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
to know our hearts well that when they are out of tune we may know what the matter is 2 This knowledge of our hearts will help us to Contentment because by this we shall come to know what is most sutable to our condition As thus a man that knows not his own heart he thinks not what need he hath of affliction and upon that he is disquieted but that man or woman that hath studied their own hearts when God comes with afflictions upon them they can say I would not for any thing in the world have been without this affliction God hath so suted this affliction to my condition and hath come in such a way that if this affliction had not come I am affraid I should have fallen into sinne a poor country man that takes phisick the phisick works he thinks it will kill him because he knows not the ill humours that are in his body and therefore he understands not how sutable the physick is to him but a Physician takes a purge and it makts him extreamly sick saith the Physician I like this the better it doth but work upon the humour that I know is the matter of my disease and upon that such a man that hath knowledge and understanding in his body and the cause of his distemper he is not troubled or disquieted So would we be if we did but know the distempers of our own hearts carnall men and women they know not their own spirits and therefore they fling and vex upon every affliction that doth befall them they know not what distempers are in their hearts that may be healed by their afflictions if it please God to give them a sanctified use of them 3. By knowing their own hearts they know what they are able to manage and by this means they come to be Content the Lord perhaps takes away many comforts from them that they had before or denies them some things that they hoped to have got now they by knowing their hearts know this that they were not able to manage such an estate and they were not able to manage such prosperity God saw it and saith a poor soul Iam in some measure convinced by looking into mine own heart that I was not able to manage such a condition A man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps then he is able to manage and so undoes himselfe as countrey men doe observe that if they doe over-stock their Land it will quickly spoyl them and so a wise Husband-man that knows how much his ground will bear he is not troubled that he hath not so much stock as others why because he knows he hath not ground enough for so great a stock and that quiets him so many men and women that know not their own hearts they would fain have a prosperous estate as others have but if they knew their own hearts they would know that they were not able to manage it if one of your little children of three or four years old should be crying for the coat of her that is twelve or twenty years old and say why may not I have a coat as long as my sisters If she had it would soon trip up her heels and break her face but when the Child comes to understanding she is not discontented because her coat is not so long as her sisters but saith my coat is fit for me and therein takes Content so if we come to understanding in the School of Christ we will not cry why have not I such an estate as others have the Lord seeth that I am not able to manage it and I see it my self by the knowing of mine own heart You shall have children if they see but a knife they will cry for it because they know not their strength and that they are not able to mannage it but you know they are not able to mannage it and therefore you will not give it them and when they come to so much understanding as to know that they are not able to mannage it they will not cry for it so we would not cry for such and such things if we knew that we were not able to mannage them when you vex and fret for what you have not I may say to you as Christ saith you know not of what spirits you are of It was a speech of Oecolampadius to Parillus saith he when they were speaking about his extream poverty Not so poor though I have been very poor yet I would be poorer I could be willing to be poorer then I am for the truth is as if he should say the Lord knew that that was more sutable to me and I knew that my own heart was such that a poor condition was more sutable to me then a rich so certainly would we say if we knew our own hearts that such and such a condition is better for me then if it had been otherwise The Seventh lesson Is the burden of a prosperous estate Such a one that comes into Christs School to be instructed in this Art never comes to attain to any great skill in this Art until he comes to understand the burden that is in a prosperous estate Object You will say what burden is there in a prosperous estate Answ Yes certainly a great burden and there needs a great strength to bear it as men had need of strong brains that can bear strong wine so they had need of stronge spirits that are able to bear prosperous conditions and not to do themselves hurt there 's a fourfould burden in a prosperous estate Many men and women look at the shine and glittering of prosperity but they little think of the burden but there 's a fourfould burden 1. There 's A burden of trouble a rose hath it's prickles and so the Scripture saith that he that will be rich pierceth himself through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 10. If a mans heart be set upon it that he must be rich and he will be rich such a man will pierce himself through with many sorrows he looks upon the delight and glory of riches that appears outwardly but he considers not what pierceing sorrows he may meet withall in them The consideration of the trouble in a prosperous condition I have divers times thought of and I cannot tell by what similitude to expresse it better then by travelling in some champian country where round about is very fair and sandy ground and you see there a town a great way of in a bottom and you think Oh how bravely is that town seated but when you come and ride into the town you shall ride through a durty lane and through a company of fearful durty holes and you could not see the durty lane and holes when you were two or three mile off so sometimes we look upon the prosperity of men and think such a man lives bravly and comfortably but if we did but know what troubles he meets withall in his family in his estate
