The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 80

Watson, near the close of his book, sets forth some rules for becoming contented:

Rule 2. Labour for assurance. O let us get the interest cleared between God and our souls! Interest is a word much in use, — a pleasing word, — interest in great friends, —interest money. O, if there be an interest worth looking after, it is an interest between God and the soul! Labour to say, “my God.” To be without money, and without friends, and without God too, is sad; but he whose faith doth flourish into assurance, that can say, “I know whom I have believed,” (2 Ti. 1. 2) 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! O, let your title be cleared! If God be ours, whatever we want in the creature, is infinitelymade 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. (Ez. 47. 12) If any thing in the world be worth labouring 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 harbour. He that hath God to be his God, is so well contented with his condition, that he doth not much care whether he hath anything else. To rest in a condition where a Christian cannot say God is his God, is matter of fear; and if he can say so truly, and yet is not contented, it is a matter of shame. “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” (1 Sa. 30. 6) It was sad with him, Ziklag burnt, his wives taken captive, his all lost, and like to have lost his soldiers’ hearts too, (for they spake of stoning him,) yet he had the ground of contentment within him; an interest in God, and this was a pillar of supportment to his spirit. He that knows God is his, and all that is in God is for his good, if this doth not satisfy, I know nothing that will.


Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, thank God, has posted excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.