Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A31073
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Of contentment, patience and resignation to the will of God several sermons / by Isaac Barrow.
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Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing B946; ESTC R29010
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110,176
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282
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commotions of outward causes affecting and altering sense whence the satisfaction proceeding from reason and vertue the longer it stayeth the firmer and sweeter it groweth turning into habit and working nature to an agreement with it whereas usually the joys of wealth and prosperity do soon degenerate into fastidiousness and terminate in bitterness being honey in the mouth but soon becoming gall in the bowels Nothing indeed can affect the mind with a truer pleasure than the very conscience of discharging our duty toward God in bearing hardship imposed by his providence willingly and well We have therefore much reason not onely to acquiesce in our straits but to be glad of them seeing they do yield us an opportunity of immediately obtaining goods more excellent and more desirable than any prosperous or wealthy man can easily have since they furnish us with means of acquiring and exercising a vertue worth the most ample fortune yea justly preferable to the best estate in the world a vertue which indeed doth not onely render any condition tolerable but sweetneth any thing yea sanctifieth all states and turneth all occurrences into blessings 3. Even the sensible smart of adversity is by contentedness somewhat tempered and eased the stiller and quieter we lie under it the less we feel its violence and pungency It is tumbling and tossing that stirreth the ill humours and driveth them to the parts most weak and apt to be affected with them the rubbing of our sores is that which enflameth and exasperateth them where the mind is calm and the passions settled the pain of any grievance is in comparison less acute less sensible 4. Whence if others in our distress are uncharitable to us refusing the help they might or should afford toward the rescuing us from it or relieving us in it we hereby may be charitable and great benefactours to our selves we should need no anodyne to be ministred from without no succour to come from any creature if we would not be wanting to our selves in hearkning to our own reason and enjoying the consolation which it affordeth In not doing this we are more uncharitable and cruel to our selves than any spitefull enemy or treacherous friend can be no man can so wrong or molest us as we do our selves by admitting or fostering discontent 5. The contented bearing of our condition is also the most hopefull and ready means of bettering it and of removing the pressures we lie under It is partly so in a natural way as disposing us to embrace and employ the advantages which occur conducible thereto for as discontent blindeth men so that they cannot descry the ways of escape from evil it disspiriteth and discourageth them from endeavouring to help themselves it depriveth them of many succours and expedients which occasion would afford for their relief so he that being undisturbed in his spirit hath his eyes open and his courage up and all his natural powers in order will be always ready and able to doe his best to act vigorously to snatch any opportunity and employ any means toward the freeing himself from what appeareth grievous to him Upon a supernatural accompt content is yet more efficacious to the same purpose for chearfull submission to God's will doth please him much doth strongly move him to withdraw his afflicting hand doth effectually induce him to advance us into a more comfortable state Of all vertues there is none more acceptable to God than patience God will take it well at our hands if we do contentedly receive from his hand the worst things 't is a monstrous thing not to receive prosperity with gratefull sense but it is heroical with the same mind to receive things unpleasant he that doth so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he suffereth loss as a man but is crowned as a lover of God Besides that it is an unreasonable thing to think of enjoying both rest and pleasure here and the rewards hereafter our consolation here with Dives and our refreshment hereafter with Lazarus Be humbled saith S. Peter under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is opportune and seasonable and Be humbled saith S. James before the Lord and he will exalt you and When saith Job's friends men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he will save the humble person God with favourable pity hearkeneth to the groans of them who are humbly contrite under his hand and reverently tremble at his word he reviveth the spirit of the humble He is nigh to the broken of heart and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds He proclaimeth blessedness to the poor in spirit and to those that mourn because they shall find comfort and mercy all which declarations and promises are made concerning those who bear adversity with a submiss and contented mind and we see them effectually performed in the cases of Ahab of the Ninivites of Nebuchadnezzar of Manasses of Hezekiah of David of all persons mentioned in holy Scripture upon whom adversities had such kindly operations But discontent and impatience do offend God and provoke him to continue his judgments yea to encrease the load of them to be sullen and stubborn is the sure way to render our condition worse and more intolerable for who hath hardned himself against God and prospered The Pharaohs and Sauls and such like persons who rather would break than bend who being dissatisfied with their condition chose rather to lay hold on other imaginary succours than to have recourse to God's mercy and help those who like the refractary Israelites have been smitten in vain as to any quiet submission or conversion unto God what have they but plunged themselves deeper into wretchedness It is indeed to quell our haughty stomach to check our froward humour to curb our impetuous desires to calm our disorderly passions to suppress our fond admiration and eager affection toward these worldly things in short to work a contented mind in us that God ever doth inflict any hardships on us that he crosseth us in our projects that he detaineth us in any troublesome state untill this be atchieved as it is not expedient that we should be eased as relief would really be no blessing to us so God except in anger and judgment will no-wise grant or dispense it it would be a cruel mercy for him to doe it If therefore we do wish ever to be in a good case as to this world let us learn to be contented in a bad one Having got this disposition firmly rooted in our hearts we are qualified for deliverance and preferment nor will God sail in that due season to perform for us what he so often hath declared and promised his nature disposeth him his word hath engaged him to help and comfort us These are the most proper inducements unto contentedness which
