Suavitate in sweetnesse A poisonfull weed may grow as much as the Hyssop or Rose-mary the Poppy in the field as the Corne the Crab as the Pearmaine but the one hath a harsh sowre taste the other mellows as it growes An hypocrite may grow in outward dimensions as much as a childe of God hee may pray as much professe as much but he growes onely in magnitude hee brings forth sowre grapes his duties are leavened with pride the other ripens as he growes he growes in love humility faith which do mellow and sweeten his duties and make them come off with a better relish The Beleever growes as the flower he casts a fragrancy and perfume 3. A true Christian growes Robore in strength he growes still more rooted and setled The more the tree growes the more it spreads its root in the earth A Christian who is a Plant of the heavenly Ierusulem the longer he growes the more he incorporates into Christ and sucks spirituall juice and sap from him he is a dwarfe in regard of humility but a gyant in regard of strength He is strong to do duties to beare burdens to resist tentations 4. He growes Vigore in the exercise of his grace He hath not only oile in his lamps but his lamps are burning and shining Grace is agile and dexterous Christs vines doe flourish hence wee read of a lively hope and a fervent love here is the activity of Grace Indeed sometimes grace is as a sleepy habit in the soule like sap in the vine not exerting its vigour which may be occasion'd through spiritual sloth or by reason of falling into some sin but this is only pro tempore for a while the spring of grace will come the flowers will appear and the fig tree put forth her green figs The fresh gales of the Spirit do sweetly revive and refocillate grace The Church of Christ whose heart was a garden and her graces as precious spices prayes for the heavenly breathings of the Spirit that her sacred spices might flow out 5. A true Christian growes Incremento both in the kinde and in-the degree of grace To his spirituall living he gets an augmentation hee addes to faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance c. here is grace growing in the kind and he goes on from faith to faith there is grace growing in the degree We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren because your faith groweth exceedingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it encreaseth over and above And the Apostle speaks of those spirituall plants which were laden with Gospel fruit Phil. 1. 11. A Christian is compar'd to the Vine an embleme of fruitfulnesse he must bear full clusters We are bid to perfect that which is lacking in our faith A Christian must never be so old as to bee past bearing he brings forth fruit in his old age An heaven-borne plant is ever growsing hee never thinks hee growes enough he is not content unlesse he adde every day one cubit to his spiritual stature We must not be contented just with so much grace as will keep life and soul together a dram or two must not suffice but we must be stil encreasing with the encrease of God We had need renew our strength as the Eagle our sinnes are renewed our wants are renewed our tentations are renewed and shal not our strength be renewed Oh bee not content with the first embryo of grace grace in its infancy and minority You look for degrees of glory bee you Christians of degrees Though a Beleever should be contented with a modicum in his estate yet not with a modicum in Religion A Christian of the right breed labours still to excell himselfe and come nearer unto that holinesse in God who is the originall the paterne and prototype of all holinesse CHAP. XIII USE 4. Shewing how a Christian may know whether he hath learned this divine Art Use. IV. THus having laid down these three Cautions I proceed in the next place to an use of Triall 4. How may a Christian know that he hath learned this lesson of Contentment I shall lay down some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or characters by which you shall know it 1. A contented spirit is a silent spirit He hath not one word to say against God I was dumb or silent because thou Lord didst it Ps. 39. Contentment silenceth all dispute He sitteth alone and keepeth silence There is a sinfull silence when God is dishonoured his truth wounded and men hold their peace this silence is a loud sinne and there is an holy silence when the soul sits down quiet and content with its condition When Samuel tells Eli that heavy message from God that he would judge his house and that the iniquity of his family should not bee purged away with sacrifice for ever doth Eli murmur or dispute No he hath not one word to say against God It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good A discontented spirit saith as Pharaoh Who is the Lord why should I suffer all this why should I bee brought into this low condition Who is the Lord But a gracious heart saith as Eli It is the Lord let him doe what he will with me When Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron had offered up strange fire and fire went from the Lord and devoured them is Aaron now in a passion of discontent No Aaron held his peace A contented spirit is never angry unless with himselfe for having hard thoughts of God When Ionah said I do well to be angry this was not a contented spirit it did not become a Prophet 2. A contented spirit is a chearfull spirit the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contentment is something more then Patience for Patience denotes onely submission Contentment denotes chearfulnesse A contented Christian is more then passive he doth not only bear the Cross but take up the Crosse He looks upon God as a wise God and whatever hee doth though it bee not ad voluntatem yet ad sanitatem it is in order to a cure Hence the contented Christian is chearfull and with the Apostle takes pleasure in infirmities distresses c. He doth not onely submit to Gods dealings but rejoyce in them he doth not onely say Iust is the Lord in all that is befallen me but Good is the Lord. This is to be contented A sullen melancholy is hatefull it is said God loves a chearfull giver I and God loves a chearfull liver We are bid in Scripture not to be careful but we are no where bid not to bee chearfull He that is contented with his condition doth not abate of his spirituall joy and indeed he hath that within him which is the ground of chearfulnesse hee carries a pardon sealed in his heart 3. A contented spirit is a thankfull spirit This
