the peace that is when all shal be in an hubbub and uprore yet then this man shal be peace That 's the tryal of grace when you find Jesus Christ in your hearts to be peace when the Assyrian shall come into the land You may think you find peace in Christ when you have no outward troubles but is Christ your peace when the Assyrian comes into the land when the enemy comes Suppose you should hear the enemy come marching to the City had taken the works and were plundering what would be your peace Jesus Christ would be peace to the soul when the enemy comes into the City and into your houses If there be any of you that have been where the enemy hath come what hath been the peace of your souls That that 's said of Christ may be applyed to this grace of Contentment when the Assyrian the plunderers the enemies when any affliction trouble distresse doth befal such a heart then this grace of Contentment brings peace to the soul at that time brings peace to their soul when the Assyrian comes into the land The grace of Contentment it 's an excellent grace therâ—'s much beauty much strength in it there is a great deal of worth in this grace and therefore be in love with it The Third thing in the excellency of Contentment is this By Contentment the soul is fitted to receive mercy and to do service I 'le put those two together Contentment makes the soul fit to receive mercy and to do service no man or woman in the world is so fit for to receive the Grace of God and to do the work of God as those that have contented spirits 1 Those are fitted to receive mercy from the Lord that are contented As now if you would have a vessel to take in any licquor you must hold the vessel still if the vessel stir and shake up and down you cannot powre in any thing but you will bid hold stil that you may powre it in and not loose any so if we would be the vessels to receive Gods mercy and would have the Lord powr in his mercy to us we must have quiet still hearts we must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble discontent and vexing but we must have still and quiet hearts if we would receive mercy from the Lord If a child throws and flings up and down for a thing you will not give it him then when he cries so but first you will have the child quiet though perhaps you do intend the child shall have the thing he cries for but you will not give it him till he is quiet and comes and stands still before you and is contented without it and then you will give it him and truly so doth the Lord deal with us for our dealing with him are just as your froward childrens are with you as soon as you would have a thing from God if you have it not you are disquieted presently and all in an upprore as it were in your spirits God intends mercy to you but saith God you shall not have it yet I will see you quiet first and then in the quietnesse of your hearts come to me and see what I will do with you I appeal to you you that are any way acquainted with the waies of God have you not found this to be the way of God towards you when you have been troubled for want perhaps of some spiritual comfort and your hearts were vext at it you get nothing from God all that while but now if you have got your heart into a quiet frame and can say well it 's fit the Lord should do with his poor creatures what he will I am under his feet and am resolv'd to do what I can to honour him and let him do with me what he will I will seek him as long as I live I will be content with what God gives and whether he gives or no I will be content yea are you in this frame saith God now you shall have comfort now I will give you the mercy A prisoner must not think to get off his fetters by pulling and tearing he may gall his flesh and rend it to the very bone certainly he will be unfettered never the sooner but if he would have his fetters taken off he must quietly give up himself to some man to take them off If a begger after he hath knockt once or twice at the door and you come not and thereupon he is vext and troubled and thinks much that you let him stand a little while without any thing you think that this begger is not fit to receive an almes but if you hear two or three beggers at your door and if you hear them out of your window say let us be content to stay perhaps they are busie it 's fit that we should stay it 's well if we have any thing at last we deserve nothing at all and therefore we may well wait a while you would then quickly send them an almes so God deals with the heart when it is in a disquiet way then God doth not give but when the heart lies down quietly under Gods hand then is the heart in a fit frame to receive mercy Your strength shall be to sit still saith God you shall not be delivered from Babylon but by your sitting still 2 As fit to receive mercy So fit to do service Oh the quiet fruits of righteousnesse the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse they indeed do prosper and multiply most when they come to be peacable fruits of righteousnesse As the Philosophers say of every thing that moves nothing that moves but it moves upon something that is immovable as a thing that moves upon the earth if the earth were not still it could not move Object The ships move upon the Sea and that is not still Answ But the Seas they move upon that which is still and immovable there is nothing moves but it hath something immovable that doth uphold it The wheels in a Coach they move up and down but the exletree that moves not up and down so it is with the heart of a man As they say of the Heaven it moves up and down upon a pole that is immovable so it is in the heart of a man if he will move to do service to God he must have a steady heart within him that must help him to move in the service of God those that have unsteady disquiet spirits that have no steadfastnesse at all in them they are not fit to do service for God but such as have steadfastnesse in their spirits they are men and women fit to do any service and that 's the reason that when the Lord hath any great work for any servants of his to do usually he doth first quiet their spirits he doth bring their spirits into a quiet sweet frame to be contented with any thing and then he sets them about imployment The Fift excellency is
