The rare jewel of Christian contentment wherein is shewed, I. What contentment is, II. The holy art or mystery of it, III. Several lessons that Christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, IV. The excellencies of it, V. The evils of murmuring, VII. The aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by Jeremiah Burroughs.

SERMON VIII.

PHILIPPIANS. 4.1.

For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

* 1.1I Mentioned divers things the last day to set out the evil of discontent; I shall name Two or Three more.

Sixthly, It is below a Christian in this, Be∣cause it's below those helps that a Christian hath more than others have; they have the promises to help them that others have not; it's not so much to have a Nabal have his heart sink, because he hath no∣thing but the creature to uphold him, but it's much for a Chri∣stian that hath promises and ordinances to uphold his spirit which others have not.

Seventhly, It's below the expectation that God hath of Christians, for God expects not only that they should be patient in afflicti∣ons, but that they should rejoyce and triumph in them: now

Christians, when God expects this from you, for you not so much as to have attained to contentednesse under afflictions, Oh this is beneath the expectation of God from you.

Eightly, It is below that that God hath had from other Christians. Others have not only bin contented with little crosses, but they have Triumphed under great afflictions, they have suffered the spoiling of their goods with joy, reade but the latter part of the 11. of the Hebrews, and you shall find what great things God hath had from his people, and therefore not to be content with smaler crosses, this must needs be a great evil.

The Sixth evil that there is in a murmuring spirit, is this, By murmuring you undo your prayers, for it is exceeding contrary to the prayers that you make unto God: When you come to prayer to God, you acknowledge his Sovereignity over you, you come there to professe your selves to be at Gods dispose, what do you pray for except you acknowledge that you are at his dis∣pose, except you will stand (as it were) at his dispose never come to petition to him, if you will come to petition him, and yet will be your own carver you go crosse to your prayers, to come as if you would beg your bread at your Fathers gates every day, and yet you must do what you list, this is the undoing of the prayers of a Christian. I remember I have read of Lat∣timer that speaking concerning Peter that denyed his master, (saith he) Peter forgot his Pater-noster, for that was, hallowed be thy name, and thy kingdom come: So we may say, when you have murmuring and discontented hearts you forget your prayers, you forget what you have prayed for, for you must make the Lords-prayer to be as a pattern for your prayers though you say not alwaies the same words, what do you pray, but give us this day our dayly bread? for that's Christs intention that we should have that as a pattern, and is a directory (as it were) how to make our prayers, now God doth not teach any of you to pray, Lord give me so much a yeer, or let me have such kind of cloath, and so many dishes at my table, Christ doth not teach you to pray so; but he teaches us to pray, Lord give us our bread, shewing that you should be content with a little, what have you not bread to eat? I hope there's none of you here but have that.

Obj. But I do not know if I should die what should become of my children: Or if I have bread now I know not where I shall have it the next week, or where I shall have provision for the winter.

Answ. Where did Christ teach us to pray, Lord give us pro∣vision for so long a time; no, but if we have bread for this day Christ would have us content: Therefore when we murmur because we have not so much variety as others have, we do (as it were) forget our Pater-noster; It's against our prayers, we do not in our lives hold forth the acknowledgement of the Sove∣reignity of God over us as we seem to acknowledg in our pra∣yers; therefore when at any time you find your hearts murmur∣ing then do but reflect upon your selves and think thus, is this according to my prayers, wherein I held forth the Sovereign Power and Authority that God had over me?

The Seventh thing that I adde for the evil of discontentment, is, The wofull effects that comes to a discontented heart from murmuring, I'le name you five, there are five evil effects that comes from a murmuring spirit.

1 By murmuring and discontent in your hearts, you come to loose a great deal of time; how many times do men and women when they are discontented let their thoughts run, and are musing and contriving through their present discontentednesse; then let their discontented thoughts be working in them, for some hours together, and they spend their time in vain. When you are alone you should spend your time in holy meditation, but you are spending your time in discontented thoughts; you who complain that you cannot meditate, you cannot think on good things, but if you begin to think of them a little, presently your thoughts are off from them, but if you be dis∣contented with any thing, then you can go alone, and muse, and roul things up and down in your thoughts to feed a dis∣contented humour: Oh labour to see this evil effect of mur∣muring, the losing of your time.

