himself toward his spiteful adversaries; | daztov i agɛin, whether virtue be to be who, when he was reviled, did not revile learned; St. Paul plainly resolveth it in again; when he suffered, he did not threat- this case by his own experience and tesen; but committed it to him that judgeth timony. What Seneca saith in general righteously. In all these cases we should of virtue (Nature giveth not virtue; it at least observe the rules and advices of is an art to become good*) is most true the Wise Man: Say not, I will do so to of this virtue; it is an art, with which him as he hath done to me, I will render we are not born, no more than with any to the man according to his work; say other art or science; the which, as other thou not, I will recompense evil; but wait arts, cannot be acquired without studious on the Lord, and he shall save thee.* application of mind, and industrious exercise: no art indeed requireth more hard study and pain toward the acquiry of it, there being so many difficulties, so many obstacles in the way thereto: we have no great capacity, no towardly disposition to learn it; we must, in doing it, deny our carnal sense, we must settle our wild fancy, and suppress fond conceits; we must bend our stiff and stubborn inclinations; we must repress and restrain wanton desires; we must allay and still tumultuous passions; we must cross our humour and curb our temper: which to do is a hard chapter to learn; much consideration, much practice, much contention and diligence, are required thereto. Discontent usually consisteth not so much in displeasure for the things we suffer, as at the persons who bring them on us, or who do not help to rid us from them; it is their presumed injury or discourtesy which we do fret at: such passions, therefore, toward men, being discarded, our evils presently will become supportable, and content easily will ensue. As men in any sickness or pain, if their friends are about them, affording comfort or asistance, do not seem to feel any thing, and forbear complaining; so, if the world about us doth please us, if we bear no disaffection or grudge toward any person in view, our adversity will appear less grievous; it will indeed commonly be scarce sensible to us. In these and such like acts the duty and virtue of contentedness doth especially reside; or it is employed and exercised by them and so much may suffice for the explication of its nature. I come now to consider the way of attaining it, intimated by St. Paul here, when he saith, I have learned. SERMON XXXVIII. OF CONTENTMENT. PHIL. iv. 11.-I have learned, &c. THESE words signify how contentedness may be attained, or how it is produced it is not an endowment innate to us; it doth not arrive by chance into us; it is not to be purchased by any price; it springeth not up of itself, nor ariseth from the quality of any state; but it is a product of discipline; I have learned. It is a question debated in Plato, el di i 2 Sam. xvi. 7; 1 Cor. i. 12, 13; 1 Pet. ii. 23; iii. 9. Prov. xxiv. 29; xx. 22. Hence it is an art which we may observe few do much study; and of the students therein, few are great proficients; so that, Qui fit, Mecanas? Horace's question, How comes it to pass, that nobody liveth content with the lot assigned by God? wanted not sufficient ground. However, it is not, like the quadrature of the circle, or the philosopher's stone, an art impossible to be learned, and which will baffle all study: there are examples, which show it to be obtainable; there are rules and precepts, by observing which we may arrive to it. And it is certainly a most excellent piece of learning; most deserving our earnest study: no other science will yield so great satisfaction, or good use; all other sciences, in comparison thereto, are dry and fruitless curiosities; for were we masters of all other knowledge, yet wanted the skill of being content, we should not be wise or happy; happiness and discontent are doúarata (things incompatible.) * Non dat natura virtutem, ars est bonum fieri.-Sen. Ep. 89. Virtus estiamsi quosdam impetus ex natura sumit, tamen perficienda doctrina est.-Quintil. xii. 2. But how then may this skill be learned? I answer, chiefly (divine grace concurring) by these three ways: 1. By understanding the rules and precepts, wherein the practice thereof consisteth. 2. By diligent exercise, or application of those rules to practice; whereby the habit will be produced. 