evil of sin 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 dreadful evil of sin and made my soul to be sensible of the evil of sin as the greatest burden how can I then be so much troubled for every little affliction certainly if I saw what the evill of sin were that sight would swallow up all other evils and if I were burdened with the evil of sin it would swallow up all other burdens what am I now murmuring against Gods hand saith such a soul when as a while ago the Lord made me see my self to be a damned wretch and apprehend it as a wonder that I am 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 think 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 than ten thousand worlds for so will a true convert say Oh! the Lord at such a time hath given me that fight 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 trifle in comparison to that 3. A Third work when God brings the soul home to himself it is By 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 several actings of the soul in turning to God it may perceive these things in it the disingagement of the heart from the Creature that 's the calling off 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 was before seeking for Contentment in the world and cleaving to the Creature now the Lord calls 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 and this is the work of God in the soul to disingage the heart from the Creature and how contrary is a murmuring heart to such a thing a thing that is glued to another you cannot take off but you must rend it so it 's a sign thy heart is glued to the world that when God would take thee off thy heart rends if God by an affliction should come to take any thing in the world from thee if thou canst part from it with ease without rending it 's a sign then that thy heart is not glued to the world 4. A Fourth work of God in the converting of a sinner is this The casting of the soul upon Jesus Christ for all its good I see Jesus Christ in the Gospel the Fountain of all good and God out of free Grace tendering him to me for life and for salvation and now my soul casts its self rouls it self upon the infinit Grace of God in Christ for al good now hast thou done so hath God converted thee and drawn thee to his Son to cast thy soul upon him for all thy good and yet thou discontented for the want of some little matter in a creature-comfort art thou he that hath cast thy soul upon Jesus Christ for all good as he saith in another case Is this thy faith 5. The Soul is subdued to God and then it comes to receive Jesus Christ as a King to rule to order and dispose of him how he pleases and so the heart is subdued unto God Now how opposite is a murmuring discontented heart to a heart subdued to Jesus Christ as a King and receiving him as a Lord to rule and dispose of him as he pleases 6. There is in the work of thy turning to God the giving up of thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant as thou takest Christ the Head of the Covenant to be thine so thou givest up thy self to Christ In the work of Conversion there is the resignation of the Soul wholly to God in an everlasting Covenant to be his hast thou ever surrendred up thy self to God in an everlasting Covenant then certainly this thy fretting murmuring heart is mighty opposite to it certainly thou forgettest this Covenant of thine and the Resignation of thy self up to God it would be of marvellous help to you to humble your Souls when you are in a murmuring condition if you could but obtain so much liberty of your own spirits as to look back to see what the work of God was in converting you there is nothing would prevail more than to think of that I am now in a murmuring discontented way but how did I feel my soul working when God did turn my Soul to himself Oh how opposite is this to that work and how unseeming Oh what shame and confusion would come upon the spirits of men and women if they could but compare the work of corruption in their murmuring and discontent with the work of God that was upon their Souls in conversion now we should labour to keep the work of God upon our Souls that was at our Conversion for Conversion must not be only at one instant at first men are deceived in this if they think their Conversion is finished meerly at first thou must be in a way of conversion to God all the daies of thy life and therefore Christ saith to his Disciples except ye be converted and become as little children Ye be Converted why were they not converted before Yes they were converted but they were still to continue the work of Conversion all the daies of their lives and what work of God there is at the first Conversion it is to abide afterwards As thus alwaies there must abide some sight and sense of sin it may be not in the way which you had which was rather a preparation than any thing else but the sight and sense of sin it is to continue still that is you are still to be sensible of the burden of sin as it is against the Holinesse and Goodnesse and Mercy of God unto thee and the sight of the excellency of Jesus Christ is to continue and thy calling out of the Creature and thy casting of thy Soul upon Christ and thy receiving Christ as a King still receive him day by day and the subduing of thy heart and the surrendring of thy selfe up to God in a way of Covenant now if this were but daily continued there would
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
