2(//y, The doctrine of contentment con- cerns poor men. You that do suck so li- berally from the breasts of providence, be content ; it is an hard lesson, therefore it had need be set upon the sooner. How hard is it whenthelivelihood is even gone, — a great estate boiled away almost to not'iing, then to be contented. The means of sub- sistence is in scripture called our life, be- cause it is the very sinews of life. The woman in the gospel spent " all her living upon the physicians," Luke viii. 43., — in the Greek it is, she spent her whole life upon the physicians, because she spent her means by which she should live. It is much when poverty hath clipped our wings then to be content; but, though hard, it is excellent; and the apostle here had " learned in every state to be content." God had brought St. Paul into as groat variety of conditions as ever we read of any man, and yet he was content ; else sure he could never have gone through it with so much cheerfulness^. See into what vicissitudes this blessed apostle was cast : " we are trouhled on every side," 2 Cor. iv. 8., there was the sadness of liis condition ; " but not distressed," there was his content in that condition : " we are perplexed," there is his affliction ; " but not in despair," there is his contentiition. And, if we read a little further, 2 Cor. vi. 4, 5., " In afflictions, in necessities, in dis- tresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tu- mults," &c. There is his trouble : and be- hold his content, ver. 10., " As having nothing, yet possessing all things," When the apostle was driven out of all, yet in re- gard of that sweet contentment of mind — which was like music in his sou) — he pos- sessed all. We read a short map or history
of his sufferings, 2 Cor. xi. 23, 2'1-, 25., " In prisons more fre(juent, in deaths oft," &c. Yet behold the blessed frame and tem- per of his spirit, " I have learned, in what- soever state I am, therewith to be content." Which way soever providence did blow, he had such heavenly skill and dexter it v, that he knew how to steer his course. For his outward estate he was indiflerent ; he could be either on the top of Jacob's ladder, or the bottom ; he could sing either p/acentia or locrymcc — the dirge or the anthem, — he could be any thing that God would have him : " I know how to want, and how to abound." Here is a rare pattern for us to imitate. Paul, in regard of his faith and courage, was like a cedar, he could not be stirred ; but for his outward conditiim, he was like a reed bending every way with the wind of providence. When a prosperous gale did blow upon him, he could bend with that, " I know how to be full ;" and wjjen a boisterous gust of affliction did blow, he could bend in humility with that, "I know how to be hungry." St. Paul was — as Ar- istotle speaks — like a die that hath four squares, throw it which way you will, it falls upon a bottom ; let God throw the apostle which way he would, he fell upon this bottom of contentment. A contented spirit is like a watch : though you carry it up and down with you yet the spring of it is not shaken, nor the wheels out of order, but the watch keej)s its perfect moti(hi, so it was with St. Paul, though (Jod carried him into various conditions, yet he was not lift up with the one, nor cast down with the other; the spring of his heart was not bro- ken, the wheels of his affections were not disordered, but kept their constant motion towards heaven ; still content. The ship that lies at anchor may sometimes be a little shaken, but never sinks ; flesh and blood may have its fears and discjuiets, hut grace doth clu'ck them ; a Christian, having cjist anchor in heaven, his heart never sinks; a gracious spirit is a coJitented spirit. This is a ran; art. Paul did not ic-ini it at the feet of (iaiualiel. " I am instruet«'d," ver. 11. I am initiated into this holy mvs- tery ; as if he had said, I have gotten tlie divine art, — I have the knack of it ; (iod must make us right artists. If we should
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ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.
put some men to an art tliat they are not skilled in, how unfit would they be for it ? Put an husbandman to limning or drawing pictures, what strange work would he make ? This is out of his sphere. Take a limner that is exact in laying of colours, and put him to plough, or set him to planting or grafting of trees, this is not his art, he is not skilled in it ; bid a natural man live by faith, and when all things go cross, be con- tented, you bid him do what he hath no skill in, you may as well bid a child guide the stern of a ship ; to live contented upon God in the deficiency of outward comforts, is an art which " flesh and blood hath not learned :" nay, many of God's own children, who excel in some duties of religion, when they come to this of contentment, how do they bungle ? They have scarce commenced masters of this art.
Chap. V. The resolving of sOx^e Questions.