2. It doth unfit you for duty: A man or woman that is in a con∣tented frame, you may turn such a one to any thing at any time, he is fit for to go to God at any time; but when one is in a discontented condition, then a man or woman is exceeding

unfit for the service of God. And it causes many distractions in duty, it unfits for duty, and when you come to perform duties, Oh the distractions that are in your duties, when your spirits are discontented; when you hear of any ill news from Sea and cannot bear it, or of any ill from a friend, or any losse or crosse, Oh what distractions do they cause in the per∣formance of holy duties! When you should be in enjoying communion with God, you are distracted in your thoughts a∣bout the crosse that hath befallen you, whereas had you but a quiet spirit, though there should great crosses befal you, yet they would never hinder you in the performance of any du∣ty.

3 Consider what wicked risings of heart, & resolutions of spirit there are many times in a discontented fit. In some discontented fits the heart rises against God, and against others, and sometimes hath even desperate resolutions what to do to help themselves. If the Lord should have suffered you to have done, (sometimes in a discontented fit) what you had thought to do, what won∣derfull misery had you brought upon your selves! Oh it was a mercy of God that did stop you, had not God stopt you, but let you go on when you thought to help your selves this way and the other way, Oh it had been ill with you, do you but re∣member those risings of heart and wicked resolutions that sometimes you have had in a discontented mood, and learn to be humbled upon that.

4 Ʋnthankefulnesse, that's an evil and a wicked effect that comes from discontent. Unthankfulnesse the Scripture doth ranke among very great sins. For men and women that are discon∣tent though they enjoy many mercies from God, yet they are thankfull for none of them, for this is the vile nature of dis∣contentment, to lessen every mercy of God, to make those mercies they have from God to be as nothing to them, because they have not what they would have. Sometimes it's so even in spiritual things, if they have not all they would have, the comforts that they would have, then what they have is nothing to them, do you think that God will take this well? If you should give a friend, a kinsman, a purse of money to go and trade withal, and he should come and say, what do you give

me? they are but a few counters, they wil do me no good: you cannot bear this at his hand if he should do so, because he hath not as much money as he would: So for you to be ready to say, All that God hath given me is nothing worth, will do me no good, they are but counters; though they are the preci∣ous Graces of Gods Spirit that are more worth than thousands of worlds, yet for you to say, they are nothing, they are but common gifts, and all is but in hypocrisie, all counterfeit, Oh! what an unthankful thing is this! the graces of Gods Spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have; and so for outward blessings, though God hath given you health of body, and strength, and hath given you some competency for your family, some way of lively-hood, yet because you are disappointed in somwhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you; Oh! what unthankfulnesse is here? God expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his Name for what mercy he hath granted unto you, there's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to blesse God for, but discon∣tentednesse makes them nothing. It's an excellent speech that I remember Luther hath, (saith he) This is the Rhetorick of the Spirit of God, (it's a very fine speech of his) to extenuate evil things, and to amplyfie good things; if there fals out a crosse, to make the crosse to be but little, but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great; as thus, If there be a cross, if the Spirit of God prevails in the heart, such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater, and will blesse God that though there be such a crosse, yet that it is no more; that's the work of the Spirit of God; and if there be a mercy, wonders at Gods goodnesse that God granted so great a mercy: The Spirit of God extenuates evils and crosses, and doth magnifie and am∣plifie all mercies, and makes all mercies seem to be great, and all afflictions seem to be little. But (saith he) the Devil goes quite contrary, the Rhetorick of the Devil is quite otherwise, he doth lessen Gods mercies, and amplifie evill things, as thus, A godly man wonders at his crosse that it is no more, a wicked man wonders his crosse is so much, Oh (saith he) none was ever so afflicted as I am! If there be a crosse, the Devil puts the soul

