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And it is worthy of our obfervation, that Jefus Chrift being to fulfil all righteoufnefs, was born holy, and fo fulfilled this command for us. In him the law has its due, he being a man, who from his birth had a holy pure nature, a holy frame of spirit, without the least irregularity or diforder.

To conclude, ye may fee the command is pure, juft, and holy, however impure we be; and requires of us the utmost purity of heart, life, and

nature.

I now proceed to consider the fins forbidden.

Qft. "What is forbidden in the tenth com"mandment?" Anf." The tenth commandment "forbiddeth all difcontentment with our own e"ftate, envying or grieving at the good of our "neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affec"tions to any thing that is his."

This command is a curb and bridle to the diftempered heart of man, which of all parts of the man is the hardest to be commanded and kept within bounds. Men may be of a courteous obliging behaviour, keep in their hands from killing, or what tendeth thereunto, their bodies from uncleanness, their hands from ftealing, and their tongues from lying; while, in the mean time, the heart in all thefe refpects may be going within the breaft like a troubled fea, unto which this command by divine authority faith, Peace, and be still.

The heart diftempered by original fin runs out in the irafcible faculty in tormenting paffions, bearing an averfion of the heart to what the Lord in his wifdom lays before men. This great ftream of the corruption of our nature divides itself into two branches; one running againft our own condition, namely, a torrent of difcontent; the other againft our neighbour, namely, envying and grudging at his good. In the concupifcible faculty, in lufting affections and inordinate motions towards, fomething which God has put out of our way, at leaft

with-held from our clofeft embraces. This alfo divides itself into two branches; one running towards what is our own, namely, a finful eagerness, luft, or inordinate motion of the heart to what we poffefs; the other running towards what is our neighbour's, an inordinate affection to what is his. Thus the corrupt heart runs in a direct oppofition to the will of God, refufing what he would have us to accept, and embracing closely what he would have us ftand at a distance from. The corrupt fountain with its feveral streams is all here forbidden. We fhall speak to them all as laid before us, tracing the ftreams to the fountain-head.

FIRST, The streams in which the diftemper of the heart runs are here forbidden exprefsly, because these are most exposed to our view. Let us view,

FIRST, The tormenting paffions, in which the corruption of nature vents itfelf; for fin is in its own nature mifery. We need but go in the paths of fin to make us miferable, and in the high road of duty to make us happy. We fhall confider the tormenting paffion,

First, Of difcontent with our own eftate or condition. This is plainly here forbidden; for discontentment is prefuppofed to coveting, and there could be no coveting of wha: we want without dif contentment with what we have. The lufting gapings of the heart fay, there is an uneafinefs within. It is only the plague of difcontentment that makes the heart cry, Give, give.

I. I will fhew the evil of difcontentment, and paint out this fin in its black colours. It is the hue of hell all over.

1. Difcontent is, in the nature of it, a compound of the blackeft ingredients, the fcum of the corrupt heart boiling up, and mixed to make up this hellish compofition.

1, Unfubjection to and rebellion against the will of God, Hol. iv. 16. Ifrael flideth back as a back

fiding heifer; backfliding, or refractory, that will not admit the yoke farther than it is forced on. The discontented heart cannot fubmit, but fets its foot a fpar against the divine difpenfation. Though God guides and governs the world, they are the maelcontents, that are not pleased with the government, but. mutiny against it. What pleafes God, pleases not them; what is right in God's eyes, is evil in theirs. And nothing will please them, but to have the reins of government out of God's hands into their own; though, if their paffion did not blind their judgement, they might fee how they would quickly fire the little world of their own and others condition, if they had the reins in their own hand.

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2dly, Sorrow of heart under the divine difpenfation towards them. It is not according to their mind, and fo their heart finks in forrow, 1 Kings God croffes their will, and they pierce their own hearts with many forrows; as if a man, because he cannot ftop the courfe of the fun in the firmament, would wrap up himfelf in darkness.

xxi. 4.