this Gods ordinary course is that his people in this world should be in an afflicted condition God hath revealed in his word we may there find he hath set it down to be his ordinary way even frō the begining of the world to this day but more especially in the times of the Gospel that his people here should be in an afflicted condition Now men that do not understand this they stand and wonder to hear of the people of God that they are afflicted and the enemyes prosper in their way for those that seeke God in his way and seeke for reformation for them to be afflicted routed and spoiled and then enemyes to prevaile they wonder at it but now one that is in the schoole of Christ he is taught by Jesus Christ that God by his eternal counsels hath set this to be his course way to bring up his people in this world in an afflicted condition and therfore saith the Apostle account it not strange concerning the firey tryal 1 Pet. 4. 12. we are not therfore to be discontented with it seing God hath set such a course and way and we know such is the will of God that it should be so The second thing that is in Gods way is this Vsually when God intends the greatest mercy to any of his people he doth bring them into the lowest condition God doth seem to go quite crosse and worke in a contrary way when he intends the greatest mercys to his people he doth first usually bring them into very low conditions if it be a bodily mercie an outward mercie that he intends to bestow he useth to bring them bodily low and outwardly low if it be a mercie in their estates that he intends to bestow he brings them low in that and then raises them and in their names he brings them low there and then raises them and in their Spirits God doth ordinarily bring their spirits low and then raises their spirits usually the people of God before the greatest comforts have the greatest afflictions and sorrows now those that understand not Gods ways they think that when God brings his people into sad conditions that God leaves and forsakes them and that God doth intend no great matter of good to them but now a Child of God that is instructed in this way of God he is not troubled my condition is very low but saith he this is Gods way when he intends the greatest mercie to bring men under the greatest afflictions When he intended to raise Joseph to be the Second in the Kingdom God cast him into a dungeon a little before So when God intended to raise David and set him upon the Throne he made him to be hunted as a partridge in the mountains 1 Sam. 26. 20 God went this way with his Son Christ himselfe went into glory by suffering Heb. 2. 10 and if God deale so with his owne Son much more with his people as a little before break of day you shall observe it is darker then it was any time before so God doth use to make our conditions darker a little before the mercie come When God bestowed the last great mercie at Nazby we were in a very low condition God knew what he had to doe before hand he knew that his time was coming for great mercies it is the way of God to doe so Be but instructed aright in this course and tract that God uses to walke in and that will helpe us to contentment exceedingly The third thing that there is in Gods way and course is this It is the way of God to work by contraries to turne the greatest evill into the greatest good To grant great good after great evill is one thing and to turne great evills into the greatest good that 's another and yet that 's Gods way the greatest good that God intends for his people many times he works it out of the greatest evill the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darknesse and Luther I remember hath a notable expression for this saith he it is the way of God he doth humble that he might exalt he doth kill that he might make alive he doth confound that he might glorifie this is the way of God saith hee but saith hee every one doth not understand this this is the Art of Arts and the Science of Sciences the knowledg of knowledges to understand this that God doth use when he will bring life he doth bring it out of death he brings joy out of sorrow and he brings prosperity out of adversity yea and many times brings grace out of sin that is makes use of sin to work furtherance of grace it 's the way of God to bring all good out of evill not onely to overcome the evill but to make the evill to work toward the good here 's the way of God now when the soule comes to understand this it wil take away our murmurring and bring Contentment into our spirits But I fear there are but few that understand it aright perhaps they read of such things hear such things in a sermon but they are not by Jesus Christ instructed in this that this is the way of God to bring the greatest good out of the greatest evill Now thus having dispatcht the third head the Lessons that we are to learne we come to the fourth and that is The excellency of this Grace of Contentment and there is a great deale of excellency in Contentment that 's a kind of Lesson too for us to learn And this head likewise will be somewhat long Saith the Apostle J have learned as if he should say blessed be God for this Oh! it is a mercy of God to me that I have learned this Lesson I find so much good in this Contentment that I would not for a world but have it I have learned it saith he Now the very Heathens had a sight of a great excellency that there is in Contentment I remember I have read of Antistines a Philosopher that desired of his gods speaking after the heathenish way nothing in this world to make his life happy but Contentment and if he might have any thing that he would desire to make his life happy he would aske of them that he might have the spirit of Socrates that he might have such a spirit as Socrates had to be able to bear any wrong any injuries that he met withall and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him for that was the temper of Socrates what ever befell him he continued the same man whatever crosse befell him no body could perceive any alteration of his spirit though never so great crosses did befall him this a Heathen did attain to by the strength of nature and a common work of the Spirit Now this Antistines saw such an excellency in this spirit As when God said to Solomon what shall I give thee he asked of God wisdom so saith he if the gods should
