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A07203 Contentment in Gods gifts or some sermon notes leading to equanimitie and contentation. By Henry Mason parson of S. Andrews Vndershaft London Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647. 1630 (1630) STC 17604; ESTC S102845 26,914 126

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professor in Wittenberg and the other in Geneva I say no more but onely wish that they who approve the faith that is taught in the French Church wold imitate the moderation and sobrietie of the learned Doctors who have taught and maintained it And so I leave this first difference which is in Opinions and judgement II. The next is a difference in Christian vertues For though all true Christians be sanctified in everie part and have a portion of all necessarie graces yet God distributeth these graces in such a different manner and measure that in severall men some are eminent and glorious and other are scarse conspicuous or to be seene For example to one man God giveth a good measure of patiēce but not so much courage to another he giveth courage for the truth but not so much moderation or judgement to another he giveth mildnes of spirit but not so much zeale in Gods service so that we may say of one that he is patient or moderate or of a meeke minde but not so fitly that he is zealous or couragious or constant in his purpose And in this case I say that difference of such vertues should not cause distraction of minde but in this diversitie of graces wee should serve God with unitie of minde To this purpose S. Augustine hath a good note upon the stories of Zaccheus and the Centurion both of them mentioned in the Gospell Of the Centurion wee reade that when Iesus was coming to his house he sent friends to stop him by the way for saith he Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter under my roofe Luke 7.6 But for Zaccheus Christ had no sooner called to him Zaccheus make haste and come downe for to day I must abide at thy house but hee made hast came down received him with joy Luke 19.5 6. In which stories we may note that these two both of them good men did shew two diverse in some sort contarie vertues The Genturion hindered Christ from coming to his house because he thought himselfe unworthie of his presence herein he shewed much humilitie and reverence to his Saviour But Zaccheus at the first word received Christ into his house Neque litig●ve●unt interse ant quisquam corum se alteri praposuit Zacchaeus et ille Centurio quum alter corum gandens in domum suam susceperit Dominū alter dixerit Nösum dignus ut intres subiectū meum Amho Salvatose bonorificates diverse quast cōtrarie ●odo ●mbopecc●tis miseri ambo misericordiam coaseqanti Aug epist 118. ad Ianuar ca. 3. pag 190 and entertained him with all readines and by this he shewed great affection and love to his Lord. Now concerning the difference in their affections S. Augustines observation is this Neque litigaverunt inter se c. These two good men for all their difference in honoring Christ did not contend the one against the other nor did either of them prefer himselfe before his fellow Had they been like some hot spirits in our daies Zaceheus might have blamed the Centurion either for incivilitie or for lacke of faith that he would forbid Christ to come into his house and the Centurion might have condemned him againe for his boldnesse or want of due reverence that he durst receive the Lord of glorie into a sinfull cotage But non litigaverunt they strove both of them how they might best honour their Redeemer they did not one strive against another for honouring him in a different maner No saith this good father both of them did honour Christ in a diuerse and in some sort contrarie manner and both of them being miserable by reason of their sinnes did both of them obtaine mercy to free thē from their sinnes This is the note of S. Augustine upon the different qualities of these holy men A like but more direct note may be observed in the different and contrarie behaviour of Iohn the Baptist and Iesus our Saviour Of them both wee thus reade in one place Iohn came ne●ther cating nor drinking and they say Hee hath a devill The Sonne of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous a wine-bibber a friend of Publicanes and sinners Matt. 11.18 19. But what said they two that lived in this so different a manner What said Iohn and Christ the one of the other Why Iohn said of Christ Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And This is he of whom I said There commeth a man after mee who is preferred before mee c. Iohn 1.27 29. the latchet of whose shooes I am not worthy to stoope downe and unloose Mar. 1.7 And Iesus contrarily he said of Iohn Hee is a Prophet and more then a Prophet and among thē that are borne of women there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist Matt. 11.9 11. In which passages wee may for our learning consider three things 1 The different practise of Iohn and Iesus and their contrary course of life Iohn came neyther eating nor drinking and the Sonne of man came eating and drinking The meaning is that Iohn lived an austere life and kept a kinde of continuall fast as became him who was the Preacher of Repentance but Iesus lived a sociable life and kept company with men in a friendly manner as was fit for him who brought the glad tydings of the Gospell Such was their different and contrary course of life 2 Note the Censure which the Iews gave of thē both They were pleased with neyther of them Iohn for his austerity lived not like a man he doubtlesse had a devill and Iesus for his familiaritie lived not like a sober man he was a glutton and a wine-bibber This was their Censure 3 Observe the mutuall testimonie that Iesus and Iohn did giue the one of the other Iesus said of Iohn Hee is more then a Prophet the chiefe among the sonnes of women and Iohn said of Iesus that hee was more then a man and so farre above himselfe that he was not worthie to untie his shooes Non litigaverunt inter se These two rare men of verie differēt qualities cōditions yet did not strive one against another they strove how each might most honour the other And this may teach us what we should doe If we cavill at other mens vertues and deprave their doings when they agree not to our fansie we are not like either Iesus or Iohn wee resemble rather the Scribes and Pharises who were pleased neither with fulnes nor fasting But if we will imitate Iohn and Iesus then if wee see in divers men different vertues we must acknowledge God in them all And if one man bee sociable like Christ when we are severe like Iohn and if another be humble like the Centurion when wee are hearty like Zaccheus and if a third bee meeke like Moses while wee are zealous like Phineas wee may not judge them because they agree not