3. By seriously considering, and impressing upon our minds those rational inducements (suggested by the nature and reason of things) which are apt to persuade the practice thereof. The first way I have already endeavoured to declare; the second wholly dependeth upon the will and endeavour of the learner; the third I shall now insist upon, propounding some rational considerations, apt, by God's help, to persuade contentedness, and serving to cure the malady of discontent. They may be drawn from several heads: from God, from ourselves, from our particular condition or state; from the world, or general state of men here; from the particular state of other men in comparison to ours; from the nature and consequences of the duty itself; every thing about us, well examined and pondered, will minister somewhat inducing and assisting thereto. I. In regard to God we may consider, that equity doth exact, and gratitude requireth, and all reason dictateth, that we should be content; or that, in being discontented, we behave ourselves very unbeseemingly and unworthily; are very unjust, very ingrateful, and very foolish toward him. 1. Equity doth exact this duty of us, and in performing it we act justly toward God, both admitting his due right, and acknowledging his good exercise there of; that saying in the gospel, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? is a most evident maxim of equity: it is, therefore, the natural right and prerogative of God, as the Creator and Preserver, and consequently the absolute Lord, Owner, and Governor of all things, to assign his station, and allot his portion to every person, as he judgeth good and convenient; it is most just that inviolably he should enjoy this right: he being also infinitely wise and good, it is likewise most just to acknowledge that he doth perfectly well manage this right. Now, by contentful submission to God's disposal of things, we do worthily express our due regard to both these, avowing his right, and approving his exercise thereof; but by discontent and regret at what happeneth, we do in effect injure God in both those respects, disavowing his right, and impeaching his management. We do thereby so renounce his right, as (so far as conceit and wish do reach) to invade it, and usurp it to ourselves; signifying, that in our opinion things ought not to be ordered according to his judgment and pleasure, but after our fancy and humour; we claim to ourselves the privilege of controlling his estate, and dispensing his goods, so as to be our own carvers, and to assume to ourselves so much as we think good; we imply, that, if we were able, we would extort the power out of his hands, and manage it ourselves, modelling the world according to our conceits and desires. We do also (since we cannot but perceive the other attempt of dispossessing God to be frivolous and fruitless) in effect charge God with misdemeanour, with iniquity or infirmity in his distribution and disposal of things;* intimating, that in our opinion he doth not order them so justly or so wisely as might be (not so well as we in our wisdom and justice should order them;) for did we conceive them managed for the best, we could not but judge it most unreasonable to be aggrieved, or to complain; so heinously insolent and unjust are we in being discontent. In earnest, which is most equal, that God should have his will, or we? For shame we shall say, God: why then do we not contentedly let him have it? It is indeed, if we consider it, the highest piece of injustice that we can be guilty of, exceeding that which we commit in any other sort of disobedience. For as in any state, seditious mutinying is the greatest crime, as most directly violating the majesty, and subverting the authority of the prince; so in the world, none may be supposed more to offend and wrong its sovereign Governor, than such malecontents, who dislike and blame his proceedings: even a heathen could teach Multos inveni æquos adversus homines, adversus Deos neminem.-Sen. Ep. 93. us, that it is our duty to subject our mind to him that administereth all things, as good citizens to the law of the commonwealth; if we do not, we are rebellious and seditious, which is the highest pitch of injustice toward our most gracious Sovereign. other things.* Whereas also all events, how cross soever to our sensual conceits or appetites, are by God designed and dispensed for our good, gratitude requir eth that we should thank God for them, and not murmur against them. Surely if, instead of rendering God thanks for all the excellent gifts which he most liberally (without any previous obligation to us, or desert of ours) hath bestowed on us, and continueth to bestow, we fret, and quarrel, that he doth not in smaller matters seem to cocker us, we are extremely ingrateful and disingenuous toward him. If any great person here should freely bestow on us gifts of huge Again, there can be no greater injury or affront offered to God, than to give him the lie, by questioning his veracity or fidelity. This discontent plainly doth involve for God hath expressly declared himself ready upon all occasions to do us good; he hath promised to care for us, and never to forsake us, or leave us destitute; which word of his, if we did not distrust, and take him to be unfaith-value (high preferment or much wealth), ful, we could not be discontent: as no man is displeased with his condition, or suspicious of want, who knoweth that he hath abundant supply of all he can need in a sure place; that he hath a person most able, most willing, most faithful, engaged to succour him: so, did we believe God to be true, who hath promised to help us, we could not be discontented for fear of any want. We must at least, in so doing, suspect God to be deficient in goodness toward us, or unwilling to help us; or we must apprehend him impotent, and unable to perform what he would, and what he hath promised for us (like