The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

2 Doct. In these straights, Gods people are mightily troubled. It was so here, in every straight they repined, and were in a distraction, and especially at this time; stand still (saith Moses,) what mean you to do? They were all in a confusion; and as it was there, so it is many times in many of Gods Saints. As the blessed man Heman, that made that 88. Psalm, you shall find in that Psalm, he was distracted; and yet though Heman was one of the wisest men upon the earth, for so you shall find it in the 1. of Kings, (where the holy Ghost speaks of wise men) in 4.31. Solomon did exceed the wisdom of all in Egypt, for (saith the text) he was wiser than all men, than Heman, and yet Heman was in woeful perplexity, when he was brought into straights. And in the 8. of Isaiah, It was the same case there, that seems to be ours now; Oh there was a Confederacy, a Confederacy, and many people did join together against Gods servants, and upon that (the text saith) in the 11. verse, The Lord spake to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people saying, say ye not, A Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say, A Confederacy, neither fear ye their fear. Mark, God was fain to speak to the Prophet with a strong hand, that he should not be so troubled, as other people were in the time of their fears. Yea we shall find, that many of Gods Saints, that he hath delivered in a most glorious way, yet at some other times they have been too secure, their hearts have bin all in a confusion, and were not able to stand before the difficulties that they met withal: And for that you have a famous example, 1 Kings, 19. of Elijah; if ⟨p. 319⟩you read the 18. Chap. you may see what a Spirit Elijah had, he would appear before Ahab, As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show my self to him, to day, (to Ahab:) and he did show himself to Ahab, and tells him, it was he and his people, that troubled Israel, when Ahab said to him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel, No (saith he) It is thou, and thy fathers house that troubleth Israel: And then he comes and gets the Priests of Baal together, and gets fire from heaven, to consume the Sacrifice, and destroys all the Priests of Baal: and gets rain from heaven to rain upon the earth: What an excellent Spirit had Elijah in the 18 Chapter? Yet in the 19.

2 Doct. In these straights, Gods people are mightily troubled. It was so here, in every straight they repin'd, and were in a distraction, and especially at this time; stand still (saith Moses,) what mean you to do? They were all in a confusion; and as it was there, so it is many times in many of Gods Saints. As the blessed man Heman, that made that 88. Psalm, you shall find in that Psalm, he was distracted; and yet though Heman was one of the wisest men upon the earth, for so you shall find it in the 1. of Kings, (where the holy Ghost speaks of wise men) in 4.31. Solomon did exceed the wisedom of all in Egypt, for (saith the text) he was wiser than all men, than Heman, and yet Heman was in woful perplexity, when he was brought into straights. And in the 8. of Isaiah, It was the same case there, that seems to be ours now; Oh there was a Confederacy, a Confederacy, and many people did joyn together against Gods servants, and upon that (the text saith) in the 11. verse, The Lord spake to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people saying, say ye not, A Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say, A Confederacy, neither fear ye their fear. Mark, God was fain to speak to the Prophet with a strong hand, that he should not be so troubled, as other people were in the time of their fears. Yea we shall find, that many of Gods Saints, that he hath delivered in a most glorious way, yet at some other times they have been too secure, their hearts have bin all in a confusion, and were not able to stand before the difficulties that they met withal: And for that you have a famous example,