Egyptians had a tower built likewise besides the advantage of the rocks and of the hills there was a tower built for their further strengthening and there the people of Israel were an unarmed people yea not only by the tower but they were over against Baal-zephon I remember in the last Exercise I shewed you what Baal was and what several Baals there were that the Heathens worshiped for their gods a general name it is sometimes for any other Idol This Baal-zephon it was a god that they worshiped upon this ground they had an Idol set in that place at the going out of Egypt that was to watch those that were to go out for so zephon comes of zuri speculatus est the god was to watch was to stand and watch any run-away-servant or any people that did go out of Egypt without any leave they trusting in this Baal that he would stop them and stay them and he was set in that place for that very purpose and thereupon his name was Baal-zephon As Conjurers by their magick arts will have their spels spirits that shall stop men in such a place they shall not go out of such an orchyard or such a yard where they come in So the Egyptians had there by their magical arts they got as it were a Spel a Baal-zephon a god to stop people in that place where they would have them stopped that is the meaning of this name of the Idol Baal-zephon So that you see what a strait Israel was in upon their going out of Egypt they were got before the Sea the Egyptians had all their strength behind in a hole of rocks and a tower and their god to stop them altogether so that they themselves made sure of them and said that they were intangled in the land of the wildernesse Being in those great straits their hearts began to fail them they began to be extreamly troubled and in a most greivous distemper of spirit they were coming and chiding with Moses and said to Moses in the 11. vers Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt We had rather we had continued in Egypt still What! Brought to these straits these extremities such a perplexity as we are now in would to God we had bin in Egypt this was the baseness of their spirits they would rather be under vile bondage than endure any hazard then be put to any straits and difficulties It is the baseness of the spirits of many at this day amongst us because they see that those waies that have bin taken by the Parliament brings some troublesom difficulties some straits they cry out of the times I would to God we were as we were before we were well enough before we were quiet enough before we never knew what such stirs as these meant before now we are brought into these perplexities I this they have brought us into thus they are ready to murmur repine Oh unthankful unworthy generation men women of vile spirits that shall do so It was a speech of Cyrus speaking unto his souldiers The Historian hath this expression of him It is the part of a true valiant man either to live honourably or die honourably one of them but that is the part of a base coward rather to live basely than to die honourably rather to be under any base servitude than to be in any hazard of their lives though perhaps their lives may be saved too I remember Philo tels us even of women for in these times the publik cause of the Kingdom suffers exceedingly much by the timorousness of the spirits of women that being in danger of their enemies of being brought into bondage by them they took their children and threw them into the rivers with these words You shall not serve we had rather see you die than be slaves I commend not that fact that it was wel done but to shew what a spirit the heathen women had to see their children die rather than have them bondslaves Indeed what were our lives worth were they worth having if we return to our bondage again The utmost of the danger is our lives the killing of our bodies yet we hope God will preserve them too but suppose the worst it is but death but if our lives should not be hazarded now and if through base cowardice we should decline the Cause of God surely our lives would not be worth taking up the living after that manner we are like to live in that bondage unto these Cavalliers notorious wretches blasphemers of God himself that would make our lives worth very little nay your children perhaps to be brought up in Popery and to hold a candle to a masse-Priest at the Altar that may be the imployment of your children if so be that they should live But these people being now in this extremity and manifesting so much passion being in a distemper Moses as the Captain of the Lord comes to the people and speaks bravely to them incouraging of them saith Moses Fear not but stand stil and see the salvation of the Lord stand still the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state it signifies to settle and compose to be in a setled condition it is a reflect word upon our selves so the Learned know that it is to work upon our selves to form signifies so it is as much as if he should say Do you work upon your own hearts to get your hearts to stand still work upon your hearts to do that work arguments upon your spirits and never leave working until you have wrought your hearts into such a frame as that you may stand stil be quiet At first even the dearest servants of God wil find their hearts to shake in time of hazards and extremities but when they come to work upon their spirits to bring arguments to lay to their hearts there they get some advantage that their hearts grow quiet quickly For that we have a notable text in the example of David in the 62. Psalme saith David there in the 1 and 2. verses Truly my Soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation hee onely is my Rock and my Salvation he is my defence I shall not greatly be moved Mark he begins to exercise Faith and he saies he shall not greatly be moved as if he should have said I confesse I cannot say but that my heart is somewhat stirred I am somewhat afraid and I feel some working in my spirit but I hope I shall not greatly be moved he fals a working upon his heart more and considers of his innocencie and of the mischievous device of the ungodly how long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man ye shall be slain all of you then again in the 5. verse My soul waite thou onely upon God for my expectation is from him he only is my Rock And then he repeats the
as much as if he had said I have learned the mystery of this business Contentment is to be learned as a great mystery and those that are throughly trained up in that art have learned a deep Mystery The which is as Sampsons riddle to a natural man I have learned it It is not now to learn neither had I it at first I have attained it though with much ado and now by the grace of God I am become master of this art In whatsoever state I am The word State is not in the Original but In what I am that is in whatsoever concerns or befals me whether I have little or nothing at all Therewith to be content The word which we render Content here hath in the Original much elegancy and fulnesse of signification in it In strictnesse of phrase it is only attributed unto God who hath stiled himself God alsufficiant as resting wholly satisfied in and with himself alone but he is pleased freely to comunicate of his fulness to the creature so that from God in Christ the Saints receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 in somuch that there is in them an answerablenesse of the same grace in their proportion that is in Christ And in this sense Paul saith I have a Self-sufficiency as the word notes But hath Paul a self-sufficiency you will say How are we sufficient of our selves Our Apostle affirms in another case That we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 His meaning therefore must be I find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart through the grace of Christ that is in me though I have not outward comforts and worldly accommodations to supply my necessities yet I enjoy portion enough betwixt Christ and my own soul abundantly to satisfie me in every condition And this interpretation is sutable to that place Pro. 14 1â— A good man is satisfied from himself and agreeable to what he verifies of himself in another place that though he had nothing yet he possessed all things because he had right to the covenant and promise which virtually contains all and an interest in Christ the fountain and good of all and having that no marvell he saith that in whatsoever state he was in he was content Thus you have the genuine interpretation of the text I shall not make any division of the words because I take them only to prosecute that one duty most necessary viz. The quieting and comforting the hearts of Gods people under the troubles and changes they meet withall in these heart-shaking times And the doctrinal conclusion is in brief this Doct. That to be well skill'd in the mystery of Christian Contentment