with this fare that I have will not be tempted with your rewards I thank God I am content with this fare and as for rewards let them be offered to those that cannot be content to dine with a dish of turnips So the truth is we see it apparently that the reason why many do betray their trust as in the Parliament service and Kingdom because they cannot be contented to be in a low condition Let a man be contented to be in a low condition and to go meanly cloathed if God sees it fit such a man is shot-free as I may so say from thousands of temptations of the Devill that do prevail against others to the damning of their souls oh in such times as these are when men are in daner of the losse of their estates I say these men that have not got this grace are in a most lamentable condition they are in more danger for their souls then they are for their outward estates you think it is a sad thing to be in danger of your outward estates that you may loose all in an night but if you have not this contented spirit within you you are in more danger of the temptations of the Devill to be plundered that way of any good and to be led into sin Oh when men think thus they they must live as brave as they were wont to do these men make themselves a prey to the Devill but for such as can say let God do with me what he pleases I am content to submit to his hand in it the Devil wil scarce meddle with such men It 's a notable speech of a Phylosopher that lived upon mean fare and as he was eating hearbs and roots saith one to him if you would but please Dionisius you need not eate hearbs and roots but he answered him thus if you would but be content with such mean fare you need not flatter Dionisius So temptations will no more prevail upon a contented man then a dart that is thrown against a brasen wall that 's the Fifth particular The sixth excellencie is the abundant comforts in a mans life that Contentment will bring Contentment will make mans life exceeding sweet and comfortable nothing more then the Grace of Contentment many wayes I will show how it brings in Comfort 1. As first what a man hath he hath it in a kind of Independent way not depending upon any Creature for his comfort 2. A Contented man whose estate is low if God raises his estate he hath the love of God in it and then it s abundantly more sweet then if he had it and his heart not Contented for if he had not the love of God in it for it may be God grants to a discontented man his desire but he cannot say it is from love if a man hath quieted his spirit first and then God grant him his desire he may have more comfort in it and more assurance that he hath the love of God in it 3. This Contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this that it doth keep in his comforts and keep out what ever may damp his comforts or put out the light of them I may compare this Grace of Contentment to a Marriners Lanthorn a Marriner when he is at Sea let him have never so much provision in his ship yet if he be thousands of leagues from land or in a rode that he shal not meet with a ship in three or four moneths if he hath never a Lanthorn in his ship nor nothing whereby he can keep a candle light in a storm he will be in a sad condition he would give a great deal to have a Lanthorn or something that may serve inâ—â—ead of it When a storm comes in the night and he cannot have any light come above-board but it is puft out presently his condition is very sad so many men can have the light of comfort when there is no storm but let there come but any affliction any storme upon them their light is puft out presently and what shall they doe now when the heart is furnished with this Grace of Contentment this Grace is as it were the Lanthorn and it keeps comfort in the spirit of a man light in the midest of a storm and tempest When you have a Lanthorn in the midest of a storm you can carry a light every whereup and down the ship to the top of the Mast if you will and yet keep it light so the comfort of a Christian when it is inlivened with the Grace of Contentment it may be kept light whatever storms or tempests come yet he can keep light in his soul oh this helps thy comforts exceeding much Seventhly There 's this excellency in Contentment that it fetches in the comfort of those things we have not really in possession and perhaps many that have not outward things have more comfort then those have that doe enjoy them themselves as now a man by distilling hearbs though he hath not the hearbs themselves yet having the water that is distill'd out of them he may enâ—oy the benefit of the herbs so though a man hath not the reall possession of such an outward estate an outward comfort yet he by the grace of Contentment may fetch it in to himself By the art of Navigation we can fetch in the riches of the East and West Indies to our selves so by the art of Contentment we may fetch in the comfort of any condition to our selves that is we may have that comfort by Contentment that we should have if we had the thing it selfe There 's a notable story you have for this in Plutarch in the life of Pyrbus one Sineus comes to him and would very fain have had him desist from the wars and not war with the Romans saith he to him may it please your Majestie it is reported that the Romans are very good men of warre and if it please the gods we doe over-come them what benefit shall we have of that victory Pyrbus answered him we shall then straight conquer all the rest of Italy with ease saith Sineus indeed it is likely which your Grace speaketh but when we have won Italy will then our wars end If the gods were pleased said Pyrrbus that the victory were atchieved the way were then broad open for us to attain great conquests for who would not afterwards go into Africk and so to Carthage But saith Sineus when we have all in our hands what shall we doe in the end then Pyrbus laughing told him again we will then be quiet and take our case and make feasts every day and be as merry one with another as we can possible saith Sineus what letteth us now to be as quiet and merry together fiâ—h we enjoy that presently without further travell and trouble which we should go seek for abroad with such shedding of blood and so manifest danger cannot you sit down and be merry now so a man may think if I had
I want these yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better thou hast given me a quiet contented heart to be wiling to be at thy dispose SERMON VII PHILIPPIANS 4. 11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content WEE proceed now there are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to applycation of the point The eight excellency is Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul there is Gods blessing upon those that are content the blessing of God is upon them and their estates and upon all that they have We read in Teut. of the blessing of Judah the principle Tribe this is the blessing of Judah And he said â—â—â—â— Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people let hiâ— hands 〈…〉 〈…〉 for him and hâ— thou an help to him from his 〈…〉 bâ—â— his hand be sufficient for him that is bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own that 's the blessing of Judah So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine owne as every contented man hath there is the blessing of God upon thee the blessing of the principle tribe of Judah is upon thee It is the Lord that gives us all things to enjoy we may have the thing and yet not injoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou do'st injoy it Many men have estates and do nor injoy them it s the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy it is God that through his blessing hath fashioned thy heart and made it sutable to thy condition The Ninth Excellency Those that