tented Christian belicvingtliat God doth all in love, is patient, and hath not one word to say, unless to justify God, Ps. li. 4. That is the sin that contentation prevents. (2.) It prevents murmuring, a sin which is a degree higher than the otlier ; mur- muring is quarrelling with God, and en- veighing against him, " they spake against God," Numb. xxi. 5. The murmurer saith interpretatively, that God hath not dealt well with him, and he hath deserved better from him. The murmurer chargeth God with folly ; this is the language, or rather blasphemy of a murmuring spirit, — God might have been a wiser and better God. The murmurer is a mutineer. The Israel- ites are called in the same text murmurers and rebels, Numb. xvii. 10. And is not rebellion as the sin of witchcraft ? Thou that art a murmurer art in the account of God as a witch, a sorcerer, as one that deals with the devil. This is a sin of the first magnitude. Murmuring oft ends in curs- ing : Micah's mother fell to cursing when the talents of silver were taken away, Judges xvii. 2., so doth the murmurer when a part of his estate is taken away ; our murmuring is the devil's music ; this is that sin which God cannot bear : •' how long shall 1 bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me ?" Numb. xiv. 7. It is a sin which whets the sword against a people. It is a land-destroying sin ; " neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the de- stroyer," 1 Cor. X. 10. It is a ripening sin this ; without mercy it will hasten Eng- land's funerals. O then how excellent is contentation, which prevents this sin ! To be contented, and yet murmur, is a sole- cism : a contented Christian doth acquiesce in his present condition, and doth not mur- mur, but admire. Herein appears the ex- cellency of contentation ; it is a spiritual antidote against sin.
Scco?ii//i/, Contentment prevents many temptations ; discontent is a devil that is always tempting. \sf, It puts a man upon indirect means. He that is poor and dis- contented, will attempt any thing; he will go to the devil for riclies ; he that is proud and discontented, will hang himself, as A- hithophel did when his counsel was rejected.
Satan takes great advantage of our discon- tent ; he loves to fish in these troubled wa- ters. Discontent doth both eclipse reason and weaken faith ; and it is Satan's policy; he doth usually break over the hedge where it is weakest. Discontent makes a breach in the soul, and usually at this breach the devil enters by a temptation, and storms the soul. How easily can the devil by his logic dispute a discontented Christian into sin ? He forms such a syllogism as this, " He that is in want must study self-pre- servation. But you are now in want, there- fore you ought to study self-preservation." Hereupon, to make good his conclusion, he tempts to the forbidden fruit, not distin- guishing between what is needful, and what is lawful. " What?" saith he, " dost thou want a livelihood ? Never be such a fool as starve ; take the rising side at a venture, be it good or bad ; ' eat the bread of deceit, drink the wine of violence.' " Thus you see how the discontented man is a prey to that sad tentation, Prov. xxx. 9., to steal and take God's name in vain. Contentment is a shield against tentation ; for he that is contented, knows as well how to want as to abound. He will not sin to get a living ; though the bill of fare grows short, he is content. He lives as the birds of the air upon God's providence, and doubts not but he shall have enough to pay for his passage to heaven. 2d, Discontent tempts a man to atheism and apostacy. Sure there is no God to take care of things here below. Would he suffer them to be in want who " have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts ?" Mai. iii. 14., saith discontent. Throw off Christ's livery, desist from thy religion ! Thus Job's wife being discon- tented with her condition, saith to her hus- band, " Dost thou still retain thy integrity ?" Job ii. 9. As if she had said, " Dost thou not see, Job, what is become of all thy re- ligion ? ' Thou fearest God and eschewest evil,' and what art thou the better ? See how God turns his hand against thee; he hath smitten they in tiiy body, estate, rela- tions, and 'dost thou still retain thy inte- grity?' What! still devout? Still weep and pray before him ? Thou fool, cast off religion, turn atheist !" Here was a sore tentation that the devil did hand over to
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ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.