· ~11 o The rare Jewel o/ChrijliAnC@IUCntment. tl.lnger for.their .fouls than th.ey are for their--out'Nard elhte!, . you th ink it is a fad thil!g to be in danger of .your outward ellates that you may lofe aU in a night, but if you have nor this conten~ t~d fpir_it \Vithin ·you, you are in more dao~er of the temptatiOns of theDevil to be~plundeted that way of any good, and to be Jed intoJfin ; •Oh when men think thus, they mutt Jive as .brave as th~y-·were wont todo,thefe men make themfel'ves aprey to the Dev1J; but for fuct. as can fay, let-God do -Nith me wf,ac he pleafes, I am content to fubmit to his hand in it, the Devil will fcarce meddle with fuch men. It's a notable fpeech·of a Philofopher dut ·lived upon mean fare-, and as he ft'IS eating herbs and toots, faith one to him, If you \VOuld but pleafe Di~"Jfitu, you need not eat herbs and roots: but he anf~vered him thus, If you would but<be content IVirb fuch mean fare, you neeri not :flatter ;VionyjiNJ, So temptations will no more prevail upon a -contented man, than a dart that is thr01vn againfi a brafen wall. That's the fifth particul'ar. The•6xt Exceli~ncy is, Tht Abundant &omforts in ~ ,Mns rlifetbat Contentment will bring: Contentment will make a mane ·life.e.xceeding fweet and comfortable, nothing more. than the grace of Contentment ; many \Vaies I will iheYV how it brin~s m Comfort. 1. As firfi, What a man ha:th, he bath it in A ~ind of lnJepm• .dmt w11y, not depending upon any creature for his comfort. 2. A contented man wbo[l eftau ~~ LoYP,if God raiftJ biJ f/lat-,, .he hath tht /lJvt of God in_ it, and then It's' abundantly more fweet than if he had it, and his heart not contented ; or if he had not the love of God in it : for it m~y be God grants to a dif- .contented man his de6re, but he cannot fay it is from love; if a man bath quieted his fpitit firH, and then God grant him his .(le6re, he may have more comfort in ic, and more afiur1nce that :he bath the love! of God in ir. 3.This Contentment is a comfort to amans fpirit in this, That it tl~tb lzup his comforts,. ~mJ /zttp . 111t wht~f{oever may d~m; hil <eomforts, or pr~t oNt th·e ltght of therN. I may comparethts grace of Contentment .to a Marinet!Lanthotn, aMariner "hen ~he is at Sea,let him have never fo mucb.provition in hir Ship,yet if he :ie thoufands of leagues from land, or in a rode that be 1hall not meet
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