:255p. 110–111¶3

3 This Contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this, that it doth keep in his comforts, and keep out whatsoever may damp his comforts, or put out the light of them: I may compare this Grace of Contentment to a Mariners Lantern, a Mariner when he is at Sea let him have never so much provision in his ship, yet if he be thousands of leagues from land, or in a rode that he shall not ⟨p. 111⟩meet with a ship in three or four months, if he hath never a Lantern in his ship, nor nothing whereby he can keep a Candle light in a storm, he will be in a sad condition, he would give a great deal to have a Lantern, or some thing that may serve in stead of it. When a storm comes in the night, and he cannot have any light come above-board, but is puffed out presently, his condition is very sad: so many men can have the light of comfort when there is no storm, but let there come but any affliction, any storm upon them their light is puffed out presently, and what shall they do now? When the heart is furnished with this Grace of Contentment; this Grace is (as it were) the Lantern, and it keeps comfort in the spirit of a man, light in the midst of a storm and tempest. When you have a Lantern in the midst of a storm you can carry a light every where up and down the ship to the top of the Mast if you will, and yet keep it light; so the comfort of a Christian when it is enlivened with the grace of Contentment, it may be kept light whatever storms or tempests come, yet he can keep light in his soul. Oh! this helps thy comforts exceeding much.

3 This Contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this, that it doth keep in his comforts, and keep out whatsoever may damp his comforts, or put out the light of them: I may compare this Grace of Contentment to a Marriners Lanthorn, a Marriner when he is at Sea let him have never so much provision in his ship, yet if he be thousands of leagues from land, or in a rode that he shall not ⟨p. 111⟩meet with a ship in three or four moneths, if he hath never a Lanthorn in his ship, nor nothing whereby he can keep a Candle light in a storm, he will be in a sad condition, he would give a great deal to have a Lanthorn, or some thing that may serve in stead of it. When a storm comes in the night, and he cannot have any light come above-board, but is puft out presently, his condition is very sad: so many men can have the light of comfort when there is no storm, but let there come but any affliction, any storm upon them their light is puft out presently, and what shall they do now? When the heart is furnished with this Grace of Contentment; this Grace is (as it were) the Lanthorn, and it keeps comfort in the spirit of a man, light in the midst of a storm and tempest. When you have a Lanthorn in the midst of a storm you can carry a light every where up and down the ship to the top of the Mast if you will, and yet keep it light; so the comfort of a Christian when it is enlivened with the grace of Contentment, it may be keept light whatever storms or tempests come, yet he can keep light in his soul. Oh! this helps thy comforts exceeding much.

:256p. 111–112

Seventhly. There is this Excellency in Contentment, that it fetches in the comfort of those things we have not really in possession; and perhaps many that have not outward things, have more comfort than those have that do enjoy them themselves: As now, a man by distilling herbs, though he hath not the herbs themselves, yet having the water that is distilled out of them, he may enjoy the benefit of the herbs: so though a man hath not the real possession of such an outward estate, an outward comfort, yet he by the grace of Contentment may fetch it in to himself. By the art of Navigation we can fetch in the riches of the East and West-Indies to our selves; so by the art of Contentment we may fetch in the comfort of any condition to our selves, that is, we may have that comfort by Contentment, that we should have if we had the thing it self. There is an notable story you have for this in Plutarch, in the life of Pyrrhus; one Sineus comes to him, and would very fain have had him desist from the wars, and not war with the Romans; saith he to him, May it please your Majesty, it is reported that the Romans are very good men of war, and if it please the gods we do over-come them, ⟨p. 112⟩what benefit shall we have of that Victory? Pyrrhus answered him, We shall then straight conquer all the rest of Italy with ease. Saith Sineus, Indeed it is likely which your Grace speaketh: But when we have won Italy, will then our wars end? If the Gods were pleased said Pyrrhus, that the victory were achieved, the way were then broad open for us to attain great conquests, for who would not afterwards go into Afric, and so to Carthage? But (saith Sineus) when we have all in our hands, what shall we do in the end? then Pyrrhus laughing, told him again, we will then be quiet, and take our ease, and make feasts every day, and be as merry one with another as we can possible: saith Sineus, What letteth us now to be as quiet, and merry together, sith we enjoy that presently without further travel and trouble which we should go seek for abroad, with such shedding of blood, and so manifest danger: Cannot you sit down and be merry now? So a man may think, if I had such a thing, then I would have another, and if I had that, then I should have more: and what if you had got all your desire? then you would be content, why? you may be content now without them.

