imperfections and infirmities of our nature, the diforder SERM. and depravednefs of our hearts, the demeanours and enor- XXXVIII. mities of our lives, we cannot but apprehend, that we are 17. even unworthy of the crumbs which fall from our Mafter's Matt. xv. table; we cannot but acknowledge with the good Patriarch, that we are less than the leaft of God's mercies. Confi- Gen. xxxii. dering our natural unworthiness, we shall fee that we deserve 10. not fo much as those common benefits which all men enjoy, and without which we cannot fubfift; fo that, in regard to them, we shall be ready to acknowledge with the Pfalmift, Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him; or the Pf. cxliv. 3. fon of man, that thou makeft account of him! Trying our Job vii. 27. hearts, and examining our ways, we fhall foon discover it to be abundant mercy, that we are not utterly deprived of all good things, ftript of all comforts, yea, difpoffeffed of our very being and life itself; that we are obliged to acknowledge, with thofe in the Lamentations, It is of the Lam.iii.22. Lord's mercies that we are not confumed, because his compaffions fail not. Were we far better than we are, yet it would not become us to conteft with him, to whose dispofal and judgment we are subject; as Job teacheth us: Behold, faith he, God taketh away, who can hinder him, Job ix. 12, who will fay unto him, What doeft thou? If he will not withdraw his anger, the proud * helpers do floop under him;* Kúrn. how much lefs fhall I anfwer him, and choofe out my words to reafon with him; whom, though I were righteous, I would not answer, but I would make fupplication to my Judge: (Jobiz.32.) but for us, men fo unrighteous and guilty, to debate with, to question the proceedings of our Judge, it is much more unfeemly. Nothing can be more abfurd, than for men fo deeply indebted, than for finners fo very obnoxious to wrath, to be aggrieved in any ftate: fhall we, who are conscious to ourfelves of fo many great fins against our God; who, by wilful tranfgreffions or flothful neglects, have so much affronted and offended him; who have fo little requited his love, and fo much abufed his patience; who have borne fo little fruit, and rendered him fo little service; fhall we be angry that our humour is not pleased in all &c. XXXVIII. SERM. things? Shall we affect to fwim in plenty, to wallow in pleasure, to baik ourselves in eafe; to be fed with dainties, to be gaily clothed, to flourish in a brave and fplendid condition, to be worshipped and honoured; who deferve not the meanest competence or lowest refpect, to whom it is a great favour that we are permitted to fubfift, whom ftrict justice would often have caft into utter misery and difconfolatenefs? It is not furely for fuch perfons to be diffatisfied with any thing in this world, but to blefs God's exceeding mercy, that they abide there on this fide of the bottomlefs pit; it is their part, with most fubmiffive patience, to bear whatever is inflicted on them, humbly Mic. vii. 9. faying with him in the Prophet, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have finned against him. Seeing, whatever our croffes or fufferings be, we cannot but conEzra ix. 13. fefs to God, with those in Ezra, Thou haft punished us less than our iniquities deferve; being gainers upon the matter, having fo much of our debt remitted in effect, being, in comparison to what was due to us, very tolerably, yea very favourably dealt with, why should we be diffatisfied? If in fuch cafes men fhould deal fo favourably with us, we should be much pleafed, and ready to thank them; why then should we take it ill of God, when he, even in his hardest proceedings against us, expreffeth fo much indulgence and mercy? πήματα. If we must be displeased, and luft to complain, we have reafon much rather to accufe ourselves, than to exclaim at Providence, to bewail our fins, than to deplore our fortune; for our evils are not indeed fo much the voluntary Lam. iii. 33. works of God, who doth not afflict willingly, or grieve the AuSaiga children of men, as the natural products of our fins, which we do wilfully commit: it is, as the Prophet fpeaketh, our fins that withhold good things from us, and bring evil things upon us: fools, becaufe of their tranfgreffion, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. We make adverfity neceffary, or expedient for us, then we cry out upon Jer. xvii.10.it: we labour in planting, but cannot brook the fruit of our doings; we, like prodigals, fling away our estate in wanton profufions, then complain of want; we affect Jer. v. 25. 17. xxi. 14. xxxii. 