Sermon 9

PHILIPPIANS. 4.11. For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Now because it is very hard to work upon a murmuring spirit, there are various aggravations (I told you) we are to consider of for the further setting out of the greatness of this sin; I mentioned but only one the last day, now we shall proceed in that.

The first Aggravation of the sin of discontent and murmuring is this, For men and women to be discontent in the midst of mercies, in enjoyment of abundance of mercies. To be discontent in any afflicted condition, is sinful and evil, but to be discontent when we are in the midst of Gods mercies, when we are not able to count the mercies of God, yet after to be discontent because we have not all we would have, this is a greater evil. I only mentioned this the last day, that I might show to you what a great sin it is at such a time as this. The Lord this summer has multiplied mercies one upon another, the Lord has made this summer to be a continued miracle of mercy; never did a Kingdom enjoy (in so little space of time) such mercies one upon another. Now the public mercies of God should quiet our hearts and keep us from discontent; and the sin of discontent for private afflictions is exceedingly aggravated by the consideration of public mercies to the Land. When the Lord has been so merciful to the Land, will you be fretting and murmuring, because you have not in your family all the comforts that you would have? As it is a great aggravation of a mans evil for him to rejoice immoderately in his own private comforts when the Church is in affliction, when the public suffers grievous and hard troubles, if any man shall then rejoice and give liberty to himself, at that time to satisfy his flesh to the uttermost in all outward comforts, this is a great aggravation of his sin. So on the contrary for any man to be immoderately troubled for any private afflictions when it goes well with the public, with the Churches, this is a great aggravation of his sin. It may be when the Church of God was lowest, and it went worst in other parts, yet you did abate nothing of the comfort of your flesh, but gave full liberty to satisfy your flesh as formerly, know this was your great sin. So on the other side when we have received such mercies in public, we should have all our private afflictions swallowed up in the public mercies. And we should think with ourselves, though we be afflicted for our particular, yet (blessed be God) it goes well with the Church, and with the public. The consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents, and if it does not so, know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of God that are abroad. Now shall Gods mercies aggravate our sins? This is a sad thing, this is to turn the mercies of God to be our misery. Did you not pray to God for these mercies that God has sent of late to the public, these great victories that God has given, did you not pray for them? Now you have them, Is not there enough in them to quiet your heart for some private trouble you meet with in your family? Is not there goodness enough there to cure your discontent? Certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for, except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions. Public mercies are the aggravation of private discontent, as so of public discontent too. If we receive so many public mercies, yet if every thing goes not in the public according as we desire, if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin. God may say, what shall I bestow such mercies upon a people, and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent? Oh! it is exceeding evil. So in particular, the mercies that concerns yourself, your family, if you would consider you have a great many more mercies than you had afflictions. I dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this Congregation, (suppose your afflictions be what they will) there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions.

Objection. You will say, Ay, but you do not know what our afflictions are, our afflictions are so as you do not conceive of them because you feel them not?

Answer. Though I cannot know what your afflictions are, yet I know what your mercies are, and I know they are so great as I am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have. If it were but this mercy, that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you, it is a greater mercy than any affliction, set any affliction by this mercy and see which would weigh heaviest, this is certainly greater than any affliction. That you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not now in Hell, this is a greater mercy. That you have the sound of the Gospel yet in your ears; that you have the use of your reason; this is a greater mercy than your afflictions. That you have the use of your limbs, your senses, that you have the health of your bodies, health of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction. There is no man that is rich but if he be wise, if he has a sickly body, he would part with all his riches that he might have his health, therefore your mercies are more than your afflictions. We find in Scripture how the Holy Ghost does aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies, you have a notable Scripture for it in the 16, of Numbers 8 verse etc. It is a speech of Moses to Korah and his company when they murmured, And Moses said unto Korah, hear I pray you you sons of Levi, (there is somewhat that you are sons of Levi,) Does it seem but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the Congregation to minister unto them? Korah and his company were murmuring, but mark how Moses aggravates this; Does it seem a small thing unto you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord? etc. You see it is a great honour that God puts upon a man a great mercy that he does bestow upon any man to separate him from others for himself, to come near to him, to employ him in the service of the Tabernacle, to minister to the Congregation in holy things, this is a great mercy, and indeed it is such a mercy as one would think there should be none that God bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction. It is true, many Ministers of God they meet with hard things that might discourage them, and trouble and grieve their spirits, but now this consideration that God is pleased to employ them in such a service near to himself, that though they cannot do good to themselves, yet they may do good to others, this should quiet them. And yet in the 10 verse, And he has brought you near to him, and all your Brethren the Sons of Levi with you, and seek you the Priesthood also? Have not you enough already? But still you are discontented with what you have and must have more, seek you yet more? Seek you the Priesthood also? For which cause both you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord: And what is Aaron that you murmur against him? What has God given you such things, and yet will you be murmuring, because you cannot have more? Methinks that this place should keep Ministers from murmuring, though they should meet with never such afflictions and crosses, and unkind dealings from men, yet still they should go on with hearts quieted and comforted in the work that God has set them about, and labour to countervail all their Afflictions by being more abundant in the work of the Lord. That is the first text of Scripture that shows how the mercies we enjoy are Aggravations to the sin of murmuring.