Seventhly. There is this Excellency in Contentment, that it fetches in the comfort of those things we have not really in possession; and perhaps many that have not outward things, have more comfort than those have that do enjoy them themselves: As now, a man by distilling herbs, though he hath not the herbs themselves, yet having the water that is distil'd out of them, he may enjoy the benefit of the herbs: so though a man hath not the reall possession of such an outward estate, an outward comfort, yet he by the grace of Contentment may fetch it in to himself. By the art of Navigation we can fetch in the riches of the East and West-Indies to our selves; so by the art of Contentment we may fetch in the comfort of any condition to our selves, that is, we may have that comfort by Contentment, that we should have if we had the thing it self. There is an notable story you have for this in Plutarch, in the life of Pyrus; one Sineus comes to him, and would very fain have had him desist from the wars, and not war with the Romans; saith he to him, May it please your Majestie, it is reported that the Romans are very good men of warre, and if it please the gods we do over-come them,

:257p. 112

Certainly our Contentment doth not consist in the getting of the thing we desire, but in Gods fashioning our spirits to our conditions: There's some men that have not a foot of ground of their own, yet will live better than other men that are heirs to a great deal of land. I have known it in the country sometimes, that a man lives upon his own land, and yet lives very poorly, but you shall have another man that shall farm his land, and yet by his good husbandry, and by his care shall live better sometimes than he that hath the land of his own: so a man by this art of Contentment may live better without an estate than another man can of an estate: Oh! it adds exceeding much to the comfort of a Christian: and that I may show it farther, there is more comfort even in grace of Contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever; a man hath more comfort in being content without a thing, than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way doth desire.

Certainly our Contentment doth not consist in the getting of the thing we desire, but in Gods fashioning our spirits to our conditions: There's some men that have not a foot of ground of their own, yet will live better than other men that are heirs to a great deal of land. I have known it in the country somtimes, that a man lives upon his own land, and yet lives very poorly, but you shall have another man that shall farm his land, and yet by his good husbandry, and by his care shall live better somtimes than he that hath the land of his own: so a man by this art of Contentment may live better without an estate than another man can of an estate: Oh! it adds exceeding much to the comfort of a Christian: and that I may shew it farther, there is more comfort even in grace of Contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever; a man hath more comfort in being content without a thing, than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way doth desire.

:258p. 112–113

You think, if I had such a thing, then I should be content. I say, There is more good in Contentment, than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent, and ⟨p. 113⟩that I shall open in divers particulars, As thus,

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1. I would fain have such a thing, and then I could be content; but if I had it then it were but the creature that did help to my Contentment; but now it's the Grace of God in my soul that makes me content: and surely it is better to be Content with the Grace of God in my soul, than with the enjoying of an outward comfort.

:260p. 113¶2

2. If I had such a thing, indeed my estate might be better, but my soul would not be better, but by Contentment my soul is better, that would not be bettered by an estate, or lands, or friends; but Contentment makes my self to be better: and therefore Contentment is a better portion than the thing is that I would fain have to be my portion.

:261p. 113¶3

3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but self-love; but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied, there I am contented through self-love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God; and is it not better to be contented from a principle of love to God, than from a principle of self-love.

3. If I get Content by having my desire satisfied, that's but self-love; but when I am Contented with the hand of God, and am willing to be at his dispose, that comes from my love to God in having my desire satisfied, there I am contented through self-love, but through the Grace of Contentment I come to be contented out of love to God; and is it not beteer to be contented from a principle of love to God, than from a principle of self-love.

