SERMON XXXIX. OF CONTENTMENT. PHIL. iv. II. I have learned in whatever flate, &c. SERM. III. FARTHER, if we confider our condition, (be it what XXXIX. it will, how poor, how mean, how defpicable and forlorn foever,) we can have from it no reasonable ground of dif Tert. de content. 1. Our condition in this world cannot, if rightly eftimated, and well managed, be extremely bad, or forrowful; nothing here can occur infupportable, or very grievous in itself; we cannot, if we pleafe, want any thing confiderable, and the defect whereof may not be fupplied, or fupported by far better enjoyments. If we have high opinions of fome things, as very excellent, or very needful for us, it is no wonder if we do want them, that our condition is unpleasant to us; if we take other things for huge evils, then, if they be incumbent on us, we can hardly scape being displeased: but if we thoroughly look through fuch things, and scan them exactly, valuing them, not according to fallaeious impreffions of fenfe, or illufive dreamings of fancy, but according to found dictates of reason, we may find, that neither abfence of the former, nor the prefence of the latter doth make our condition much worfe, or render our cafe deplorable. We are, for inftance, poor: that condition, rightly weighed, is not fo very fad: for what is poverty? what but the abfence of a few fuperfluous things, which please Arift. wanton fancy rather than anfwer need; without which SERM. nature is eafily fatisfied, and which if we do not affect, we XXXIX. cannot want? what is it but to wear coarfe clothes, to feed on plain and fimple fare, to work and take fome pains, to fit or go in a lower place, to have no heaps of cafh, or hoards of grain, to keep no retinue, to have few friends, and not one flatterer? and what great harm in this? It is a fstate, Vid. Plut. in which hath its no fmall conveniences and comforts, its happy fruits and confequences; which freeth us from many cares and diftractions, from many troubles and croffes, from many encumbrances, many dangers, many temptations, many fore diftempers of body and foul, many grievous mifchiefs, to which wealth is expofed; which maintaineth health, industry, and fobriety; difpofeth us to feed heartily, to move nimbly, to fleep sweetly; which preferveth us from luxury, from fatiety, from floth and unwieldinefs b. It yieldeth difpofition of mind, freedom and leifure to attend the ftudy of truth, the acquilt of virtue. It is a state which many have borne with great cheerfulness; many (very wife men) have voluntarily embraced; which is allotted by divine wisdom to most men; and which the best men often do endure; to which God hath declared an efpecial regard, which the mouth Pfal. x. 14. of truth hath proclaimed happy; which the Son of hath dignified by his choice, and fanctified by his taking deeply thereof: and can fuch a condition be very cxl. 12. loathfome? can it reasonably displease us? God XXXV. 10. par- lxix. 33. Ixviii. 10. lxxii. 4, 18. cxlvi. 7. cxlvii. 2. Again, thou art, fuppofe, fallen into difgrace, or from Lukevi. 20. honour and credit art depreffed into a state of contempt. 2. and infamy? This also rightly prized is no fuch wretchedness; for what doth this import? what, but a change of opinion in giddy men, which thou dost not feel, which thou art not concerned in, if thou pleasest; which thou • Τὰ δ ̓ ἀργυρώματ' ἐστιν ἥτε πορφύρα Εἰς τοὺς τραγῳδοὺς χρήσιμ ̓ οὐκ εἰς τὸν βίον. Socrat. Si vis vacare animo, aut pauper fis oportet, aut pauperi fimilis. Multis ad philofophandum obftitere divitiæ; paupertas expedita eft, fecura eft. Sen. Ep. 17. Sæpius pauper & fidelius ridet. Sen. Ep. 80. SERM. never hadft reafon much to regard, or at all to rely upon? XXXIX. what is thy lofs therein? it is the breaking of a bubble, the finking of a wave, the changing of a wind, the cracking of a thing moft brittle, the flipping away of a thing most fugacious and flippery: what is honour, and fame, but thought? and what more flitting, what fooner gone away than a thought? And why art thou displeased at the lofs of a thing fo very flender, and flim? If thou didft know its nature, thou canst not be disappointed; if thou didst not, it was worth thy while to be thus informed by experience, that thou mayeft not any more regard it. Is the contempt, thou haft incurred, from thy fault? bear the confequence thereof patiently, and do thy best by removing the cause to reverfe the effect: is it undeserved and causeless? be fatisfied in thy innocence, and be glad that thou art above the folly and injuftice of those who contemn thee. Let thy affections rather be employed in pity of theirs, than in displeasure for thy own cafe. Did, let me afk thee again, the good opinion of men please thee? that pleasure was fond and vain, and it is well thou art rid of it did it not much affect thee? why then dost thou much grieve at the lofs thereof? Is not alfo thy fortune in this kind the fame with that of the best men? have not those who have deferved moft honour, been expofed to Job xxx. 1, most contempt? But now, Job could say, they that are younger than I have me in derifion,they abhor me, they Pl. xxii. 6, flee far from me, and fpare not to spit in my face. And, I am, could that great and good King say, a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and defpifed of the people: all they that fee me, laugh me to fcorn; they shoot out the lip, 1 Cor. iv. they shake the head:—and, we are defamed, we are re 10. 