immoderately in his own private 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 flesh to the uttermost in all outward comforts this is a great aggravation 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 aggravation of his sin It may be when the Church of God was lowest and it went worst in other parts yet thou didst abate nothing of the comfort 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 merciâ—s 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 private 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 Did'st not thou pray to God for these mercies that God hath sent of late to the publick these great victories that God hath given did'st 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 goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment Certainly they were not such mercies 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's exceeding evil So in particular the mercies that concerns thy self thy family if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou had'st afflictions I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation suppose thy afflictions be what they will there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions Object You will say I but you do not know what our afflictions are our afflictions are so as you do not conceive of them because you feel them not Answ Though I cannot know what your afflictions are yet I know what your mercies are and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have If it weâ—e but this mercy that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you it 's a greater mercie than any affliction set any affliction by this mercie and see which would weigh heaviest this is certainly greater than any affliction that you have the day of grace and salvation that you are not now in Hell this is a greater mercie that you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears that you have the use of your reason this is a greater mercie than your afflictions that you have the use of your limbs your sences that you have the health of your bodies health of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction there is no man that is rich but if he be wise if he hath a sickly body he would part with all his riches that he might have his health therefore thy mercies are more than thy afflictions We find in Scripture how the holy Ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16 of Numb 8. verse c. It 's a speech of Moses to Korah and his company when they murmured And Moses said unto Korah hear I pray you ye sons of Levi there 's somewhat that you are sons of Levi Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them Korah and his company were murmuring but mark how Moses aggravates this Seemeth it a smal thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you neer to himselfe to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord c. You see 't is a great honour that God puts upon a man a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to seperate him from others for himself to come neer to him to imploy him in the service of the Tabernacle to minister to the Congregation in holy things this is a great mercy and indeed it 's such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction It 's true many Ministers of God they meet with hard things that might discourage them and trouble and grieve their spirits but now this consideration that God is pleased to imploy them in such a service neer to himself that though they cannot do good to themselves yet they may do good to others this should quiet them And yet in the 10. verse And he hath brought thee neer to him and all thy Brethren the Sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the Priest-hood also have not you enough already but still you are discontented with what you have and must have more seek ye yet more Seek ye the Priest-hood also for which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord And what is Aaron that ye murmur against him what hath God given you such things and yet will you be murmuring because you cannot have more Me thinks that this place should keep Ministers from murmuring though they should meet with never such afflictions and crosses and unkind dealings from men yet still they should go on with hearts quieted and comforted in the work that God hath set them about and labour to countervaile all their Afflictions by being more abundant in the work of the Lord. That is the first text of Scripture that shews how the mercies we enjoy are Aggravations to the sin of murmuring And then a second Scripture is in the 2. of Job 10. vers A speech of Job to his wife what saith Job when his wife would have had him curse God and die that was a degree beyond murmuring saith he Thou speakest
expression that I remember Austin hath about this saith he It is better to be the meanest member in the Body than to be the highest member and more excellent and cut off from the Body it is better to be a little sprig in the tree joyned to the Root than to be an arme cut off from the Root Now other men that have but common gifts in the world that are not members of Jesus Christ indeed they seem to have more excellency than those that are godly that are in a mean condition mean parts mean callings but they are not of the Body they are not joyn'd to the Root and therefore their condition is worse As a great arme of a tree when it is cut off it hath a great many leaves upon it and it seems a great deal more glorious than those little sprigs that are upon the tree but that little sprig is in a better condition why Because joyned to the tree and hath sap from the Root and flourisheth but the other will wither and die within a while So it is with the men of the world they be but like great boughs cut off from the tree though they have excellent parts and have great estates and pomp and glory in the world they have no union with Jesus Christ the Root But now others that live in a poor condition a poor tradesman a poor servant a poor labouring-man that labours for his family everyday yet he being godly saith he though I have but little for the present little glory little credit little comfort yet I am joyned to the Body and there I have supply