those infidels, who said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? can he give bread also, can he provide flesh for his people?) which conceits of God are also very unworthy, and injurious to him. 2. Gratitude requireth of us this duty for we having no right or title to any thing; all that we have coming from God's pure bounty; he having upon us all (whatever our condition comparatively is, or may seem to us) freely conferred many great benefits, common to all men among us (our being, life, reason, capacity of eternal happiness, manifold spiritual blessings, incomparably precious and excellent), we in all reason should be thankful for these, without craving more, or complaining for the want of but with good reason, as we might presume, should withhold from us some trifle, that we fancy or dote on, should we not be very unworthy, if we should take it ill and be angry with him for that cause? The case is plainly the same : God hath in the frankest manner bestowed on us innumerable and inestimable goods, in comparison whereto any comfort or convenience of our state here is very trivial and despicable: are we not, therefore, very ingrateful, if we heinously resent the want of any such things? if, upon any such account, we disgust his providence? Do we not deal, beyond all expression, unworthily with God, in so much undervaluing the goods which he hath given us, or doth offer us, and hath put in our reach? He hath made us capable of the greatest goods imaginable, and faithfully upon easy terms proffereth them to us; he even tendereth himself (himself, the immense and allcomprehending good, the fountain of all joy and bliss) to be fully enjoyed by us: his wisdom he offereth, to instruct and guide us; his power, to protect and guard us; his fulness, to supply us; his goodness, to comfort us: he offereth his love and favour to us, in having which we virtually and in effect have all things; becoming thereby, in the highest degree, rich and honourable and happy and is it not then outrageous unworthiness to prize any other thing (any petty accommodation of this transitory life, any piti * Iniquus est qui muneris sui arbitrium danti non relinquit, avidus qui non lucri loco habet quod accepit, sed damni quod reddidit, &c.-Sen. ad Polyb. 29. ful toy here) so much, as to be displeased for the want thereof; as if all this were not enough to satisfy our needs, or satiate our desires; as if, notwithstanding all these immense effusions (yea, as it were profusions) of bounty upon us, we could be indigent or unhappy? Shall we (to use that holy and most ingenuous consideration of Job) receive so much good from the bountiful hand of God, and shall we not contentedly receive or bear so small evils from him? Evils, indeed in name and to gross sense, but not so in reality, not so in effect, at least not so in God's design; but rather things very convenient and profitable for us; which is another aggravation of our ingratitude; for Are we not also very ingrateful in misapprehending and disliking that, which God doeth out of very gracious intentions toward us; in loathing his fatherly and friendly dispensations; the fatherly chastisements and friendly disciplines which he unwillingly is forced (is, I say, forced by his own great love, and by our pressing needs) to inflict or impose upon us?† Surely our ill opinion of, or despising, as the Wise Man calleth it, these unpleasant blessings, is no small fault; neither will our not discerning (out of affected dulness and stupid pravity not discerning) the wisdom of God's methods, and the wholesomeness of the means he useth to better us, excuse us from foul ingratitude. 3. Again, upon many accounts, reason further dictateth in respect to God, that we should be content: because it is most reasonable to acquiesce in God's choice of our state, he being infinitely more wise than we, and infinitely better understanding what is good for us than we can do; because he is well affected to us, and more truly loveth us than we do ourselves; because he hath a just right, and irresistible power to dispose of us, the which (whatever we can do, however we resent it) he will effectually make use of; whence it is extremely foolish to be discontent: foolish it is to be dissatisfied with the results of his wisdom, adhering to our vain apprehensions; foolish to distrust his goodness in compliance with our fond self-love; foolish to contest his unquestionable right and uncontrollable power, having nothing but mere impotency to oppose against them; no less than downright madness it is to fret and fume at that which we can nowise help, to bark at that which lodgeth in heaven so far high above us, to solicit deaf necessity with our ineffectual wailings; for if we think that our displeasure will affect God, that our complaints will incline him to alter our condition or comply with our wishes, we do conceit vainly, and without any ground: sooner may we, by our imagination, stop the tides of the sea, or turn the streams of rivers backward; sooner, by our cries, may we stay the sun, and change all the courses of the stars, than by our passionate resentments or moanful clamours we can check the