1. It makes a man very unlike the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is a meek Spi- rit. The Holy Ghost descended in the like- ness of a dove. Mat. iii. 16. A dove is the emblem of meekness ; a discontented spirit is not a meek spirit.
2. It makes a man like the devil. The devil being swelled with the poison of envy and malice, is never content: just so is the mal-content. The devil is an unquiet spi- rit, 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, and finding none ;' he is the devil's picture.
3. Discontent disjoints the soul, it un- tunes the heart for duty. " Is any among you affli-cted, let him pray," Jam. v. 13. But, is any man discontented? How shall he pray ? " Lift up holy hands witliout wrath," 1 Tim. ii. 8. Discontent is full of wrath and passion: the mal-content 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 to be clean ; prayer is a precious garland, the heart that makes it had need to be clean. Discontent throws poison into the spring, which was death among the Romans, dis- content puts the heart into a disorder and mutiny, and such an 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 blasplicmy and nonsense : " I do well (said he) to be angry even unto 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 Iransjiorts, then, like Moses, we speak tuiadviscdly with our lips. This humour doth even suspend the very acts of reason.
5. Discontent doth not only disquiot a man's self, but those who are near him. This evil spirit troubles families, ])ari.shes, &c. 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 are all our contentions, but for want of contenta- tion ? " From whence come wars and figlii- ings among you ? Come they not hence, even of your lusts ?" James iv. L In particular from the lust of discontent. Why did Absalom raise a war against his father, and would have taken off not only his crown, but his head ? Was it ncH his discontent ? Absalom would be king. Wjiy did Ahab stone Naboth ? was it not discon- tent about the vineyard ? Oli this devil of discontent ! Thus you have seen the sinful- ness of it.
Evil 3d. Consider the simplicity of if. 1 may say, as the Psalmist, "surely they are disquieted in vain :" Ps. xxxix, 6. AVhich appears thus,
1. Is it not a vain simple thing to hn troubled at the loss of that which is in it«i own nature perishing and changeable ? God hath put a A-icissitude into the creature; all the world rings changes ; and for me to meet with inconstancy here, — to lose q friend, estate, — to be in a constant fluctua- tion,— 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 tho leaf; now it is extreme folly to he discon- tented at the loss of those things which are in their own nature loseable. Wjiat Solo- mon saith of riches, is true of all things un- der 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 brino-s to
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us lionev in its mouth, but it liath wings ; and to what purpose should we be troubled, unless we had wings to fly after and over- take it ?
2. Discontent is a heart-breaking : " By sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken," Prov. XV. 13. It takes away the comfort of life. There is none of us but may have many mercies if we can see them ; now be- cause we have not all we desire, therefore we will lose the comfort of that which we have already. Jonah having his gourd smitten — a withering vanity — was so dis- contented, that he never thought of his mi- raculous deliverance out of the whale's bel- ly ; he takes no comfort of his life, but wisheth that he might die. What folly is this ? We must have all or none ; herein we are like children, that throw away the piece which is cut them because they may have no bigger. Discontent eats out the comfort of life. Besides, it were well if it were seriously weighed how prejudicial this is even to our health ; for discontent, as it doth discruciate the mind, so it doth pine the body. It frets as a moth ; and by wast- ing the spirits, weakens the vitals. The pleurisy of discontent brings the body into a consumption ; and is not this folly ?