upon musing on it, and making it greater than it is, and so it brings discontent: And then on the other side, if there be a mercy, then it's the Rhetorick of the Devil to lessen the mercy, I indeed (saith he) the thing is a good thing, but what is it, it is no great matter, and for all this I may be miserable. Thus the Rhetorick of Satan doth lessen Gods mercies, and doth in∣crease afflictions: And for this I'le give you a notable example that we have in Scripture, it is the example of Korah, Dathan & Abiram, In Numb. 16.12, 13. And Moses sent to call Dathan, & Abiram the sons of Eliab: which said, we will not come up: Is it a smal thing that thou hast brought us up out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thy self altogether a Prince over us? Mark, they slighted the land that they were going unto, the Land of Canaan, that was the Land that God promised them that should flow with milk and honey: But mark here their discontentednesse, because they met with some troubles in the wildernesse, Oh it was to slay them, they made their affliction in the wilderness to be greater than it was, Oh it was to kill them, though it were indeed to carry them to the Land of Canaan. But now their deliverance from Egypt though it was a great mercy, they made that mercy to be no∣thing, for say they, you have brought us out of a land that flow∣eth with milk and honey, what land was that? It was the Land of Egypt, the Land of their bondage, but they call it a Land that flowed with milk and honey, though it were the land of their most cruel and unsupportable bondage; whereas they should have blessed God as long as they had liv'd for Gods delivering them out of the land of Egypt, yet meeting with some crosse they make their deliverance from Egypt no mercie, no, it was rather a miserie to them, Oh (say they) Egypt was a land that flowed with milk and honey. Oh what basenesse is there in a discontented spirit! a discontented spirit out of envie to Gods grace will make mercies that are great to be little, yea to be none at all. Would one ever have thought that such a word should have come from the mouth of an Israelite that had been under bondage and cried under it, and yet when they meet with a little crosse in their way to say, you have brought us out of the Land that floweth with milk and honey, to say they

were better before than now, and yet before they could not be contented neither; this is the usual unthankful expression of a discontented heart: And it is so with us now when we meet with any crosse in our estates, any taxations and trouble, espe∣cially if any among you have been where the enemy hath pre∣vailed, you are ready to say, we had plenty before and we are now brought to a condition of hardship, we were better before when we had the Prelats and others to domineer: and so we indanger our selves to be brought into that bondage again; Oh let us take heed of this, of a discontented heart, there is this wo∣full cursed fruit of discontent to make men and women un∣thankful for all the mercies God hath granted to them, and this is a sore and grievous evil.

And lastly, There's this evil effect in murmuring, It causes shift∣tings of spirit: they that murmur and are discontent, are lyable to temptations, to shift for themselves in sinful and ungodly waies, discontent is the ground of shifting courses and unlaw∣ful waies. How many of you may have your consciences con∣demn you of this, that you in the time of your afflictions have fought to shift for your selves by waies that have been sinful a∣gainst God, and your discontent was the bottom and ground of it? If you would avoid shiftings for your selves by wicked waies, labour to mortifie this sin of discontent, to mortifie it at the root.

The Eight evil that there is in murmuring and discontent is this, There is a great deal of folly, extream folly in a discontented heart, it's a foolish sin. I shall open the folly of it in many particu∣lars.

1 It takes away the present comfort of what you have, because you have not somwhat that you would have. What a foolish thing is this, that because I have not what I would have, I will not in∣joy the comfort of what I have? Do not you account this fol∣ly in your children, you give them some victuals and they are not contented, perhaps (they say) it's not enough, they cry for more, and if you do not presently give them more they will throw away that they have, and though you account that folly in your children, yet you deal thus with God; God gives you many mercies, but you see others have more mercies

than you and therefore you cry for more; I but God gives you not what you would have and upon that you throw away what you have, is not this follie in your hearts? It is unthank∣fulnesse.

2 There's a great deal of follie in discontentment, for by all your discontent you cannot help your selves, you cannot get anie thing by it. Who can by taking anie carking care adde one cubit to his stature, or make one hair that is white to be black? You may vex and trouble your selves, but you can get nothing by it. Do you think that the Lord will come in a way of mercie ever a whit the sooner because of the murmuring of your spirits, Oh no, but mercie will be rather deferred the longer for it, though the Lord were before in a way of mercie, yet this distemper of your hearts were enough to put him out of his course of mercie, and though he had thoughts that you should have the thing before, yet now you shall not have it. If you had a mind to give such a thing to your child, yet if you see him in a discon∣tented fretting way you will not give it him; and this is the verie reason why there are so manie mercies denied to you, be∣cause of your discontentment, you are discontented for want of them, and therefore you have them not, you do deprive your selves of the enjoyment of your own desires because of the discontentment of your hearts, because you have not your de∣sires, and is not this a foolish thing?