and that that will feed me with comfort blessing and mercy to all eternity So all that are in a poor condition in this world if they be godly do but think of that though thou beest mean yet thou art in the Body and joyned to the Root thou art joyned to the principal of comfort good blessing and mercy that will hold out to eternity when thousand thousands of glorious pompious men in the world shall wither and perish everlastingly and therefore be not troubled at thy mean condition Secondly Though thou hast but a mean calling in this world and so art not regarded as a man of use in the world yet if thou beest a Christian God hath called thee to a higher calling thy general calling it is a high calling though thy particular calling be but low and mean And for that you have a place in the Chapter before my text Phil. 3.14 I press towards the mark saith the Apostle for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus So that every Christian hath a high calling of God in Christ Jesus God hath called him to the highest thing that he hath call'd any creature to that he hath made the Angels in Heaven have not a higher calling than thou hast Thou that perhaps spendest thy time in a poor businesse in the meanest calling if thou beest a dung-raker to rake channels or cleanse places of filth or any other thing in the world that is the meanest that can be conceived of thy general calling as a Christian doth advance thee higher than any particular calling can advance any man in the world others indeed that are cal'd to mannage the Affairs of the State they are in a high calling or Ministers they are in a high calling but thine in some respect is higher A poor servant that must be scraping all day about poor mean things many times may have such a temptation as this is Oh what a poor condition hath God disposed me to will God have regard to such a one that is in such a poor low place as I am Oh yes Christ hath regard to the meanest member as a man hath as true regard to the toe if it be in pain and will tender that as truly and verily as any other member so Christ hath regard to his lowest and meanest ones Thirdly thou art in a high calling though thy outward calling be low in respect of men yet in respect of God thou art in the same calling with the Angels in Heaven and in some degree cal'd to that that is higher for the Scripture saith that the Angels come to understand the mysterie of the Gospel by the Church thou that art a Christian in that general calling of thine thou art joyned with Principalities and Powers and with Angels in the greatest work that God hath called any creature to and therefore let that comfort thee in this Fourthly Thy calling is low and mean yet be not discontented with that for thou hast a principle within thee if thou beest a godly man or woman of Grace that doth raise thy lowest actions to be higher in Gods esteem than all the brave glorious actions that are done in the world the principle of faith doth it for any man or woman to go on in obedience to God in a way of faith in the calling that God hath set them I say doing this through a principle of faith it doth raise this action and makes it a more glorious action than all the glorious victories of Alexander and Caesar than all their Triumphs and glorious pomp that they had in all their conquests it was not so glorious as for thee to do the lowest action out of faith For as Luther speaks of a poor Milk-maid and yet being a Beleever and doth it in faith he compares that action to all the glorious actions of Caesar and makes that a great deal more eminent and glorious in the eyes of God therefore faith raises thy works that are but mean raises them to be very glorious Yea and the truth is there is more obedience to submit to God in a low calling than to submit to him in a higher calling for it 's cleer obedience meer obedience that makes thee go on in a low calling but there may be much self-love that makes men go on in a higher calling for there 's riches credit and account in the world and rewards comes in by that which doth not in the other to go on quietly in a low calling is more obedience to God Fifthly Know further in the last place there is like to be more reward For the Lord when he comes to reward he doth not come to examine what the work hath been that men and women have been exercised in but what their faithfulnesse hath been Well done good and faithful servant saith the Lord he doth not say wel done good servant for thou hast bin faithful to me in publick works ruling Cities and States and Affairs in Kingdoms and therefore thou shalt be rewarded no but Well done good and faithful servant now thou mayest be faithfull in little as well as others are in more by going on and working thy daies labour when thou gettest but a couple of shillings to maintain thy family thou mayest be as faithful in this as those are that rules a Kingdom now God looks to a mans
so intends to shew me what there is in my heart it may be that God saw that if my estate did continue I should fall into sin that the better my estate were the worse my soul would be it may be God intended only to exercise some grace it may be God intends to prepare me for some great work which he hath for me thus you should reason But we on the contrary make bad interpretations of Gods thus dealing with us and say God doth not mean this surely the Lord means by this to manifest his wrath and displeasure against me and this is but a furtherance of further evils that he intends towards me Just as they did in the wildernesse God hath brought us hither to slay us This is is the worst interpretation that possibly you can make of Gods waies Oh why will you make these worst interpretations when there may be better In 1 Cor. 13.5 when the Scripture speaks of love saith the text Love thinketh no evil Love is of that nature that if there may be ten interpretations made of a thing if nine of them be naught and one good Love will take that