the return to him was My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness it was a greater favour to receive an improvement of spiritual strength occasioned by that cross than to be quite freed from it Devotion also hath immediately of it self a special efficacy to produce content As in any distress it is a great consolation that we can have recourse to a good friend that we may discharge our cares and our resentments into his bosome that we may demand advice from him and if need be request his succour so much more it must be a great comfort that we can in our need approach to God who is infinitely the most faithfull the most affectionate the most sufficient friend that can be always most ready most willing most able to direct and to relieve us he desires and delights that in the day of our trouble we should seek him that we should pour forth our hearts before him that we should cast our burthens and our cares upon him that we should upon all occasions implore his guidance and aid And complying with his desires as we shall assuredly find a successfull event of our devotions so we shall immediately enjoy great comfort and pleasure in them The God of all consolation doth especially by this chanel convey his comforts into our hearts his very presence that presence in which the Psalmist saith there is fulness of joy doth mightily warm and chear us his Holy Spirit doth in our religious entercourse with him insinuate a lightsome serenity of mind doth kindle sweet and kindly affections doth scatter the gloomy clouds of sadness practising it we shall be able to say with the Psalmist In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Humbly addressing our selves to God and reverently conversing with him doth compose our minds and charm our passions doth sweeten our humour doth refresh and raise our spirits and so doth immediately breed and nourish contentedness It also strengthneth our faith and quickneth our hope in God whereby we are enabled to support our present evils and peace of mind doth spring up within us It enflameth our love unto God in sense of his gratious illapses thence rendring us willing to endure any want or pain for his sake or at his appointment It in fine doth minister a ravishing delight abundantly able to supply the defect of any other pleasures and to allay the smart of any pains whatever rendring thereby the meanest estate more acceptable and pleasant than any prosperity without it can be So that if we be truly devout we can hardly be discontent It is discosting from God by a neglect of devotion or by a negligence therein that doth expose us to the incursions of worldly regret and sorrow These are general remedies and duties both in this and all other regards necessary the which yet we may be induced to perform in contemplation of this happy fruit contentedness arising from them Farther 4. It serveth toward production of contentedness to reflect much upon our imperfection unworthiness and guilt so as thereby to work in our hearts a lively sense of them and a hearty sorrow for them this will divert our sadness into its right chanel this will drown our lesser grief by the influx of a greater It is the nature of a greater apprehension or pain incumbent to extinguish in a manner and swallow up the sense of a lesser although in it self grievous as he that is under a fit of the stone doth scarce feel a pang of the gout he that is assaulted by a wolf will not regard the biting of a flea Whereas then of all evils and mischiefs moral evils are incomparably far the greatest in nature the most ugly and abominable in consequence the most hurtfull and horrible seeing in Saint Chrysostome's language Excepting sin there is nothing grievous or terrible among humane things not poverty not sickness not disgrace not that which seemeth the most extreme of all evils death it self those being names onely among such as philosophate names of calamity void of reality but the real calamity this to be at variance with God and to doe that which displeaseth him seeing evidently according to just estimation no evil beareth any proportion to the evil of sin if we have a due sense thereof we can hardly be affected with any other accident If we can keep our minds intent upon the heinous nature and the lamentable consequences of sin all other evils cannot but seem exceedingly light and inconsiderable we cannot but apprehend it a very silly and unhandsome thing to resent or regard them what shall we then judge is poverty in comparison to the want of a good conscience what is sickness compared to distemper of mind and decay of spiritual strength what is any disappointment to the being defeated and overthrown by temptation what any loss to the being deprived of God's love and favour what any disgrace to the being out of esteem and respect with God what any unfaithfulness or inconstancy of friends to having deserted or betrayed our own soul what can any danger signifie to that of eternal misery incurred by offending God what pressure can weigh against the load of guilt or what pain equal that of stinging remorse in fine what condition can be so bad as that of a wretched sinner any case surely is tolerable is desirable is lovely and sweet in comparison to this would to God may a man in this case reasonably say that I were poor and forlorn as any beggar that I were covered all over with botches and blains as any Lazar that I were bound to pass my days in an hospital or a dungeon might I be chained to an oar might I lie upon the rack so I were clear and innocent Such thoughts and affections if reflecting on our sinfull doings and state do suggest and impress what place can there be for resentment of other petty crosses Contrition also upon this score is productive of a certain sweetness and joy apt to quash or to allay all worldly grief as it worketh a salutary repentance not to be repented of so it therewith breedeth a satisfactory comfort which doth ever attend repentance He that is very sensible of his guilt cannot but consequently much value the remedy thereof mercy and thence earnestly be moved to seek it then in contemplation of divine goodness and considering God's gratious promises will be apt to conceive faith and hope upon his imploring mercy and resolution to amend thence will spring up a chearfull satisfaction so possessing the heart as to expell or to exclude other displeasures a holy and a worldly sadness cannot well consist together 5. Another good instrument of contentedness is sedulous application of our minds to honest employment Honest studies and cares divert our minds and drive sad thoughts from them they chear our spirits with wholsome food and pleasant entertainments they yield good