are content they may expect reward from God that God shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without and this brings in abundance of good to a 〈…〉 spirit There is 〈…〉 and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be verie comfortable â—nto thee if thou had'st it but câ—nst thou bring thy heart to submit to God in it thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other if thou hast not the thing it selfe in re thou shalt have it made up one way or other thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in liâ—â— of it there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without but the Lord will give either the comfort on somewhat in stead of iâ— Thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou arâ— content to be without You know what the Scripture saith of active obedience and the Lord doth accept oâ— his 〈…〉 their 〈…〉 for the deed though we do not doe a good thing yet iâ— our hearts be 〈…〉 to will to dâ—â— it we shall have the blessing though we do not doe the thing You that complain of weaknesse you cannot do as others do you cannot do as much service as otherâ— doâ— if your hearte be upright with God and 〈…〉 〈…〉 doâ— the same service that you sâ—â— others doe you would account it a great blessing of God upon you the greatesâ— blessing in the world if you were able to doe as others dâ—â— now you may comfort your selves with this haâ—iâ—g to deale with God in the way of the 〈…〉 of Grace you shall have 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 of â—ll 〈…〉 dâ—â— â—â— a â—â—cked 〈…〉 shall have the punishment for all the sin he would commit so thou shalt have the reward for all the good thou wouldest doe Now may not we draw an argument from active obedience to passive there is as good reason why thou shouldest expect that God will reward thee for all that thou art willing to suffer as well as for all that thou art willing to doe now if thou beest willing to be without such a comfort and mercy when God sees it fit thou shalt be no looser certainly God will reward thee either with the comfort or with that that shall be as good to thee as the comfort therefore consider how many things have I that others want and can I bring my heart into a quiet contented frame to want what others have I have the blessing of all that they have and I shall either possesse such things as others have or else God will make it up one way or other either here or hereafter in eternity to me Oh what riches are here with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches Tenthly and lastly by contentation the soule comes to an exâ—… is neare to God himselfe yâ—â— the nearest that may be for this word that is translated Content it is a word that signifies â— Selfe-sufficienâ—iâ— as I toâ—ld you in the opening of the words A contented man is a selfe-sufficient man what is the great glory of God but to be happy and self-sufficient in himself indeed he is said to be â—ll sufficient but that'â— but a further addition of the word all rather then of any matter for to be sufficient iâ— All-sufficient now is this the glory of God to be Sufficient to have sufficienciâ— in himselfe El-shaddai to be God having sufficiencie in himself now thou comest neere to this thou partakest of the Divine nature as by grace in generall so in a more 〈…〉 manner by this grace of Christian-Contentment what 's the excellencie and glory of God but this Suppose there were no 〈…〉 in the world and that all the creatures in the world were an â—hilated God would remaine the same blessed God that he is now he would not be in a worse condition if all creatures were gone neither would a contented heart if God should take away all creatures from him a contented heart hath enough in the waâ—â— of all creatures â—â— would not be more miserable then now he is Suppose that God should continue thee here ' and all creatures that are here in this world were takâ—â— away yet thou still having God to be thy portion wouldest be as happy as now thou art and therefore contentation hath a great deal of excellency in it Thus we have shewed in many particulars the excellency of this grace labouring to present the beauty of it before your souls that you may be in love with it Now â—y brethren what remains but the practice of this for this Art of Contentment it's noâ— a Speculative thing only for contemplation but it is an art of divinity and therfore practicall ye are now to labour to work upon your hearts that there may be this grace in you that you may honour God and honour your profession with this grace of Contentment for there is none doth more honour God and honour their profession then those that have this grace of Contentment Now that we may fall upon the practice there is required First That we should be humbled in our hearts for the want of this that we have had so little of this grace in us for there is no
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
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 glewed 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 selfe rouls its selfe upon the infinit Grace of God in Christ for all 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 selfe to God in an everlasting Covenant as thou takest Christ the head of the Covenant to be thine so thou givest up thy selfe 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 selfe to God in an overlasting 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 selfe up to God it would be of marvellous helpe 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 prevaile more then 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 himselfe 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 dayes 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 converved before yes they were converted but they were still to continue the work of Conversion all the dayes of their lives and what work of God there is at the first Conversion it is to abide afterwards As thus alwayes there must abide some sight and sense of sin it may be not in the way which you had which was rather a preparation then any thing else but the sight and sence of sin it is to continue still that is you are still to be senceable 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 be no space nor time for murmuring to work upon thy heart that 's the fourth Particular The fift thing in the evill of discontentment Murmuring and discontentment is exceedingly below a Christian Oh it is too mean and base a distemper for a Christian to give place to it Now it 's below a Christian in many respects 1 How below the relation of a Christian The relation in which thousandest With what relation you will say First the relation thou standest in to God doest not thou call God thy father and doest not thou stand in relation to him as a childe what thou murmure In 2 Sam. 13. 