lnovv much more shall your heavenly Fatlier give the Holy Spirit to them ihat ask him? And thus much of the first part of the text, the scliolar, which I intended only as a short gloss or paraphrase.
Chap. IV. The Second Branch of the Text, the Lesson itself, with the Proposition.
II. I come to the second, which is the main thing, the lesson itself; " in whatso- ever state I am, therewith to he content." Here was a rare piece of learning indeed, and is certainly more to be wondered at in St. Paul, that lie knew how to turn himself to every condition, than all the learning in the world besides, which hath been so ap- plauded in former ages, by Julius Caesar, Ptolemy, Xenophon, the great admirers of learning. The text hath but few words in it, " in every state content ;" but if that be true, which once Fulgentius said, that the most golden sentence is ever measured by brevity aud suavity, then, this is a most accomplished speech, — here is magnum in varvo. The text is like a precious jewel, little in quantity, but gi-eat in worth and val ue.
The main proposition I shall insist upon, is this, that a gracious spirit is a contented spirit. The doctrine of contentment is very superlative, aud till we have learned this, we have not learned to be Christians.
1. It is an hard lesson. The angels in heaven had not learned it ; they were not contented. Though their estates was very glorious, yet they were still soaring aloft, and aimed at somethinp; higher, Jude, ver. 6., " The angels which kept not their first estate." They kept not their estate, because they were not contented with their estate. Our first parents, clothed with the Avhite robe of innocency in paradise, had not learned to be content ; they had aspiring hearts, and thinking their human nature too low and home-spun, would be crowned with the Deity, and " be as gods," Gen. iii. 5. Though they had the choice of all the trees of the garden, yet none would content them but the tree of knowledge, which they sup- posed would have been as eye-salve to have made them omniscient. O then, if this les- son was so hard to learn in innocency, how
hard shall we find it, who are clogged with corruption !
2. It is of universal extent, it concerns all. Is^, It concerns rich men. One would think it needless to press those to content- ment whom God hath blessed with great estates, but rather persuade them to be humble and thankful; nay, but I say, be content. Rich men have their discontents as well as others ; as appears, ( 1 ) AVhen thoy have a great estate, yet they are dis- contented that they have no more; they would make the hundi'ed talents a thousand. A man in wine, the more he drinks, the more he thirsts : covctousness is a dry drop- sy; an earthly heart is like the grave, that is "never satisfied," Prov. xxx. 16. There- fore I say to you, rich men, be content. (2.) Rich men, if we may suppose them to be content with their estates — which is sel- dom— yet, though they have estate enough, they have not honour enough ; if their barns are full enough, yet their turrets are not high enough. They would be somebody in the world, as Theudas, " who boasted himself to be somebody," Acts v. 36. They never go so cheerfully as when the wind of honour and apydause fills their sails ; if this wind be down, they are discontented. One would think Hainan had as much as his proud heart could desire ; he was set above all the princes, — advanced upon the pinna- cl(! of honour, to be the second man in the kingdom, Esth. iii. 1., — yet in the midst of all his pomp, because Mordecai would not uncover and kneel, he is discontented, ver. 2., and full of wrath, ver. 5., and there was no way to assuajje this pleurisy of revenge, but by letting all the Jews' blood, and of- fering them up in sacrifice. The itch of honour is seldom allayed without blood ; therefore I say to you rich men, be content. (3.) Rich men, if we may suppose them to be content with their honour and majr- nificent titles, yet they have not always contentment in their relati<ms. She that lie*? in the bosom, may sometimes blow the coals ; as Job's wife, mIio in a pet would have him fall out with God himself, " Curse God, and die." Sometimes children cause discontent. How often is it seen that the mother's milk doth nourish a vij)er ? and that he that once sucked her breast, goes
ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.
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about to suck her blood ? Parents do often of p^rapcs gather thorns, and of figs tliistlcs. Children are sweet-briar ; like the rose, which is a fragrant flower, but, as Basil saith, it hath its prickles. Our relative comforts are not all pure wine, but mixed ; they have in them more dregs than spirits, and are like that river Plutarch speaks of, where the waters in the nu>rning run sweet, but in the evening run bitter. We have no charter of exemption granted us in this life ; therefore rich men had need be called upon to be content.