:262p. 113–114¶4

4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to, perhaps I am contented in that one particular, but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing; perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice, and froward in other things: if you give children what they would have in some things, they grow so much the more coy and dainty, and discontented if they have not other things that they would have; but if I have once overcome my heart, and am contented through the grace of God in my heart, then this doth not content me only in a particular, but in general, whatsoever befalls me. I am discontented, and would fain have such a thing, and afterwards I have it: now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things? no, but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment, I am prepared to be contented in all conditions: and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life, fills a mans life full of comfort in this world: yea, the truth is, it is even a Heaven upon Earth, why? what is ⟨p. 114⟩Heaven, but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit; what's the special thing that is in Heaven, but rest, and joy, that makes the life of Heaven, there's rest and joy, and satisfaction in God: so it's here in a contented spirit, there's rest, and joy, and satisfaction in God: In Heaven, there's singing praises to God; a contented heart is always praising and blessing God; thou hast Heaven while thou art upon earth when thou hast a contented spirit, yea, in some regards it's better than Heaven. How is that you will say? there's some kind of honour that God hath in it, and some excellency that he hath not in Heaven, and that's this,

4. If I am contented because I have that that I have a desire to, perhaps I am contented in that one particular, but that one particular doth not furnish me with Contentment in another thing; perhaps I may grow more dainty and nice, and froward in other things: if you give children what they would have in some things, they grow so much the more coy and dainty, and discontented if they have not other things that they would have; but if I have once overcome my heart, and am contented through the grace of God in my heart, then this doth not content me only in a particular, but in general, whatsoever befals me. I am discontented, and would fain have such a thing, and afterwards I have it: now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things? no, but when I have gotten this Grace of Contentment, I am prepar'd to be contented in all conditions: and thus you see that Contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life, fils a mans life full of comfort in this world: yea, the truth is, it is even a Heaven upon Earth, why? what is

:263p. 114–115

In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations, they are not put to any trials by afflictions: there in Heaven they have exercise of grace, but they have nothing but encouragement to it, and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect, and in that they do excel us; but there is nothing to cross their grace, they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary; but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions, temptations and troubles, and yet to have grace exercised, and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ, and in the Word and Promises in the midst of all they suffer, this may seem to be an honour that God hath from us, that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven. Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God, hath nothing to try them, no temptations, is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God, as for the poor soul that is in the midst of trials and temptations, and afflictions, and troubles? for this soul to go on praising and blessing, and serving God; I (say) it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven, and God shall not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven, and therefore be contented, and prize this Contentment, and be willing to live in this world as long as God shall please, and do not think, Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world! if thou wert, then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self: but here's a way of honouring God, and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this Conflict of temptation that God shall not have from thee in Heaven, and therefore be satisfied and ⟨p. 115⟩quiet, be contented with thy Contentment: I want such and such things that others have, but blessed be God I have a contented heart that others have not, then I say be content with thy Contentment, for that's a rich portion that the Lord hath granted unto them, if the Lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world, it would not be such a rich portion as this, that he hath given thee a contented spirit:

In Heaven there is no overcoming of temptations, they are not put to any trials by afflictions: there in Heaven they have exercise of grace, but they have nothing but encouragement to it, and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect, and in that they do excel us; but there is nothing to cross their grace, they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary; but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions, temptations and troubles, and yet to have grace exercised, and yet to be satisfied in God and Christ, and in the Word and Promises in the mid'st of all they suffer, this may seem to be an honour that God hath from us, that he hath not from the Angels and Saints in Heaven. Is it so much for one that is in Heaven that hath nothing else but good from God, hath nothing to try them, no temptations, is that so much for them to be praising and blessing God, as for the poor soul that is in the mid'st of trials and temptations, and afflictions, and troubles? for this soul to go on praysing and blessing, and serving God; I (say) it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in Heaven, and God shal not have this kind of glory from thee in Heaven, and therefore be contented, and prize this Contentment, and be willing to live in this world as long as God shal please, and do not think, Oh that I were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world! if thou wert, then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self: but here's a way of honouring God, and manifesting the excellency of Grace here when thou art in this Conflict of temptation that God shal not have from thee in Heaven, and therefore be satisfied and

:264p. 115

Oh go away and praise the Name of God, and say, Lord, it's true these and these comforts that others have I should be glad if I had them, but thou hast cut me short, but though I want these, yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better, thou hast given me a quiet contented heart, to be willing to be at thy dispose.

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SERMON VII.

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PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

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WE proceed now. There are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to Application of the point.

WE proceed now. There are some two or three things more of the excellency of Contentment and then we are to proceed to Applycation of the point.