4. It s a speech of Jonadab to Amnâ—n Why art thou being the Kings Son â—ean from day to day wilt thou not tell me and so he could him but that was for a wicked cause he perceived that his spirit was troubled for otherwise he was of a fat and plump temper of body but because of trouble of spirit he was even pin'd away why what 's the matter thou that standest in this relation to the King and yet any thing should trouble thy heart that 's his meaning is there any thing that should disquiet thy heart and yet standest in such a relation to the King the Kings Son So I may say to a Christian art thou the Kings Son the Son the Daughter of the King of Heaven and yet so disquieted and troubled and vext at every little thing that falls out as if a Kings Son should cry out he is undone for loosing a bable what an unworthy thing were this So doest thou thou criest out as if thou wert undone and yet a Kings Son thou that standest in such relation to God as unto a father thou doest dishonour thy father in this as if so be either he had not wisdom or not power or not mercy enough to provide for thee 2 The relation that thou standest in to Jesus Christ thou art the spouse of Christ what one married to Jesus Christ yet troubled and discontented hast thou not enough in him doth not Christ say to his spouse as Elkanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 8. Am not I better to thee then ten sons So doth not Christ thy husband say to thee Am not I better to thee then thousands of riches and comforts such comforts as thou murmurest for want of hath not God given thee his Son and will he not with him give thee all things hath the love of God bin to thee to give thee his Son in way of
world like the father but he hath the Spirit of his father too A father that is a man of Spirit loves to see his Spirit in his child rather then the feature of his body Oh the Lord that is our Father loves to see his Spirit in us Great men loves to see great Spirits in their children and the great God loves to see a great Spirit in his Children we are one Spirit with God and with Christ and one Spirit with the Holy-Ghost therefore we should have a Spirit that might manifest the glory of the Father Son Holy-Ghost in our Spirits that 's the Spirit of a Christian indeed The Spirit of a Christian should be a lyon like Spirit as Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the tribe of Judah so he is calld so we should manifest somewhat of the Lyon-like Spirit of Jesus Christ he manifested his Lyon-like Spirit in passing through all afflictions and troubles whatsoever without any murmuring against God When he came to drink that bitter cup and even the dregs of it he prayed indeed to God that if it were possible it might passe from him but presently not my will but thy will be done As soone as ever he did mention the passing of the cup from him though it were the most dreadfull cup that ever was drunke since the world began yet at the mentioning of it not my will but thy will be done here Christ shewed a Lyon-like Spirit in going through al kind of afflictions whatsoever without any murmuring against God in them now a murmuring Spirit is a base dejected Spirit crosse and contrary to the Spirit of a Christian and it 's very base I remember that the Heathens accouned it very base Plutarch doth report of a certaine people that did use to manifest their disdaine to men that were overmuch dejected by any affliction they did condemne them to this punishment to wear womens cloaths all their dayes or such a space of time at least they should go in womans cloths in token of shame and disgrace to them because they have such effeminate spirits they thought it against a manlike Spirit and therefore seeing they did un-man themselves they should go as women now shall they account it an unmanlike Spirit to be overmuch dejected in afflictions and shall not a Christian account it an unchristian like Spirit to be overmuch dejected by any affliction whatsoever I remember another compares murmuring Spirits to children when they are weaning what a deal of stir have you with your children when you wean them how froward and vexing are they So when God would wean thee from some outward comforts in this world Oh how fretting and discontented art thou Children will not sleep themselves nor let their mothers sleep when they are weaning and so when God would wean us from the world and we fret vex and murmure this is a childish spirit Fourthly It 's below the profession of a Christian The profession of a Christian what 's that A Christians profession is to be dead to the world and and to be alive to God that 's his profession to have his life to be hid with Christ in God to satisfie himselfe in God what is this thy profession and yet if thou hast not every thing that thou wouldest have to murmure and be discontent thou doest in that even deny thy profession Fiftly It is below that special Grace of faith faith is that that doth overcome the world it is that that makes all the promises of God to be ours now when thou tookest upon thee the profession of Religion did God ever promise thee that thou shouldest live at ease and quiet and have no trouble I remember Austine hath such an expression what is this thy faith what did I ever promise thee saith he that thou shouldest ever flourish in the world art thou a Christian to that end and is this thy faith I never made any such promise to thee when thou tookest upon thee to be a Christian Oh it 's mighty contrary to thy profession thou hast never a promise for this that thou shouldest not have such an affliction upon thee And a Christian should live by his faith it is said that the just doth live by faith now thou shouldest not look after any other life but the life that thou hast by faith now thou hast no ground for thy faith to beleeve that thou shouldest be delivered out of such an affliction and then why shouldest thou account it such a great evill to be under such an affliction Certainly that good that we have in the ground for our faith it is enough to content our hearts here and to all eternity A Christian should be satisfied with that that God hath made to be the object of his faith the object of his faith is high enough to satisfie his soul were it capeable of a thousand times more then it is Now if thou mayest have the object of thy faith full thou hast enough to content thy soul And know that when thou art discontented for want of such and such comforts if thou wouldest but think thus God did never promise me that I should have these comforts and at this time and in such a way as I would have but I am discontented because I have not these which God did never yet promise me and therefore I sin much against the Gospel and against the grace of faith There is yet another thing It 's below the hopes of Christians Oh! the most glorious things that the Saints hope for And against the helps that Christians have Christians have great helps that may help them against murmuring And it is against that which God expects from Christians God he expects other manner of things from them then this Yea and it is below that that God hath from other Christians These things I shall open at another time SERMON VIII PHILIPPIANS 4. 