3 There's a great deal of folly in this, there are many foolish car∣riages commonly that a discontented heart is guilty of: They carry them∣selves foolishly towards God and towards men, there are such ex∣pressions, and such kind of behaviour comes from them, as makes their friends to be ashamed of them manie times, their carriages are so unseemlie, they are a shame to themselves & their friends.

4 There is a great deal of folly in discontent and murmuring; for it doth eat out the good and sweetnesse of a mercy before it comes. If God should give a mercie that we are discontented for the want of, yet the blessing of the mercie is as it were eaten out before we come to have it. Discontent is like a worm that eats the meat out of the nut, and then when the meat is eaten out of it, then you shall have the shell. If a child should crie for a nut

that hath the meat eaten out, or all worm-eaten, what good would the child have by having the nut; so such an outward comfort you would fain have and you are troubled for the want of it, but the verie trouble of your spirits is the worm that eats out the blessing of the mercy, and then perhaps God gives it you, but gives you it with a curse mixed with it that you were better not have it than have it. That man or woman that is dis∣contented for want of some good thing, if God doth give that good thing to them before they be humbled for their discon∣tent that did proceed from them, such a man or woman can have no comfort of the mercie, but it will be rather an evil than a good to them: And therefore for my part if I should have a friend or brother or one that were as deer to me as my own soul, that I should see discontented for the want of such a comfort, I should rather pray, Lord keep this thing from them, til thou wilt be pleased to humble their hearts for their discontent, let not them have the mercie til they come to be humbled for their discontent for the want of it, for if they have it before that time they will have it without any blessing: And therefore it should be your care when you find your hearts discontented for want of any thing, to be humbled for it, thinking thus with your selves, Lord if that that I do so immoderatly desire should come to me before I be humbled for my discontent for want of it, I am certain I can have no comfort of it, but I shall rather have it as an affliction to me. Many things which you desire as your lives, and think that you should be happy if you had them, yet when they do come you find not such happinesse in them, but they prove to be the greatest crosses and afflictions to you that ever you had, and upon this ground, because your hearts were immoderatly set upon them before you had them. As it was with Rachel, she must have children or else she died, well saith God seeing you must, you shal have them, but though she had a child she died according to what she said, Give me children or else I die. So in regard of any other outward com∣forts, people may have the thing, but often times they have it so as it proves the heaviest crosse to them that ever they had in all their lives, such a child as you were discontent for the

want of it, it may be it was sick, and your hearts were out of temper for fear that you should lose it, and God restores it, but he restores it so as he makes it a cross to your heart all the daies of your lives. One observes concerning Manna, when the people were contented with their allowance that God allowed them, then it was verie good, but when they would not be content with Gods allowance, but would gather more than God would have them; then (saith the text) there was worms in it: So when we are content with our conditions, and that that God disposes of us to be in, there's a blessing in it, then it's sweet to us, but if we must needs have more, and keep it longer than God would have us to have it, then there will be worms in it and no good at all.

5. There's a great deal of folly in discontentedness, for it makes our afflictions a great deal worse than otherwise it would be; it no way removes our affliction, nay, while they do continue they are a great deal the worse and heaviour, for a discontented heart is a proud heart, and a proud heart wil not pul down his sails when there comes a tempest and storme: If a Marriner when a tem∣pest and storme comes should be froward and would not pull down his sails, but is discontented with the storm, is his con∣dition the better because he is discontented and will not pull down his sails? Will this help him? Just so is it for all the world with a discontented heart, a discontented heart is a proud heart, and he out of his pride is troubled with his affli∣ction, and is not contented with Gods dispose, and so he will not pull down his spirit at all, and make it bow to God in this condition in which God hath brought him; now is his condition the better because he will not pull down his spirit? no certainly abundantly worse, a thousand to one but the tempest and storm over-whelms his soul. And thus you see what a great deal of folly there is in the sinne of discontent∣ment.