And then a second Scripture is in the 2 of Job, 10 verse. A speech of Job to his wife, what says Job when his wife would have had him curse God and die? (That was a degree beyond murmuring) says he, You speak as one of the foolish women, shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil? You see Job did help himself against all murmuring thoughts against the ways of God with this consideration, that he had received so much good from the Lord. What though we receive evil, yet do not we receive good as well as evil? Let us set one against the other, that is the way we should go. In the 17 of Ecclesiastes the 14 verse you have a notable Scripture there whereby you may see what course is to be taken when the heart rises in murmuring, In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of Adversity consider; what should they consider? (Mark what follows) God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. God also has set the one over against the other, that is thus, When you are in prosperity, then indeed every man can be joyful, but what if Afflictions befalls him, what then? Then consider, consider what? That God has set one over against the other, you have a great deal of Affliction, and you have had a great deal of prosperity, you have many troubles, and you have had many mercies, make one column of mercies, and one column of afflictions, and write one against the other, and see if God has not filled one column as full as the other, you look altogether upon your afflictions, but look upon your mercies also. For instance, It may be God has afflicted you in one child, but he has been merciful to you in another child, set one against the other. God afflicted David in Absalom, but he was merciful to David in Solomon, and therefore when David cried out, Oh Absalom my Son my Son! If David had thought upon Solomon, and cried, Oh Solomon my son my son, it would have quieted him. And it may be God has been merciful to you in a wife, or in your husband, set that against your affliction, it may be God crosses you in your estate, but it may be he does employ you in his service, it may be you are afflicted in some of your friends, but you have other friends that are great mercies to you, and therefore you should set one against the other, and it does concern you so to do, for those mercies will be aggravations of your sins, and you had better make Gods mercies a means to lessen your sins, than to be the aggravation of your sins. If you make not the mercies of God to help you against your murmuring, you will make them to be aggravations of the sin of murmuring. I beseech you for this take but this one consideration further, and if you will but work it upon your hearts I hope you may find a great deal of power in it. You find afflictions, and your hearts are troubled and murmur, consider how Gods mercies does aggravate this sin, thus: In the midst of our sins we do make account God should accept of our services, do but consider thus, if in the midst of our many sins we hope that God will accept of our poor services, why then should not we in the midst of our afflictions bless God for his many mercies? Shall God be thus gracious to us that notwithstanding our many sins, yet he will not cast away our poor duties and services that we perform, then why should not we in the midst of our sufferings accept of what mercies we have, and not slight them and disregard them? If you in the midst of Gods mercies shall not be willing to bear afflictions that God lays upon you, then it were just with God that in the midst of your sins he should not regard any of your duties, now is there not as much power in your manifold sins to cause God to reject your duties and services, as there is power in afflictions (in the midst of many mercies) to take off your heart from being affected with Gods mercies? And that is the first aggravation of the sin of murmuring, to murmur in the midst of mercies.

A Second Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is, When we murmur for small things. Saith Naaman's servant to him, Father (for so he called him) if the Prophet had required you to do some great thing, would not you have done it? How much more this little thing. So I say, if the Lord had required you to suffer some great matter, would not you have been willing to suffer? How much more this little thing. I remember I have read in Seneca a Heathen, he hath this similitude which is a very fine one to set out the great evil of murmuring upon smaller afflictions, (saith he) Suppose a man hath a very fair house to dwell in, and he hath fair orchards and gardens, and set about with brave tall trees for ornament, if this man now should murmur because the wind blows off a few leaves off his trees, what a most unreasonable thing were it for him to be weeping and wringing his hands because he loses a few leaves off his trees, when he hath abundance of all kind of fruit? Thus it is with many (saith he) though they have a great many comforts about them, yet some little matter, the blowing off of a few leaves from them is enough to disquiet them. It was a great evil when Ahab having a kingdom, yet the want of his neighbor's vineyard had such power to disquiet him: So for us to murmur, not because we have not such a thing as we have need of, but because we have not what possibly we might have, this is a very great sin. Suppose God gives a child that hath all the limbs and parts complete, a child that is very comely, and hath excellent parts, wit, and memory, but it may be there is a wart that grows upon the finger of the child, and she murmurs at it, and Oh what an affliction is this to her! She is so taken up with that as she forgets to give any thanks to God for her child, and all the goodness of God to her in the child is swallowed up in that; would not you say, this were a folly and a very great evil in a woman so to do? Truly our afflictions if we weighed them aright they are but such kind of things in comparison of our mercies. Rebekah she had a mighty desire to have children, but because she found some trouble in her body when she was with child, saith she, Why am I thus? As if she should say, I had as good have none, only because she found a little pain and trouble in her body. To be discontent when the affliction is small and little, that increases very much the sin of murmuring, it is too much for any one to murmur upon the heaviest cross that can befall one in this world, but upon some small things to be discontent and murmur, that's worse. I have read of one when he lay upon a heap of damask-roses, he complained that there was one of the rose leaves lay double under him: So we are ready thus for very small things to make complaints and to be discontented with our condition. And that's a Second aggravation.