11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I Mentioned divers things the last day to set out Sept. 21. 1645. the evill of discontent I shall name two or three more Sixthly It is below a Christian in this because it 's below those helps that a Christian hath more then others have they have the promises to help them that others have not it 's not so much to have a Nabal have his heart sinke because he hath nothing but the creature to uphold him but it 's much for a Christian that hath promises and ordinances to uphold his spirit which others have not Seventhly It 's below the expectation that God hath of Christianâ— for God expects not only that they should be patient in afflictions but that they should rejoyce and triumph in them now Christians when God expects this from you for you not so much as to have attained to contentednesse under afflictions oh this is beneath the expectation of God from you Eightly It is below that that God hath had from other Christians others have
not only bin contented with little crosses but they have Triumphed under great afflictions they have suffered the spoiling of their goods with joy reade but the later part of the 11. of the Hebrews and you shall find what great things God hath had from his people and therfore not to be content with smaler crosses this must needs be a great evill The Sixth evill that there is in a murmuring spirit is this By murmuring you undoe your prayers for it is exceeding contrary to the prayers that you make unto God When you come to prayer to God you acknowledge his Soveraignity over you you come there to professe your selves to be at Gods dispose what doe you pray for except you acknowledge that you are at his dispose except you wil stand as it were at his dispose never come to petition to him if you will come to petition him and yet will be your own carver you go crosse to your prayers to come as if you would beg your bread at your Fathers gates every day and yet you must do what you list this is the undoing of the prayers of a Christian I remember I have read of Lattimer that speaking concerning Peter that denyed his master saith he Peter forgot his Pater-noster for that was hallowed be thy name and thy kingdome come so we may say when you have murmuring and discontented hearts you forget your prayers you forget what you have prayed for for you must make the Lords prayr to be as a pattern for your prayrs though you say not alwaies the same words what do you pray but give us this day our dayly bread for that 's Christs intention that we should have that as a patterne and is a directory as it were how to make our prayers now God doth not teach any of you to pray Lord give me so much a year or let me have such kind of cloath and so many dishes at my table Christ doth not teach you to pray so but he teaches us to pray Lord give us our bread shewing that you should be content with a little what have you not bread to eate I hope there 's none of you here but have that Obj. Put I do not know if I should die what should become of my children Or if I have bread now I know not where I shall have it the next week or where I shall have provision for the winter Answ Where did Christ teach us to pray Lord give us provision for so long a time no but if we have bread for this day Christ would have us content Therefore when we murmure because we have not so much variety as others have we do as it were forget our Pater-nâ—ster It 's against our prayers we do not in our lives hold forth the acknowledgement of the Soveraignity of God over us as we seem to acknowledg in our prayrs therefore when at any time you find your hearts murmuring then do but reflect upon your selves and think thus is this according to my prayers wherein I held forth the Soveraigne power and Authority that God had over me The seventh thing that I adde for the evill of discontentment is the wofull effects that comes to a discontented heart from murmuring I le name you five there are five evill effects that comes from a murmuring spirit 1. By murmuring and discontent in your hearts you come to loose a great deale of time how many times doe men and women when they are discontended let their thoughts run and are musing and contriving through their present discontendednesse then let their discontended thoughts be working in them for some hours together and they spend their time in vain When you are alone you should spend your time in holy meditation but you are spending your time in discontented thoughts you who complain that you cannot meditate you cannot thinke on good things but if you begin to think of them a little presently your thoughts are off from them but if you be discontented with any thing then you can go alone and muse and roul things up and down in your thoughts to feed a discontented humour Oh labour to see this evill effect of murmuring the losing of your time 2. It doth unfit you for duty a man or woman that is in a contented frame you may turn such a one to any thing at any time he is fit for to go to God at any time but when one is in a discontented condition then a man or woman is exceeding unfit for the service of God And it causes many distractions in duty it unfits for duty and when you come to performe duties oh the distractions that are in your duties when your spirits are discontented when you hear of any ill news from Sea and cannot bear it or of any il from a friend or any losse or crosse oh what distractions doe they cause in the performance of holy duties When you should be in injoying communion with God you are distracted in your thoughts about the crosse that hath befallen you whereas had you but a quiet spirit though there should great crosses befall you yet they would never hinder you in the performance of any dutie 3. Consider What wicked risings of heart resolutions of spirit there are many times in a discontented fit In some discontented fits the heart rises against God and against others and sometimes hath even desperate resolutions what to do to help themselves If the Lord should have suffered you to have done sometimes in a discontented fit what you had thought to doe what wonderfull misery had you brought upon your selves oh it was a mercy of God that did stop you had not God stopt you but let you go on when you thought to helpe your selves this way and the other way oh it had been ill with you doe you but remember those risings of heart and wicked resolutions that sometimes you have had in a discontented mood and learn to be humbled upon that 4. Vnthankefulnesse that 's an evill and a wicked effect that comes from discontent Vnthankfulnesse the Scripture doth ranke among very great sins For men and women that are discontent though they enjoy many mercies from God yet they are thankfull for none of them for this is the vile nature of discontentment to lessen every mercy of God to make those mercies they have from God to be as nothing to them because they have not what they would have Sometimes it 's so even in spirituall things if they have not all they would have the comforts that they would have then what they have is nothing to them doe you think that God will take this well If you should give a friend a kinsman a pursse of money to go and trade withall and he should come and say what doe you give me they are but a few counters they will doe me no good you cannot bear this at his hand if he should doe so because he hath not as much money as he would