is the Duty Glory and Excellency of a Christian This Evangelical truth is held forth sufficiently in Scripture yet take one or two paralel places more for the confirmation of it 1 Tim. 6.6 8. you have both the duty exprest and the glory thereof Having food and raiment saith he vers 8. let us be therewith content there is the duty But godliness with Contentment is great gain vers 6. there is the glory and excellency of it as if godlinesse were not gain except there were Contentment withal The like exhortation you have in Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as you have I do not find any Apostle or Writer of Scripture treat so much of this spiritual mystery of Contentment as this our Apostle hath done throughout his Epistles For the cleer opening and proving of this practical conclusion I shall indeavour to demonstrate these four things First The nature of this Christian Contentment what it is Secondly The art and mystery of it Thirdly What those lessons are that must be learn'd to work the heart to contentment Fourthly Wherein the glorious excellencies of this grace doth principally consist Concerming the first take this discription Christian Contentment is that sweet inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods wise and fatherly dispose in euery condition I shall break open this discription for it is a box of precious ointment very comfortable and useful for troubled hearts in troubled time and conditions First Contentment I say is a sweet inward heart thing it is a work of the spirit within doors It is not only a not-seeking help to our selves by outward violence or a forbearance of discontented murmuring expressions in froward words and carriages against God or others but it is the inward submission of the heart Psal 62.1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God and ver 5. My soul wait thou only upon God so it is in your Books but the words may be translated as rightly My soul be thou silent unto God Hold thy peace O my soul Not only the tongue must hold it's peace but the soul must be silent Many may sit down silently forbearing discontented expressions yet are inwardly swollen with discontentment now this manifesteth a perplexed distemper and a great frowardnesse in their hearts And God notwithstanding their outward silence hears the peevish fretting language of their souls The shoe may be smooth and neat without whilst the flesh is pinched within There may be much calmnesse and stilnesse outwardly and yet wonderful confusion bitternesse disturbance and vexation within Some are so weak that they are not able to contain the disquietness of their own spirits but in words and behaviour discover what woful perturbations there are within their spirits being like the raging Sea casting forth nothing but mire and dirt being not only troublesome to themselves but to all those they live with Others there are who are able to keep in such distempers of heart as Judas did when he betrayed Christ with a kisse but still they boyl inwardly and eat like a Cankes As David speaks concerning some whose words are smoother than honey and butter and yet have war in their hearts and as he saith in another place whilst I kept silence my bones waxed old so these whilst there is a serene calme upon their tongues have yet blustring storms in their spirits and whilst they keep silence their hearts are troubled and even worn away with anguish and vexation they have peace and quiet outwardly but war from the unruly and turbulent workings of their hearts that is within If the attainment to true Contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly there need be no great learning of it it might be had with lesse skill and strength than an Apostle had yea than an ordinary Christian hath or may have Therefore certainly there is a great deal more in it than can be attained by common gifts and ordinary power of reason which often bridles in nature It is a heart-businesse Secondly It is the quiet of the heart All is sedate and still there and to understand this the better This quiet gracious frame of spirit It is not opposed 1 To a due sense
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
possessing all things but mark what he saith it is As having nothing but it is Possessing all things He doth not say as possessing all things but possessing all things it is very little I have in the world but yet possessing all things So that you see a Christian hath cause to take complacency in Gods hand whatsoever his hand be The Eight thing in Contentment it is In Gods dispose Submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose That is the soul that hath learned this lesson of Contentment looks up to God in all things looks not down to the instruments or the means as such a man did it and it was unreasonablenesse of such and such instruments and the like barbarous usage of such and such but looks up to God a contented heart looks to Gods dispose and submits to Gods dispose that is sees the wisdom of God in all in his submission sees his soveraignity but that that makes him take complacency it is Gods wisdom the Lord knows how to order things better than I the Lord sees further thā I do I see things but at present but the Lord sees a great whil hence and how do I know but had it not been for this affliction I had been undone I know that the love of God may as well stand with an afflicted estate as with a prosperous estate and such kind of reasonings there are in a contented spirit submitting unto the dispose of God The last thing is This is in every condition It may be in some things you could be content You shall have many will say if my affliction were but as the affliction of such a one I could be content yea but it must be in the present affliction that is upon you We use to say There is a great deal of deceit in Universals in the general come to any man or woman and say Will not you be content with Gods dispose Yes say they God forbid but we should submit to Gods hand what ever it be you say thus in the general it is an easie matter to learn this lesson but when it comes to the particular when the crosse comes sore indeed when it striks you in the heaviest crosse that you think could befall you what saith your heart now Can you in every condition be content not onely for the matter but for the time that is to be in such a condition so long as God would have you to be content to be at Gods time in that condition to have such an affliction so long as God would have the affliction abide upon you to be willing to stay and not to come out of the affliction no sooner than the Lord would have you come out of it you are not content in your condition else to be content meerly that I have such a hand of God upon me and not to stay under the hand of God that is not to be content under every condition but when I can find my heart submitting to Gods dispose in such particular afflictions that are very hard and very greivous and yet my heart is quiet here is one that hath learned the lesson of Contentment Contentment it is the inward quiet gracious frame of spirit freely submitting to and taking complacency in Gods dispose in every condition That is the discription Now in this there hath been Nine several things opened 1 First That Contentment is a heart-work within the soul 2 Secondly It is the quieting of the heart 3 Thirdly It is the frame of the spirit 4 Fourthly It is a gracious frame 5 Fiftly It is the free working of this gracious frame 6 Sixtly There is in it a submission to God sending the soul under God 7 Seventhly There is a taking complacency in the hand of God 8 Eightly All to Gods dispose 9 Ninthly In every condition every condition though never so hard though continue never so long Now those of you that have learned to be Content have learned to attain unto these severall things the very opening of these things I hope may so far work upon your hearts as First That you may lay your hands upon your hearts upon this that hath been said the very telling of you what the lesson is I fay may cause you to lay your hands upon your hearts and say Lord I see there is more in Christian Contentation than I thought there was and I have been far from learning this lesson I indeed have learned but my A B C in this lesson of Contentment I am but in the lower forme in Christs school if I am in it at all but these we shall speak too more afterward but the special thing I aim'd at in the opening of this point is to shew how great a Mystery there is in Christian Contentment and how many several lessons are to be learned that we may come to attain to this Heavenly disposition that Saint Paul did attain too SERMON II. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content WEE have made entrance you may remember into the Argument of Christian Contentment And have opened the words and shewed you what this Christian Contentation is that it is The inward quiet gracious frame of Spirit freely submitting too and taking Complacency in Gods dispose in every condition And therein came to this last thing In every condition Now we shall a little in large that and so proceed 1 Submitting to God in what ever Affliction befalls us for the kind 2 For the time and continuance of the Affliction 3 For the variety and changes of Affliction Let them be what they will yet there must be a submitting to Gods dispose in every condition First for the kind Many men and women will in the general say that they must submit to God in affliction I suppose now if you should come from one end of this Congregation to another and speak to every soul thus Would not you submit to Gods dispose in what ever condition he should dispose of you too you would say God forbid it should be otherwise but we use to say There is a great deal of deceit in generals In general you would submit to any thing but what if it be in this and that particular that is most crosse to you Then any thing but that we are usually apt to think that any condition is better than the condition that God doth dispose us too now here is not Contentment it should not be only to any condition in general but for the kind of the affliction if it be that which is most crosse to you God it may be striks you in your Child Oh if it had been in my Estate saith one I should be content perhaps he striks you in your Match Oh saith he I had rather have been strucken in my health and if he had struck you in your health Oh then if it had been in my trading I would not have cared but we must not be our own carvers
is taken away this promise tels me that if it doth befall me yet it is for some notable end and because God hath use of my life and intends to fetch about his glory some way that I know not of And if he will come in a fatherly way of chastisement yet I will be satisfied in the thing So a Christian heart by reasoning out of the word comes to satisfie his soul in the middest of such a heavy hand of God and in such a distressed condition as that is Now Carnal hearts they find not that power in the Word that healing vertue that there is in the Word to heal their destracted cares and the troubles of their spirits but now those that are godly when they come to hear the Word they find out that in the Word there is as a plaister to all their wounds and so they come to have ease and Contentment in such conditions as are very grievous and miserable unto others But now for other particular promises and more generally for the Covenant of grace how and in what mysterious way the Saints do work to fetch out Contentment and satisfaction to their souls we shall refer to the next time SERMON IV. PHILIPPIANS 4.11 For I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content IN the last Exercise we spoke of divers things in the Mystrie of Contentment and in the close we spoke of two more but we could not have time to open either of them I shall open them a little more largely then proceed to some few more and so to other things in the point That 's the next then A Christian heart hath not only Contentment in God and certainly he that hath God must have all he that hath him that hath all he hath all But he is able to make up all his outward wants of creature-comforts from what he finds in himself That may seem to be more strange It 's true perhaps we may convince men though they doe not feel by experience what it is to make up all in God yet we may convince them that if they have him that hath all things then they have al for there is such a fulness in God he being the infinite first-being of all things that may make up all their wants But here 's another thing that 's further I say a godly man can make up whatsoever he wants without the creature he can make it up in himself in the 14. of the Prov. 14. A good man is satisfied in himself as now If he wants outward comforts good chear feasting a good conscience is a continual feast he can make up the want of a feast by that peace he hath in his own conscience if he wants melody abroad he hath a bird within him that sings the most melodious songs that are in the world and the most delightful And then doth he want honour he hath his own conscience witnessing for him that is as a thousand witnesses the Scripture saith in the 17. of Luke v. 21. Neither shall they say Lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdome of God is within you a Christian then whatsoever he wants he can make it up for he hath a Kingdom in himselfe the Kingdom of God is within him If one that is a King should meet with a great deal of trouble when he is abroad yet he Contents himself with this I have a Kingdom of mine own now here it 's said the Kingdom of God is within a man truly upon this Scripture of the Kingdom of God being within those that are learned if they would but look into that Coment upon the Gospel that we have of a learned man they shall find a very strange conceit that he hath about this very text he confesses indeed it is unutterable and so indeed it is the Kingdom of God is within you he makes it that there is such a presence of God and Christ within the soul of a man that when the body dies he saith that the soul goes into God and Christ that is within him the souls going into God and Christ and enjoying of that Communion with God and Christ that is within it's self that 's Heaven to it saith he he confesses he is not able to expresse himself nor others cannot understand fully what he intends but certainly for the present before death there 's a Kingdom of God within the soul such a manifestation of God in the soul that is enough to Content the heart of any godly man in the world the Kingdom that he hath now within him he shall not stay till afterwards till he goes to Heaven but certainly there is a Heaven in the soul of a godly man he hath Heaven already many times when you go to comfort your friends in their afflictions you will say Heaven will pay for all nay you may certainly find Heaven pays for all already there is a Heaven within the souls of the Saints that 's a certain truth no soul shall ever come to heaven but that Soul that hath Heaven come to it first When you die you hope you shall goe to Heaven But if you shall goe to Heaven when you die Heaven will come to you before you die Now this is a great Mysterie to have the Kingdom of Heaven in the Soul no man can know this but that Soul that hath it that Heaven which is within the Soul for the present I say it is like the white stone and the new name that none but those that have it can understand it It 's a miserable condition my brethren to depend upon creatures altogether for our Contentment you know that rich men account it a great happinesse if they need not go to buy things by the penny as others do they have all things for pleasure or profit upon their own ground and all their inheritance lies intire together they have no body comes within them but they have all within themselves there lies their happinesse Whereas other poorer people are fain to go from one Market to another to provide them necessaries but yet great rich men they have sheep and beeves corn and cloathing and all things else of their own within themselves and herein they place their happinesse But this is the happinesse of a Christian that he hath that within himselfe that may satisfie him more than all these That place that we have in the first of James seems to allude to that condition of men that have all their estates within themselves Jam. 1.4 But let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect and entire wanting nothing the word there used signifies to have the whole inheritance to our selves not a broken inheritance but that where all lies within themselves as a man that hath not a piece of his estate here and a piece there but he hath it all lie together and the heart being patient under afflictions finds it self to be in such an estate as this is finds