:268p. 115–116

The Eight excellency is, Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul. There is Gods blessing upon those that are content, the blessing of God is upon them, and their estates, and upon all that they have. We read in Deut. of the blessing of Judah the principal Tribe; this is the blessing of Judah, And he said hear Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people, let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his enemies. Let his hand ⟨p. 116⟩be sufficient for him, that is, bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own, that's the blessing of Judah. So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine own, (as every contented man hath) there is the blessing of God upon thee, the blessing of the principle Tribe of Judah is upon thee. It is the Lord that gives us all things to enjoy, we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou dost enjoy it: Many men have estates and do not enjoy them, it's the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy, it is God that through his blessing, hath fashioned thy heart and made it suitable to thy condition.

The Eight excellency is, Contentment is a great blessing of God upon the Soul. There is Gods blessing upon those that are content, the blessing of God is upon them, and their estates, and upon all that they have. We reade in Deut. of the blessing of Judah the principal Tribe; this is the blessing of Judah, And he said hear Lord the voice of Judah and bring him unto his people, let his hands be sufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his enemies. Let his hand ⟨p. 116⟩be sufficient for him, that is, bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own, that's the blessing of Judah. So when God gives thee a sufficiency of thine own, (as every contented man hath) there is the blessing of God upon thee, the blessing of the principle Tribe of Judah is upon thee. It is the Lord that gives us all things to injoy, we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except God comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou do'st injoy it: Many men have estates and do not enjoy them, it's the blessing of God that gives us all things to enjoy, it is God that through his blessing, hath fashioned thy heart and made it sutable to thy condition.

:269p. 116–117

The Ninth excellency, Those that are content they may expect reward from God, that God shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without, and this brings in abundance of good to a contented spirit: There is such and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be very comfortable unto thee if thou hadst it, but canst thou bring thy heart to submit to God in it? thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other; if thou hast not the thing it self in re; thou shalt have it made up one way or other, thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in lieu of it, there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without, but the Lord will give either the comfort or somewhat in stead of it: Thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou art content to be without. You know what the Scripture saith of active obedience, and the Lord doth accept (of his servants) their will for the deed, though we do not do a good thing, yet if our hearts be upright, to will to do it, we shall have the blessing though we do not do the thing: You that complain of weakness, you cannot do as others do, you cannot do as much service as others do, if your hearts be as upright with God, and would fain do the same service that you see others do, you would account it a great blessing of God upon you, the greatest blessing in the world if you were able to do as others do; now you may comfort your selves with this, having to deal with God in the way of the Covenant of Grace you shall have from God the reward of all you will do, as a wicked man ⟨p. 117⟩shall have punishment for all the sin he would commit, so thou shalt have the reward for all the good thou wouldest do. Now may not we draw an argument from active obedience to passive; there is as good reason why thou shouldest expect that God will reward thee for all that thou art willing to suffer, as well as for all that thou art willing to do, now if thou beest willing to be without such a comfort and mercy when God sees it fit, thou shalt be no looser, certainly God will reward thee either with the comfort or with that that shall be as good to thee as the comfort, therefore consider how many things have I that others want, and can I bring my heart into a quiet contented frame to want what others have?

The Ninth excellency, Those that are content they may expect reward from God, that God shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without, and this brings in abundance of good to a contented spirit: There is such and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be very comfortable unto thee if thou had'st it, but canst thou bring thy heart to submit to God in it? thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other; if thou hast not the thing it self in re; thou shalt have it made up one way or other, thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in lieu of it, there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without, but the Lord will give either the comfort or somewhat in stead of it: Thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou art content to be without. You know what the Scripture saith of active obedience, and the Lord doth accept (of his servants) their will for the deed, though we do not do a good thing, yet if our hearts be upright, to will to do it, we shall have the blessing though we do not do the thing: You that complain of weaknesse, you cannot do as others do, you cannot do as much service as others do, if your hearts be as upright with God, and would fain do the same service that you see others do, you would account it a great blessing of God upon you, the greatest blessing in the world if you were able to do as others do; now you may comfort your selves with this, having to deal with God in the way of the Covenant of Grace you shall have from God the reward of all you will do, as a wicked man

:270p. 117

I have the blessing of all that they have, and I shall either possess such things as others have, or else God will make it up one way or other, either here, or hereafter in eternity to me; Oh what riches are here! with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches.

I have the blessing of all that they have, and I shall either possesse such things as others have, or else God will make it up one way or other, either here, or hereafter in eternity to me; Oh what riches are here! with Contentment thou hast all kind of riches.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

SERMON VII.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

SERMON VII.