Tht Rart Jewel of Cbriftitin Contentment. _It3 3· now ChrifHans, when God expetl:s this from you ,·for you, not '" much.as to have atrained to contentednefs under atfhetions;. Oh this is beneath the e~pectation. of God horn you. Eighthly, It is below tbat that God bntb bad fr~r» other ChrifJitms. Others ha·ve not only been contf!'lted with little crdfes, bu.tthey hne triumphed undet great aff}ietions, they -havefuf- . fered the fpoiling of their goods with joy, tcad but the later part ~f the 1 :t of the Htbrews, and you th11l find what great things God bath had from his peopl·e, and therefore not to be content with fmaller cooffes, this mufi needs be a great evil. 'I he Sixth evil that there is in amdrmuiing fpirit , is this, By ~rmHrirJg yoH tJndo yoRr ;r11yers, for it is txfttding contrllr} to the praytr; JOH r~Mk.e Hnto God : When you come to prayer to God , you ackn01vledg his Sovereignty over you , you come there to profefs your felves to be at God's difpofe, what d() you pray for, except you ackn01vledg that you are at hi~ difpofe, e:x.cept you will ftand (as it 1vere ) at his difpofe, never come to petition to him , if you will come to petition to him, and yet ·will be your O'..Vn carver, you go crofs to·you·r prnyers , to come u if you would beg yqur. bread at your Fathers gates every day , aQd yet you muH do what you lilt, this is the undoing of the prayers of a ChriHian. I remember I have read of L4tirmr that fpeaking concerning Peter that he denied hrs Matter (faith he) Pher forgot his PAter•nofter , for that was HdowtJ. htthy N ·trm, and thy Kingdome come: So we may fay, when you have murmuring and di.fcontented hearts you forget your prayers, you forget what you have pray~;d for , for you mufi make tbe Lords Prayer to be as a p:ttern for your ·prayl!rs , though y<>u fay not always the fame Nord!, What do you pray, B·ut givt 111 this dAy o~r dayly 6rtad ? for thu's Chrifi's in.te.nti.on that I'Ve lbou.ld bave that as a patern,.and is adireCtory (as it were) how to make yout prayets ; now God cloth not teach- any of you to pray , Lord give us fo much a year , or let me have fuch kind of cloth, and fo many difhes at my table, Chrifi doth notteackyou t0 pray fo,but he teaches us to pray , Lord givou our bu,cd, fuewing that you fuould be content with a little : '\IVba~ have you not bretd to eat ? I hope there's none of yon Qere bnt hne that.
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