The Twelfth Direction

Be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them. When you have them do not take too much content in them. That is a certain rule that, look how inordinate any man or woman is in sorrow when a comfort is taken from them, so much immoderate were they in their rejoicing in the comfort when they had it. As now for instance, God takes away a child and you are inordinately sorrowful, beyond what God allows in a natural or Christian way, now though I never knew before how your heart was towards the child, yet when I see this, (though you be a mere stranger to me) I may without breach of charity conclude that your heart was immoderately set upon your child or husband, or upon any other comfort that I see you grieving for when God hath taken it away. If you hear ill tidings about your estates, and your hearts are dejected immoderately, and you are in a discontented way because of such and such a cross, certainly your hearts were immoderately set upon the world. And so likewise for your credit, if you hear others report this or that ill of you, and your hearts are dejected because you think you suffer in your name, your hearts were inordinately set upon your name and credit. Now therefore the way for you not to be immoderate in your sorrows for afflictions, it is not to be immoderate in your love and delights when you have prosperity. And these are the principal Directions for our help that we may live quiet and contented lives.

My brethren, to conclude all for this point, if I could tell you that I knew how to show you a way never to be in want of anything, I make no question but then we should have much flocking to such a sermon, when a man should undertake to manifest to people that they should never be in want any more, but I have been now preaching unto you that that comes to as much, that that countervails this, that which is in effect all one. Is it not almost all one, never to be in want, or never to be without Contentment? That man or woman that is never without a contented spirit, truly, can never be said to want much. Oh! The Word holds forth a way full of comfort and peace to the people of God even in this world, you may live happy lives in the midst of all the storms and tempests in the world, there is an Ark that you may come into, and no men in the world may live such comfortable, cheerful, and contented lives as the Saints of God. Oh that we had learned this lesson. I have been many Sermons about this lesson of Contentment, but I am afraid that you will be longer in learning of it than I have been preaching of it; it is a harder thing to learn it than it is to speak or preach of it. (I remember) I have read of one man reading of that place in the thirty-ninth Psalm, I will take heed that I offend not with my tongue: said he, I have been these thirty-eight years a learning this lesson and have not learned it thoroughly. The truth is, there are many (I am afraid) that have been professors near eight and thirty years have hardly learned this lesson, it were a good lesson for young professors to begin to learn this betimes. But now, this lesson of Christian Contentment it is as hard, and perhaps you may be many years in learning it. I am afraid there be some Christians that have not yet learned, Not to offend grossly with their tongues: The Scripture saith, All a man's Religion is vain, if he cannot bridle his tongue; therefore, those that make any profession of godliness, one would think they should quickly learn this lesson, such a lesson that except learned, it makes all their Religion vain. But for this lesson of Christian Contentment it may take up more time to learn, and there are many that are learning it all the days of their lives and yet are not proficients; but God forbid that it should be said of any of us concerning this lesson, as the Apostle saith of Widows in Timothy, That they were ever learning, and never came to the knowledge of the truth. Oh let us not be ever learning this lesson of Contentment and yet never come to have skill in it. You would think it much if you had used the Sea twenty years, and yet to have attained to no skill in your art of navigation, you will say, I have used the Sea twenty or thirty years and I hope I may know by this time what belongs to Sea; Oh that you would but say so in respect of the Art of Christianity! When there is anything that is spoken concerning the duty of a Christian, Oh that Christians could but say I have been a Christian thus long, and I hope I am not to seek in such a thing that is so necessary for a Christian, here is a necessary lesson for a Christian that Paul said, He had learned in all estates therewith to be content. Oh be not content with yourselves till you have learned this lesson of Christian Contentment, gotten some better skill in it than heretofore.

Now there is in the text another lesson, which is a hard lesson, I have learned to Abound, that does not so nearly concern us at this time, because the times are afflictive times, and there is now (more than ordinary) an uncertainty in all things in the world, in such times as these are, there are few that have such an abundance that they need to be much taught in that lesson.

Do not be excessively absorbed in the comforts of this world while you have them. When you have them, do not take too much pleasure in them. This is a reliable principle: however excessive a person's sorrow is when a comfort is taken away, that is how immoderate their delight was when they had it. For example: God takes away a child and the grief is beyond what is natural or fitting for a Christian. Though I had no prior knowledge of how your heart stood toward that child, when I see such excessive sorrow I can reasonably conclude — even if you are a complete stranger to me — that your heart was immoderately set upon that child, that spouse, or whatever comfort you are grieving so deeply. If you hear bad news about your finances and your heart sinks into deep discontent, your heart was immoderately attached to worldly wealth. If you hear others speaking ill of you and your heart is cast down because your reputation has suffered, your heart was immoderately set on your name and standing. The way to avoid excessive sorrow in affliction is not to have excessive love and delight in prosperity. These are the main directions for living quiet and contented lives.

Brothers and sisters, to conclude this topic: if I could show you a way to never be in want of anything, I have no doubt people would flock to hear that sermon. But what I have been preaching comes to very nearly the same thing — and in effect is the same thing. Is it not almost the same to never be in want, or to never be without contentment? The man or woman who is never without a contented spirit can truly never be said to want much. The Word of God offers a path full of comfort and peace for God's people, even in this world. You can live happy lives in the midst of all the storms and tempests around you. There is an ark you can enter — and no people on earth can live such comfortable, cheerful, and contented lives as the saints of God. Oh, that we had learned this lesson. I have spent many sermons on this lesson of contentment, and I fear you will take longer to learn it than I have taken to preach it. It is harder to learn than to speak about. I recall reading of a man who spent thirty-eight years working to learn the lesson of Psalm 39 — "I will keep watch over my ways so that I do not sin with my tongue" — and still felt he had not thoroughly mastered it. The truth is, there are many who have been professing faith for close to thirty-eight years and have barely learned that same lesson. It would be good for young believers to begin learning it early. This lesson of Christian contentment is just as hard — perhaps you will spend many years learning it. I fear there are some Christians who have not yet learned not to sin grossly with their tongues. Scripture says a person's religion is worthless if he cannot control his tongue — so any who make a profession of godliness would seem to have every reason to learn that lesson quickly, since without it their whole religion is in vain. But this lesson of Christian contentment may take even more time to learn, and many are still studying it all their lives without becoming proficient. But God forbid it should be said of any of us what the apostle says of certain widows in Timothy — that they were always learning and never came to the knowledge of the truth. Let us not be always learning this lesson of contentment and yet never gaining skill in it. You would think it a serious failure if you had been at sea for twenty years and had still gained no skill in navigation. A sailor would say: I have worked at sea for twenty or thirty years — I ought to know my trade by now. Oh, that Christians would say the same about the art of Christian living! When something is spoken about a Christian's duty, how good it would be if a Christian could say: I have been a Christian for this many years — I hope I have not remained ignorant of something so essential. Here is an essential lesson — one that Paul said he had learned: in every situation to be content. Do not be satisfied with yourself until you have learned this lesson of Christian contentment and grown more skillful in it than you have been before.

There is another lesson in the text: "I have learned to abound." That is a hard lesson in its own right — but it does not as closely concern us at this time, because these are times of affliction, and there is now more than ordinary uncertainty in all things. In times like these, there are few who have such abundance that they need much instruction in that particular lesson.