A Storehoufe for Contentment ~7 3 · down contented with this meditation, Job i. 21. ~Naked camelout of my mother'.Jwomh, ar.d naked /hall I return thi• ther;' tL,eLotdgave, and theLordhath take1z away , blejfeJ be the 7Ja7?.e of the Lord. \Vhen Providence brings a tl;l'orta– l~ty or murrain among y9ur ca'tl~, how ready are you to fn:t and complain! But the ferious confideration of your own death (b ~hich you have a notable help from fuch prov.idential occm'l'entes) may be of ufe to filence your complaints, and quiet your rankled fpirits. "Look to the houje a,bpcintedfora/1 living, and learn, ('1.) That ye muft abide a for er thruJl than the lofs-of worldlygoods. Do not. cry out for a thruft jn the h;g or arm ; for ere long there 'Yill be a home· thrufi at the . heart. You may lofs youf deareft relations: the wife may lqfs her hufband, and the hu£band his wife; the parents may lofs their dear children, and the children their parents. Bur if any of thefe trials happen to you, remember you mufr lofe ~our own l ife at ..'J.41fi; an~ wherefore doth a iivin!J man C()1!Lplain .P L~m)ii. 39· It ts always profitable to c.onfider, und.er affi1chon, ~owO)lr cafe might hav'e been worfe than ~t is . .Vlhateve:r be canfumed, or taken,from us; it iJ_ iftb(I;o(Cl.'J merciei that we ourfelves are not confumed, ver . · 2~ /. {2;..) It is but for a fhort fpace of time we are to b~ in ~h.i.s world. It is but little our neceffitiesrequire in thisfhortfpq.ceoftime ;: when death comes, we will fiand in i1e~d Qf nor~e of thefe things. \Vhy fbould men rack their heads wi th cares hov; to provide for to-morrow; while they lqlo\1" . HOt ifthey fhall need any thing to:morrow? 1'ho' a man's provifion for his jo,urney be near fpent, he is not difquiet– ed. ifhe think he ·is ~ear home: are you working., with E:artd~.e--light, and is there iittle ·of vour candle left? It L \ .I " t,nay be there is, as Httle fand in your glafs? and if [o, ye ha:elitt~e ufe for it. (3 . ) Ye have matters of greater yvetgiu tnat challenge your care. .Death's at the door, hew;1re you Jois not your fouls. If blood break out at one part of the body, they ufc to open a vein in another: part of it to turn th.~ H:ream of bi oo::l . and io to ftop it. Thus the Spirit of God fome times cnres men of forrow ~or earthly things, by opening the heart-vein to bleed for fin. Did ~e purfue heavenly things the more vi go– umfiy that our a,ffairs in this life pro1per not, we ihould · thereby I
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