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 gnats will be flying up and down in the candle but they scorch their wings and there they fall 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 then other men are Honey we know doth invite Bees and Wasps unto it and so the sweet of prosperity doth invite the Devill 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 Devill Beelzebub that is the God of flies so Beelzebub comes 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 then 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 then I am the tal trees are more shattered a great deal then low shrubs so you know the ship that hath al the sails up the top sail all in a storm this is in more danger then 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 drowned drowned in perdition then other men are and therefore you know what the Scripture saith how hard it is that rich men should go into the Kingdom of Heaven such a text should make poor people to 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 then the other of the Levites but they were in more danger then the other and more trouble First that the Children of Kohath were in a higher condition then other of the Levites that I le shew you out of the fourth of Numb 4. v. 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 marke 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 speciall manner then he did honour the other Levites which honour the Children of Aaron being of the families of the Koathites who were of the Children of Levi had for theirs was the first lot and they were preferd 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 Kohathite But might other Levites say how hath God preferd this family before us They are honoured more then the other were But now marke 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 he 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 Ithamar the son of Aaron the Priest but saith he in the 9 ver 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 shoulders Mark the other Levits 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 reason why God was so displeased because that they would have more ease in Gods service then God would have them for whereas they should cary it upon their shoulders they would cary it upon a cart mark here you see the first burden that they had beyond what the other Levits had and those indeed that are in more honourable place then others those that are under them think not of their burden that they are to cary upon their shoulders when as others have means to ease them and many times those that are imployed in the Ministery or Majestracy that sit at the stern to order the great affairs of the Common-wealth and State you think they live bravely they lye awake when you are asleep if you knew the burden that lay upon their spirits you would think that your labour and burden were very little in comparison of theirs 2. There 's another burden of danger more then the rest and that you shall find in Numb 4. 17. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathits from among the Levits but thus do unto them that they may live and not die When they approach unto the most holy things Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they die Mark this text saith the Lord to Moses and Aaron Cut ye not off the tribe of the family of the Kohathites from among the Levites cut them not off why what had they done had they done any thing amisse no they had not done any thing that provoked God but the meaning is this take a great care of the family of the Kohathites to instruct them in their duty that they were to do for saith God they are in a gteat deal of danger being to serve in the most holy things if they should go in to see the holy things more then God would have them it 's as much as their lives are worth and therefore if you should but neglect them and not informe them thorowly in their duty they would be undon saith God they are to administer in the most holy things and if they should but dare to presume to do any thing otherwise then God would have them about those services it would cost them their lives and therefore be not you carelesse of them for if you neglect them you will be a means of cutting them off Thus you see the danger that the family of the Kohathites were in they were prefer'd before others but they were in
make it to 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 overwhelms his soul and thus you see what a great deale of folly there is in the sinne of discontentment The ninth evill of murmuring and discontentment is this There 's a mighty deal of danger in the sin of discontentment for it exceedingly provoketh the wrath of God it is a sin that doth much provoke God against his creature we find most sad expressions in Scripture and examples too how God hath bin provoked against many for their discontent In Numb 14. you have a notable text and one would think that that was enough for ever to make you fear murmuring in the â—6 verse it is said The Lord speak unto Moses and unto Aaron saying what did he say how long shall I bear with this evill congregation which murmure 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 will murmur again again How long shall I bear with this evill 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 then 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 halfe words that comes from you And observe further in this vers 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 murmure 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 expresse his indignation against this sin he repeats it over again and again and it follows in the 28. verse Say unto them as truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine eares 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 doe unto them vers 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 evill in it then you were aware of it may cost you your lives and therefore look to your selves and learn to he humbled at the verie beginings 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 harkened not unto the voice of the Lord therefore he lifted up his hand gainst 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 harkned 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 harken 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 and think that no evill 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 layes 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 lays her hand upon the child you cannot bear the tender hand of God that is upon you in a lesser affliction it were â—ust 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. ver 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 wraâ—h 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 usuall 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 evills 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
