A Tenth Plea

There's another reasoning that some may have and that is this. Oh I could bear much affliction in some other way but this is very grievous to me, the unsettledness of my condition, though my condition were but low yet if it were in a settled way I could be content, but it is so inconstant, and so unsettled, that I can never know what to trust to, but am tossed up and down in the world in an unsettled condition, and this is hard to be content with.

Now to that I answer, First, that the Psalmist says, That every man in his settled estate is vanity, in Psalm, 36:5. Your books have it, Every man at his best estate is vanity, the word is his settled estate; you think if you were but settled, Oh then you could be content, but the truth is, man in his settled estate is vanity.

Secondly, I answer thus, that perhaps God sees it is better for you to live in a continual dependence upon Him, and not to know what your condition shall be on the morrow, than for you to have a more settled condition in respect of the comforts of the creature; do but remember that we spoke of before, that Christ does not teach you to pray, Lord, give me enough that will serve me for two or three years, but, this day our daily bread; to teach us we must live upon God in a dependent condition every day for daily bread. Here was the difference that is observable between the Land of Canaan and Egypt, the land of Canaan that depended upon God for the watering of it with showers from Heaven, but Egypt had a constant way of watering the country, that did not so much depend upon Heaven for water, but upon the river Nile, which did at some certain time overflow the country. And they knowing that the watering of their country did depend upon that river and not upon Heaven they grew more proud. And therefore the Scripture, to express Pharaoh's pride, brings him in saying, The River is mine: he could order the river as he pleased, for it was his. Canaan, which was a country which was to depend upon God, though they had rain at one time, yet they knew not whether they should have it at another time, and lived always in a dependence upon God not knowing what should become of them. Now God thought this to be a better land for His people than Egypt, and this is given as one reason among others for it, because the Lord looked upon this, as more suitable to the state of His people that were to live by faith, to be continually depending upon Heaven, upon Himself, and not to have a constant settled way in the creature for their outward dependence. And we find it by experience, that when those that are godly live in the greatest dependence upon God, and have no settled comings-in from the creature, they do exercise faith more, and are in a better condition for their souls than before. Oh! many times it falls out that the worse your outward estate is the better your soul is, and the better your outward estate is the worse your soul is. We read in Ezra, 4:13 the objection that the enemies had against the people of Israel's building of the wall of the City: their writing to Artaxerxes against them, says, Be it known unto the King, that if the City be built, and the walls set up again, then they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so you shall damage the revenue of the Kings. If the wall be built (say they) then they will refuse to pay toll, tribute and custom to the King: that is thus, so long as they live in such a condition, where they have dependence wholly upon the King, and lie at the King's mercy, that is, they are in no City that has walls built, but the King may come upon them when he will, so long they will pay custom to the King, but if once they come to build a wall, and can defend themselves, and have not their dependence upon the King as before, then they will deny paying toll, tribute, and custom. So it is thus for all the world between God and men's souls, when a soul lives in way of mere dependence upon God, that sensibly he sees God has him at advantage every moment, Oh then such a soul will pay toll and custom, that soul exercises faith, and begs every day his daily bread; but if God hedges that man about with an estate, with prosperity, perhaps he has an inheritance befallen him, perhaps he has a constant office that brings in so much yearly to him duly paid, this man is not so sensible now of his dependence upon God, he begins now to pay less toll and custom to God than before, God has less service from this man now than before. God sees it better for His people to live in a depending condition: we are very loath in respect of God to be dependent, we would be all independents this way, we would be of ourselves, and have no dependence upon the Lord, but God sees it better for us to live in a depending condition.

Further, This may be your comfort, though for outward things you are mightily unsettled, yet for the great things of your soul and eternal estate, there you are settled, there you have a settled way, a constant way of fetching supply, Of His fullness we receive grace for grace, you have there abundance of treasure to go to, and fetch all that you stand in need of. And observe it, that now your condition is more settled in the Covenant of Grace than it was in the Covenant of Works; in the Covenant of Works there God gave man a stock to trade with, but He put it in his own hand, so that he might trade, and get or lose; but now in the Covenant of Grace God makes sure, the stock is kept in the hand of Christ, and we must go to Him for supply continually, for Christ keeps the stock. Perhaps we may trifle away somewhat in our trading, but God takes that care still we shall never spend the stock: As a man when his son breaks, having squandered away his stock that he gave him before, afterwards he puts his stock into a friend's hand, and says he, you shall keep the stock and it shall not be at his disposal; so we are in a more settled condition in respect of our eternal estate than Adam was in innocence; therefore let that comfort us in all our unsettled conditions in the matters of the world.