19. vi. 19. XXXVIII. and choose the caufes, but loathe, and cannot abide the cer- SERM. tain confequences; fo fond in our conceits, so perverse are we in our affections: Wherefore doth the living man com- Lam.iii.39. plain, for the punishment of his fins? fo well might the Prophet demand and expoftulate. גבר We may farther, looking on ourfelves, confider ourfelves as fervants to God, or rather as flaves, abfolutely fubject to his difpofal; and shall any servant, shall a mere flave presume to choose his place, or determine his rank in the family? Shall he appoint to himself what office he will discharge, what garb he fhall go in, what diet he must have; what he will do, and how he shall be accommodated? Is it not fit that all these things fhould be left to our Master's discretion and pleasure? It is most reasonable that we should thoroughly acquiefce in his determination : even a Pagan philofopher could teach us, that this is reasonable; who thus pioufly directeth his fpeech to God: For the reft ufe me to what thou pleafeft. I do confent unto thee, and am indifferent. I refufe nothing which feemeth good to thee. Lead me whither thou wilt; put on me what garment thou pleafeft. Wilt thou have me to be a governor or a private man, to stay at home or to be banished away, to be poor or to be rich? I will, in respect to all these things, apologize for thee with menf; thus did Epictetus fay, and such speech well becometh our relation to God: fervants fhould be content with their masters' appointments and allowances; they should not only themfelves forbear to find fault with, but be ready to maintain his proceedings against any, who shall presume to reprehend or blame them. Efpecially fuch fervants as we are, who, after we have done all things commanded us, muft Luke xvii. acknowledge that we are unprofitable fervants; fuch as can bring no confiderable benefit to our Lord, or anywife advance his ftate; fuch as therefore cannot challenge any wages from him, more than he out of mere favour is f Χρῶ μοι λοιπὸν ἐς ὃ ἂν θέλῃς. Ὁμογνωμονῶ σοι, ἴσος ειμί. Οὐδὲν παραιτᾶμαι τῶν σοι δοκέντων. Ὅσο θέλεις ἄγε, ἣν θέλεις ἐσθῆτα περίθες. "Αρχεν με θέλεις, Γειοτεύειν, μένων, φεύγειν, πίνεσθαι, πλουτεῖν ; ἐγώ σοι ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων τούτων προς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπολογήσομαι. Αrr. ii. 16. 10. : SERM. pleased to allow could we by our labours enrich God, XXXVIII. or raise him in dignity, or procure delight to him, it might feem congruous that he should answerably reward us; but as he getteth nothing by us, fo we cannot require any thing from him: our best fervices do indeed rather need pardon, than deserve any reward: no man hath lived fo well, that he can pretend any thing from God, that he is not indeed much behind hand in his accounts with God, having received from God far more of benefit than he can return to him in fervice: no man, without extreme prefumption and arrogance, can offer to prescribe, in what measure, or what manner God fhould reward him. Again, if we confider ourselves as the children of God, either by birth or nature, or by adoption and grace, how can we be discontent for any thing? Have we not thence great reafon to hope, or rather to be confident, that we shall never want any good thing, (neceffary or convenient for us,) that no great evil fhall ever opprefs us? For is not God hence by paternal difpofition inclined, is he not in a manner, by paternal duty, engaged, in all needful occafions, to fupply and fuccour us? Can we, without great profaneness, and no less folly, furmife, that he, which is fo immenfely good, will be a bad (an unkind, or a neglectful) Father to us? No, as there is no other father in goodness comparable to him, fo none, in real effects of benignity, can come near him; fo our Lord affureth us: Matt.vii.11. If ye, faith he, being evil, know how to give good things unto your children; how much more will our heavenly Father give good things to his children that afk him? If we confider ourselves as Chriftians, we have still more reafon to practise this duty: as fuch, we are not only posfeffed of goods abundantly sufficient to fatisfy our defires; we have hopes able to raise our minds above the sense of all present things; we have entertainments that ever may divert our minds, and fill our hearts with comfort: but we have also an affurance of competent supplies of temporal 1 Tim.iv. 8. goods; for, Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promife both of the prefent life, and of that which is to Matt.vi. 33.come: and, If we feek firft the kingdom of heaven, and its XXXVIII. righteoufnefs, all these things fhall be added unto us. It is SERM. indeed strangely unhandsome for a Chriftian ever to droop, or to be difconfolate; for a friend of God, and an heir of heaven, to think he wants any thing, or fear that he shall ever want; for him, whofe treasure and heart are above, to be fo concerned with any thing here, as deeply to refent it. Again, if we reflect upon ourselves as rational men, how for fhame can we be difcontent? Do we not therein much difparage that excellent perfection of our nature? Is it not the proper work of reason to prevent things hurtful or offenfive to us, when that may be done; to remove them, if they are removable; if neither of these can be compaffed, to allay and mitigate them; fo that we may be able well to support them? Is it not its principal use to drive away those fond conceits, and to quell those troublesome paffions, which create or foment difquiet and difpleasure to us? If it cannot do this, what doth it fignify? To what purpose have we it? Is not our condition really worfe than that of brute beafts, if reafon ferveth only to descry the causes of trouble, but cannot enable to bear it? All the reasons we have produced, and all that we shall produce against discontent, will, if we are reasonable men, and reafon availeth any thing, have this effect upon us. Wherefore confidering ourselves, our capacities, our relations, our actions, it is most reasonable to be content with our condition, and with whatever doth befall us. |