we sit down quiet without murmuring Certainly thou never knewest what it was to be humbled for thy manifold sins that art discontented at any administration of God towards thee The Eighth Agravation of the sin of murmuring is For those men that are of little use in the world for them to be discontented If you have but a beast that you make much use of you wil feed it well but if you have but litttle use of him then you turn him into the commons little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him If we liv'd so as to be exceeding useful to God and his Church we might expect that God would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us but when our consciences tell us we live and do but little service for God what if God should turn us upon the commons yet we are fed according to our work according to our imployment why should any creature be servicable to thee who art so little servicable to God This one meditation would much help us to think I am discontent because such and such creatures are not servicable to me but why should I expect that they should be servicable to me when I am not servicable to God And that 's the Eighth Aggravation A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us It should be the care of a Christian to observe what are Gods waies towards him what is God about to do with me at this time Is God about to raise me to comfort me let me close with Gods goodnesse and blesse his Name let me joyn with the work of God when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers But again Is God about to humble me is God about to break my heart and to bring my heart down to him let me joyn with God in this work of his this is for a Christian to walk with God It is said that Enoch and Noah walked with God walked with God what 's that That is To observe what is the work of God that God is now about and to joyn with God in that work of his so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with Grd and have sutable workings unto the workings of God towards him Now then I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted Therefore thou art afflicted because God would humble thee and the great design that God hath in afflicting of thee is to break and humble thy heart and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God God is doing thee good if thou could'st see it now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine and humble that proud spirit of thine it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou had'st in all thy life now wilt thou yet stand out against God it's even as if thou shouldest say well the Lord is about to break me and humble me but he shall not this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentednesse though thou darest not say so but though thou sayest not so in words yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit Oh consider what an aggravation this is I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good but yet I stand out against him and resist him and that 's another aggravation A tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction It 's a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent but though it be a sin when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that but when I see an extraordinary providence working that 's a greater sin that is when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God shall I stand out against God when I see God doth expresse his wil in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition indeed before we see the will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction and may use means for it but now when we see God expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us it 's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist for as it is an argument of a mans disobedience when there is not only a command against a sin but when God reveals his command in a terrible way the more solemn the command of God is the greater is the sin in breaking that command so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented Then God expects that we should fall down when he as it were speaks from Heaven to thee by name and saith well I wil have this spirit of thine down do not you see that my hand is stretched out my eyes are upon you my thoughts are upon you and I must have that proud spirit of thine down Oh then it 's fit for the creature to yeeld and submit unto him When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants or children you expect they should regard what you say but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way then if they should disregard what you say you are very impatient So certainly God cannot take it well when ever he doth appeare from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction if then we do not submit to him The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this To be discontented though God hath been exercising of us long under afflictions yet still to remain discontented For a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it 's an evil but to have a murmuring heart when God hath been a long time exercising them with affliction it 's more evil Though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wrigles up and down and will not be quiet but if after many monthes or yeers it shall not draw quietly the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it So though the Lord was content to passe by that discontented spirit of thine at first yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon
a condition as this is but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it indeed you lay all upon this as if it were the work of the word or the spirit of bondage I remember I heard not long since of a Divine that being judicious and used to such kind of things there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin and he could not tell what to do he was ready to despaire the Divine looks upon him saith he are you not in debt he confest that he was and at length the Minister began to find it out that that was his trouble rather than his sin and so was a means to help him that way that his Creditors should not come upon him and then the man was pretty quiet and would not make away himself any longer for it is a usual thing that if any thing befals a man that doth crosse him Oh then it 's their sin that doth trouble them Sometimes it is thus with servants if their Governors crosse them then they are vext and freâ— and come to deale with them Oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin but we must take heed of dallying with God that is the Seer and Searcher of the secrets of all hearts many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families and then you say it 's your sin that lies upon you when God knows it 's otherwise it 's because you cannot have your wils as you would have Fourthly If thou beest troubled for thy sin then it will be thy great care not to sin in thy trouble not by thy trouble to increase thy sin but thou art troubled in such a way as the truth is thou doest increase thy sin in thy trouble and since thou sayest thou wert troubled for thy sin thou hast committed more sin than thou didest before And then lastly if it be thy sin that troubles thee then thou hast the more need to submit to Gods hand and accept of the punishment of thine iniquity as it is in Levit. 26.41 There 's no such consideration to take away murmuring as to look upon my sin ae the cause of my affliction The Third Plea Oh saith another I find my Affliction is such that God withdraws himself from me in mine Affliction that is that that troubles me and can any body be quiet then can any body be satisfied with such a condition when the Lord shall withdraw himself Were my Affliction never so great yet if I find not God withdrawing himself from me I hope I could be content with any Affliction but I cannot find the presence of God with me in this Affliction as some times I have found and it is that that troubles me and makes me to be in such a condition as I am Now to that I answer thus First it is a very evil thing for men and women upon every Affliction to conclude that God is departed from them it may be when it comes to be examined there is no other reason why thou thinkest that God is withdrawn and departed but because he doth afflict thee now for thee to make such a conclusion that every time God laies an Affliction upon thee he is departed this is a sinful distemper of thy heart and is very dishonourable to God and grievous to his Spirit In the 17. of Exod. 7. verse you may see how God was displeased there with such a kind of distemper as this is And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah because of the chiding of the Children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst us or not Mark they did murmur because they were brought into Afflictions but see what the Text saith therefore the place was called Massah and Meribah because they tempted the Lord saying Is the Lord amonst us or not This was to tempt God sometimes we are afraid God is departed from us and it was meerly because we are afflicted I beseech you observe that Scripture God cals it a tempting of him when he afflicts any for them to conclude and say that God is departed from them If a child should cry out of his Father and say that his Father is turned to be an enemy to him because he doth correct him this would be taken ill I beseech you consider of this one place it may be of very great use to you that you may not be ready to think that God is departed because you are afflicted Secondly If God be departed the greatest sign of Gods departing is because you are so disquiet you make your disquiet be the fruit of Gods departing and if it comes to be examined your disquiet is the cause of Gods departing from you if you could but cure your disquiet if you could but quiet your own hearts and