A Third aggravation is this, For men that are of parts and abilities, that God hath given wisdom to, for them to be discontent and murmur, that is more than if others do it. Murmuring and discontentedness is too much in the weakest, yet we can bear with it sometimes in children and women that are weak, but for those that are men, men of understanding, that have wisdom, that God employs in public service, that they should be discontent with every thing, this is an exceeding great evil; for men in their families (to whom God hath given parts and wisdom) when things fall out amiss there, to be always murmuring and repining, their sin is greater than for women or children to do it.

A fourth aggravation, Is the consideration of the freeness of all God's mercies to us. What ever we have it is of free cost, what though we have not all we would have, seeing what we have is free? If what we have were earned then it were somewhat, but when we consider that all is from God, for us to murmur at his dispensations is very evil. Suppose a man were in a family entertained by a friend, and he did not pay for his board, but he hath it given him for nothing, it's expected such a one should not be ready to find fault with every thing in the house, with servants or with meat at table or the like, if such a one that hath plentiful provision and all given him Gratis, and pays nothing for his board, should be discontented if a cup should not be filled for him as he would have it, or if he should stay a minute of an hour longer for a thing than he would, this we would account a great evil: So it is with us, we are at God's table every day, and it is upon free-cost whatever we have: It is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friend's table to find fault with things, though at home he may be bold: Now when we are at the table of God (for so all God's administrations to us are his table) and are at free-cost, now for us to be finding fault and be discontented this is a great Aggravation of our sin.

A fifth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, When men and women murmur and are discontented and impatient when they have the things that they were discontented for the want of before they had them. So it is sometimes with children, they will cry for such a thing, and when you give it them then throw it away, they are as much discontented as they were before. So it was with the people of Israel, nothing would quiet them but they must have a King, Samuel persuaded them to be contrary, and told them what kind of King they should have; and when they had a King, Hosea 10:3. What shall a King do to us? they were not contented when they had one. So Rachel, she must have children or else she died, and when she had a little trouble she was discontented too; so that we are neither well full nor fasting (as we use to say.)

The sixth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For those men and women to be discontent and murmur that God hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions; This is a very great aggravation if you be discontent now: There was a time when you were low enough, and perhaps when you were so low then you did say, oh if God would deliver me from such an affliction, or give me but a little more in my estate I should think myself in a good condition: but if God by his providence doth raise you, you are as greedy of more still as you were before, and as much discontented as you were before: this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding, and poor beginnings for them to be so nice, and dainty that nothing can please them, whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough; but it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty, and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding: It's too much for a child to be discontented in his father's house, but if a man hath taken a poor beggar boy, if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door, and set him at your own table, could you bear that such a one should complain that such a thing is not well dressed, or the like, you could not bear it if your children should do it, but you could bear it a great deal better with them than to hear such a one do it: But you are a poor beggar, and God hath (as it were) taken you into his great family, and if the Lord hath been pleased to raise you higher, that now you have a competency, that you may live as a man, to be of use and service in the place where God hath set you, now will you be discontent because you have not every thing that you desire? We know the Prodigal, when he came to himself, Oh! saith he, In my father's house is bread enough. He did not say, there's good cheer enough, and a great deal of dainties; no, he thought of nothing but bread, there's bread enough: So it's ordinary for men and women when they are in a low condition, they think that if they may have bread, any competency, they will be contented and bless God, but when they have their bread and things convenient, they must have more or else they are not contented; know that this is an exceeding great aggravation to your discontentment, when you are raised from a very low condition and yet you cannot be contented with what you have.

A Seventh Aggravation of this sin is this, For them to be discontent that have been very great sinners and ungodly in their former time. For men and women that have much guiltiness upon them, the guilt of very many sins upon them, that have provoked God exceedingly against them, and have brought themselves in a most dreadful manner under the sentence of God's justice, and yet God being pleased to reprieve them, for them to murmur and to be discontent with God's administrations towards them, this is exceeding evil, Oh it were consideration enough to quiet any murmuring in our hearts, to think thus, We are but sinners, why should not we be sufferers that are sinners? But then consider, we that are such great sinners, guilty of such notorious sins, that it is a wonder that we are out of Hell at this present, yet for us to be discontent and murmur, how exceedingly doth this increase our sin! Consider how we have crossed God in our sins, then if God should cross us in the way of our sufferings, should not we sit down quiet without murmuring? Certainly you never knew what it was to be humbled for your manifold sins, that are discontented at any administration of God towards you.

