Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

tenance.

1. Discontent is joined with a sullen melancholy. A Christian, of a right temper, should be ever cheerful in God-serve the Lord with gladness, Psal. c. 5. A sign the oil of grace hath been poured into the heart, when the oil of gladness shines in the counCheerfulness credits religion: how can the discontented person be cheerful? Discontent is a dogged sullen humour; because we have not what we desire, God shall not have a good word or look from us. As the bird in the cage, because she is pent up, and cannot fly in the open air, therefore beats herself against the cage, and is ready to kill herself. Thus that peevish prophetI do well to be angry to the death, Jonah, iv.

2. Discontent is accompanied with Unthankfulness. Because we have not all we desire, we never mind the mercies which we have we deal with God as the woman of Sarepta did with the prophet. The prophet Elijah had been a means to keep her alive in the famine; for it was for his sake that her meal in the barrel, and her oil in the cruise, failed not but as soon as ever her son dies, she falls into a passion, and begins to quarrel with the Prophet-What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 1 Kings, xvii. 18. So ungratefully we deal with God: we can be content to receive mercies from God; but, if he doth cross us

in the least thing, then through discontent we grow touchy and impatient, and are ready to fly upon God. Thus God loseth all his mercies. We read in Scripture of the thank-offering, 2 Chron. xx. 27. The discontented person cuts God short of this; the Lord loseth his thank-offering. A discontented Christian repines in the midst of mercies, as Adam, who sinned in the midst of Pasadise. Discontent is a spider that sucks the poison of unthankfulness out of the sweetest flower of God's blessings; and, by a devilish chymistry, extracts dross out of the most refined gold. The discontented person thinks every thing he doth for God too much, and every thing God doth for him too little. Oh, what a sin is unthankfulness! It is an accumulative sin. There are many sins bound up in this one sin it is a voluminous wickedness; and how full of this sin is discontent? A discontented Christian, because he hath not all the world, therefore dishonours God with the mercies which he hath. God made Eve out of Adam's rib, to be an helper, as the Father speaks; but the Devil made an arrow of this rib, and shot Adam to the heart: so doth discontent take the rod of God's mercy, and ungratefully shoot at him: estate and liberty shall be employed against God. Thus it is oftentimes. Behold, then, how Discontent and Ingratitude are interwoven and twisted one within another. Thus discontent is sinful in its actings.

3. It is sinful in its consequences; which are these

1. It makes a man very unlike the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is a meek spirit. The Holy Ghost descended in the likeness of a dove, Matt. iii. 16. A dove is the emblem of meekness. A discontented spirit is not a meek spirit.

The

2. It makes a man like the Devil. Devil, being swelled with the poison of envy and malice, is never content; just so is the malecontent. The Devil is an unquiet spirit; he is still walking about, (1 Pet. v. 8.) it is his rest to be walking; and herein is the discontented person like him; for he goes up and down vexing himself. Seeking rest, ana finding none, he is the Devil's picture.

3. Discontent disjoints the soul, it untunes the heart for duty-Is any man afflicted, let him pray, Jam. v. 13. But is any man discontented; how shall he pray? Discontent is full of wrath and passion: the malecontent cannot lift up pure hands; he lifts up leprous hands; he poisons his prayers. Will God accept of a poisoned sacrifice? Chrysostom compares prayer to a fine garland. "Those," saith he, "that make a garland, their hands had need be clean." Prayer is a precious garland, the heart that makes it had need be clean. Discontent throws poison in the spring, which was death among the Romans. Discontent puts the heart into a disorder and

mutiny, and such a one cannot serve the Lord without distraction.

4. Discontent sometimes unfits for the very use of reason. Jonah, in a passion of discontent, spake no better than blasphemy and nonsense-"I do well," said he, "to be angry to the death," Jonah, iv. 9. What to be angry with God, and to die for anger? Sure, he did not know well what he said. When discontent transports, then like Moses, we speak unadvisedly with our lips. This humour doth even suspend the very acts of

reason.

5. Discontent doth not only disquiet a man's self, but those who are near him. This evil spirit troubles families, parishes and kingdoms. If there be but one string out of tune, it spoils all the music. One discontented spirit makes jarrings and discords among others: it is this ill-humour that breeds quarrels and law-suits. Whence is all our contention, but for want of contentment?* From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts? (James, iv. 1.) in particular, from this lust of discontent? Why did Absalom raise a war against his father, and would

* Wars, fighting and shedding of blood, are the unfruitful works of darkness, and with such, the apostle tells us to have nothing to do. But in fighting the good fight of faith, we ought to be valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ; putting on for our armoury the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and for a helmet the hope of Salvation.

have taken off, not only his crown but his head? Was it not his discontent? Absalom would be king. Why did Ahab stone Naboth? Was it not discontent about the vineyard? O this devil of discontent! Thus you have seen the sinfulness of it.

8. Consider the simplicity of it. I may say as the Psalmist-Surely they are disquieted in vain, (Psal. ix. 6.) which appears

thus

1. Is it not a vain simple thing to be troubled at the loss of that which is in its own nature perishing and changeable? God hath put a vicissitude into the creature: all the world rings changes; and for me to meet with inconstancy here, to lose my friends or my property, to be in a constant fluctuation, is no more than to see a flower wither, or a leaf drop off in autumn. There is an autumn upon every comfort, a fall of the leaf. Now it is extreme folly to be discontented at the loss of those things which are so, in their I own nature, loseable. What Solomon saith of riches, is true of all things under the sun -"They take wings." Noah's dove brought an olive-branch in its mouth; but presently flew out of the ark, and never returned more. Such a comfort brings to us honey in its mouth; but it hath wings and to what purpose should we be troubled, unless we had wings to fly after and overtake it?

2. Discontent is an heart-breaking. By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken; (Prov.

« PoprzedniaDalej »