so for you to be ready to say all that God hath given me is nothing worth will doe me no good they are but counters though they are the precious graces of Gods Spirit that are more worth then thousands of worlds yet for you to say they are nothing they are but comon gifts and all is but in hypocrisie all counterfeit Oh what an unthankful thing is this the graces of Gods Spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have and so for outward blessings though God hath given you health of body and strength and hath given you some competency for your family some way of lively-hood yet because you are disappointed in somwhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you Oh what unthankfullnesse is here God expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his name for what mercy he hath granted to you there 's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to blesse God for but discontentednesse makes them nothing It 's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath saith he this is the Rhetorick of the Spirit of God it 's a very fine speech of his to extenuate evill things and to amplyfie good things if there falls out a crosse to make the crosse to be but little but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great as thus if there be a crosse if the Spirit of God prevails in the heart such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater and will blesse God that though there be such a crosse yet that it is no more that 's the worke of the Spirit of God and if there be a mercy wonders at Gods goodnesse that God granted so great a mercy The Spirit of God extenuats evils and crosses and doth magnyfie and amplyfie all mercies and makes all mercies seem to be great and all afflictions seem to be little But saith he the Devill goes quit contrary the rhetorick of the devill is quit otherwise he doth lessen Gods mercies and amplyfy evill things as thus a godly man wonders at his crosse that it is no more a wicked man wonders his crosse is so much Oh saith he none was ever so afflicted as I am If there be a crosse the Devill puts the soul upon musing on it and making it greater then it is and so it brings discontent And then on the other side if there be a mercy then it 's the Rhetorick of the Devill to lessen the mercy I indeed saith he the thing is a good thing but what is it it is no great matter and for all this I may be miserable Thus the Rhetorick of Satan doth lessen Gods mercies and doth increase afflictions And for this I 'le give you a notable example that we have in Scripture it is the example of Korah Dathan Abiram In Numb 16. 12 13. And Moses sent to call Dathan Abiram the sons of Eliab which said we will not come up Is it a smal thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness except thou make thy selfe altogether a Prince over us Mark they slighted the land that they were going unto the Land of Canaan that was the Land that God promised them that should flow with milk and honey But mark here their discontentednesse because they met with some troubles in the wildernesse oh it was to slay them they make their affliction in the wildernesse to be greater then it was Oh it was to kill them though it were indeed to carry them to the Land of Canaan But now their deliverance from Egypt though it was a great mercy they made that mercy to be nothing for say they you have brought us out of a land that floweth with mith milk and honey what land was that It was the land of Egypt the land of their bondage but they call it a land that flowed with milk and honey though it were the land of their most cruell and unsupportable bondage whereas they should have blessed God as long as they had liv'd for Gods delivering them out of the land of Egypt yet meeting with some crosse they make their deliverance from Egypt no mercy no it was rather a misery to them Oh say they Egypt was a land that flowed with milk and honey Oh what basenesse is there in a discontented spirit a discontented spirit out of envy to Gods grace will make mercies that are great to be little yea to be none at all Would one ever have thought that such a word should have come from the mouth of an Israelite that had bin under bondage and cried under it and yet when they meet with a little crosse in their may to say you have brought us out of the land that floweth with milk and honey to say they were better before then now and yet before they could not be contented neither this is the usuall unthankfull expression of a discontented heart And it is so with us now when we meet with any crosse in our estates any taxations and trouble especially if any among you have bin where the enemy hath prevailed you are ready to say we had plenty before and we are now brought to a condition of hardship we were better before when we had the Prelats and others to domineere and so we in danger our selves to be brought into that bondage again oh let us take heed of this of a discontented heart there is this wofull cursed fruit of discontent to make men and women unthankfull for all the mercies God hath granted to them and this is a sore and greivious evil And lastly There 's this evil effect in murmuring it causes shifttings of spirit they that murmur and are discontent are lyable to temptations to shift for them selves in sinfull and ungodly waies discontent is the ground of shifting courses and unlawful waies How many of you may have your consciences condemne you of this that you in the time of your afflictions have sought to shift for your selves by waies that have been sinfull against God and your discontent was the bottom and ground of it If you would avoid shiftings for your selves by wicked waies labour to mortifie this sin of discontent to mortifie it at the root The eight evill that there is in murmuring and discontent is this There is a great deal of folly extream folly in a discontented heart it 's a foolish sin I shall open the folly of it in many particulars 1. It takes away the present comfort of what you have because you have not somwhat that you would have What a foolish thing is this that because I have not what I would have I will not injoy the comfort of what I have Doe not you account this folly in your children you give them some victuals and they are not contented perhaps they say it 's not