The Eighth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is, For those men that are of little use in the world, for them to be discontented. If you have but a beast that you make much use of, you will feed it well, but if you have but little use of him then you turn him into the commons, little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him: If we lived so as to be exceeding useful to God and his Church, we might expect that God would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us, but when our consciences tell us, we live and do but little service for God, what if God should turn us upon the commons, yet we are fed according to our work? According to our employment? Why should any creature be serviceable to you, who are so little serviceable to God? This one meditation would much help us, to think, I am discontent because such and such creatures are not serviceable to me, but why should I expect that they should be serviceable to me when I am not serviceable to God? And that's the Eighth Aggravation.

A Ninth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For us to be discontent at that time when God is about to humble us. It should be the care of a Christian, to observe what are Gods ways towards him, what is God about to do with me at this time? Is God about to raise me, to comfort me? Let me close with Gods goodness, and bless his Name, let me join with the work of God, when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers. But again, Is God about to humble me? Is God about to break my heart, and to bring my heart down to him? Let me join with God in this work of his, this is for a Christian to walk with God. It is said that Enoch, and Noah walked with God; walked with God, what's that? That is, To observe what is the work of God that God is now about, and to join with God in that work of his; so that according as God turns this way or that way the heart should turn with God, and have suitable workings unto the workings of God towards him. Now then, I am discontented and murmuring because I am afflicted; Therefore you are afflicted because God would humble you, and the great design that God has in afflicting of you, is to break and humble your heart; and will you now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of God? For you to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God, God is doing you good if you could see it, now if he be pleased to sanctify your affliction to break that hard heart of yours, and humble that proud spirit of yours, it would be the greatest mercy that ever you had in all your life, now will you yet stand out against God? It's even as if you should say, well, the Lord is about to break me, and humble me, but he shall not; this is the language of your murmuring and your discontentedness, though you dare not say so, but though you say not so in words, yet it is certainly the language of the temper of your spirit, Oh consider what an aggravation this is: I am discontented when God is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good, but yet I stand out against him and resist him, and that's another aggravation.

A tenth Aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this, The more palpable and remarkable the hand of God appears to bring about an affliction, the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction. It's a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent, but though it be a sin, when I see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that, but when I see an extraordinary providence working that's a greater sin, that is, when I see the Lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of, shall I resist such a remarkable hand of God, shall I stand out against God when I see God does express his will in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition? Indeed before we see the will of God apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction, and may use means for it, but now when we see God expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably, then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him, and not to oppose when God comes with a mighty stream against us, it's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist; For as it is an argument of a man's disobedience, when there is not only a command against a sin but when God reveals his command in a terrible way, the more solemn the command of God is, the greater is the sin in breaking that command; so the more remarkable the hand of God is in bringing an affliction upon us, the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented. Then God expects that we should fall down when he (as it were) speaks from Heaven to you by name and says, well, I will have this spirit of yours down, do not you see that my hand is stretched out, my eyes are upon you, my thoughts are upon you, and I must have that proud spirit of yours down? Oh then it's fit for the creature to yield and submit unto him. When you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants, or children, you expect they should regard what you say, but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way, then if they should disregard what you say, you are very impatient: So certainly God cannot take it well whenever he does appear from Heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction, if then we do not submit to him.

The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, To be discontented though God has been exercising of us long under afflictions, yet still to remain discontented. For a man or woman at first when an affliction befalls them to have a murmuring heart then it's an evil, but to have a murmuring heart when God has been a long time exercising them with affliction it's more evil. Though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wriggles up and down and will not be quiet, but if after many months or years it shall not draw quietly, the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it: So though the Lord was content to pass by that discontented spirit of yours at first, yet God having a long time kept the yoke upon you, you have been under his afflicting hand (it may be) diverse years; and yet you remain discontent still; it were just with God that he should bear your murmuring no longer, and that your discontent under the affliction should be but a preparation to your destruction. So you see when a man or woman has been long exercised with afflictions and yet are discontent, that's an aggravation of the sin: Mark that text in Hebrews 12.11. Now (says the Scripture) No chastening for the present is joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. It's true, our afflictions are not joyous but grievous, though at first when our affliction comes it is very grievous, but yet (says the text) afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby; When you have been a long time in the School of afflictions, you are a very dullard in Christ's School if you have not learned this Contentment, I have learned (says Saint Paul) in every state therewith to be content: Paul had learned this lesson quickly, you have been a learning many years, perhaps you may say as Heman did, That you are afflicted from your youth up, in the 88th Psalm. Oh it's a very evil thing if being exercised long with afflictions you are not yet contented: The eye in the body of a man is as tender a part as any part that a man's body has, but yet the eye is able to continue in and bear a great deal of cold, because it is more used to it; so those that are used to afflictions, those that God exercises much with afflictions, (though they have tender spirits otherwise) yet they should have learned contentedness by this time. A new cart may creak and make a noise, but after the use of it a while it will not do so: So when you were first a Christian and newly come into the work of Christ, perhaps you make a noise and cannot bear affliction: but are you an old Christian and yet will you be a murmuring Christian? Oh that's a shame for any that are ancient professors, that have been a long time in the School of Jesus Christ to have murmuring and discontented spirits. And thus you have had Eleven Aggravations of this sin of murmuring and discontent.