which is good and leave the other nine and so though there might be ten interpretations presented to thee concerning Gods waies towards thee and if but one be good and nine naught thou shouldest take that one that is good and leave the other nine I beseech you consider God doth not deal by you as you deal with him should God make the worst interpretation of all your waies towards him as you do of his towards you it would be very ill with you God is pleased to manifest his love thus to us to make the best interpretations of what we do and therefore it is that God doth put a sense upon the actions of his people that one would think could hardly be as thus God is pleased to cal those perfect that have but any uprightnesse of heart in them he accounteth them perfect Be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect uprightnesse in Gods sense is perfection Now alas when we look into our own hearts we can scarce see any good at all there and yet God is plesed to make such an interpretation as to say it is perfect When we look into our own hearts we can see nothing but uncleannesse God he calls you his Saints he calls the meanest Christian that hath the least grace under the greatest corruption his Saint you say we cannot be Saints here but yet in Gods esteem we are Saints You know the usual title the holy Ghost gives in several of the Epistles to those that had any grace any uprightness is To the Saints in such a place you see what an interpretation God puts upon them they are Saints to him and so I might name in divers other particulars God makes the best interpretation of things if there be abundance of evil and a little good God rather passes by the evil and takes notice of the good That somtimes I have made use of which is a very observable placs in Peter concerning Sarah Sarah had a speech to her husband in Genesis 18.12 she called her husband lord but there was but that one good word in an ill speech it was an unbeleeving speech but yet when the Apostle mentions that speech in 1 Pet. 3.6 the holy Ghost leaves all the ill and commends her for calling her husband lord for putting a reverend title upon her husband thus how graciously doth God deal with us If there be but one good word among a great many ill what an interpretation God makes so should we do if there be but any one good interpretation that we can make of a thing we should rather make use of the good one than of the ill Oh my brethren I would I could now speak only to such as are godly retain good thoughts of God take heed of judging God to be a hard master make good interpretations of his waies and that 's a special means to help you to Contentment in all your courses The Eleventh Direction Do not so much regard the fancies of other men as what indeed you feel your selves for the reason of our discontentment many times is rather from the fancies of other men than from what we find we want our selves we think poverty to be such a great evil why because it is so esteem'd by others more than what people feel in it themselves except they be in extremity of poverty I 'le give you an evident demonstration that almost all the discontent in the world is rather from the fancies of others than from the evil that is upon themselves You that think your estates to be low and you are thereupon discontent and it is a greivous affliction to you but if all men in the world were poorer than you then you would not be discontent then you would rejoyce in your estates though you had not a pennie more than you have As take a man that can get but his twelve pence a day and you will say this were but a poor thing to maintain a familie but suppose there were no man in the world that had more than this yea that all other men but your selves had somewhat lesse wages than you then you would think your condition pretty good you should have no more then than you have now therefore it appears by this that it 's rather from the fancies of other men than what you feel that makes you think your condition to be so greivous for if all the men in the world lookt upon you as happy more happy than themselves then you would be contented Oh let not your happinesse depend upon the fancies of other men It is a speech of Chrisostom I remember in this very case Let us not make the people in this case to be our lords as we must not make men to be the lords of our faith so not the lords of our comforts that is that our comfort should depend more upon their imaginations than upon what we feel in our selves It may be others think you to be in an afflicted condition yea but I thank God for my self I do not so apprehend it were it not for the disgrace dis-esteem and slightings of other men my condition would not be so bad to me as now it is this is that that makes my condition afflictive The Twelfth Direction Be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them When you have them do not take too much content in them that 's a certain rule that look how inordinate any man or woman is in sorrow when a comfort is taken from them so much immoderate were they in their rejoycing in the comfort when they had it as now for instance God takes away a child and you are inordinately sorrowful beyond what God allows in a natural or Christian way now though I never knew before how your heart was towards the child