get them into a better frame of contentedness under Gods hand in afflicting of you then you would find Gods presence with you will you be thus disquiet till God comes again to you your disquiet drives him from you and you can never expect Gods coming to manifest himself comfortably to your souls till you have gotten your hearts quiet under your afflictions and therefore here you see how crosly you reason you reason I am disquiet because God is gone when the truth is God is gone because thou art disquiet reason but the other way Oh my disquiet hath driven God from me and therefore as ever I would have the presence of God to come again to me let my heart be quiet under the hand of God Thirdly Doest thou find God departing from thee in thine affliction wilt thou therefore depart from God too is this thy help Can'st thou help thy self that way Because God is gone wilt thou go too Do I indeed feel God departing from me It may be it is so it may be God for thy tryal is departed a little from thee and is it so indeed what unwise course do I take I commit further sin and so I go further off from God what a case am I in God goes from me and I from God If the child sees the mother going from it it 's not for the child to say my mother is gon yonder I wil go the other way no but the child goes crying after the mother and so should the soul say I see the Lord is withdrawing his presence from me and now it is best for me to make after the Lord with all my might and I am sure this murmuring humour is not a making after God but by this I go further and further off from God and what a distance is there like to be between God and me within a little while These are some of the reasonings and pleas of a murmuring and discontented heart there are many others that we shall meet withal and indeavour to speak to your hearts in them that so this tough humour of discontent may as it were be cut with the Word and softened
these times especially it were a very great evil for any to aim at great things Seek them not be willing to take hold low to creep low and if God doth raise thee thou shalt have cause to blesse him but if thou shouldest not be raised there would not be much trouble one that creeps low cannot fall far but it is those that are on high whose fall doth bruise them most that is a good rule Promise not your selves great matters neither aime at any great things in the world The Eighth Direction Labour to get your hearts mortified to the world dead to the world we must not content our selves that we have gotten some reasoning about the vanity of the Creature and such kind of things as these are but we must exercise mortification and be crucified to the world saith Paul I die daily we should die daily to the world We are baptized into the death of Christ that is to signifie that we have taken such a profession as to professe to be even as dead men to the world now there 's no crosses that fals out in the world that doth trouble those that are dead if our hearts were dead to the world we should not be much troubled with the changes of the world nor the tossings about of worldly things As it is very observable in those souldiers that came to break the bones of Christ they brake the legs of one that was crucified with him and of the other but when they came to Christ they found he was dead and so they did not break his legs there was a providence in it to fulfil a Prophesie but because they found he was dead they did not break his bones Let Afflictions and trouble find thee with a mortified heart to the world and they will not break thy bones the bones of those that are broken by crosses afflictions are those that are alive to the world that are not dead to the world but one that hath a mortified heart and dead to the world no afflictions or troubles will break the bones of such a one that is they will not be very grievous or painful to such a one as is mortified to the world This I fear is a mystery and riddle to many for one to be dead to the world to be mortified to the world Now it is not my work to open to you what Mortification is or death to the world is but only thus to have our hearts so taken off from the things of the world as to use them as if one used them not not to make account that our lives our comforts our happinesse doth consist in these things they are things that are of another nature that our happinesse doth consist in and we may be happy without these this is a kind of deadnesse to the world The Ninth Direction Let not men and women pore too much upon their Afflictions that is busie their thoughts too much to look down into their Afflictions you shall have many people that all their thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are they are altogether thinking and speaking of them it 's just with them as with a child that hath a sore about him his finger is alwaies upon the sore and so men and women their thoughts are alwaies upon their afflictions when they awake in the night their thoughts are upon their afflictions and when they converse with others nay it may be when they are praying to God they are thinking of their afflictions Oh! no mervail though you live a discontented life if your thoughts be alwaies poring upon such things you should rather labour to have your thoughts upon those things that may comfort you You shall have many that if you propound any rule to them to do them good they take it well while they are with you and thank you for it but when they are gone they soon forget it It is very observable of Jacob that when his wife died in child-birth his wife called the child Ben-oni that is a son of sorrows now Jacob he thought with himself if I should call this child Ben-oni every time that I name him it will put me in mind of the death of my dear wife and of that affliction and that will be a continued affliction to me therefore I will not have my child have that name and so the text saith that Jacob called his name Benjamin and that was the son of my right hand now this is to shew us thus much that when afflictions befals us we should not give way to have our thoughts continually upon them but rather upon those things that may stir up our thankfulness to God for mercies It it the similitude of Basil a learned man faith he It is in this case as it is with men and women that have sore eyes now it 's not fit for those to be alwaies looking upon the fire or upon the beams of the Sun no saith he one that hath sore eyes must get things that are sutable to him and such objects as are fit for one that hath such weak eyes therefore they will get green colours as that being a more easie colour and better for weak eyes and they will hang green sarsnet before their eyes because it is more sutable to them So weak spirits it 's the very same a man or woman that hath a weak spirit they must not be looking upon the fire of their afflictions upon those things that deject that cast them down but they are to be looking rather upon that which may be sutable for the healing and helping of them they should be considering of those things rather than the other It will be of very great use and benefit to you if you do lay it to heart not to be poring alwaies upon afflictions but upon mercies The Tenth Direction I beseech you observe this though you should forget many others Make a good interpretation of Gods waies towards you if there can be any good interpretation made of Gods waies towards you make it Ye think it much if you have a friend that should alwaies make bad interpretations of your waies towards him you would take that ill If you should converse with people that you cannot speak a word in their hearing but they are ready to make an ill interpretation of it and take it in an ill sense you would think their company to be very tedious to you it is very tedious to the Spirit of God when we make such ill interpretations of his waies towards us If God deals with us otherwise than we would have him if there can be any sense worse than other made of it we will be sure to make it as thus when an affliction doth befal you there may be many good senses made of Gods works towards you you should think thus it may be God intends only to try me by this it may be God saw my heart too much set upon the Creature and