But now my brethren because this discontented humor is a very tough humor, and it is very hard to work upon, there's none that are discontented but will have something to say for their discontent, I shall therefore desire to take away what every discontented heart has to say for himself.

Philippians 4:11: "For I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content."

Because it is very difficult to deal with a murmuring spirit, there are several aggravating factors we must consider to show more fully how serious this sin is. I introduced only the first one last time — we will continue with it now.

The first aggravation of the sin of discontent and murmuring is this: to be discontented in the midst of God's mercies, while enjoying an abundance of them. To be discontented in an afflicted condition is sinful and wrong. But to be discontented while surrounded by God's mercies — unable even to count them all — and yet to be unhappy because you do not have everything you want: that is a far greater evil. I mentioned this briefly last time to show what a great sin it is in such a season as ours. The Lord this summer has multiplied mercies one upon another — He has made this summer a continuing miracle of mercy. No kingdom in such a short span of time has seen such mercies stacked upon one another. Now, the public mercies of God should quiet our hearts and keep us from discontent. The sin of discontent over private troubles is made far worse by the public mercies God has shown to the land. When the Lord has been so merciful to the nation, will you fret and murmur because your household lacks some comfort you desire? Just as it is a great aggravation of sin for a person to indulge himself excessively in private comfort when the church is suffering and the public cause is in great trouble, so on the other side — it is a great aggravation of sin for someone to be immoderately troubled over some private affliction when things are going well publicly and for the church. When the church of God was at its lowest and things were worst elsewhere, some of you did not reduce your personal comforts at all — you gave yourself full liberty to indulge as before. Know that this was your great sin. Conversely, when we have received such great public mercies, our private afflictions should be swallowed up in them. We should think: "Though I am personally afflicted, blessed be God — it is going well with the church and with the public cause." That consideration should powerfully quiet our hearts in all our private discontent. If it does not, our sin is greatly increased by the very mercies God has scattered abroad. Shall God's mercies make our sins worse? That is a sad state — to turn the mercies of God into our misery. Did you not pray for those mercies God has recently sent — those great victories He has given? Now that you have them, is there not enough in them to quiet your heart about some private trouble at home? Is there not enough goodness there to cure your discontent? Surely those mercies were worthy of prayer only if they have enough excellence in them to outweigh some private affliction. Public mercies are an aggravation of private discontent — and of public discontent as well. If we receive so many public mercies, and yet are still discontented whenever the public situation is not exactly as we wish, that greatly aggravates our sin. God might say: shall I pour such mercies on a people, and yet if they do not have everything they want, they will be discontented? That is exceedingly evil. And in the particular sphere of your own life and family: if you would reflect carefully, you will find that you have far more mercies than afflictions. I boldly assert this for every person in this congregation — whatever your afflictions may be — there is not one of you who does not have more mercies than afflictions.

Objection: You will say, "But you do not know what our afflictions are. Our afflictions are so heavy that you cannot imagine them because you do not feel them yourself."

Answer: Though I cannot know the full weight of your afflictions, I know what your mercies are — and I know they are so great that no affliction in this world can outweigh them. Consider just this one mercy: that you have this present day of grace and salvation. That alone is a greater mercy than any affliction. Set any affliction beside this mercy and weigh them — this mercy is certainly heavier. That you have the day of grace and salvation, that you are not already in hell — that is a greater mercy. That the gospel still sounds in your ears, that you have the use of your reason — that is a greater mercy than your afflictions. That you have the use of your limbs, your senses, your health — bodily health is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction. There is no wealthy but sick person who, if he is wise, would not trade all his riches for his health. Therefore your mercies exceed your afflictions. Scripture shows how the Holy Spirit uses the consideration of mercies to make murmuring even more inexcusable. A striking example is in Numbers 16:8-10, where Moses speaks to Korah and his company when they murmured. Moses said to Korah: "Hear now, you sons of Levi. Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?" Korah and his company were murmuring — but notice how Moses aggravates their sin. "Does it seem a small thing to you that God has separated you from the congregation to bring you near to Himself, to serve in the tabernacle, to minister in holy things?" This is a great honor — a great mercy — when God sets a person apart from others for His own service, to draw near to Him. One would think that no one on whom God bestows such a mercy could have a murmuring heart over any affliction. It is true that ministers meet with hard things that could discourage and grieve them. But the consideration that God has been pleased to employ them in service so near to Himself — that though they cannot always benefit themselves, they may bring benefit to others — should quiet them. Yet in verse 10: "He has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you — and now you seek the priesthood also?" Have you not enough already? Still discontented with what you have — and wanting more? "You seek the priesthood also — for this reason you and all your company have gathered together against the Lord. What is Aaron that you grumble against him?" God has given you such things, and you still murmur because you cannot have more? This passage should keep ministers from murmuring even when they face the harshest afflictions, unkind treatment, and crosses — they should press on with hearts quieted and comforted by the work God has set them to do, and meet their afflictions by being all the more fruitful in the Lord's work. That is the first passage of Scripture showing how the mercies we enjoy make murmuring all the more inexcusable.

