black die; how much more muft that be fo which is the caufe of it?

Lastly, It is a fruitful womb of other fins, it brings forth a great brood of other lufts. When once it entered into Adam's heart, it made him at one ftroke break through all the ten commandments. It were an endlefs labour to recount the viperous brood that comes forth of this cockatrice-egg, that fry of enormous lufts that are bred by it. But for a fwatch of this, I will inftance in three of the groffeft fins that men can readily fall into, which are the naural product of difcontentment.

(1.) Murder, the groffeft fin of the second table, a fin which a peculiar vengeance pursues, and which a natural confcience so startles at, that it is a continual lifh to the murderer. This is the product of difcontent; for when once the heart fmoking with discontent, breaks out into a flame, it breathes out blood and flaughter. So Ahab's discontent was the caufe of the murder of Naboth, with all the mocking of God, the perjury and robbery that attended it, 1 Kings xxi. Nay, not content with the murder of a fingle perfon, it gaped in Haman to devour a righteous nation for one man's caufe, Efth. iii. 6. Nay, the worft fort of murder proceeds from it; the murder of nearest relations, as in the case of Cain's murdering Abel, Gen. iv. 5. 8. And which is worst of all, felf-murder is what always proceeds from it, as in the cafe of Abithophel, 2 Sam. xvii. 23. People grow difcontented with their lot, their ploud hearts are not able to bear it; fo they turn defperate, feeing they cannot help it, and make away themselves.

(2.) Dealing with the devil. The difcontented being angry with God, they are in a fair way to be a prey to Satan. Thus Saul in a fit of discontent went to the witch at Endor, 1 Sam. xxviii. The difcontented heart is a drumly heart, and it is in fuch waters that Satan loves to fih. VOL. III.

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Shot wherewith he catches them; he proffers to do that for them, or give that to them, which God will not. And they being intent upon it, fo that they cannot be eafy without it, are easily enfnared. Whereof the world has afforded many miferable infiances.

(3) Blafphemy against God, the groffeft fin of the fir table, for of that kind is the unpardonable fin. Difcontent is in its own nature a practical blatphemy, and therefore when it comes to a height, it breaks out in open blafphemy, as in that abominable mouth, 2 Kings vi. ult. This evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer? For being angry with God, people begin to quarrel with kim, and murmur againft him; and if they do not hold in time, they are in a fair way to blafpheme Therefore it is marked concerning Job, how he fitting down contented under all his loffes, the devil miffed the mark he aimed at in them, Job i. ult. compare ver. 11. It is marked concerning Aaron, that he held his peace, Lev. x. 3. for it is hard to speak and fpeak right under great preffures. Thefe effects may convince us of the exceeding evil of this root of bitterness.

Laftly, View it in the qualities that agree to it, which are hot in many other fins. I will name the following.

1, It is the noted rebel in the kingdom of pro vidence. God who has created the world, vindicates the government of it to himfelf alone. But the difcontented go about to wrest the reins of government out of his hand. It wages war with the Governor of the world, and ftrives with him, as if the clay fhould ftrive with the potter, and fay, Why haft thou made me thus?

2. It is a peculiar defpifer of the kingdom of grace. There is a particular malignity in it againft egrace of the gospel. For it throws contempt on Ged, heaven, and all the purchate of Chrift, which

is offered in the gospel to fill up the room of what the difcontented wants, Exod. vi. 7. 9. It is true, other lufts do fo too, as covetoufnefs, fenfuality, and profaneness. But here lies the difference; thefe lufts have a bait of profit or pleafure with them, and have fomething to put in the room of fpiritual things; difcontent has no bait with it, nor any thing to put in the room of them, If one fhould reject your converfe, who has another lefs worthy to converfe with, it is a flight; but if one that has none, if they take not you, do reject you, that is a greater contempt.by far. So the difcontented will rather pine away without any comfort, than take it from the gofpel. Again, in thefe lufts there is a folly and fimplicity; but in difcontent there is a kind of gravity and devilish seriousness. To be contemned by a fimple one or a roving fool, is not eafy; but it is worfe by far to be contemned in a way of gravity and deliberation. This is muft cutting. Laftly, It follows men to, and will continue with them in the kingdom of darkness for ever. There are fome lufts which men have no ufe for beyond the line of time; the covetous will defpife their gold, money, and wealth in hell, the unclean perfon his filthy companions, c. But when the dif contented die without repentance, their works will follow them to the pit. In hell they will be difcontented for ever without the leaft intermiffion; they will never give one fmile more, but an eternal cloud of darknefs will be on their countenance, and they will fret, murmur, and rage against God and themfelves, and blafpheme for evermore.