come up can you then trust in God I that is somewhat-like but because we trust so much in our selves therefore when the time cometh we should trust in God God withdraws himself from us and we are most afraid Vse This is that we should lay our hands upon our hearts and charge our souls for and be ashamed for before the Lord Never a one here but hath cause to lay his hand upon his heart and say Oh that I that have had so much experience of God of his waies of helping and delivering me out of six troubles and seven and yet the Lord knows upon any new trouble I am to seek as much as ever and in any hurly-burly in as great distemper of fear as ever be ashamed of this before the Lord. It is true Gods people may be so and you are so therefore be ashamed of it and labour to prepare for such times those that are troubled with fainting fits use to carry their bottle of Aqua-vitae about with them so you that have been disquieted in times of trouble lay up somewhat that may help in those times Though a candle light will serve to carry in a yard in calme weather yet it must be a torch a great light that must serve when the wind blows so a little may serve now but a great deal must be laid up for times of extremity First Lay up encouraging Promises Secondly Lay up encouraging experiences that may help you against such times of fainting and trouble Vse 2. But then if it be so with the Saints and Gods own people that when they are in straights they are so ready to be troubled with distracting fears cares what shal become of the wicked and ungodly then when they come in straights how must their hearts sink in horror because all their straights are no other but the beginning of eternal straights present sorrows making away to eternal sorrows the way of their deliverance from present straights is by being brought into greater straights many women with child have strong pains in their child birth yet when they think they shall be delivered they have joy in stead of sorrow but a woman that is with child and is only reprieved because she is with child till she be delivered though she have a great deal of trouble and pain before she be delivered she desires not to be rid of it because then she knows she shall come to greater to be hang'd and if she could live seven yeers together and never be delivered she could be content with the trouble because when that is gone greater comes So wicked and ungodly men that are in great straights for the present may well be content with them because when they are gone greater will come 3. Doct. In the time of these straights it is our duty to stand stil and look for Gods salvation to quiet our spirits and look up to God First For the quieting of our spirits As they were to be delivered out of this bondage in that way so they were to be delivered out of the Babilonish bondage in the same way So you shall find it Isa 30. see what God saith for that deliverence he tels them plainly at the 15. vers In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and you would not In quietness and confidence it 's true they were in a passionat way and God tels them that in quietness and in confidence is their strength and they would not So come to many people that are in great extremities to some women and others when they are wringing their hands and hanging about their husbands necks and tel them your confidence must be in quietness they wil be ready to row you off But they would not saith God So in Isa 30.7 I cried concerning this Their strength is to sit still My Brethren this day in the Name of God do I cry concerning al our straights after we have used all the means we can we are to sit still and see the salvation of our God to quiet our hearts with this beleeving stand stil and look up to God for our salvation It was their great fault they did not so in their deliverance out of their captivity there is one remarkable place for that Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth How long wilt thou go about Oh thou backsliding daughter What 's the meaning of this text It is thus In the time of their deliverance from Captivity they met with a great deal of difficulty many straights and they went about to this and that sharking course and did backslide when they were in a good way they went back again and the Prophet could not get the◠〈◊〉 stand stil 〈◊〉 â—ny way as if he should have said go on right in the way be not discouraged by difficulties by extremities seck not any shifting way be not backsliding but stand to your tackling and work God hath set you about for the Lord hath created a new thing Perhaps you will say there was never the like straight we are in well God hath such mercy as he never shewed the like before God hath created a new thing many cry out in their straights O my affliction and my straitght is such as never was in the world well gratifie them so as many times we must needs gratifie distemper'd spirits when they cry out of the greatness of their straights yet is there no comfort for them to stay them yes Isa 64.4 It was never known since the beginning of the world what God hath laid up for them that wait for him Do but wait for him and there was never such mercy shown in the world as God hath laid up for thee so that come let us grant it that there was never the like of that affliction that thou art under yet there is reason enough for thee to wait and look for the salvation of God in such a way in such a condition I shall give some reasons of that part of the doctrine that we are to stand still and be quiet for by our standing still and our quieting our hearts in our straights 1. Reas We are fit to look to the Wisdom Faithfulness and Power of God we are not able to see Gods Wisdom Faithfulness and Power nor to make use of it except we get our spirits to be quiet first get them quiet and then we can look up to God Psalm 46.10 Be still saith the text and know that I am God there is a God in Heaven that can help and succour in time of great straights and extremities but for all this people are in a hurly-burly and their spirits are distemper'd and they are wringing their hands and crying they cannot know that God is God they can have no use of all the power and goodnesse and faithfulnesse and mercy of God First get your hearts still and quiet in your Families and in