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
murmuring in your families the wrath of God may quickly goe out against you quickly in a morning or evening when you are murmuring the wrath of God may come quickly out upon your families or persons you are never so prepared for present wrath as when you are in a murmuring discontented fit those that stand by and see you in a murmuring discontented fit have cause to say Oh let us go and take the censer let us go to prayer for we are afraid that wrath is gone out against this family against this person And it were a verie good thing for thee that art a godly wife when you see your husband come home and fall to murmuring because things goe not according to his desire to go to prayer and say Lord pardon the sin of my husband and so for the husband to go to God in prayer falling down and beseeching of him that wrath may not come out against his family for the murmuring of his wife And the truth is at this day there hath been at least lately as much murmuring in England as ever was and even in this very particular the plague is begun and this very judgment it doth come many times upon murmuring upon those that are so discōtented in their families are alwaies a grumbling and murmuring at any thing that falls out amisle I say this text of Scripture in Numb doth clearly hold forth this that the Lord brings the plague upon men for this sin of murmuring he doth it in kingdomes and families and upon particular persons Though we cannot alwaies point out the particular sin that God brings this for yet this should be examined how far we are guilty of the sin of murmuring because the Scripture holds forth this so clearly that Moses when he did but hear that they murmured doe they murmur saith hee goe forth quickly and seeke to pacifie the anger of God for wrath is gone out and the plague is begun And in 1 Cor. 10. 10. There you have a notable example of Gods heavie displeasure against murmuring Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Take heed of murmuring as some of them did he speaks of the people of Israel in the wildernesse but saith he what came of it They were destroyed of the destroyer Now the destroyer is thought to be the firey serpents that were sent among them They murmured and God sent firey serpents to sting them What do you think that such a crosse and affliction doth sting you perhaps such an affliction is upon you and it seems to be grievious for the present what doe you murmure and repine God hath greater crosses to bring upon you Those people that murmur for the want of outward comforts for want of water sometimes and for the want of bread they murmur but the Lord sends firey serpents among them I may say to a murmuring heart Woe to thee that strivest with thy maker woe to that man that woman that strives against their maker what doest thou else but strive against thy maker Thy maker hath the absolute dispose of thee and wilt thou strive against thy maker what doth this murmuring discontented heart of thine do otherwise but wrangle and contend and strive even with God himself Oh woe to him that strives against his maker I may further say to thee as God speaks to Job Job 38. 1 2. when Job was impatient Now God spake saith the text out of the whirlwind and said who is this that darkeneth counsell by words without knowledge So doest thou speak against Gods waies and his providences that hath fallen out concerning thy estate and outward comforts who is this Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge Wher 's that man or woman whose hearts are so bold and impudent as dares speak against the administration of Gods providence The tenth evill of murmuring and discontent is this There 's a great curse of God upon it so far as it doth prevail in one that is wicked it hath the curse of God upon it In Psal 59. 15 See there what the curse of God is upon wicked and ungodly men Let them wander up and down for meat and grudge if they be not satisfied that is the imprecation and curse upon wicked and ungodly men that if they be not satisfied they shall grudge when thou art not satisfied in thy desires and findest thy heart grudging against God apply this Scripture what is the curse of the wicked upon me This is the curse that is threatened upon wicked and ungodly ones that they shall grudge if they be not satisfied And in Deut. 28. 67. There it 's threatened as a curse of God upon men that they cannot be content with their present condition But they shall say in the morning would God it were even and at even would God it were morning and so they lie tossing up and down and cannot be content with any condition that they are in because of the sore afflictions that be upon them and therefore it is further threatened as a curse upon them in the 34. verse That they should be mad for the fight of their eyes which they should see this is but the extremity of their discontentednesse that is they shall be so discontented as they shall be even mad Many men and women in discontented moods are mad kind of people and though you may please your selves in such a mad kind of behaviour yet know that it is a curse of God upon men to be given up to a kind of madness for evils that they suppose are upon them that they fear In the 47 verse there is a notable expression for to shew the curse of God upon murmuring hearts The Lord threatning the curses that shall be upon them saith he verse 45 46. 47. The curse shall pursue thee and they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder and upon thy seed forever Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things God here threatens to bring his curse so upon them as to make them a wonder and a sign to others why Because they served not the Lord with joyfulness of heart that may be aded to that of the wrath of God upon men therefore God would bring such a curse upon them as would make them a wonder to all that were about them Oh how far art thou then that hast a murmuring heart from serving the Lord with joyfulnesse The Eleventh evill of discontent and murmuring is this There is much of the spirit of Satan in a murmuring spirit The Devill is the most discontented creature that is in the world He is the proudest creature that is and the discontentedst creature and the most dejected creature Now therefore so much discontentment as thou hast so much of the spirit of Satan thou hast It was the unclean spirit that went up and down