and found no rest so when a man or womans spirit hath no rest it is a sign that it hath much of the unclean spirit of the spirit of Satan and thou shouldest think this with thy selfe Oh Lord what have I the spirit of Satan upon me It is Satan that is the most discontented spirit that is and Oh! how much of his spirit have I upon me that can find no rest at all Twelfthly murmuring and discontent hath this evill in it There is an absolute necessity that thou shouldest have disquiet all the daies of thy life As if a man that is in a great croud should complain that other folks touch him While we are in this world God hath so ordred things that afflictions must befall us and if we will complain and be discontented upon every crosse and affliction why we must complain and be discontent all the daies of our lives yea God in just judgment will let things fall out on purpose to vex those that have vexing spirits and discontented hearts and therefore there is a necessitie that they should live disquiet all their daies And men will not much care to disquiet those that are continually murmuring Oh they will have disquiet all their daies Lastly there 's this dreadfull evil in discontent and murmuring God may justly withdraw his care of yon and his protection over you seeing God cannot please you in his administrations we use to say so to discontented servants nay if you be not pleased mend your selves when you will If you have a servant not content with his diet and wages and work you say mend your selves so may God justly say to us we that professe our selves servants to him to be in his work and yet are discontented with this thing or that in Gods family God might justly say mend your selves What if God should say to any of you â—f my care over you doe not please you then take care of your selves if my protection over you will not please you then protect your selves Now all things that doe befall you befall you through a providence of God and if you be those that belong to God there is a protection of God over you and a care of God Now if God should say well you shall not have the benefit of my protection any longer and I will take no farther care of you would not this be a most dreadfull â—udgement of God from Heaven upon you Take heed what you doe then in being discontent with Gods will towards you and indeed upon discontent this may befall you And this is the reason why many people though Gods protection hath bin very gracious over them for a time and they have to riven abundantly yet a afterwards almost all that behold them may say that they live as if God had cast off his care over them and as if God did not care what befall them Now then my brethren put all these together all that we were speaking of the last day and these particulars that have been added now this morning for the setting out of a murmuring and discontentent spirit oh what an ugly face hath this sin of murmuring and discontentednesse oh what cause is there that we should lay our hands upon our hearts and go away and be humbled before the Lord because of this whereas your thoughts were wont to be exercised about providing for your selves and getting more comforts to your selves let the stream of your thoughts now â—e turned to humble your selves for your discontentednesse oh that you may have your hearts break before God for otherwise you will fall to it again oh the wretchednesse of mans heart You shall find in Scripture concerning the people of Israel how strangely they fell to their murmuring again and again doe but observe three tâ—â—â—s of Scripture for thâ—â— the first in the 15. of Exod. at the beginning there you shall have Moses and the Congregation singing to God and blessing God for his mercy Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this song unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord for he hath tryumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea And then The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation he is my God and I will prepare him an habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him and so he goes on and who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods who is like thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in prayses doing wonders Thus their hearts triumphed in God but mark before the Chapter is ended in the 23 verse When they came to Marah in the same Chapter they could not drinke 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 unthankfulness was there here in their murmuring Then God gave them water but in the very next Chapter they fell to their murmuring you read not that they were humbled for their former murmuring and therefore they murmure again Exod. 16. â— 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 â—ate 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 againe 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 pitched in Rephadim and there was no water for the people to drinke 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 doe you tempt the Lord And in the third verse And the people thiâ—sâ—ed 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 Catâ—ell with thirst So one time after another still as soon as ever they had received the mercy 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 withall we will fall to murmuring again And now there are divers agravations of this sinne of murmuring I le mention but one now and I shall but begin that The first Agravation is
