Chapter III: Part 3

In 1848 and '49, the Lord was pleased to lay his hand upon me. Some of my friends came to my relief; but the promises of God were neither few nor small; he knows them that trust and fear him, and in his providence had reserved the good Samaritan. One of my unretired friends made my case known to the Rev. Dr. Bigelow and wife, who sought me out in my distress. I shall not soon forget the morning she came to me, with an expression of love and kindness, wishing to know my case. Mrs. Bigelow was the daughter of Captain Theodore Stanwood, of Gloucester, whom Mr. Prince sailed with as steward the first time he went to Russia. Mrs. B. is one of the kind friends I speak of, when carried to Gloucester sick, in 1814; she was then a little miss. A friend of mine lived with her mother; she used to say that Amelia would not rest, when she came from school, till she had something to bring to my mother and me. Mrs. Bigelow and family were very kind, doing all in their power to make me comfortable, and even moved me from the house of the tyrant that I then hired from, and raised me up other kind friends; and, with the blessing of God and the counsel of Dr. Grey, my health is much improved. "I am as a wonder unto many, but the Lord is my strong refuge." Underneath him is the everlasting arm of mercy; misfortune is never mournful for the soul that accepts it, for such do always see that every cloud is an angel's face; sorrow connects the soul with the invisible.

O Father, fearful indeed is this world's pilgrimage, when the soul has learned that all its sounds are echos, all its sights are shadows. But lo! a cloud opens, a face serene and hopeful looks forth and saith, "Be thou as a little child, and thus shalt thou become a seraph, and bow thyself in silent humility and pray, not that afflictions might not visit, but be willing to be purified through fire, and accept it meekly."

DIVINE CONTENTMENT.

_Advancement of Faith is Necessary._

All our disquietnesses do issue immediately from unbelief. It is this that raiseth the storm of discontent in the heart. Oh, set faith at work! It is the property of faith to silence our doubtings, to scatter our fears, to still the heart when the passions are up. Faith works the heart to a sweet serene composure: it is not having food and raiment, but having faith, which will make us content. Faith chides down passion; when Reason begins to swim, let Faith swim.

_Quest._ How doth Faith work contentment?

_Answ._ 1. Faith shows the soul that whatever its trials are, yet it is from the hand of a kind Father: it is indeed a bitter cup; but "shall I not drink the cup which my Father hath given me to drink?" (John xviii. 11.) It is love to my soul; God _corrects_ with the same love that he _crowns_ me. God is now training me up for heaven; he carves me, to make me a polished pillar, fit to stand in the heavenly mansion. These sufferings bring forth patience, humility, even the peaceable fruits of righteousness, Heb. xii. 11. And if God can bring such sweet fruit out of a sour stock, let him graft me where he please. Thus faith brings the heart to holy contentment.

2. Faith sucks the honey of contentment out of the hive of the Promise.[A] Christ is the Vine, the promises are the clusters of grapes that grow upon this Vine; and Faith presseth the sweet vine of contentment out of these spiritual clusters of the promises. I will show you but one cluster,--The Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly; (Psal. lxxxiv. 11,) here is enough for faith to live upon. The Promise is the flower out of which Faith distils the spirits and quintessence of divine contentment. In a word, Faith carries up the soul, and makes it aspire after more noble and generous delights than earth affords, and to live in the world above the world. Would you lead contented lives, live up to the height of your faith.

_Breath after Assurance._

Oh, let us get the interest cleared between God and our own souls! Interest is a word much in use; a pleasing word: interest in great friends, interest-money. Oh, if there be an interest worth looking after, it is an interest between God and the soul. Labor to say with Thomas, my Lord and my God. To be without money and without friends, and without God too, (Eph. ii. 12,) is said; but he whose faith doth flourish into assurance, that can say, with St. Paul--I know in whom I have believed, (2 Tim. i. 12.) Be assured that man hath enough to give his heart contentment. When a man's debts are paid, and he can go abroad without fear of arresting, what contentment is this! Oh, let your title be cleared! if God be ours, whatever we want in the creature is infinitely made up in him. Do I want bread? I have Christ, the Bread of Life. Am I under defilement? His blood is like the trees of the sanctuary; not only for meat, but medicine, Ezek. xlvii. 12. If any thing in the world is worth laboring for, it is to get sound evidences that God is ours. If this be once cleared, what can come amiss? No matter what storms I meet with, so that I know where to put in for harbor. He that hath God to be his God, is so well contented with his condition, that he doth not much care whether he hath any thing else. To rest in a condition where a Christian cannot say God is his God, is a matter of _fear_: and if he can say so truly, and yet is not contented, is matter of _shame_. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. Although it was sad with him, (1 Sam. xxx. 62.) Ziklag was burnt, his wives taken captive, he lost all, and had like to have lost his soldiers' hearts too--for they spake of stoning him--yet he had the ground of contentment within him, viz., an interest in God; and this was a pillar of supportment to his spirit. He that knows God is his, and that all that is in God is for his good; if this doth not satisfy, I know nothing will.