words again after he had been rubbing upon his heart the same meditation then he fetches in the words again that he had in the 2. verse He only is my Rock and my salvation but mark now what advantage he gets of himself in the 6. verse He only is my Rock and my salvation and my defence I shall not be moved before he is my Rock my salvation my defence I shall not greatly be moved but after he had been working further upon his own heart then he gains and saies now he is my Rock and my salvation and my defence I shall not be moved I have overcome these distracting fears I have got the advantage and the victory blessed be God I have overcome them God is my salvation and my glory now he begins to glory and triumph after he had wrought upon himself So that he in this did indeed stand still in this phrase by working upon his own heart though he was stirred a little at first yet he got the victory So indeed not to be moved the 70. turn this word stand still stete only but yet the notes upon it they say it is read likewise stetite that is a standing fast stand fast it is a word taken from souldiers in their ranks souldiers that are in their ranks when they apprehend a danger they must not go out of their way because of the danger it is as much as their lives are worth to go out of the way but they must stand they must stand stille though there be never such danger yet they must stand still in their ranks that is the meaning of the word I shall open more what the meaning of the holy Ghost is by and by what kind of stand still this should be but thus for the word it is such a stand still as the souldiers have in their ranks not to go out of their ranks for fear The word is used in Scripture divers times for standing fast as in the 1 of Philiphians 27. That you stand fast in one spirit now the word fast is not in the Greek Text but only the other word in the Greek Text and so you have the same word in the other Scriptures in the 1. of the Corinthians 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the faith Stetite it is only two words in the Greek as it is in the English stand fast so that this stand it is not only a standing but a standing fast stand still in your ranks fast be not in a hurry up and down and be not in a confusion If upon danger souldiers should presently be in a confusion in the Army what would become of them and so the truth is in a City in any place where there is any danger if people grow to a confusion they are gone they are lost you must stand still in your ranks stand still There are several stand-stils some very vile and naught and others very good there is first 1 A stand-still out of amazement When a man through fear is at a stand and dears not stir any further now this cannot be meant in the text for Moses saith Fear not but stand still therefore it is not a standing still out of fear because I am astonished 2 There is a stand-still out of ignorance Because I do not know which way to take and this is not in the text neither Thus many in our time they stand still they plead ignorance they stand still they will be of no side and they plead ignorance they know not what to do they say they know not what to do one saith one thing and another saith another thing the King commands one thing and the Parliament another they know not what to do to go against the King is it not Rebellion and so they stand still because they plead ignorance their consciences are not informed It hath bin the work of divers Ministers that have hazarded themselves in this to open to you the Counsel of God and to set your consciences at liberty divers things I have spoken in this place but certainly men do blinde their own eyes and are willing to stand still to plead ignorance after so much light revealed It is strange that any rational man should speak of rebellion now when as we know that the King himselfe sent aid to the Rochellers and that we know in the case of their liberties and Religion they took up armes to defend themselves against their own King he sent help to them surely he did not himself take them to be rebels King James in his answer to Byron that enveighs against the Protestants in France he doth stand to justifie what the Protestants in France did even King James himselfe in that book of his in his answer to Byron and besides we must acknowledge all the Protestant Churches in the world to be Rebels if it be Rebellion meerly to take up armes Know we not that our own King hath matched his Daughter to the young Prince of Orange now we know the Prince of Orange is the General of the States in their fields as the Earl of Essex is the General of our forces here and their businesse against the King of Spain it was their praise to defend their Liberties and Religion and still they maintain the same quarel and the Prince of Orange he is their General and undertakes it We desire nothing but the maintainance of our Liberty and of our Religion though things be not gone so far yet as to take our estates yet the Cause that they began withal it is our Cause and what the General was there the same in a kind there is no great difference here and certainly if it were Rebellion our King would never have match'd his Daughter unto the Son of such a Rebel if it should be Rebellion meerly to take up Arms to defend Religion and to defend the Liberties of the Countrey that are according unto Laws yea we know further that the King himself hath acknowledged our Brethren the Scots to be loving subjects to be his loyal subjects do we more than they do we more in our cause nay have we done so much in our cause as they have done how generally was it there in their Kingdom and shall it be acknowledged they are loving subjects doing so much and we be accounted Rebels surely no man can plead to stand still through ignorance upon that ground 3. There is a third stand-still and the truth is though it be not through Ignorance it is though a worse principle and that is of Neuteralizing that is when men though they are informed well enough yet they stand still to see which will be the strongest side and are loth to appear yet they know not which side will most prevail but they have such a principle in their spirits to go to the strongest side which way soever it be only they will stand still till it appear My brethren certainly we can admit of no Neuters in these times the
times are grown to a greater height than that any should be admitted as a Neuter either for us or against us whatsoever is not for us at this time now coming to this straight may well be concluded to be against us 4. There is a fourth wicked stand-still and that is out of sullennesse of spirit and that is more particular and that is of many men and women especially that are in some troubles of conscience and when they are seeking of God and performing duties that God requires of them and do not find that encouragement that their hearts desire they leave off all and have no mind to do any thing but even stand still and die and will even sink in a sullen discouragement and go no further leave off their work leave off duty what should I go on in doing duty for I get no good by it I am never a whit the better and so they stand still out of a sullen discouragement The Devil himselfe is the most discouraged Spirit in the world and yet he is the proudest Spirit in the world and this standing still out of discouragement may come out of pride and stoutnesse of heart though you think it is out of Humility 5. There is a sluggish standing still and that is sinful and wicked when people stand still because they are idle and are loth to venture themselves or to put themselves to trouble to go forward in any work this work is tedious and thus the sluggard he stands still and is ready to catch at any Argument that may plead for his standing still My brethren this is not that stand still here that we should stand still and do nothing and be sluggards no but the stand still here is after we have gone on and done to the utmost that we are able that then we should stand still and commit the work to God as if we had done nothing at all there is the stand still I shall speak of more presently As that worthy Divine said he would labour to preach as if he expected no assistance and then he would expect assistance as if he had not labour'd at all So Warriors and people in danger they should prepare in the use of all means as if they expected no further help and then they should expect help from God as if they had used no means at all so we must use means As that brave speech of Joab Come let us play the men let us fight for our Cities and the people of our God and then let God do what seemeth him good then he would stand still and look for his salvation of God a speech even of Joab himselfe not then a sluggish stand still it is no hindrance at all to any preparations that may be used therefore all these are naught 6. There is an obediential stand-still that is for the hearts of men and women to stand still to wait to know further of Gods mind what God revealeth our hearts are willing to yeeld unto and we will listen to hear what the mind of God further is what God would have us to do to stand still to hearken to what the Lord would have us to do with hearts resign'd up to him and resolved to walk accordingly to it this is good and that is somewhat of it but that is not all 7. There is a stand-still out of faith a beleeving standstill and that is when though in the greatest extremity I having used what means I can for helping me yet I see my self wrapped up in extremity I will now exercise Faith First 1. To quiet