should not be willing to come out till he comes and fetches us out In Josh 4. 10. you have a notable history there that may very well serve our purpose we read of the Priests that the Priests bare the Ark and stood in the middest of Jordan you know when the Children of Israel went into the land of Canaan they went through the River of Jordan Now the going through the river Jordan was a very dangerous thing only God bad them to go they might have been afraid that the water might have come in upon them Put mark it is said The Priests that bare the Arke stood in the middest of Jordan till every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people according to all that Moses commanded Joshua and the people hasted and pâ—sed over And it came to passe when all the pâ—â—ple were clean passed over that the Ark of the Lord passed over and the Priests in the presence â—f the people Now it was Gods dispose that all the people should pasâ—e over first that they should be safe upon the land but the â—riests they must stand still till all the people be passed over and then they must have leave to go but they must stay till God would have them go stay in all that danger for certainly in reason and sense there was a great deal of danger in staying for the text saith the people hasted over but the Priests they must stay till the people be gone stay till God cals them out from that place of danger and so many times it doth prove that God is pleased to dispose of things so that his Ministers must stay longer in danger then the people and Magistrates and those in publike place which should make people to be satisfied and contented with a lower condition that God hath put them iâ—to Though our condition below yet you are not in that danger that those are in that are in a higher condition God cals them in publick place to â—and longer in the gap and place of danger then other people but we must be content to stay even in Jordan till the Lord shall be pleased to call us out And then for the varietie of our condition we must be content with the particular affliction and the time and all the circumstances about the affliction for some times the circumstances are greater afflictions then the afflictions themselues And for the varietie if God will exercise us with various afflictions one after another As that hath bin very observable even of late that many that have been plundered and come away afterwards have fallen â—â—ck and dyed They have fled for their lives and afterwards the plague hath come among them and if not that affliction it may be some other affliction it is very rare that one affliction comes alone comonly afflictions are not single things but they come one upon the neck of another it may be God strikes one in his estate then in his body then in his name wife or child or dear friend and so it comes in a various way it is the way of God ordinarily you may fâ—nd it by experience that seldome one affliction comes alone now this is hard when one affliction followes after another when there is a variety of afflictions when there is a mighty change in a condition up and downe this way and that way there indeed is the tryall of a christian there must be submiss on to Gods dispose in them I remember it is said even of Cato that was a Heathen that no man saw him to be changed though he lived in a time when the common-wealth was so often changed yet it is said of him he was the same still though his condition was changed and he ran through varietie of conditions Oh that it could be said so of many Christians that though their conditions be changed yet that nobody could see them changed they are the same Look what gracious sweete and holy temper they were in before that they are in still thus we are to submit to the dispose of God in every condition Ob. But you will say this that you speake of is good indeed if we could attaine to it but is it possible for one to attain to this Answer It is if you get skill in the Art of it you may atain to it and it will prove to be no such difficult thing to you neither if you understood but the mystery of it as there 's many things that men do in their callings that if a countrey man comes and sees he thinks it a mighty hard thing and that he should never be able to do it but that s bâ—cause he understands not the art of it there is a turning of the hand so as you may do it with ease Now that 's the busines of this exercise to open unto you the art and mystery of contentment What way a Chrystian comes to contentment there is a great Mystery and art in it by that that hath bin opened to you there will appeare some mystery and art as that a man should be content with his affliction and yet throughly sensible of his affliction too to be throughly sensible of an affliction and to endeavour the removing of it by all lawfull meanes and yet to be content there 's a mystery in that how to joyne these two together to be sensible of an affliction as much as that man or woman that is not content I am sensible of it as fully as they and I seeke wayes to be delivered from it as well as they and yet still my heart abides content this is I say a mystery that is very hard to be understood by a carnall heart but grace doth teach such a mixture doth teach us how to make a mixture of sorrow and a mixture of joy together and that makes contentment the mingling of joy and sorrow of gracious joy and gracious sorrow together grace teaches us how to moderate and to order an affliction so as there shall be a sence of it and yet for all that contentment under it There are divers things further for the opening of the mystery of Contentment The First Thing therefore is this To shew that there is a great mistery in it One that is contented in a Christian way it may be said of him that he is the most contented man in the world and yet the most unsatisfied man in the world these two together must needs be mysterious I say a contented man as he is the most contented so he is the most unsatisfied of any man in the world You never learned the mystery of contentment except it may be said of you that as you are the most contented man so you are the most unsatisfied man in the world You will say how is that A man that hath learned the art of contentment is the most contented with any low condition that he hath in the world and yet he cannot be satisfied with the
may be ungodly in murmuring it 's true there is no sin but som seedes and remayners 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 whordome 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 crowching to God and falling down before him even as a dog that would crowch 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 Israell 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 begining 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 smook 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 aginst the dispensations of â—od towards thee thou shouldest check thy heart thus Oh thou wretched heart what wilt thou be a Rebell 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 guiltie 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 bin a rebel against God before I thought that I had many infirmityes but now I see the Scripture speaks of sin in another manner then men doe 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 selfe in this way of murmuring against the Lord That 's a third particular in the evill of discontentment A fourth particular in the evill of Discontentment it is a wickednesse that is exceeding