mercy when we are disquieted about sinne a man had better be at the trouble of setting a bone then to bee lame and in paine all his life blessed is that trouble that brings the soul to Christ. 'T is one of the worst sights to see a bad conscience quiet of the two better is a feaver then a lethargy I wonder to see a man in his natural estate content what content to go to hell 2. Though in regard of externals a man should be in every state content yet he must not be content in such a condition wherein God is apparently dishonoured If a mans trade bee such that he can hardly use it but he must trespasse upon a Command and so make a trade of sinne he must not content himself in such a condition God never called any man to such a calling as is sinfull a man in this case had better knock off and divert better lose some of his gaine so he may lessen some of his guilt So for servants that live in a prophane family the suburbs of hell where the Name of God is not called upon unlesse when it is taken in vain they are not to content themselves in such a place they are to come out of the Tents of these sinners there is a double danger in living among the prophane 1. Lest we come to be infected with the poison of their ill example Ioseph living in Pharaohs Court had learned to swear by the life of Pharaoh We are prone to suck in example men take in deeper impressions by the eye then by the ear Dives was a bad patterne and he had many brethren that seeing him sinne trod just in his steps therefore saith he I pray thee send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie to them that they come not into this place of torment Dives knew which way they went it is easie to catch a disease from another but not to catch health The bad will sooner corrupt the good then the good will convert the bad take an equal quantity and proportion so much sweet wine with so much sower vineger the vineger will sooner sower the wine then the wine will sweeten the vineger Sinne is compared to the plague and to leaven to shew of what a spreading nature it is A bad master makes a bad servant Iacobs cattell by looking on the rods which were speckled and ring-strak'd conceived like the rods We do as we see others before us especially above us If the head bee sick the other parts of the body are distempered If the Sunne shine not upon the mountaines it must needs set in the valleys We pray Lead us not into temptation and doe we lead our selves into temptation Lot was the worlds miracle who kept himselfe fresh in Sodoms falt water 2. By living in an evill family we are liable to incurre their punishment Pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy Name For want of pouring out Prayer the wrath of God was ready to be poured out 'T is dangerous living in the Tents of Kedar When God sends his flying roll written within and without with curses it enters into the house of the thief and perjurer and it consumes the timber and the stones thereof Is it not of sad consequence to live in a prophane perjur'd family when the sinne of the Governour pulls his house about his eares if the stone and timber be destroyed how shall the servant escape And suppose God send not a temporall roll of curses in the family there is a spirituall roll and that is worse Bee not content to live where Religion dies Salute the brethren and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house the house of the godly is a little Church the house of the wicked a little hell Oh incorporate your selves into a religious family the house of a good man is perfum'd with a blessing When the holy oyle of grace is poured on the head the savour of this ointment sweetly diffuseth it selfe and the virtue of it runs down upon the skirts of the family Pious examples are very magneticall and forcible Seneca said to his sister Though I leave you not wealth yet I will leave you a good example Let us ingraffe our selves among the Saints by being often among the spices we come to smell of them 3. The third Caution is though in every condition we must bee content yet we are not to content our selves with a little grace Grace is the best blessing Though we should be contented with a competency of estate yet not with a competency of grace It was the end of Christs Ascension to heaven to give gifts and the end of those gifts that wee may grow up into him who is the head Christ Where the Apostle distinguisheth between our being in Christ and our growing in him our ingraffing and our flourishing be not content with a modicum in Religion 'T is not enough that there be life but there must be fruit Barrennesse in the Law was accounted a curse The farther we are from fruit the nearer we are to cursing 'T is a sad thing when men are fruitfull onely in the unfruitfull works of darknesse Be not content with a dram or two of grace next to a still-borne a starveling in Christ is worst Oh covet more grace never think thou hast enough it is bona honesta avaritia we are bid to covet the best things it is an heavenly ambition when wee desire to bee high in Gods favour a blessed contention when all the strife is who shall be most holy Saint Paul though he was content with a little of the world yet not with a little grace he reached forward and pressed towards the marke of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus A true Christian is a wonder he is the most contented and yet the least satisfied he is contented with a morsell of bread and a little water in the Cruse yet never satisfied with grace he doth anhelare pant and breath after more this is his prayer Lord more conformity to Christ more communion with Christ he would faine have Christs image more lively pictured upon his soule True grace is alwayes progressive as the Saints are called Lampes and Starres in regard of their light so trees of righteousnesse for their growth they are indeed like the tree of life bringing forth severall sorts of fruit A true Christian growes 1. Formâ in beauty Grace is the best complexion of the soule it is at the first plantation like Rachel faire to looke upon but still the more it lives the more it sends forth its rayes of beauty Abrahams faith was at first beautifull but at last it did shine in its orient colours and grew so illustrious that God himself was in love with it and makes his faith a paterne to all Beleevers 2. A true Christian growes