7. 12, 13. viled, we are made as the filth of the world, and the offfcouring of all things unto this day, could the holy ApoIfa. liii. 3. ftles fay; and, He is defpifed and rejected of men——he was defpifed and we efteemed him not, was faid of our Lord himself and can this condition then in just esteem be fo very pitiful, or grievous? But thou art perhaps troubled because thou art wrongfully cenfured, odiously traduced and defamed, abused by flander, or by detraction; which asperseth thee with things SERM. whereof thou art no-wife guilty, or reprefenteth thee in a XXXIX. character unworthy of thee: be it fo; what then? why doth this fo much affect thee? Is not every man subject to these things? are not the greatest men, are not the wifest men, are not the best men liable to the fame? yea chiefly liable, excellency being the special mark of envy and obloquy? Can any good men escape free of them among fo many bad men, whose doings 'A' diàr ἠδίκησαν, as goodness doth reproach, so it provoketh their malig-x nity? Canft thou imagine to pass thy days in fo unjuft and in Theod, Ep. fpiteful a world without incurring fuch bad ufage? can fo so. many vain, fo many bold, so many lawless tongues be tied up, or kept within compass of truth or equity? Wilt thou fuffer it to be in the power of any man at his pleafure fo easily to difcompofe and vex thee? because he will be bad, fhalt thou be miserable? why doft thou not rather please thyself in the confcience of thy endeavouring to deferve and do well; in thy innocence, and clearness from the blame which they impofe on thee; in thy having given no cause of such offence and outrage? why dost thou not rather pity their unworthiness and unhappiness, who stoop to fo mean and bafe practices, than fret at them, as bad to thee? They do themselves far more mifchief, than they can do thee. And why dost thou not confider, that indeed thou art guilty of many faults, and full of real imperfections, fo that no man can easily derogate from thee more than thou deferveft he may indeed tax thee unjustly, he may mifs in the particulars of his charge, he may difcover groundlefs contempt and ill-will toward thee: but thou knoweft thyself to be a grievous finner, and it is just that thou shouldft be reproached, (God, for thy humiliation or thy correction, may have ordered him, as David faid he might have ordered Shimei, to curfe thee;) thou haft therefore Exempl. Jeremiæ. Chryf. ad Olymp. 16. Gratias ago Deo meo, quod dignus fum quem mundus oderit. Hier. Ep. 39. (ad Afellam.) SERM. more need to be humble in reflection on thyfelf, than to XXXIX. fwell with difdain in regard to his injury. Thou shouldft improve this dealing, and make it wholefome to thee, by taking occafion thence to correct thy real faults, and endeavouring to become truly more worthy; that fo thy confcience may be a firm bulwark against all detraction and obloquy: in fine, fatisfy thyfelf by committing thy foul with patience in well-doing unto thy Judge, who affuredly will do thee right, will protect thy reputation, and clear thy innocence: his judgment Theodor. is only worth regarding, be little concerned with any Ep. 83. other. Again, being disappointed and croffed in the fuccefs of their projects, or undertakings, is wont to put men, as they conceive, into a woful cafe: but why fo? why, let me ask thee, who art discontented upon this score, didft thou build much expectation upon uncertainties? didft thou not foresee a poffibility, that thy design might mifcarry? and if fo, why art thou not prepared to receive what happeneth? was it not an adventure? why then art thou troubled with thy chance? Is he not a filly gamefter, that will fret and fume at a bad cast, or at the loss of a game? Didft thou refer the bufinefs to God's difpofal and arbitrement? if not, thou deservedft to be croffed, and rather confefs thy fault, than complain of thy fortune: if thou didst fo, then be confiftent with thyfelf, and acquiefce in his determination: in fine, what is thy lofs, is it of thy care and pain? would it have been much better, that thou hadft been carelefs or idle? but haft thou not in lieu of them got fome wisdom and experience? haft thou not (if thy attempt was reafonable and worthy) exercifed thy wit, thy courage, thy industry? haft thou not (by thy defeat) got an opportunity to exprefs equanimity and patience? if thou fo improveft thy disappointment, thou art a gainer by thy lofs, thou doft more than conquer by thy defeat: however, fince the gain, the credit, the preferment thou didst aim at, and haft miffed, are things in themselves of no great value, and fuch as thou mayeft well live without, as other good men have done, thou canst not have |