Three tractates by Jos. Hall, D.D. and B.N.

SECT. XIV.

Considering the inconveniences, and miseries of discontentment.

THe next inducement to Contentation, shall be the serious consideration of the mi∣serable inconveniences of the contrary disposition; Discon∣tentment is a mixture of anger, and of grief; both which are wont to raise up fearfull tem∣pests in the soul; Hee teareth himself in his anger, saith Bildad, concerning that mirrour of pa∣tience; * 1.1 And the sorrow of the world worketh death, saith the chosen Vessell: so as the Male∣content, whether he be angry or sad, mischieves himself both ways; There cannot be a truer word then that of wise Solomon, * 1.2 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools; What can be more foo∣lish

then for a man, because he thinks God hath made him mi∣serable by crosses, to make him∣self more miserable by his own distempers? If the clay had sense, what a mad thing were it for it to struggle with the Potter? and if a man wil spurn against strong Iron-pikes, what can he hope to carry away but wounds? How witless a thing it is for a man to torment himself with the thoughts of those evils, that are past all remedy? What wise beholder would not have smiled with pity and scorn, to have seen great Augustus; af∣ter the defeat of some choice Troops, to knock his head against the wall, and to hear him pas∣sionately cry out; O Varus, restore me my lost Legions? Who would not have been an∣gry with that cholerick Prophet to hear him so furiously contest with his Maker for a withered Gourd? What an affliction was

it to good Jacob (more then the sterility of a beloved wife) to hear Rachel say; Give mee * 1.3 children, or else I die? yea, how ill did it sound in the mouth of the Father of the faithfull; Lord God, what wilt thou give mee, * 1.4 seeing I goe childelesse? Yet thus froward and techy is na∣ture in the best; if we may not have all we would have, all that we have is nothing; if wee bee not perfectly humoured, we are wilfully unthankfull; All Israel is nothing worth to Ahab, if he may not have one poor Vineyard: How must this needs irritate a munificent God, to see his bounty contemned out of a childish pettishnesse? How can he forbeare to take away from us his sleighted mercies? How can he hold his hand from plaguing so ingratefull disre∣spects of his favours?

As for that other passion of grief, what wofull work doth it

make in ungoverned mindes? How many have we knowne, that out of thought for unreco∣verable losses, have lost them∣selves? how many have runne from their wits? how many from their lives? Yea, how ma∣ny, that out of an impatience to stay the leisure of vengeance, have made their own hands, their hasty executioners? And even where this extremity pre∣vails not; look about, and yee shall see men that are not able matches to their passions, wo∣fully macerating thēselves with their own thoughts, wearing out their tedious dayes upon the rack of their own hearts; and making good that observation of the wise man; By the sor∣row of the heart, the spirit is * 1.5 broken.

Now all these mischiefs might have been happily prevented by a meek yeeldance of our selves to the hands of an all-wise, and

an all-mercifull God, and by an humble composure of our affe∣ctions to a quiet suffering; It is the power of patience to calm * 1.6 the heart in the most blustering trials; and when the vessell is most tossed, yet to secure the fraight: This, if it doe not abate of our burden, yet it addes to our strength, and wins the Fa∣ther of Mercies both to pity, and retribution.

Whereas murmuring Israelites can never be free from judge∣ments; and it is a dreadfull word that God speaketh of that chosen Nation; Mine heritage is * 1.7 unto me as a Lion in the forest; it, still, yelleth against me, there∣fore have I hated it; A Childe that struggles under the rod, just∣ly doubles his stripes, and an un∣ruly Malefactor drawes on, be∣sides death, tortures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Job 18. 4.
• * 1.2

  Eccles 7. 9.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 30. 1.
• * 1.4

  Gen. 15. 2.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 15. 13
• * 1.6

  Ps. 37. 7. Jam. 5. 7.
• * 1.7

  Jer. 12. 8.