abilitie .i. He giueth such and so much as hee seeth everyman is fit to make use of for Gods glory and the common good Both proportions are iust and right and both of them should bee ioyned together in this sort God bestoweth his gifts vpon men in a different kinde and measure even according as himselfe pleaseth and so hee pleaseth to bestow them as hee seeth men are able to use them for the good of his Church and the glory of his name These briefely bee the proofes by which it appeareth that as the Apostle saith of Starres in heaven though all be glorious in their kind yet that one starre differeth from an other starre in glorie 1 Cor. 15.41 so we may say of the Saints upō earth that though all of them be holy and righteous yet one differeth from another in graces and goodnesse And so much for proofe and declaration of the first point 2 The second is Obs 2 that the same man is not alike gifted with all good things For confirmation hereof I. Proofe 1 My first proofe shall bee from the Text of the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.4 c. There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of administrations c. and vers 8. 9. c. To one is given the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge c. and verse 17. If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling and verse 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets c. In these words the Apostle doth at large set downe the point in hand but more particularly we may note that hee declareth it three wayes 1 Affirmatively when he saith There are diversities c. 2 Negatively when hee saith Are all Apostles c 3 By way of comparison or similitude when hee saith * Vers 12. For as the body is one and hath many members c. and If the whole body were an eye where were the hearing c. which is as if hee should say It is in the mysticall Body of Christ as it is in the naturall bodie of a man In the naturall bodie there are many members and euery member hath its seuerall office differing and distinct from other for the eye hath the faculty of seeing but not of hearing or smelling and the eare hath the faculty of hearing but not of seeing or speaking and the nose hath the faculty of smelling but not of seeing or hearing or tasting c. And so in the body mysticall the offices of men are different one is a Minister another is a Magistrate another is a Merchant another a Tradesman c. 2 Their intellectuall gifts are different one hath a good wit but not so good a iudgment another hath a sound iudgement but not so ready a wit and a third hath wit and iudgement but wanteth memory and utterance And lastly their graces of sanctification are different one is more zealous another is more setled a third is more undainted a fourth is more freehearted c. and every where we may see that verified which the Apostle hath said Every man hath his proper gift of God one after this maner and another after that 1 Cor. 7.7 II. A second proofe may bee from experience and examples of all ages In Scriptures wee finde that Rachel was faire but not fruitfull and that Leah was fruitful but not faire Genes 29.17 31. And so Moses was prudent but not eloquent Exod. 4.10.16 And Solomon was wise but not chast 1 King 3.12 11.1 Againe Nabal was a rich man but hee was a foole 1 Sam. 25.2 25. Iephtah was a man of valour but hee was a bastard Iudg. 11.1 and Naaman was a great and an honourable man but hee was a Leper 2 King 5.1 And in our dayes wee see some are rich but foolish and some are wise but unfortunate and some are wittie but unsetled and some have one gift some another but no one man hath all These be the proofes the point will yet be more plaine and more fit for use and application if we consider the reasons why God hath thus disposed of his gifts And they bee these and such like Reason 1. One reason why God doth thus differently distribute his gifts may be because he would shew himselfe as a free Doner so a wise Disposer of all things For if one man should have all abilities others few or none of any worth or if all men should have the highest and best places and the other gifts should lie undisposed of the world might seeme to bee guided either by blinde fortune or fatall necessitie but providence and wisdome in fitting all things one for an others use there could none be seen For as the Apostle saith If the whole bodie were an eye where were the hearing and if the whole were hearing where were the smelling so if all the commonwealth were Kings where were the kingdome to be gouerned by them and if the whole Church were Bishops where were the Pastors or where the flock that should bee fed by them and if all Citizens were Aldermen where were the Common̄ers and if every freeman were a Merchant where were the shop-keeper and the Shoomaker and the Taylor and the Water-bearer and the Seavenger For there is not the meanest and most despicable of all these but hath his necessarie use so that the greatest or the wealthiest Potentate cannot tell how to be without them But now that men have their love all offices and their sever all abilities by which they are fitted each for anothers service and all for the beautie benefit of the whole frame it is a plaine argument that the hand of Divine providence had the disposing of these things and that God it was who hath thus Divided to every man severally as he will as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 12.11 Reason 2. A second reason may be because God would have men to take notice both of their gifts and of their defects that by the one they might learne humilitie and by the other thankfulnesse For if any man had all good parts he would bee too proud of his perfection And as Nebuchadnezzar when he was become strong and his greatnesse reached unto heaven and his Dominion to the end of the earth then hee exalted himselfe against God as if all his greatnes had beene of his owne procuring Is not this saith he great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Maiestie Dan. 4.22.30 and 5.18 19 so if any of us had all or the most abilities we would presently conceit that we had no great need of any further helpe and that we needed not to pray for supply of Gods favour who had so much of our owne already Againe if any man were destitute of all Gods Mercies among his neighbors he would want matter to blesse God for But now that