A second scripture is Job 2:10. When Job's wife urged him to curse God and die, Job answered her: "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we accept good from God and not accept adversity?" Job used this consideration — that he had received so much good from God — to arm himself against every murmuring thought about God's ways. We receive evil, yes — but do we not also receive good? Set one against the other. That is the way to go. Ecclesiastes 7:14 also speaks to this: "In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity, consider." Consider what? What follows: "God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him." God has set the one over against the other. In prosperity, every man can be glad — but what when affliction comes? Then consider: God has set one over against the other. You have a great deal of affliction, and you have had a great deal of prosperity. You have many troubles, and you have had many mercies. Make one column of mercies and one column of afflictions, and write them against each other. See whether God has not filled one column as full as the other. You look only at your afflictions — but look also at your mercies. For instance: perhaps God has afflicted you in one child, but He has been merciful to you in another. Set one against the other. God afflicted David in Absalom, but He was merciful to David in Solomon. If, when David cried out "O Absalom, my son, my son!", he had turned his thoughts to Solomon and cried, "O Solomon, my son!" — that would have quieted him. Perhaps God has been merciful to you in your husband or wife — set that against your affliction. Perhaps God crosses you in your estate, but employs you in His service. Perhaps you are afflicted in some friends, but have other friends who are great mercies to you. Set one against the other. And it matters greatly that you do so — for those mercies will either aggravate your sins or help to lessen them. You are better off letting God's mercies reduce your sins than letting them increase them. If you do not use God's mercies to work against your murmuring, they will become the very thing that makes your murmuring worse. Let me press one more consideration here, and if you will work it on your heart I believe you will find great power in it. You feel afflictions, and your heart is troubled and murmurs. Consider how God's mercies make this sin worse. Think of it this way: in the midst of all our sins, we still expect God to accept our worship and service. If, in the midst of our many sins, we hope that God will accept our poor services, why should we not — in the midst of our afflictions — bless God for His many mercies? Shall God be so gracious toward us that despite our many sins He will not cast off our poor worship and service? Then why should we not, in the midst of our sufferings, accept the mercies we have and not slight them? If you in the midst of God's mercies refuse to bear the afflictions God has laid on you, then God would be entirely just in refusing to regard your worship in the midst of your many sins. Is there not as much power in your many sins to cause God to reject your worship, as there is power in afflictions — in the midst of many mercies — to turn your heart away from being moved by God's mercy? That is the first aggravation of the sin of murmuring: to murmur in the midst of mercies.

The second aggravation of the sin of murmuring is when we murmur over small things. Naaman's servant said to him: "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he tells you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" In the same way I say: if the Lord had required you to suffer some great thing, would you not have been willing? How much more, then, when it is so small a thing. Seneca, a pagan writer, uses a fitting illustration to show the great evil of murmuring over minor afflictions. Suppose a man has a beautiful house with fine orchards and gardens, surrounded by tall, ornamental trees, and he has an abundance of every kind of fruit. If this man were to weep and wring his hands because the wind has blown a few leaves off his trees, how utterly unreasonable that would be. So it is with many people — though surrounded by many comforts, the loss of a few leaves is enough to throw them into misery. It was a great evil when Ahab, who had a whole kingdom, was so undone by the fact that his neighbor would not sell him his vineyard. So for us to murmur — not because we lack something we truly need, but simply because we do not have everything we could possibly want — is a very great sin. Suppose God gives a woman a child with all its limbs and features complete, a beautiful and bright child — but there is a small wart on one of the child's fingers. She murmurs over it, crying out what an affliction this is, so consumed by it that she forgets to thank God for the child and for all God's goodness in giving her that child. Would you not say that is folly and a very great evil? In truth, if we weighed our afflictions rightly against our mercies, they are just like that. Rebekah desperately wanted children — but when she felt some discomfort while pregnant, she said, "Why is this happening to me?" As if she meant: "I would almost rather not have children at all" — simply because of a little pain. To be discontented when the affliction is small and light greatly increases the sin of murmuring. It is already too much to murmur under the heaviest cross that can come in this world — but to murmur and be discontented over small things is even worse. I have read of someone who, while lying on a bed of damask roses, complained that one rose petal was folded under him. We are just like that — ready to complain and be discontented over the most trivial inconveniences. That is the second aggravation.