The Ninth Evil of murmuring and discontentment is this, There is a mighty deal of danger in the sin of discontentment, for it ex∣ceedingly provoketh the wrath of God; it's a sin that doth much pro∣voke God against his creature; we find most sad expressions in Scripture (and examples too) how God hath been provoked a∣gainst

many for their discontent; in Numb. 14. you have a no∣table text, and one would think that that were enough for e∣ver to make you fear murmuring, in the 26. verse, it is said, The Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, what did he say? How long shall I bear with this evill Congregation which murmur a∣gainst me? How long shall I bear with them saith God, This evil congregation; Oh it's an evil congregation that murmur against me! And how long shall I bear with them? they do murmur, and they have murmured: as those that have murmuring spi∣rits, and murmuring dispositions, they wil murmur again, and again, How long shall I hear with this evil congregation that murmur against me? How justly may God speak this of many of you that are this morning before the Lord, How long shall I bear with this wicked man or woman that doth murmur against me, and hath usually in the course of their lives murmured against me when any thing falls out otherwise than they would have it? And mark what follows after, I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel: You murmur, it may be others hear you not, nay it may be you speak not at all, or but half-words, yet God hears the language of your murmuring hearts, and those muttering speeches, and those half-words that comes from you. And observe further in this verse, how the Lord repeats this sin of murmuring, How long shall I bear with this evill congregation which murmur against me? Secondly, I have heard their murmur∣ing, Thirdly, which they murmur against me: Murmur, murmur, murmur, Three times in one verse he repeats it; and this is to shew his indignation against the thing: When you expresse indignation against a thing, you will repeat it over again, and again: now the Lord because he would express his indignation against this sin, he repeats it over again, and again, and it fol∣lows in the 28. vers. Say unto them, as truly as I live saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you. Mark, God swears against a murmurer; sometimes in your discontent you will be ready to swear (it may be,) do you swear in your discontent? So doth God swear against you for your discontent. And what was it that God would do unto them? verse, 29, 30. Doubtless your carkeises shall fall in the wilderness, and you shall not come into the land concerning which I swear, to make you dwel therein: as if God

should say, if I have any life in me, your lives shall go for it, as I live it shall cost you your lives. A discontented murmuring fit of yours may cost you your lives. You see how it provokes God, there is more evil in it than you are aware of, it may cost you your lives, and therefore look to your selves, and learn to be humbled at the very beginnings of such distempers in the heart. So in Psal. 106.24, 25. Yea they despised the pleasant Land, they beleeved not his word; But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord; therefore be lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wildernesse. Here are divers things observable in this Scripture.

First, That which we spoke to before, How a murmuring heart doth slight Gods mercies, so it is here, They despised the pleasant land: and that a murmuring heart is contrary to faith, they beleeved not his word, but (saith the text) they murmured in their tents, and hearkened not to the voice of the Lord. Many men and wo∣men will hearken to the voice of their own base murmuring hearts, that will not hearken to the voice of the Lord; if you would hearken to the voice of the Lord there would not be such murmuring as there is: But mark what follows upon it, you may not think to please your selves in your murmuring discon∣tentednesse, and think that no evil shall come of it; Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them: you that are dis∣contented, you lift up your hearts against God, and you cause God to lift up his hand against you; perhaps God laies his finger upon you softly in some afflictions that are upon you, in your families or else where, and you cannot bear the hand of God that lies upon you as tenderly as a tender-hearted nurse that laies her hand upon the child, you cannot bear the tender hand of God that is upon you in a lesser affliction; it were just with God to lift up his hand against you in another manner of affliction; Oh a murmuring spirit provokes God exceedingly. There is another place in 16. of Num. compare the 41. verse, and the 46. vers. together, But on the morrow all the Congregati∣on of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord: and mark in the 46. verse, And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a Censer and put fire therein, from off the Altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto

the Congregation and make an attonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun; mark how Gods wrath is kindled; in the 41. verse, the Congregation had mur∣mured; and they murmured but against Moses and Aaron, (per¦haps you murmur more directly against God) and that was a¦gainst God in murmuring against Gods Ministers, it was a∣gainst God but not so directly; but it may be the murmuring of your hearts is more directly against Gods dealings with you, if you murmur against those that God makes instruments, (be∣cause you have not every thing that you would have) as a∣gainst the Parliament, or such and such that are publique in∣struments, it's against God; it was but against Moses and Aaron that the Israelites murmured, and they said that Moses and Aaron had killed the people of the Lord, though it was the hand of God that was upon them for their former wickednesse, in murmuring. It is usual for wicked vile hearts to deal thus with God, that when Gods hand is a little upon them for to murmur again and again, and so to bring upon themselves even infinite kind of evils; but now the anger of God was quickly kindled, Oh saith Moses, Go, take the Censer quickly for wrath is gone out from Jehovah, the plague is begun: so while you are murmuring in your families, the wrath of God may quick∣ly go out against you, quickly, in a morning or evening, when you are murmuring, the wrath of God may come quick∣ly out upon your families or persons, you are never so prepa∣red for present wrath as when you are in a murmuring discon∣tented fit, those that stand by and see you in a murmuring dis∣contented fit, have cause to say, Oh let us go and take the censer, let us go to prayer, for we are afraid that wrath is gone out a∣gainst this familie, against this person: And it were a verie good thing for thee that art a godly wife when you see your husband come home and fall to murmuring because things go not according to his desire, to go to prayer, and say, Lord per∣don the sin of my husband; and so for the husband to go to God in prayer falling down and beseeching of him that wrath may not come out against his familie for the murmur∣ing of his wife. And the truth is, at this day there hath been (at least lately) as much murmuring in England as ever was,

and even in this very particular the plague is begun, and this very judgment it doth come many times upon murmuring upon those that are so discontented in their families and are alwaies grumbling and murmuring at any thing that fals out amisse, (I say) this text of Scripture in Numbers doth cleerly hold forth this, that the Lord brings the plague upon men for this sin of murmuring, he doth it in kingdomes and families, and upon particular persons. Though we cannot alwaies point out the particular sin that God brings this for, yet this should be ex∣amined how far we are guilty of the sin of murmuring; because the Scripture holds forth this so cleerly, that Moses when he did but hear that they murmured, Do they murmur? (saith he) Go forth quickly, and seek to passifie the anger of God, for wrath is gone out, and the plague is begun. And in 1 Cor. 10.10. there you have an notable example of Gods heavie displea∣sure against murmuring, Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Take heed of mur∣muring as some of them did, (he speaks of the people of Israel in the wildernesse,) but saith he, what came of it? They were de∣stroyed of the destroyer. Now the destroyer is thought to be the fiery-serpents that were sent among them: They murmured, and God sent fiery serpents to sting them. What do you think that such a cross and affliction doth sting you? perhaps such an af∣fliction is upon you, and it seems to be grievous for the pre∣sent, what? do you murmur and repine? God hath greater crosses to bring upon you: Those people that murmur for the want of outward comforts, for want of water, (sometimes) and for the want of bread, they murmur, but the Lord sends fiery-serpents among them. I may say to a murmuring heart, Wo to thee that strivest with thy Maker: wo to that man, that woman that strives against their Maker; what doest thou else, but strive against thy Maker? Thy Maker hath the absolute dispose of thee, and wilt thou strive against thy Maker? What doth this murmuring discontented heart of thine do otherwise but wrangle and contind and strive even with God himself? Oh wo to him that strives against his Maker! I may further say to thee, as Gods speaks to Job: Job, 38.1, 2. when Job was impatient, Now God spake (saith the text) out of the whirlwind,

and said, Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without know∣ledge? So, doest thou speak against Gods waies, and his provi∣dences that hath fallen out concerning thy estate and outward comforts? who is this? Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge? Where's that man or woman whose hearts are so bold and impudent, as dares speak against the administra∣tion of Gods providence?

The Tenth Evil of murmuring and discontent is this, There's a great curse of God upon it, so far as it doth prevail in one that is wic∣ked it hath the curse of God upon it. In Psal. 59.15. see there what the curse of God is upon wicked and ungodly men, Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. That is the imprecation and curse upon wicked and ungodly men, that if they be not satisfied they shall grudge; when thou art not satisfied in thy desires and findest thy heart grudging a∣gainst God, apply this Scripture, What, is the curse of the wicked upon me? This is the curse that is threatned upon wicked and ungodly ones, That they shall grudge if they be not satisfied. And in Deut. 28.27. There it's threatned as a curse of God upon men, that they cannot be content with their present condition, But they shall say in the morning, would God it were even; and at even, would God it were morning; and so they lie tossing up and down and cannot be content with any condi∣tion that they are in, because of the sore afflictions that be upon them; and therefore it is further threatned as a curse upon them, in the 34. verse, That they should be mad for the sight of their eyes which they should see: This is but the extremity of their dis∣contentednesse; that is, they shall be so discontented, as they shall be even mad: Many men and women in discontented moods are mad kind of people, and though you may please your selves in such a mad kind of behaviour, yet know, that it is a curse of God upon men to be given up to a kind of madness for evils that they suppose are upon them, and that they fear. In the 47. verse, there is a notable expression for to shew the curse of God upon murmuring hearts; the Lord threatning the curses that shall be upon them, (saith he) verse 45, 46, & 47. The Curse shall pursue thee, and they shall be upon thee for a sign, and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever: Because thou servedst not the

Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abun∣dance of all things. God here threatens to bring his curse so upon them, as to make them a wonder and a sign to others, why? Because they served not the Lord with joyfulness of heart, (that may be added to that of the wrath of God upon men) therefore God would bring such a curse upon them as would make them a wonder to all that were about them; Oh how far art thou then that hast a murmuring heart, from serving the Lord with joyfulnesse?

The Eleventh evill of discontent and murmuring is this. There is much of the spirit of Satan in a murmuring spirit. The De∣vil is the most discontented creature that is in the world: He is the proudest creature that is, and the discontentedst creature; and the most dejected creature. Now therefore so much discon∣tentment as thou hast, so much of the spirit of Satan thou hast. It was the unclean spirit that went up and down and found no rest; so when a man or womans spirit hath no rest, it is a sign that it hath much of the unclean spirit, of the spirit of Satan, and thou shouldest think thus with thy self, Oh Lord what have I the spirit of Satan upon me? It is Satan that is the most discontented spirit that is, and Oh! how much of his spirit have I upon me that can find no rest at all?

Twelfthly, Murmuring and discontent hath this evil in it, There is an absolute necessity that thou shouldest have disquiet all the daies of thy life. As if a man that is in a great croud should com∣plain that other folks touch him; While we are in this world God hath so ordred things that afflictions must befal us, and if we will complain and be discontented upon every crosse and affliction, why we must complain and be discontent all the daies of our lives, yea God in just judgment will let things fall out on purpose to vex those that have vexing spirits, and discontented hearts, and therefore there is a necessitie that they should live disquiet all their daies: and men will not much care to disquiet those that are continually murmuring, Oh they will have disquiet all their daies.

Lastly, there's this dreadful evil in discontent and murmu∣ring, God may justly withdraw his care off you, and his protection over you, seeing God cannot please you in his administrations. We

use to say so to discontented servants; nay, if you be not plea∣sed mend your selves when you will. If you have a servant not content with his diet and wages, and work, you say, mend your selves; so may God justly say to us, we that professe our selves servants to him, to be in his work, and yet are discon∣tented with this thing or that in Gods family, God might justly say, mend your selves. What if God should say to any of you, If my care over you do not please you, then take care of your selves, if my protection over you will not please you, then pro∣tect your selves: Now all things that do befall you, befall you through a providence of God, and if you be those that belong to God there is a protection of God over you, and a care of God. Now if God should say, Well, you shall not have the benefit of my protection anie longer, and I will take no further care of you: would not this be a most dreadful judgment of God from Heaven upon you? Take heed what you do then in being discontent with Gods will towards you, and indeed upon discontent this may befal you. And this is the reason why manie people though Gods protection hath bin verie gracious over them for a time, and they have thriven a∣bundantly, yet afterwards almost all that behold them may say that they live as if God had cast off his care over them, and as if God did not care what befell them. Now then my bre∣thren, put all these together, all that we were speaking of the last day, and these particulars that have been added now this morning for the setting out of a murmuring and discontented spirit, Oh what an ugly face hath this sin of murmuring, and discontentednesse, Oh what cause is there that we should lay our hands upon our hearts, and go away and be humbled before the Lord because of this! whereas your thoughts were wont to be exercised about providing for your selves, and getting more comforts to your selves, let the stream of your thoughts now be turned to humble your selves for your discontentednesse, Oh that you may have your hearts break before God, for other∣wise you will fall to it again, Oh the wretchednesse of mans heart! You shall find in Scripture concerning the people of Is∣rael, how strangely they fell to their murmuring again and a∣gain, do but observe three texts of Scripture, for that, the