And this is a killing forrow, a fword thrust into a man's heart by his own hands, 2 Cor. vii. 10. It melts a man's heart within him, like a vulture preys upon his natural spirits, tending to fhorten his days. It makes him dumpish and heavy like Ahab, and is a heavy load above the burden of affliction. That is the black fmoke of difcontentment, which yet often breaks out into a fiery flame, as in the fame cafe of Ahab, where Naboth fell a facrifice to it.

3dly, Anger and wrath against their lot, Jude 16. Complainers. The word fignifies fuch as are angry at their lot, and in the diftributions providence makes of the world, ftill complain that the leaft or wort part of it falls to their fhare. Thus the difcontented do in their hearts bark at the mountains of brafs, Zech. vi. 1. as dogs do at the moon, and with the fame fuccefs. They are angry with God's difpenfation, and their hearts rife against it, and fnarl at it. VOL. III. B b

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And this is a fretting anger, whereby men dif quiet and vex themselves in vain, like men dashing their heads against the wall; the wall ftands unmoved, but their heads are wounded. Like a wild bull in a net, the more he ftirs, the fafter is he held; fo that ftill they return with the lofs. Thus difcontent is in the heart like a ferpent gnawing the bowels, and makes a man as a moth to himself, confuming him, or a lion tearing himself, Job xviii. 4.

Laftly, There is a fpice of heart-blafphemy in it; for it ftrikes very directly against God the Governor of the world, and accufes his adminiftration; and for an evidence of this, it fometimes breaks out in words, Mal. iii. 13. 14. 15. Your words have been fout against me, faith the Lord: yet ye fay, What have we spoken fo much against thee? Ye have faid, It is vain to ferve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hofts? And now we call the proud happy: yea, they that work wickedness are fet up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Difcontent accufes him,

(1.) Of folly, as if he were not wife enough to govern the world. The peevifh difcontented perfon, in his falfe light, fees many flaws in the conduct of providence, and pretends to tell God how he may correct his work, and how it would be better. If the work of providence be wifely done, why are we difcontent with it; or would we be difcontent with it, if we did not think we faw how it fhould be o therwife? and how it might be mended?

(2.) Of injuftice, as if he did us wrong. The Judge of all the earth cannot but do right. He cannot be bribed nor biaffed; yet the difcontented heart rifes against him, and blafphemes him as an accepter of perfons. It looks on his diftributive justice (if we may fo call it, for indeed all is his own, not ours) with an evil eye, and accufes him of partiality in not giving them as good as others,

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complaining of their fhare. On his corrective juftice, as if they did not deferve what he lays on them. For if we do deferve the evil in our lot, there is no wrong done us; and why do we then complain? And to fill up the meafure, it accufeth him,

(3.) Of cruelty. Job in a fit of difcontent fpeaks it out, chap. xxx. 21. Thou art become cruel to me. Thus goodness itself is blafphemed by the difcontented, who behave as if they were under the hands of a merciless tyrant, who would fport himself with one's mifery. Difcontent fills the heart with black and hard thoughts of God, and reprefents him as a rigid mafter and cruel lord; otherwife people would lay their hand on their mouth, and be content.

Some will fay, that their difcontent is with themfelves, not with God, having brought their cross on with their own hands. Anf. If it be the effect of your fin, ye may mourn for your fin, but ye fhould the rather be content with your lot. And as for mifmanagements, there is a providence that reaches them, and fo God is our party ftill: but nothing is more ordinary than that, Prov. xix. 3. The foolishnefs of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Others fay, that it is with the inftruments of their trouble they are difcontented. Anf. But confider that they are but inftruments in God's hand, in the hand of his providence, and therefore ye fhould not be difcontent. Say as David did to the fons of Zeruiah, What have I to do with you? fo let him curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him, Curfe David. Who fall then fay, Wherefore haft thou done fo 2 Sam. xvi. 10. No creature can be more to us than Cod makes it to be: if then God fhall iquecze any creature dry of comfort to us, and we thereupon prove difcontented, whatever we pretend, our hearts fret against the Lord, Exod. xvi. 2、 compare ver. 7.

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