contrary to Grace and especially contrary to the worke of God in bringing of the soul home to himselfe I know no distemper more opposite and contrary to the work of God in conversion of a sinner then this is Quest What 's the work of God when he brings a sinner home to himselfe Answ The usuall way is for God to make the â—oul to â—ee and be sensible of the dreadfull evill that there is in sin and the great breath that sin hath made between God and it for certainly Jesus Christ can never be known in his beauty and excellency till the soul know that I doe 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 selfe it is impossible but it must come to know the evill of sinne and the excellency of Jesus Christ there may be a seed of faith put into the Soul but the Soul must first know Christ and know sin and be made sensible of it Now how contrary is this sin of murmuring to any such work of God hath God made me see the dreadfull evill of sin and made my soul to be sensible of the evill of sin as the greatest burden how can I be then so much troubled for every little affliction certainly iâ— I saw what the evill of sinne were that sight would swallow up all other evils and if I were burdened with the evill of sinne it would swallow up all other burdens what am I now murmuring against Gods hand saith such a Soul when as a while agoe the Lord made me see my selfe â—o be a damned wretch and apprehend it as a wonder that I was not in Hell 2. Yea it 's mighty contrary to the sight of the infinit excellency and glory of Jesus Christ and of the things of the Gospel What am I that soul that the Lord hath discovered such infinit excellency of Jesus Christ to and yet shall I thinke such a little affliction to be so grievous to me when I have had the sight of such glory in Christ that is more worth then ten thousand worlds for so will a true convert say oh the Lord at such a time hath given me that sight of Christ that I would not be without for ten thousand thousand worlds but hath God given thee that and wilt thou be discontent for a trifâ—e in comparison to that 3. A third work when God brings the Soul home to himself it is by the taking the heart off from the Creature the disingaging the heart from all creature comforts that 's the third work ordinarily that the Soul may perceive of its selfe It 's true Gods work may be altogether in the seeds in him but in the severall actings of the Soul in turning to God it may perceive these things in it the disingagement of the heatt from the Creature that 's the calling of the Soul from the world whom the Lord hath called he hath justified what 's the calling of the Soul but this the Soul that before was seeking for Contentment in the world and cleaving to the Creature now the Lord cals the Soul out of the world and saith oh Soul thy happinesse is not here thy rest is not here thy happinesse is else where and thy heart must be loosned from all these things that are here below in the world
way to set upon any duty with profit till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the duty before many men when they hear of a duty that they should perform they will labour to perform it but first thou must be humbled for the want of it therefore that 's the thing that I shall endeavour in the Application to get your hearts to be humbled for the want of this grace Oh had I had this grace of Contentment what a happy life I might have lived what abundance of honour I might have brought to the name of God â—i and how might I have honoured my profession and what a deale of comfort might I have enjoyed but the Lord know it hath been â—â—â— otherwise oh how â—ar have I been from this grace of Contentment that hath been opened to me I have had a murmuring a veâ—ing and a fretting heart within me everie little crosse hath put me out oâ— temper and out of frame Oh the boisterousnesse of my spirit what a deal of evill doth God see in my heart in the vexing and fretting of my heart and murmuring and â—â—pining of my spirit Oh that God would make you to see it Now to the end that you might be humbled for the want of this I shall endeavour in these particulars to speak unto it First I shall set before you The evill of a murmuring spirit there is more evill then you are aware of In the Second place I will shew you some agravations of this evil It s evill in all but in some more then in others Thirdly I shall labour to take away the pleas that any murmuring discontented heart hath for this disâ—â—mper of his There 's these three things in this use of humiliation of the Soul for the want of this grace of Contentmetâ— For the first now at this time The great evill that there is in a murmuring discontented heart In the first place This thy murmuring and discontentednesâ—â— it argues much corruption that is in the Soul as Contentment argues much grace and strong grace and beautifull grace so this argues much corruption and strong corruption and very vile corruptions in thy heart As it is in a mans body iâ— a mans body be of that temper that every scratch of a pin makeâ— his flesh to ranckle and to be a sore you will say surely this mans body is very corrupt his blood his flesh is corrupt that every scratch of a pin shall make it rankle so it is in thy spirit iâ— every little trouble affliction shall make thee discontentâ—â— and make thee murmur and even cause thy spirit within thee â—o ranckle or as it is in a wound in a mans body the evill of a wound it is not so much in the largenesse of â—he wound the abundance of blood that comes out of the wound but in the inflamation that there is in it or in a fretting and coâ—â—oding humour that is in the wound aâ— unskilful mâ—n when he comes sees a large wound in the flesh looks upon it as a dangerous wound and when he sees a great deal of blood gâ—sh out he thinks these are the evils of it but when a Chirâ—rgion comes and sees a great gash saith he this will be heald within a few-daies but there 's a lesse wound and there 's an inflamation or a freting humour that is in it and this will cost time saith he to cure so that he doth not lay balsome and healing salves upon it but his great care is to get out the freting humour or inflamation so that the thing that must heale this wound it is some drink to purge But saith the patient what good will this doe to my wound You give me somewhat to drinke and my wound is in my arme or in my leg what good will this doe that I put in my stomack Yes iâ— purges out the freting humour or takes away the inflamation and till that be taken away the salves can do no good So it is just for all the world in the souls of