first in the 15. of Exod. at the beginning, there you shall have Moses and the Congregation singing to God and blessing God for his mercy, Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously, the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea. And then, The Lord is my strength and song, and he is be∣come my salvation, he is my God and I will prepare him an habitation, my Fathers God and I will exalt him; and so he goes on, and who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the gods, who is like thee, glorious in holinesse, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thus their hearts triumphed in God, but mark before the Chapter is ended in the 23. verse, When they came to Marah (in the same Chapter) they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter, therefore the name of it was called Marah, and the people murmured against Mo∣ses. After so great a mercy as this was, what unthankfulnes was there here in their murmuring! Then God gave them water, but in the very next Chapter they fell to their murmuring, (you reade not that they were humbled for their former murmuring, and therefore they murmur again) Exod. 16.1. &c. All the Con∣gregation of the Children of Israel came to the wildernesse of Sin, &c. And the whole Congregation (in the second verse) of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron in the wil∣dernesse, and the Children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt, when we sate by the flesh-pots, and when we did eat bread to the full. Now they want flesh, they wanted water before, but now they want meat, they fell to murmuring again, they were not humbled for this murmuring against God, neither when God gave them flesh according to their desires, but they fell to murmuring again, they wanted somewhat else. In the very next Chapter, (they went not far) in the 17 of Exod. beginning. And all the Con∣gregation of the Children of Israel journied from the wildernesse of Sin and pitthed in Rephadim, and there was no water for the people to drink: then in the second verse, Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink, and Moses said unto them, Why chide you with me? wherefore do you tempt the Lord? And in the third verse, And the people thirsted there for water, and the people murmured against Moses and said, Wherefore

is this, that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, and our Children, and our Cattell with thirst? So one time after ano∣ther, still as soon as ever they had received the mercie then they were a little quieted, but they were not humbled. I bring these Scriptures for this to shew, that if we have not been humbled for murmuring, the next crosse that we meet withal we will fall to murmuring again.

And now there are divers agravations of this sin of murmuring, I'le mention but one now, and I shall but begin that. The first Agravation is this.

To murmur when we enjoy abundance of mercy, the greater and the more abundant the mercy is that we enjoy, the greater, and the viler is the sin of murmuring. As here now when God had newly delive∣red them out of the house of bondage, for them, now to mur∣mur, because they want some few particulars that they desire, Oh to sin against God after a great mercy this is a great agra∣vation, and a most abominable thing. Now my brethren, the Lord hath granted us very great mercies, I'le but speak a word of what God hath done of late, what mercies hath the Lord granted to us this summer, heaped mercies upon us, one mer∣cie upon another, what a condition were we in at the begin∣ning of this summer? and what a different condition are we in now! Oh what a mercie is it that the Lord hath not taken ad∣vantages against us, that he hath not made those Scriptures (before mentioned) good upon us for all our murmuring, the Lord hath gone on with one mercie after another. We hear of mercie in Bristol, and mercy to our brethren in Scotland: But still if after this we should have any thing befall us that is but crosse to us, that we should be ready to murmur again present∣ly; Oh let us not so requite God for those mercies of his; Oh let's take heed of giving God any ill requital for his mercies; Oh give God praise according to his excellent greatness, to his excellent goodnesse and grace.

And now hath God given to you the Contentment of your hearts? Take you heed of being the cause of any greife to your brethren, think not that because God hath been gracious unto you, that therefore he hath given you liberty for to bring them

into bondage, Oh let not there be such an il effect of Gods mer∣cy to you, as for you to exclude by petitioning, or any other way your Brethren that the Lord hath been pleased to make Instruments of your peace, let not that be the fruit of it, nor to desire any thing that your selves do not yet understand. God is very jealous of the glory of his mercy, and if there should be an ill use made of the mercy of God after we enjoy it, Oh it would go to the heart of God! nothing is more grievous to the heart of God than the abuse of mercy: As now, if any way that is hard and rigid should be taken towards our Brethren, and those especially that God hath made such special Instruments of good to us, that have been so willing to venture their lives, and all for us; now when we have our turns served, let God and his People, and Servants that have been a means to save us shift for themselves as well as they can: Oh! this is a great aggravati∣on of your sin, to sin against the mercies of God: But for this Aggravation, and specially in this particular, we shall speak to (God willing) the next day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sept. 21. 1645.