The Art of Divine Contentment - Part Four

Extract

The Art of Divine Contentment — Part Four
Thomas Watson

CHAPTER XII

Three things inserted by way of Caution.

In the next place, I come to lay down some necessary cautions. Though I say a man should be content in every estate, yet there are three estates in which he must not be contented.
1. He must not be contented in a natural estate: here we must learn not to be content. A sinner in his pure naturals is under the wrath of God, (John. 3:16) and shall he be content when that dreadful vial is going to be poured out? Is it nothing to be under the scorchings of divine fury? “who can dwell with everlasting burnings?” A sinner, as a sinner, is under the power of Satan, (Acts 26:18) and shall he in his estate be contented? Who would be contented to stay in the enemies’ quarters? While we sleep in the lap of sin, the devil doth to us as the Philistines did to Samson, cut out the lock of our strength, and put out our eyes. Be not content, O sinner, in this estate! For a man to be in debt, body and soul; in fear every hour to be arrested and carried prisoner to hell, shall he now be content? Here I preach against contentation. Oh get out of this condition! I would hasten you out of it as the angel hastened lot out of Sodom, (Gen. 19:15); there is the smell of the fire and brimstone upon you. The longer a man stays in his sin, the more sin doth strengthen. It is hard to get out of sin, when the heart as a garrison is victualled and fortified. A young plant is easily removed, but when the tree is once rooted, there is no stirring of it: thou who art rooted in thy pride, unbelief, impenitency, it will cost thee many a sad pull ere thou art plucked out of thy natural estate, (Jer. 6:16). It is an hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart; “he travaileth with iniquity,” (Psa. 7:14); be assured, the longer you travail with your sins, the more and the sharper pangs you must expect in the new birth. O be not contented with your natural estate! David saith, “why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (Psa. 43:5). But a sinner should say to himself, why art thou not disquieted, O my soul? Why is it that thou layest afflictions so to …