current of affairs, or alter that state of things which is by God's high decree established:† discontented behaviour will rather fasten our condition, or remove it into a worse place; as it highly doth of fend God, and increaseth our guilt, so it moveth God to continue, and to augment our evils. Thus lifting up our eyes to heaven, and considering the reference our disposition and demeanour hath to God, will induce us to bear our case contentedly. II. Again, reflecting upon ourselves, we may observe much reason to be content with our state: in whatever capacity we look upon ourselves, it in reason becometh us, we in duty are obliged to be so.h As men and creatures, we naturally are indigent and impotent; we have no just claim to any thing, nor any possession maintainable by our power; all that we have, or can have, cometh from most how little soever is allowed us, we have pure courtesy and bounty; wherefore, no wrong done us, nor can we justly * Εάν τε κλαίης, ἄν τε μὴ, πορεύεται.-Philem. † Οὐ γὰρ τις πρήξις πέλεται κρυεροῖο γόοιο. Π. Ω. Σὺ δ' εἴκ' ἀνάγκῃ, καὶ θεοῖσι μὴ μάχου.—Eurip. b Lam. iii. 39, complain thereat: such beggars as we are must not pretend to be choosers; if any thing be given us, we may be glad, we should be thankful. It is for those who have a right and a power to maintain it, to resent and expostulate if their due be withheld but for us, that never had any thing which we could call our own; that have no power to get or keep any thing; for us, that came into the world naked and defenceless, that live here in continual, absolute, and arbitrary dependence for all our livelihood and subsistence; to contest with him that maintaineth us, or to complain of his dealing, is ridiculously absurd and vain. Upon a moral account we have less reason to challenge aught, or to complain of any thing; for we deserve nothing but evil if we rightly esteem and value ourselves, any thing will seem good enough for us, any condition will appear better than we deserve: duly examining the imperfections and infirmities of our nature, the disorder and depravedness of our hearts, the demeanours and enormities of our lives, we cannot but apprehend that we are even unworthy of the crumbs which fall from our Master's table; we cannot but acknowledge with the good patriarch, that we are less than the least of God's mercies. Considering our natural unworthiness, we shall see that we deserve not so much as those common benefits which all men enjoy, and without which we cannot subsist; so that, in regard to them, we shall be ready to acknowledge with the Psalmist, Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him; or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! Trying our hearts, and examining our ways, we shall soon discover it to be abundant mercy, that we are not utterly deprived of all good things, stript of all comforts, yea, dispossessed of our very being and life itself; that we are obliged to acknowledge, with those in the Lamentations, It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Were we far better than we are, yet it would not become us to contest with him, to whose disposal and judgment we are subject; as Job teacheth us: Behold (saith he) God taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? If he will not withdraw his anger, the proud* helpers do stoop under him. How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, I would not answer, but, I would make supplication to my Judgem but for us, men so unrighteous and guilty, to debate with, to question the proceedings of our Judge, it is much more unseemly. Nothing can be more absurd, than for men so deeply indebted, than for sinners so very obnoxious to wrath, to be aggrieved in any state: shall we, who are conscious to ourselves of so many great sins against our God; who by wilful transgressions, or slothful neglects have so much affronted and offended him; who have so little requited his love, and so much abused his patience; who have borne so little fruit, and rendered him so little service; shall we be angry that our humour is not pleased in all things? shall we affect to swim in plenty, to wallow in pleasure, to bask ourselves in ease; to be fed with dainties, to be gaily clothed, to flourish in a brave and splendid condition, to be worshipped and honoured; who deserve not the meanest competence or lowest respect; to whom it is a great favour that we are permitted to subsist; whom strict justice would often have cast into utter misery and disconsolateness? It is not surely for such persons to be dissatisfied with any thing in this world, but to bless God's exceeding mercy that they abide there on this side of the bottomless pit: it is their part, with most submissive patience, to bear whatever is inflicted on them, humbly saying with him in the prophet, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Seeing, whatever our crosses or sufferings be, we cannot but confess to God, with those in Ezra, Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve ;o being gainers upon the matter, having so much of our debt remitted in effect; being, in comparison to what was due to us, very tolerably, yea very favourably dealt |