A TREATISE

ON

DIVINE CONTENTMENT.

CHAP. I.

THE INTRODUCTION.

Phil. iv. 11.

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

THE inspired Apostle in the former verses of this chapter has left, for our instruction, some useful and heavenly exhortations; among the rest, to be careful for nothing; but, in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, v. 6. Not to exclude a prudential care; for he that provideth not for his house, hath denied the faith, 1 Tim. v. 8. yet a religious care: for we must give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. i. 10. But to exclude all anxious care

Nor

about the issue and event of things. Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; and in this sense it should be a Christian's care not to be careful. The word careful, in the Greek, comes from a primitive, that signifies, To cut the heart in pieces; a soul-dividing care. Take heed of this. We are bid to commit our ways unto the Lord, (Psal. xxxvii. 5.) The Hebrew word is, Roll thy way upon the Lord. It is our work to cast our care on him, (1 Pet. v. 7.) but it is God's work to take care. By our immoderacy, we take his work out of his hand.

Care, when it is eccentric, either distrustful or distracting, is very dishonourable to God. It takes away his providence, as if he sat in heaven, and minded not what became of things here below; like a man that makes a clock, and then leaves it to go of itself. Immoderate care takes the heart off from better things; and usually, while we are thinking how we shall do to live, we forget how to die. Care is a spiritual cancer, that doth waste and dispirit, and does no good to the soul. We may sooner, by our care, add a furlong to our grief, than a cubit to our comfort. God doth threaten it as a curse, They shall eat their bread with carefulness, Ezek. xii. 19. Better fast, than eat of that bread. Be careful for nothing.

Now, lest any one should say " Yea, Paul, thou preachest that to us which thou hast scarce learned thyself: hast thou learned not

to be careful?" The Apostle seems immediately to answer that, in the words of the text. -I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Noble sentence! A speech worthy to be engraven upon our hearts and treasured up in our memory for ever. The text doth branch itself into these two general parts. 1. The scholar, Paul-I have learned. II. The lesson-In every state to be content.

CHAP. II.

The first Branch of the Text-The Scholar; with the first Proposition.

I Begin with the first-1. The scholar, and his proficiency, I have learned out of which I shall observe two things, by way of paraphrase.

1. It is not, "I may," but "I have." The Apostle doth not say "I have heard, that in every state I should be content, but I have learned." Observe: "It is not enough for Christians to hear their duty, but they must learn their duty."

It is one thing to hear, and another thing to learn; as it is one thing to eat, and another thing to digest.* St. Paul was a practitioner. Christians hear much; but, it is to

* All who desire to learn of Christ will with humility submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God

be feared, learn little. There were four sorts of ground in the parable, (Luke viii. 5.) and but one good ground. An emblem of this truth-many hearers, but few learners. There are two things which keep us from learning.

In

1. Slighting what we hear. Christ is the Pearl of price: when we disesteem this Pearl we shall never learn either it's value, or it's virtue. The Gospel is a rare mystery. one place, it is called the Gospel of Grace; in another, (Acts, xx. 24.) the Gospel of Glory; because in it, as in a transparent glass, the glory of God is resplendent: but he that hath learned to contemn this mystery, will hardly ever learn to obey it. He that looks upon the things of heaven, as things by the bye; and, perhaps, the driving of a trade, or carrying on some politic design, to be of greater importance; this man is in the high road to damnation, and will hardly ever learn the things of his peace. Who will learn that which he thinks is scarce worth learning?

2. Forgetting what we hear, Jam. i. 25. If a scholar have his rules laid before him, and he forgets them as fast as he reads them, he will never learn. Aristotle calls the memory the scribe of the soul, and Bernard calls it the stomach of the soul; because it hath a retentive faculty, and turns heavenly food into blood and spirits. We have great memories in other things; we remember that which is vain. Cyrus could remember the name of every soldier in his large army; we remem

ber injuries. This is to fill a precious cabinet with dung; but how soon do we forget the sacred truths of God? We are apt to forget three things our faults, our friends, our instructions. Many Christians are like sieves. Put a sieve into the water, and it is full; but take it forth of the water, and all runs out: so, while they are hearing of a sermon, they remember something; but, take the sieve out of the water—as soon as they are gone out of the church-all is forgotten. Let these sayings, saith Christ, sink down into your ears, Luke, v. 44. In the original, it is-Put these sayings into your ears-As a man, that would hide a jewel from being stolen, locks it up safe in his chest. Let them sink. The word must not only fall as the dew that wets the leaf, but as rain which soaks to the root of the tree, and makes it fructify. O how often doth Satan, that fowl of the air, pick up the good seed that is sown!

Use. Let me put you upon a serious trial. Some of you have heard much; you have lived forty, fifty, sixty years, under the blessed trumpet of the Gospel: What have you learned? You may have heard a thousand sermons, and yet not have learned one. Search your consciences.

I. You have heard much against sin. Are you hearers, or are you scholars?

How many sermons have you heard against covetousness, that it is the root on which pride, idolatry and treason, do grow? 2 Tim. ii. 4.