countrey is contented with any diet or usage hee is glad of any thing though he hath not that respect or attendance as he looks for at home nor is capable of the priviledges and immunities of that place he is content he knowes when he comes into his own countrey he hath lands to inherit and there he shall have honour and respect So it is with a childe of God he is in a pilgrim-condition I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were Therefore let a Christian be content he is in the world but not of the world he is borne of God and is a Citizen of the new Ierusalem therefore though hee hunger and thirst and have no certain dwelling place yet he must be content it will be better when he comes into his own countrey 3. We are in a mendicant condition we are beggers we beg at heaven gate Give us this day our daily bread we live upon Gods almes therefore must be content with any thing a begger must not pick and choose he is contented with the refuse Oh why dost thou murmure that art a begger and art fed out of the almes-basket of Gods providence SECT 9. 9. Rule Let not your hopes depend extrinsicè upon these outward things Leane not upon sandy pillars wee oft build our comfort upon such a friend or estate and when that prop is removed all our joy is gone and our hearts begin either to faile or fret A lame man leanes on his crutches and if they break he is undone let not thy contentment goe upon crutches which may soon faile the ground of contentment must be within thy selfe The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used for contentment signifies selfe-sufficiency a Christian hath that from within that is able to support him that strength of faith and good hope through grace as bears up his heart in the deficiency of outward comforts The Philosophers of old when their estates were gone yet could take contentment in the goods of the minde their learning and vertue and shall not a beleever much more in the grace of the Spirit that rich enamel and embroidery of the soul Say with thy self If friends leave me if riches take wings yet I have that within comforts me viz. an heavenly treasure Omnia mea mecum porto when the blossoms of my estate are blown off still there is the sap of contentment in the root of my heart I have still an interest in God and that interest cannot be broken off Oh never place your felicity in these dull and beggerly things here below SECT 10. 10. Rule Let us often compare our condition Quest. How should I compare Answ. Make this five fold comparison 1. Let us compare our condition and our desert together if we have not what we desire we have more then wee deserve For our mercies we have deserved lesse for our afflictions we have deserved more First in regard of our mercies we have deserved lesse What can we deserve Can man be profitable to the Almighty we live upon free grace Alexander gave a great gift to one of his subjects the man being much taken with it This saith he is more then I am worthy of I do not give thee this saith the King because thou art worthy of it but I give a gift like Alexander Whatever we have is not merit but bounty the least bit of bread is more then God owes us wee can bring faggots to our own burning but not one flower to the garland of our salvation he that hath the least mercy will die in Gods debt Secondly in regard of our afflictions we have deserved more Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve Is our condition sad we have deserved it should be worse hath God taken away our estate from us he might have taken away Christ from us hath he thrown us into prison he might have thrown us into hell hee might as well damne us as whip us this should make us contented 2. Let us compare our conditions with others and this will make us content wee look at them who are above us let us look at them who are below us we see one in his silks another in his sackcloth one hath the waters of a full cup wrung out to him another is mingling his drink with teares how many pale faces doe we behold whom not sicknesse but want hath brought into a consumption think of this and be content 'T is worse with them who perhaps deserve better then wee and are higher in Gods favour Am I in prison was not Daniel in a worse place viz. the Lions den Do I live in a meane cottage look on them who are banished from their houses We read of the Primitive Saints that they wandered up down in Sheeps skins and Goats skins of whom the world was not worthy Hast thou a gentle fit of an Ague look on them who are tormented with the stone and gout c. others of Gods children have had greater afflictions and have borne them better then we Daniel fed upon pulse and dranke water yet was fairer then they who ate of the Kings portion some Christians who have been in a lower condition that have fed upon pulse and water have looked better viz. been more patient and contented then we who enjoy abundance Do others rejoyce in affliction and do we repine Can they take up their crosse and walk chearfully under it and do we under a lighter crosse murmure 3. Let us compare our condition with Christs upon Earth what a poor mean condition was he pleased to be in for us he was contented with any thing For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poore He could have brought down an house from heaven with him or challenged the high places of the earth but he was contented to be in the wine-presse that wee might be in the wine-celler and to live poor that we might die rich the manager was his cradle the cob webs his canopy he who is now preparing mansions for us in heaven had none for himselfe on earth he had no where to lay his head Christ came in Formâ pauperis who being in the forme of God took upon him the forme of a servant We read not of any summes of money he had when he wanted money he was faine to work a miracle for it Jesus Christ was in a low condition he was never high but when he was lifted up upon the Crosse and that was his humility he was content to live poor and die cursed Oh compare your condition with Christs 4. Let us compare our condition with what it was once and this will make us content First let us compare our spirituall estate with what it was once What were we when we lay in our blood we were heirs apparent to hell having