my heart to get out of my spirit those distracting thoughts of that hurry and tumult that there is in the heart and to get all silenced all murmurings all distractions all giddinesse of spirit and upproar that many times is in the hearts of men and women in time of danger so by faith I come to quiet these and to get my heart to be still to be still within me Be still O my soul and therefore the Scripture expresses the waiting upon God out of Faith by a word of silence in the 62. Psalme at the beginning and verse 5. My soul waits upon God it is silenced so the Hebrew word signifies it signifies a silence in God there is many times in the hearts of men and women when they apprehend any danger a great deal of hurrying and noise in their hearts all is in a combustion in their hearts it is a grievous thing to see a Citie all in a combustion and in a tumult there are many men and womens hearts in as great a tumult upon apprehension of danger as many times a whole City is there is a rising in their hearts and a mighty noise there Sometimes they keep it may be in private and publick exigencies their tongues silent but their hearts boyle within them but your hearts must be silent you must cry to your heart be silent there my heart is now in a mutinie and a great deal of stir cry silence to your hearts that your hearts and thoughts may be composed that is the meaning of the word that there should be a setled composed frame of spirit in the hearts of men and women in the times of extremity that is the first Secondly 2. When it is out of Faith there should be a keeping our stations till God cals us out not to run up and down this way and that way and to think of nothing but of shifting courses to shift for our selves As in time of danger I verily beleeve if we could look into the thoughts of many men and women they scarce have any thought but meerly of shifting their place or house they think to shift for themselves Now we should not busie our thoughts so much about shifting as about quieting our hearts in beleeving For my brethren in times of extremity of danger God calleth for Courage more than discretion though it 's true Discretion is not excluded yet that is not that explicite and special work that is called for in times of danger I mean discretion to shift for your selves but discretion so far as may improve courage the main work that God now cals for at this time it is Courage and Discretion and Prudence only so far as to mannage Courage and to drive it on further and to improve it not to abate it that is not the Discretion certainly that now is called for but to keep our station Quest But you will say In time of danger may we not fly must men keep their stations is it not lawful to avoid danger and to fly Then we shall accuse many of our brethren that heretofore have fled in time of danger Resp My Brethren you are to know that the case now is far different from the case that was heretofore the case heretofore was especially for the present directed against particulars not against the generall though there were plots against the general but the hazard and the danger
another as bad as that there you shall find they want bread and were ready to starve for hunger in Chap. 16.2 3. And all the Assembly were ready to be killed for hunger the text saith well Moses cries to God and God delivered them out of that straight too In the next Chap. they were in as great a straight too They pitched at Rephidim and there they had no water to drink again I might go through the story and shew you in the wildernesse what great straights God put them in and yet God was working salvation for them When they come to possesse the land because I wil not go thorow the story the time wil not permit they have Jordan to passe over without any bridge whether the bridges were cut down or whether there were none I cannot tell but it was more danger to passe over the bridges if there were any because at that time the text saith it was that Jordan flowed over all his banks so then it was at the worst time that could be when the banks of Jordan were all overflowed yet God delivered them out of that straight When they were got over there I might shew you many other straights but I shall mention only one that was this The first enemy the people of God fought with all in Canaan they were discomfited they were beaten back at the first battel that ever they fought when they came to set upon the land of Canaan and to fight with the adversary there the adversary comes out and gets the day and makes them fly before them that was at the fight at Ai They fled before the men of Ai upon this Joshua fell down upon the ground Why Lord What are we come to this After all these straights that we come now to fight with the people of Canaan and they at the very first blow have the day and make us fly before them now all the people will come out against us If so be people have such distracting fears now suppose there should be a meeting of both Armies and you should hear that one Army flies before another that our men fly before those that come out against them before the Cavelliers what a fear and distraction would there be then yet so it was with the people of Israel though God was coming in with such a mighty hand to deliver them and to possesse them of Canaan yet at the very first blow they had the worst and the people overcame them It would take a mighty deal of time to shew you the straights that David and Josâ—ah and Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah werein I 'le only give you a word or two about David because it may be a very great help to poor troubled spirits in time of straights David he was in such straights sometimes that he professes himself even overwhelmed Psal 61. and the beginning You shall find Psal 77.4 He could not speak Many poor souls are in greivous afflictions and when we put them to go and open their hearts to God and men Oh I cannot speak say they David was in such straights that he could not speak yea he could not so much as look up Psal 40.12 not so much as look up to God grievous straights that he was in And the people of Israel in their other Captivity there were mountains before them what straights did God put them into When they were come forth of Babilon In Zech. 4. What art thou O great mountain that art before them But examples will be needless to illustrate the thing it is so cleer that thus was Gods dealing with his people As with wicked men when God is in a way of wrath against the ungodly he many times suffers them to prosper in the highest way with the most flourishing prosperity that ever they had in their lives So when he is in a way of salvation of his Saints he lets them be in the lowest ebb that ever they were in in al their lives As in Job 20. saith the text there at the 5. verse In the fulness of his sufficiency be shall be in straights In the fulness of his sufficiency what a phrase is here A wicked man shall be in straits when he is full when he hath sufficient as he thinks in the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straights and on the other side a godly man in his greatest straights he hath a fulness of sufficiency I will shew you that cleer in 2 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ We have a fulness of Consolation when we have a fulness of Suffering yea not only abound but do super abound for so the word is in 2 Cor. 7.4 I am saith he filled with comfort I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations We are brought into tribulation into great straights and I have a fulness fil'd with comfort and exceeding joyful more than abundantly-joyful so the word signifies there is abounding in the other text but here is a super added to it a super-abounding more than joyfull not in times of prosperity only Carnall hearts never know how to rejoyce but in times of prosperity when they can eat and drink and play then they can be merry but the Saints know how to joy how to be fil'd with joy how to abound in joy and how to be exceedingly abounding in joy when they are in tribulation Thus as wicked men are in straights in their sufficiencies so godly men when God is in a way of comfort they may be in a way of great affliction and the reason of it may be 1. Reason Because God will humble his people when he is in a way of salvation when God intends the greatest good to his people and to raise them the highest he is very careful to keep them very low that hath alwaies bin the manner of Gods administrations You see the reason of the peoples having straights in the wilderness it was from hence in the 8. of Deuteronomie there God gives the reason in the second verse Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fourty years in the wilderness to what end why were they so long in the wildernesse it was saith the text to humble them I brought thee into the wilderness and it was to humble thee Doth God my brethren bring us into straights now in these times Certainly he is in a way of salvation for England he is in a way of salvation to do us good in the latter end but yet he is bringing us into straights Oh! we may thank the pride of our spirits we have not been brought low enough to this very day There hath been indeed some humiliation of some of the people of God in fasting and praying they have humbled their souls but yet though there hath been humble expressions yet not humble hearts for after those times they have had many of them exceeding froward spirits and that argues
