CONTENTATION', AND THE MOTIVES TO IT, BOTH MORAL AND DIVINE. PHIL. IV. 11. FOR I HAVE LEARNED IN WHATSOEVER STATE I AM THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT. TET HERE are three excellent virtues which efpecially refer to our condition in this life, and much conduce to our fafe and con.fortable paffage through it. 1. Equality of Mind, or Equanimity. 2. Patience. 3. Contentedness. 1. Equality of Mind, or Equanimity, is that virtue which refers both to profperity and adverfity, whereby in all conditions of that kind we carry an even and equal temper, neither over much lifted up by profperity, nor over much depreffed in adverfity. 2. Patience properly refers to caufes, difappointment, afflictions, and adverfity, whereby we carry a quiet and fubmiffive mind, without murmuring, paffion, or difcompofure of fpirit, in all afflictions, whether fickness, lofs of friends, poverty, reproach, difgrace, or the like. 3. Contentation, which differs from equality of mind, because that refpects as well profperity as adverfity, this only adverfity; and in fome refpects differs alfo from patience (though this always accompanies it). 1. In the extent of the object, for patience refpects all kinds of affliction; contentedness, in propriety of fpeech, re spects principally the affliction of want or poverty. 2. In the act itself, for patience, in propriety of fpeech, implies only a quiet compofed toleration of the evils of adverfity; but contentedness imports fomewhat more, namely, not only a quietnefs of mind, but a kind of cheerful free fubmiffion to our prefent condition of adverfity, a ready compliance with the Divine Providence. and, in effect, a choice of that ftate wherein the Divine difpenfation placeth us, as well as in bearing it. Thefe, though they may in ftrictnefs give a distinction between patience and contentation, yet we must obferve that contentation is never without patience, though it be something more: and that in the common acceptation and latitude of the word, Contentation doth not only extend to the condition or affliction of poverty, but even to all other outward afflictions reached to us by the inflicting or permitting hand of Divine Providence: and in this large acceptation I fhall here apply and use it. Content, therefore, in its large acceptation, is not only a quiet and patient, but also a free and cheerful clofing with the estate and condition of life, which the Divine difpenfation fhall allot unto us, whether mean or poor, or laborious and painful, or obfcure, or neceffitous, or fickly, or unhealthy, or without friends, or with lofs or abfence of friends, or any other state that feems ungrateful to our natures or difpofitions. For we need not apply this virtue to a state of high profperity in all things, wherein, (though men are not ordinarily contented) yet they have but fmall temptations to difcontent from the state itself wherein they are so. This leffon of contentation was learnt by this Apoftle, which imports thefe things: 1. That it is a lefion that is poffible to be learned, for the Apoftle hal learned it. 2. That it is a leffon that requires fomething of in N 3 duitry duftry and pains to acquire it, for he learned it before he attained it. 3. That it is a leffon that deferves the learning, for he speaks of it as of a thing of moment and great ufe, well worth the pains he took to attain it. And the truth is, it is of fo great importance to be learnt, that without it we want the comfort of our lives; and with it all conditions of life are not only tolerable, but comfortable. And hence it is, that this excellent Apostle doth very often inculcate and press, and commend this leffon in many of his epiftles. Godliness with contentment is great gain 1.' your conversation be without covetoufnefs, and be ' content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, 'I will not leave thee nor forfake thee 2. Again, And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content 3.' • Let I fhall therefore fet down those reasons that may perfuade and encourage us to contentation with our condition, and likewife to patience under it; for patience and contentation cannot be well fevered. And the reasons are of two forts; 1. Moral. 2. Divine and Evangelical. Neither fhall I decline the use of moral reafons, confidering how far, by help of thefe, many Heathens (that had not the true knowledge of God revealed in his Word and Son) advanced in the prac tice of thefe virtues. The Moral Reajons therefore are thefe: 1. Very many of the external evils we fuffer are of our own choice and procurement, the fruits of our own follies and inadvertence, and averfeness to good counsel. And why fhould we be discontented, or impatient under thofe evils which we ourselves have chofen, or repine because these trees bear their natural fruit? 2. The greatest part of evils we fuffer are of that nature and kind, that are not in our power either to prevent or help: Some come from the very condition of our nature, as fickness, death of friends; and of abfolute neceffity, the more relations any man hath, the 1 1 Tim.. vi. 6. Heb. xiii. 5. 3 1 Tin. vi. 8. more more evils of this kind he may fuffer: And can we reasonably expect that the very nature of things fhould be changed to please our humours? Again, fome come from the hands of men, that, may be, are more powerful, more fubtle and malicious: Why fhould we difcontent ourselves, or be impatient, because others are too ftrong for us? Others again come by occurrences natural (though difpofed by the hand of the Divine Providence) as loffes by storms and tempefts, by unfeafonable weather, by intemperateness of the air or meteors: Can we reasonably expect that the Great God of heaven and earth fhould alter his fettled laws of nature for the convenience of every fuch little worm as you or I am? It may be that storm or intemperate season, that may do you or me fome prejudice, may do others as many and as good, or it may be more and better, a benefit; that wind that ftrikes my fhip against the rock, may fetch off two or more from the fands. Let us be content therefore to fuffer Almighty God to govern the world according to his wisdom, and not our will, though it may be a particular detriment to you or to me; or if we repine against it, we muft not think thereby to obtain our own wills. 3. The texture and frame of the world is fuch, that it is abfolutely neceffary, that if fome be rich and powerful, or great, or honourable, others must be poor, and fubject, and ignoble. If all were equally powerful, there would be no power nor government, becaufeail would be equal: if all were equally rich, it would be but only nominally, indeed none would be rich, but all would be poor, there could be no artificers, no labourers, no fervants. Since therefore it is of neceffity, in the order of the world, that fome must be poor, or lefs rich or powerful than others, why fhould I be fo unreafonable, or unjust, to defire that lot of poverty of lowness of condition fhould be another's and not mine? Or why should not I be contented to be of the lower fort of men, fince the order of the world requires that fuch fome must be? 4. Let any man obferve while he will, he fhall find that whatsoever of worldly advantages any man doth most plentifully enjoy, and most men moft greedily defire, of neceffity he must thereby have more croffes and more afflictions. A man defires many children, friends, relations; the more he hath of these, the more mortal dying comforts he hath; the more he hath that must be fick, and fuffer affliction and die; and every one of these afflictions or loffes in a man's relations are so many renewed afflictions and croffes, and troubles to himself. A man defires wealth, and hath it; the more cares and fears he hath; and the more he hath, the more he hath to lofe, and of neceffity he must have more loffes the more he hath; as he that hath a thousand sheep, muft in probability lose more in a year than he that hath but forty: And befides, wealth is the common mark that every man fhoots at, and every man will be pulling fomewhat from him that hath much, because every man thinks he hath enough for others as well as himfelf. A man defires honour, power, grandeur, and he hath it: but every man envies him, and is ready to unhorse him; and a small neglect, reproach or misfortune fits closer to such a man, than to a meaner man; and the more of honour or power he hath, the more of fuch breaches he fhall be fure to meet with. A man defires long life, and accordingly enjoys it; but in the tract of long life, a man is fure to meet with more fickness, more croffes, more loss of friends and relations, and over-lives the greatest part of his external comforts, and in old age becomes his own burthen. 5. If a man defires much wealth or power, and enjoys it, yet it is certain fo much the more hereof he hath, fo much the less others have; for he hath that which might otherwife be divided among many: Why therefore fhould a man defire it, or discontent himself, if he have it not, fince what he thus enjoys is with another's detriment and lofs, who would have a fhare in it, if he had it not alone? And why fhould I |