The third aggravation is this: when people of ability and understanding — those to whom God has given wisdom — are discontented and murmur, that is a greater sin than when others do it. Murmuring is too much even in the weakest, yet we can make some allowance for it in children or those who are genuinely weak. But for mature men, men of understanding, men with wisdom, men whom God employs in public service — for them to be discontented at every turn is an exceedingly great evil. For men in their families, to whom God has given ability and wisdom, to be always murmuring and complaining when things go wrong — their sin is greater than if women or children did the same.

The fourth aggravation is the freeness of all God's mercies to us. Everything we have is given to us without cost. What if we do not have everything we want — seeing that what we have is freely given? If we had earned what we have, there would be some grounds for complaint. But knowing that everything is freely given by God, to murmur at His provision is very evil. Suppose a man is staying in a friend's household as a guest, not paying anything for his room and board. Such a person should not be quick to find fault with everything in the house — the servants, the food on the table, and so on. If someone receiving abundant provision entirely free of charge is discontented because his cup is not filled exactly as he likes, or because he has to wait a minute longer than he expected — we would count that a great wrong. So it is with us: we sit at God's table every day, and everything we have is free. It is considered very poor manners to find fault with things at a friend's table, even when you might speak more freely at home. We are at God's table — all His dealings with us are, so to speak, His table — and we are guests at no cost. For us to be finding fault and being discontented is a great aggravation of our sin.

The fifth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this: when people murmur and are discontented and impatient even after God has given them the very things they were previously unhappy about lacking. This is sometimes how children behave — they cry for something, you give it to them, and then they throw it away and are just as unhappy as before. So it was with the people of Israel: nothing would satisfy them but having a king. Samuel tried to dissuade them and warned them what kind of king they would get. When they finally had a king, Hosea 10:3 records them saying: "What will a king do for us?" — still not content, even after having what they demanded. Rachel said she would die without children, and yet when she had some difficulty she was discontented even then. We are, as the saying goes, neither satisfied full nor at rest when hungry.

The sixth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this: when those whom God has raised from low and humble circumstances are still discontented. This is a very great aggravation. There was a time when you were in a low enough condition, and perhaps you said then: "Oh, if God would only deliver me from this affliction, or give me just a little more in my estate, I would count myself well off." But now that God in His providence has raised you, you are just as greedy for more and just as discontented as before. It is a poor thing for those who had humble beginnings and were brought up in modest circumstances to be so picky and demanding that nothing satisfies them. Yet it is very common for those raised from a low and mean condition to become the most demanding and proud of all when they are elevated. It is already too much for a child to be discontented in his own father's house. But suppose you took in a poor beggar boy off the street and seated him at your own table. Could you bear it if he complained that something was not properly cooked, or that some detail was not to his taste? You could not bear even your own children behaving that way — but you would find it far more offensive from someone you had taken in from begging at your door. You are a beggar whom God has, as it were, brought into His great household. If the Lord has been pleased to raise you higher — giving you a sufficiency so that you can live honestly and be of use in the place He has set you — will you now be discontented because you do not have everything you desire? Think of the prodigal son: when he came to himself, he said, "In my father's house there is bread enough." He did not say there were fine delicacies and great feasts. He thought of nothing but bread — "there is bread enough." It is ordinary for people in a low condition to say: "If I only had bread, any sufficiency at all, I would be content and bless God." But once they have their bread and the basic things they need, they must have more — or they are not content. Know that this is an exceedingly great aggravation of your discontent: when God has raised you from a very low condition, and yet you cannot be content with what you have.

The seventh aggravation of this sin is this: when those who have been very great sinners and ungodly in their earlier lives are now discontented and murmuring. When people carry the guilt of very many sins — people who have provoked God greatly against them and brought themselves under the sentence of God's justice in a dreadful way — and yet God has been pleased to spare them: for such people to murmur and be discontented with God's dealings toward them is exceedingly evil. Oh, this thought alone ought to quiet all murmuring in our hearts: we are sinners — why should we not be sufferers? But then consider further: we who are such great sinners, guilty of such notorious sins, for whom it is a wonder that we are not already in hell — for us to be discontented and murmuring is to increase our sin enormously. Consider how we have defied God through our sins. If then God crosses us through our sufferings, should we not sit down quietly without murmuring? You have never truly known what it means to be humbled for your many sins, if you are discontented at any of God's dealings with you.

The eighth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this: when people of little usefulness in the world are discontented. If you have an animal you make heavy use of, you feed it well. But if you have little use for it, you put it out to graze on the commons — very little provision serves, because you are not getting much from it. If we lived in a way that made us exceedingly useful to God and His church, we might expect God to encourage us in some special way. But when our conscience tells us we are doing very little service for God — what if God were to put us out on the commons? We would be fed according to our work, according to our usefulness. Why should any creature serve you, when you are so little in service to God? This one reflection would help greatly: "I am discontented because things are not serving me as I wish — but why should I expect them to serve me when I am not serving God?" That is the eighth aggravation.