Another reasoning that murmuring hearts use is this: "I could bear much affliction in another form, but the unsettledness of my condition is what is so hard. Even if my circumstances were humble, I could be content if they were at least stable. But my situation is so changeable and uncertain that I never know what to depend on. I am tossed back and forth in an unsettled condition — and that is what is so difficult to accept."

To that I answer: first, the Psalmist says that "every man at his best estate is vanity" (Psalm 39:5). The word translated "best estate" actually refers to his settled estate. You think that if you were only settled, you could be content. But the truth is: even a person in a settled estate is vanity.

Second, perhaps God sees it is better for you to live in continual dependence on Him, not knowing what your condition will be tomorrow, than to have a more stable arrangement of outward comforts. Remember what we said earlier: Christ does not teach you to pray, "Lord, give me enough for the next two or three years." He teaches you to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" — showing that we are to live in dependence on God, coming to Him for provision every day. Consider the difference between Canaan and Egypt. Canaan depended on God for rain from heaven. Egypt had a predictable water supply through the river Nile, which overflowed the land at a known season. Because the Egyptians knew their land's watering depended on the river and not on heaven, they grew proud. Scripture expresses Pharaoh's pride by having him say, "The river is mine" — he could manage it as he pleased. Canaan, by contrast, depended on heaven. Even when rain came, the people of Canaan did not know whether it would come again, and so they lived in continual dependence on God. God considered this a better land for His people — more suited to those who were to live by faith, always looking to heaven rather than to some stable earthly source. And experience confirms this: when godly people live in the greatest dependence on God, with no guaranteed income from earthly means, they exercise more faith and are in a better condition spiritually than before. Often the worse your outward circumstances, the better your soul; and the better your outward circumstances, the worse your soul. We see this illustrated in Ezra 4:13, where Israel's enemies wrote to King Artaxerxes warning him: "If this city is rebuilt and its walls restored, they will stop paying tribute — and the king's revenue will suffer." Their point was: as long as Israel lives undefended and dependent on the king's mercy, they will pay their dues. But once they can defend themselves, they will no longer depend on the king as before — and they will stop paying. This is exactly how it is between God and men's souls. When a soul lives in clear, daily dependence on God — sensing that God has him at His disposal in every moment — that soul pays its dues to God. It exercises faith and comes daily for its daily bread. But when God surrounds that person with prosperity — an inheritance, a steady office, a fixed income — the person is no longer as aware of dependence on God. He begins paying less to God than before, and God receives less from him. God sees it as better for His people to live in a dependent condition. We resist dependence on God — we would all be independent in this way if we could, sufficient in ourselves, with no need to rely on the Lord. But God sees it is better for us to live in dependence on Him.

And here is further comfort: though your outward circumstances may be greatly unsettled, in the great matters of your soul and eternal estate, you are settled. There you have a stable and constant way of drawing supply. "From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16). You have an abundance of treasure there to draw from, for everything you need. And notice: your condition is more settled under the covenant of grace than it was under the covenant of works. Under the covenant of works, God gave man a stock to trade with — but He put it in man's own hands, where it could be gained or lost. Under the covenant of grace, the stock is held in the hand of Christ. We must go to Him for every supply, because Christ keeps the stock. We may squander something in our trading, but God takes care that we will never exhaust the stock. It is like a father whose son has wasted everything given to him. Afterward, the father puts the family's resources in a trustworthy friend's hands — the son must now go to the friend, and the stock is no longer at the son's disposal. So in respect of our eternal estate, we are actually in a more secure condition than Adam was in innocence. Let that comfort us in all our unsettled conditions in worldly matters.