Let us fee the evil of this then; and guard against it,

Secondly, I will offer fome remedies against it, and advices in the cafe.

1. Practife the directions for contentment; particularly take God for your God in Chrift, and labour to believe he is fo.. Take him in the room of

whatever ye want, or lies on you, which difcontents you. Without this all elfe will be in vain. The greatest hole in your heart, the enjoyment of God is able to make up. And God often makes fuch in the hearts of men and women, that there may be room for himself, who otherwife is not miffed, Zeph. iii. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will fave, he will rejoice over thee with joy he will reft in his love, he will joy over thee with finging.

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2. Labour to be humble. Humility lets us fee our true worth that it is nothing, and fo fences the heart against discontent, Gen. xxxii. 10. It makes one wonder he has any thing at all left him, and fo lets him into the mystery of that text, Theff. v. 18. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Chrift Jefus concerning you. He that is convinced that he deferves death, will not be difcontent with banishment. And he that believes that he deferves to lofe the prefence of God for ever, will lay his hand on his mouth under temporal loffes.

3. Believe that there is nothing in the world in which either your happiness or misery is bound up. I know there are things of which we are wont to fpeak fo; but the world's happinets or mifery is buta fhadow of these things. That is happiness where a man wants no more that he can defire, and that is only in the enjoyment of God. And that is mifery where one has nothing defirable left him, and none fee that till they be in hell.

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4. Do not pore upon your croffes, for that does. but breed and feed difcontent, Pfal. xxxix. It is obfervable, that Jacob would not call his fon Benoni, left that should at every naming of the child ruffle his wound. But you may dwell upon your affiction as from the hand of God, to confider wherefore the Lord has contended, that fo you. may get the good of it. But turn your eyes on your mercies which you enjoy, and be thankful.

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5. Be much exercised in religious duties. Go often to your knees, and pour out your hearts before the Lord, and tell him all your wants. This gave Hannah a fweet eafe, 1 Sam. i. 18. Go often to your Bibles, and hear the good news there from the far country, that is above the clouds, where there is neither cloud nor rain, Pfal. lxxiii. 16. 17. & cxix. 92. There are fprings of confolation there, which a perfon never taftes of, till he be brought into the condition for which they were placed there.

6. Be always exercised in some honeft business, .. Idlenefs is dangerous many ways, particularly in the point of difcontent. It is a nurfe and fofterer of it. It is the ftanding pool that gathers mud; and in thofe that are idle Satan will be bufy, and will not miss the opportunity,

Curb it as foon as it begins to fet out its head, nip it in the bud, for it is a fire that gathers force by continuing and fpreading. The water which at the head might be eafily paffed, comes afterwards to be fo big as to be able to drown. Difcontent is a ftriving with God, and fo is like the letting out of waters, which, however fmall at the beginning, grows to a monftrous bignefs, if not timely remedied.

Lafly, Live by faith; that is the beft prefervative against discontent. Faith fays the foul in all events on the promises; gives a favourable view of all croffes and afflictions, as tending to the good of the party; lays hold uppn things unfeen the great portion; and fo leffens the care about things of the world; and, in a word, finds all it wants in God. Thus much of difcontent.

II. The branch that runs againft our neighbour's condition, is envying and grudging. The object of this fin is the good of our neighbour; and the better the object is, the worfe is the fin. It runs through the objects of all the other commands of the fecond table; for the heart is apt to envy our neighbour's honour, life, &c. It is near of kin to