him that he did scarce change his countenance upon any thing that befell him he was alwaies in a quiet composed frame and yet a Heathen How much more should a Christian say If God would give me my asking I would ask nothing but that for indeed there is a great deal of glory and excellency in a composed spirit this is worthy of the Gospel therefore mark what the Apostle saith Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come to see you or be absent from you I may hear of your affairs and that you stand fast in one spirit This is to walk worthy of the Gospel to stand fast in one spirit and observe this that except we do stand fast and quiet our hearts we lose every thing that should help us when we are in a hurly-burly in our spirits to get some help alas we lose all our help Therefore in Phil. 4. Let the peace of God keep your hearts the word in the Original is Guard your hearts The peace of God in your hearts must be the best guard of your hearts in the time of danger now because you would avoid trouble you put away your guard what a madnesse is this the casting away the peace of God is the casting away of your guard therefore keep that in your hearts whatsoever you lose yea it 's our Arms mark Ephes 6. what is the Arms of a Christian first The girdle of truth fear dissolves the heart and makes a man he cannot gird himself When he is in fear his heart is melted and he hath little use of his truth the girdle is loosed then In the text there is the helmet of salvation but in fear hope is gone there is the brestplate of righteousness but in fear a man hath no use of his righteous conversation nor no use of the sword of the Spirit he can use nothing in times of such distracting fears therefore lose not your Arms It is very observable in the 6. of the Ephes how the holy Ghost still cals upon us to stand verse 10. My brethren be strong in the Lord and not only strong But strong in the Lord and strong in the might of the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whol armour of God that you may be able to stand then again in the 13. verse Wherefore take ye all the whol armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the evil one and having done all â—o stand Though perhaps you have overcome at one time yet still look to your own hearts when you have done all stand four times we are called upon to stand nothing what a great advantage we have by standing It 's true our afflictions are great and the soul saith The Lord is my portion perhaps temptations and afflictions say otherwise but the soul saith The Lord is my portion and it is good for a man to say what shall I that am so full of sin yet not be willing to have some trouble but be so full of fears upon every trouble that befals me why should not I yeild to Gods providential will as well as to his commanding will how know I but that God may have glorious ends to work out of these extremities and troubles I am in why should I not give up my self to God to have his will upon me and hath not God heretofore delivered me from great straights and extremities even from the wrath of God himself and from his justice greater and other manner of straights than those I am now in and if I beleeve not in God now but be disquieted perhaps these straights may be to bring me to greater straights what if these straights of affliction should bring me to greater straights and it 's just with God to leave me to fall into the straights of sin that cannot bear the straights of afflictions therefore let me stand stil and look up to Gods salvation Let us be so affected with our straights as to carry us up to God in prayer pray as much as ye can but still keep your hearts in a quiet frame and if your prayers be right they will be to you as Luther saith they were the leeches of his cares Luther had a great many corrupt cares as in a corrupt body there is much corrupt blood but now his prayers were the leeches to suck out his cares when you are distemper'd go to prayer and then examine what a deal of corrupt blood hath my prayers suckt out of my heart As Hannah when she had been at prayer she lookt no more sad There are many things I thought to have given you to slay your hearts in time of extremities Peace shall be to that man that hath his heart stayed on God and blessed is that man that stayeth his heart upon God and if ever people had cause to stay their hearts upon God certainly we have at this day for we have God with us Therefore it 's unworthy of a Christian to have a distempered spirit I remember I have read of the Romans that when Hannibal was just before them yet they bought and sold their ground as they did at other times they were so quiet in their hearts It was a speech that Antigonor had when some were afraid of the multitude that came against him say they So many are coming against us saith he How many do you reckon me for So may we say we hear of so many thousands coming against us But how many do you reckon Jesus Christ for How many reckon you him for that is the Captain of all our Hosts Have not prayers been sent up to God Why dispise you the prayers of the Saints of God as if there were nothing in their prayers Is not Gods Name engaged in all this businesse Oh therfore stand still and be not afraid And especially let me speak a word to you that are of timorious and fearful spirits Isa 35.4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart Fear not Do not excuse your selves in this that you are of a timorious nature saith God Say to them that are of a fearful heart Fear not And especially mark what the holy Ghost speaks to women In 1 Pet. 3. Women they must cloath themselves with a meek and quiet spirit that is in the 4. verse which is in the sight of God of great price and in the 6. verse And as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord whose daughters ye are as long as you do well and are not afraid of any amazment What should be the meaning of that that woman must be the daughters of Sarah upon these terms Thus Abraham was brought into straights many times and carried from his own Country now Sarah if she had been of such a spirit as many women are Oh how would Sarah have hindered her husband Abraham in every straight he was brought into and have said Husband why go we from our own Country and