Father and say that his Father is turned to be an enemy to him because he doth correct him this would be taken ill I beseech you consider of this one place it may be of very great use to you that you may not be ready to think that God is departed because you are afflicted Secondly If God be departed the greatest sign of Gods departing is because you are so disquiet you make your disquiet be the fruit of Gods departing and if it comes to be examined your disquiet is the cause of Gods departing from you if you could but cure your disquiet if you could but quiet your own hearts and get them into a better frame of contentedness under Gods hand in afflicting of you then you would find Gods presence with you will you be thus disquiet till God comes again to you your disquiet drives him from you and you can never expect Gods coming to manifest himself comfortably to your souls till you have gotten your hearts quiet under your afflictions and therefore here you see how crosly you reason you reason I am disquiet because God is gone when the truth is God is gone because thou art disquiet reason but the other way Oh my disquiet hath driven God from me and therefore as ever I would have the presence of God to come again to me let my heart be quiet under the hand of God Thirdly Doest thou find God departing from thee in thine affliction wilt thou therefore depart from God too is this thy help Can'st thou help thy self that way Because God is gone wilt thou go too Do I indeed feel God departing from me It may be it is so it may be God for thy tryal is departed a little from thee and is it so indeed what unwise course do I take I commit further sin and so I go further off from God what a case am I in God goes from me and I from God If the child sees the mother going from it it 's not for the child to say my mother is gon yonder I wil go the other way no but the child goes crying after the mother and so should the soul say I see the Lord is withdrawing his presence from me and now it is best for me to make after the Lord with all my might and I am sure this murmuring humour is not a making after God but by this I go further and further off from God and what a distance is there like to be between God and me within a little while These are some of the reasonings and pleas of a murmuring and discontented heart there are many others that we shall meet withal and indeavour to speak to your hearts in them that so this tough humour of discontent may as it were be cut with the Word and softened