_Pray for an Humble Spirit._

The humble man is the contented man: if his estate be low, his heart is lower than his estate; therefore he is contented. If his esteem is the world below, he that is little in his own eyes, will not be much troubled to be little in the eyes of others. He hath a meaner opinion of himself, than others can have of him. The humble man studies his own unworthiness; he looks upon himself as less than the least of God's mercies, (Gen. xxxii. 10,) and then a little will content him. He cries out with Paul, that he is the chief of sinners, (1 Tim. i. 15,) therefore doth not murmur, but admire: he doth not say his comforts are small, but his sins are great. He thinks it a mercy he is out of hell; therefore, is contented. He doth not go to carve out a more happy condition to himself; he knows the worst piece God cuts him is better than he deserves. A proud man is never contented; he is one that hath an high opinion of himself; therefore, under small blessings is disdainful, under small crosses impatient. The humble spirit is the contented spirit; if his cross be light, he reckons it in the inventory of his mercies; if it be heavy, yet takes it upon his knees, knowing that when his estate is bad, it is to make him the better. Where you lay humility for the foundation, contentment will be the superstructure, and Christ the topstone.

_Keep a clear Conscience._ 1 Tim. iii. 9.

Contentment is the _manna_ that is laid up in the ark of a good conscience. Oh, take heed of indulging any sin! It is as natural for guilt to breed disquietude, as for the earth to breed worms. Sin lies like Jonah in the ship, it raises a tempest. If dust or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a soreness in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that soreness. If sin be gotten into the conscience, which is as the eye of the soul, then grief and disquiet breed there: but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomach, I may say of a good conscience (Prov. xxvii. 7.) To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet; so to a good conscience every bitter thing is sweet; it can pick contentment out of the Cross. A good conscience turns the waters of Marah into wine. Would you have a quiet heart? Get a smiling conscience. I wonder not to hear Paul say, he was in every state content; when he could make that triumph--I have lived in all good conscience unto this day, Acts, xxiii. 1. When once a man's reckonings are clear, it must needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. A good conscience can suck contentment out of the bitterest drug: under slanders--This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, 2 Cor. i. 12. In case of imprisonment, Paul had his prison-songs, and could play the sweet lesson of contentment when his feet were in the stocks, Acts xvi. 24. Augustine calls it the paradise of a good conscience. When the times are troublesome, a good conscience makes a calm: if conscience be clear, what though the days be cloudy?... Oh, keep conscience clear, and you shall never want contentment!

THE HIDING PLACE.

Amid this world's tumultuous noise,
For peace my soul to Jesus flies;
If I've an interest in his grace,
I want no other hiding place.

The world with all its charms is vain,
Its wealth and honors I disdain;
All its extensive aims embrace,
Can ne'er afford a hiding place.

A guilty sinful heart is mine,
Jesus, unbounded love is thine!
When I behold thy smiling face,
Tis then I see my hiding place.

To save, if once my Lord engage,
The world may laugh, and Satan rage:
The powers of hell can ne'er erase
My name from God's own hiding place.

I'm in a wilderness below,
Lord, guide me all my journey through,
Plainly let me thy footsteps trace,
Which lead to heaven my hiding place.

Should dangers thick impede my course,
O let my soul sustain no loss;
Help me to run the Christian race,
And enter safe my hiding place.

Then with enlarged powers,
I'll triumph in redeeming love,
Eternal ages will I praise
My Lord for such a hiding place.

FOOTNOTE:

[A] 'Tis a comfortable thought that the promises of God are all given for the express purpose that we may have great and strong consolations, who make our duty and our privilege to be found pleading them at the throne of grace;

O then be earnest, take no nay,
He'll answer every good desire;
Give him your hearts, though cold as clay,
They'll melt like wax before the fire.