mâ—n it may be there is some affliction upon them that I compare to the wound now they think that the greatnesse of the affliction is that that makes their condition most miserable Oh no there is a freting humour an inflamation in the heart a murmuring spirit that is within thee and that is the miserie of thy condition and that must be purged out of thee before thou canst be heald and let God doe with thee what â—e will till he purges out that freting 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 turne 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 greivous but there is a murmuring heart within that 's more greivous Oh that we could but convince men women that a murmuring spirit is a greater evill then any affliction let the affliction be what iâ— will be We shall shew more afterward that a murmuring spirit is the evill of the evill and the misery of the misery Secondly The evill of murmuring is sâ—câ— that God when he would speak of wicked men and discribe them and shew the brand of a wicked and ungodly man or woman he instances in this sin in a more spâ—câ—all manner I might name many Scriptures but that Scripture in Jude is a most remarkable one In the 14 verse and so forward there iâ— is said That the Lord comes with ten thousands of hiâ— Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly commitâ—ed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Mark here in this 15. vers there is four times mentioned ungodly ones all that are ungodly among them all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly commited 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 doe and those that speake ungodly things against them These ungodly ones are murmurers murmurers in the Scripture are put in the fore front of ungodly ones it 's a most dreadfull Scripure 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 contrarie to this Contentment is not so small a matter as you think you think you are not so ungodly as others because you doe not sweare and drink as others doe but you
this To murmure when we enjoy abundance of mercy the greater and the more abundant the mercy is that we enjoy the greater and the â—iler is the sinne of murmuring as here now when God had newly delivered them out of the house of bondage for them now to murmure because they want some few particulars that they desire oh to sinne against God after a great mercy this is a great aggravation and a most abominable thing Now my Brethren the Lord hath granted us very great merces 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 begining 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 Bristoll 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 requitall for his mercies Oh give God praise according to his excellent greatnesse 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 griefe to your brethren think not that because God hath been gracious to 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 mercie to you as for you for 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 if there should be any ill use made of the mercy of God after we injoy it Oh it would go to the heart of God nothing is more greivious to the heart of God then the abuse of mercie As now if any way that is hard and rigid should be taken towards our Brethren and those especially that God hath made such speciall instruments of good to us that have been 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 â— murmuring spirit there are divers aggravations I told you we are to consider of for the further setting out of the greatnesse of this sin I mentioned but only one the last day now wâ— shall proceed in that The first aggravation of the sin of discontent murmuring is this For men women to be discontent in the midâ—st of mercies in injoyment of abundance of mercies To be discontent in any afflicted condition is sinfull and evill 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 evill 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 sommer hath multiplyed mercies one upon another the Lord hath made this summer to be a continued miracle of mercie never did a Kingdom injoy in so little space of time such mercies one upon another Now the publicke 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 publique mercies to the Land when the Lord hath bin so merciful to the Land wilt thou be fretting and murmuring because thou hast not in thy family all the Comforts that thou wouldest have As it is a great agravation of a mans evill for him to rejoyce immoderately in his owne privat comforts when the Church is in affliction when the publick suffers grievous and hard troubles if any man shall then rejoyce and give liberty to himself at that time to satisfie his fâ—esh to the uttermost in all outward comforts this is a great Agravation of his sin So on the contrary for any man to be immoderately troubled for any private afflictions when it goes well with the publick with the Churches this is a great Agravation of his sin It may be when the Church of God was lowest it went worst in other parts yet thou didst abate nothing of the comforts of thy flesh but gavest full liberty to satisfie thy flesh as formerly know this was thy great sin so on the other side when we have received such mercies in publick we should have all our private afflictions swallowed up in the publick mercies And we should think with our selves though we be afflicted for our particular yet blessed be God it goes well with the Church and with the publick the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our privat discontents and if it doth not so know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins This is a sad thing this is to turne the mercies of God to be our misery Didst not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the publique these great victories that God hath given didest not thou pray for them now thou hast them is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some privat trouble thou meetest withall in thy family Is not there goodnesse enough there to cure thy discontentment certainly they were not such mercies so worthy to be prayed for except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions publick mercies are the aggravation of privat discontent As so of publick discontent too if we receive so many publick mercies yet if every thing goes not in the publick according as we desire if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin God may say what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent Oh it is exceeding evill So in particular the mercies that concernes thy selfe thy family if thou wouldest