The ninth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this: when we are discontented at the very time God is working to humble us. It should be the care of a Christian to observe what God is doing in his life at any given moment. What is God about to do with me right now? Is God about to lift me up and comfort me? Then let me align with His goodness, bless His name, and receive the mercy He is offering. But again — is God about to humble me? Is He about to break my heart and bring it down to Him? Then let me join with God in that work. This is what it means to walk with God. It is said that Enoch and Noah walked with God. What does that mean? It means observing what God is doing and joining with Him in it — so that as God moves in one direction, the heart moves with Him, its inner workings matching God's workings toward it. Now consider: you are discontented and murmuring because you are afflicted. You are afflicted because God is seeking to humble you. God's great purpose in afflicting you is to break and humble your heart. And will you now maintain a spirit that is directly opposed to what God is doing? To murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of God. God is doing you good — if only you could see it. If He is pleased to use your affliction to break your hard heart and humble your proud spirit, it would be the greatest mercy you have ever received. And yet you stand against Him? It is as if you are saying: "God is trying to break me and humble me — but He will not succeed." That is the language of your murmuring and discontent, even if you would never say it in so many words. You may not say it with your mouth, but it is certainly the language your spirit is speaking. Consider what an aggravation this is: I am discontented at the very moment God is working something in me that is exceedingly for my good — and yet I am standing against Him and resisting Him. That is another aggravation.

The tenth aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this: the more clearly and remarkably the hand of God appears in bringing an affliction, the greater the sin of murmuring under it. It is always an evil to murmur and be discontented. But not submitting to an ordinary providence is one level of sin — not submitting when God is clearly and remarkably at work is a greater one. When I see the Lord working in some extraordinary way in bringing about an affliction, beyond anything anyone could have foreseen — shall I resist such a plain and remarkable hand of God? Shall I stand against Him when He has made His will so unmistakably clear? Before God's will is evident, we may naturally seek to avoid an affliction and use whatever means are available. But when we see God expressing His will from heaven in an extraordinary and remarkable way, it is right for us to fall down and submit — not to push back when God comes against us with a mighty current. Our wisest course is to bow before Him, not resist. Just as disobedience is compounded when God commands not merely once but through a solemn and unmistakable declaration — the more solemn the command, the greater the sin in breaking it — so the more clearly God's hand appears in bringing an affliction, the greater the sin in murmuring against it. When God, as it were, speaks to you directly from heaven — saying, "I will have that proud spirit of yours brought low. Do you not see that My hand is stretched out, that My eyes and My thoughts are upon you? I will bring that pride of yours down" — then it is right for the creature to yield and submit. When you speak to your servants or children in an ordinary way, you expect them to take notice. But when you call them to stand before you and speak to them in a more solemn and direct way, if they disregard you, your impatience is understandable. Certainly God cannot accept it when He appears from heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction — and we still refuse to submit.

The eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this: to remain discontented even after God has been exercising you under affliction for a long time. When an affliction first falls upon a person and they have a murmuring heart, that is evil. But to have a murmuring heart after God has been exercising you with affliction for a long time is even more evil. A young heifer, when the yoke is first put on, pulls and wriggles and will not be still. But if after many months or years it still does not pull quietly, the farmer would rather fatten it for slaughter than be troubled with it any longer. In the same way, though the Lord may have overlooked your discontented spirit at first, God has now kept the yoke on you for a long time. You have been under His afflicting hand, perhaps for several years, and still you remain discontented. It would be entirely just for God to bear your murmuring no longer, and for your discontent under affliction to become the preparation for your destruction. So you see: when someone has been long under affliction and remains discontented, that is a great aggravation of the sin. Notice Hebrews 12:11: "For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." It is true — our afflictions are not pleasant but painful. But afterward, the text says, they yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by them. If you have been long in the school of affliction and have not yet learned contentment, you are a very slow learner in Christ's school. Paul said, "I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content" — and Paul learned this lesson quickly. You have been learning for many years. Perhaps like Heman you can say you have been afflicted from your youth (Psalm 88). Then it is a very evil thing that after so long a time you are still not content. The eye is the most tender part of the body, and yet it can bear exposure to cold because it is accustomed to it. In the same way, those who have been long under affliction — even if their spirits are otherwise tender — ought by now to have learned contentedness. A new cart creaks and makes noise, but after some use it quiets down. When you were first a Christian, newly coming into the work of Christ, perhaps you made some noise and could not bear affliction easily. But are you an old Christian — and still a murmuring Christian? It is a shame for any who have been long-standing professors of faith, who have spent many years in the school of Jesus Christ, to have a murmuring, discontented spirit. And so you have heard eleven aggravations of this sin of murmuring and discontent.

But because this discontented tendency is a very stubborn one and very hard to deal with — and because no discontented person lacks some excuse for their discontent — I will now address and remove every defense that a discontented heart offers for itself.