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
Heritage Prosperity Many good men worse for prosperity Page 34 The burden of prosperity Page 85 Prosperity should prepare for afflictions Page 182 See Trouble Danger Protection Protection of God from whom withdrawn Page 147 A great judgment to be out of Gods protection Page 148 Proud A Proud heart never Content Page 30 Punishment Ground of accepting our punishment Page 167 Providence Knowledge of Gods providence what it teacheth Page 94 Providence of God not to be altered Page 95 See Rational Efficacy Variety Universality Purchase see Christ Publick see Discontent Q Quiet Quietnesse in adversity Page 105 See Content R Rational Gods providence most over Creatures rational Page 94 Real see Heaven Reason Wherein natural reason may quiet the heart Page 14 Rebellion Murmuring accounted rebellion Page 121 Rejoyce How the soul comes to rejoyce in Gods waies Page 72 When a sin to rejoyce immoderately Page 152 Relation Relation of a Christian Page 126 Reprobate No certain sign of a reprobate in Scripture Page 91 Reward A Christian may expect a reward Page 116 He is rewarded for what he would do ibid Great reward for Christians in low callings Page 178 Rhetorick see Devil Right What right wicked men have to that they enjoy Page 42 Righteously God deals righteously with us though men do not Page 171 Risings Desparate risings in the heart against God Page 9 Rule A Christian should walk by rule Page 196 S Saints A Christian one body with the Saints Page 127 Sanctified What a Christian hath is sanctified Page 41 All afflictions to the godly sanctified Page 45 See Poverty Disgrace Scorn Scorn Scorn sanctified by Christ Page 46 Self A Christian can make up his wants in himself 53.57 See God Self-love Contentment in the creature from self-love Page 113 Self-denial Self-denial the way to Contentment Page 68 Christ the pattern of self-denial Page 71 Sence Gods Children have sence of their afflictions Page 5 Want of sence in afflictions dangerous ibid Serve Service What makes active in Gods service Page 14 What fits the soul for service Page 107 Affliction grievous when it hinders from Gods service Page 175 All things serve them that serve God Page 197 Setled Our spirituall condition setled Page 181 Shifting Shifting opposite to Contentment Page 8 Shiftting caused by murmuring Page 138 Sight see Sin Silent Grace makes silent in trouble Page 60 Small To murmur for small things Page 157 Sin Sight of sin in a Christian while he lives Page 125 Great sinners should not murmur Page 160 When trouble for affliction and not for sin Page 166 If trouble be for sin we will not sin after trouble Page 167 See Duty Command Sorrow Sorrow when beyond bounds Page 165 See Joy Soul Contentment spread through the whol soul Page 10 Contentment betters the soule Page 113 It is a blessing on the soul Page 115 See Heaven Worship Souldier Every Christian a souldier Page 78 Spirit Spirituall judgements worst Page 91 Spirit of a Christian Page 129 Spirit of the Devil Page 147 Spiritual mind brings Content Page 199 See Father Base Spouse A Christian the Spouse of Christ Page 126 Stilness Stilness natural Page 13 Steadfast Grace makes the soule steadfast Page 195 Stranger A Christian a stranger here Page 76 Strength Strength from Christ to bear afflions Page 47 A Christian strong by Christs strength Page 48 Stupid Many seem content that are stupid Page 17 Submit To submit to God what Page 17 Pains taken without submission to God not Christian-like Page 185 Substraction Contentment by subtraction Page 29 Sweetness Sweetness of mercies eaten out Page 139 T Temple A Christian the Temple of the Spirit Page 127 Temptation How to be delivered from temptation Page 108 Thorns The things of the world as thorns Page 196 Time To submit in afflictions in respect of the time Page 23 Loss of time by murmuring Page 134 Our time little in this world Page 190 Trouble Burden of trouble in prosperity Page 85 See Sin Tumult Tumult of spirit Page 6 V Vanity Every man in his settled estate is vâ—â—ity Page 179 Variety To submit in variety of conditions Page 25 Variety of Gods providence Page 95 Unsatisfied A Christian content yet unsatisfied Page 27 Unsearchable Gods waies unsearchable Page 55 Unsetled Unsetledness of spirit Page 7 Uprightnesse Uprightness accounted perfection Page 204 Use We can make use of nothing if God withdraw his grace Page 70 Men of little use not to murmur Page 161 Universal Gods providence universal Page 94 Unthankfulnesse Unthankfulnesse whence it is Page 135 W Walk To walk with God what 16â— Want How to possess that we want Page 111 Not to want and to be content all one Page 207 Wast The affections not to run wast Page 51 Way To interpret well God's wayes Page 203 See Rejoyce Wicked Wicked men may have that that Christians murmur for Page 187 See Murmuring Will To melt our will into Gods will Page 37 Within Contentment by purging out that that is within Page 39 Without see Within Works Difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works Page 181 See One World A Christians relation in the world Page 76 Wee were once content with the world without grace Page 193 Not to grasp the world Page 195 Not to be much taken with the comforts of the world Page 206 Worship How we give God due Worship Page 101 Worship what it signifies ibid Soul-worship required Page 102 Worship active and passive ibid Wrath Wrath of God how provoked Page 141 Wrong Better to suffer than to offer wrong Page 171 AN EXACT ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF ALL THE PRINCIPAL TRUTHS IN THE LAST SERMON ON EXODUS 14.13 A Page Amazement STanding still out of amazement Page 304 B Baal-zephon Baal-zephon what Page 300 Beauty Beauty of grace wherein seen Page 325 C Cares Prayer easeth of cares Page 327 Cause God engaged in our cause how Page 325 Coward Part of a Coward Page 301 D Disarm Distracting fear disarms a Christian Page 326 F Faith Standing still out of faith Page 307 Exercise of faith in straights Page 315 See Beauty Fearful Arguments to establish the fearfull Page 328 Flesh Trouble in straights from the flesh Page 319 Flying Flying from danger when lawfull Page 309 Frowardnesse see Humble G Glorious Sight of salvation when glorious Page 328 Gospel A composed spirit becomes the Gospel Page 325 Graces Vnquiet hinders the use of graces Page 322 Guilt Trouble in straights from guilt Page 319 H Hear Vnquietnesse makes us that we cannot hear what is said to us Page 323 Humble Gods people in straights to humble them Page 313 Frowardness from want of humiliation Page 314 I Ignorance Standing still out of ignorance 304 M Malice Malice of the enemy how vented Page 317 N Name Name of God how Sanctified Page 324 Neutrality Standing still out of neutrality Page 305 O Obedience Standing still out of obedience Page 307 Others Others hindred by unquiet spirits Page 324 P Prayer God delights in prayer Page 316 Q Quiet How Christians come to be quiet Page 302 Faith quiets the heart Page 307 In straights to quiet our spirits Page 321 Arguments to quiet the spirit Page 326 R Rebellion The present courses of Gods people not Rebellion Page 304 Reverence Reverence to God when shewed Page 323 S Salvation We should look for the salvation of the Lord 310.324 Selves Trouble in straights from confidence in our selves Page 319 Sink Our hearts should not sink in straights Page 318 Sluggishnesse Standing still out of sluggishness Page 306 Stand still Stand still in an evil sence Page 304 Stand still in a good sence Page 307 Station To keep our station till God call us out Page 308 Straights God brings his people to straights Page 311 Christs works more glorious after straights Page 317 What will become of the wicked in their straights Page 320 Suffering The greatest suffering for one godly man to suffer from another Page 314 Subjection What hinders shewing subjection to God Page 323 Sullennesse Standing still out of sullennesse Page 306 Silence Silence waiting the same Page 307 T Trouble In straights Gods people troubled Page 318 To be ashamed of distempers in trouble Page 320 W Waiting see Silence Wicked Wicked men how discovered Page 316 Wisdom Wisdom of God where seen by us Page 322 FINIS 1 Tim. 6.6 1 Cor. 2. Prov. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stepney Aug. 3. 1645. Aug. 31 1645. Sept. 21. 1645. Oct. 12. 1645. Col. 3.1