130 The 'lare Jewtl cf ChriJ1ian Contentmenr., eut of the Land that flmveth with milk and honey, to fay; they · were better before than no~, and yet before·tbey could not be contented neither ; this is the ufual unthankfull expreffton of' ~ difcontented hea·rt : Oh let us take beed of this, ·of a difcon- - tented heart, there is this woful .curfed fruit of difcontent · to make men and women unthankfull for all the mercies God bath. granted to them, and this is a fore and grievous evil. And bfily, Thtr's this evil effect iR rnu~mt4ring, It tWJ[u jhiftintJ of {pirit:they that murmur and are dtfGontent, are liable to temptations, to tbift for themfelves in finful and ungodlywayes, diff.ontent is the ground of lhifting courfes and unlawful waie!. How many cf you may have your confciences con· . <iemn you of this, that you in the time of your affii8ions havo.. fct1ght to tbift for y.ou,rfelves by waies that have been finful a- , gainft God, and your clifcontent w.as the bottom and ground of itc !fyou would avoid lhiftings for your felvesby wicked waies,, tabor. to mmtifie this fin of difcoment, to mortifie it at the r,oot. The Eight evil there is in murmuring. and difcontent is this•. Thert is" Jrtal de.1/ of folly, e·xtrtttl» folly in. 11 di{cutented 'hulrt,itiuljaolifh fin. I lhall open the ! folly ofit in many, l?articulars. I. lltti~ts ~""~)the prefmt comforts of Tlhat you bavt,bec,u~ft JPN have not fcmmhwt that JOU )11011/d hAve. What a foo(i(h thing ·JS this, that becaufe I haue not what l would have, f will nor ~njoy the comfort of what I have!: Do ~ot you iccount·this fol - ly in your children,you give thtm-fome VICtuals and they are not contentr;l, per~aps (they fay.) it is not enough, theycrie for more, and if you do not prcfently give them more they will tbrou· away that they have , and though Y?U account tbat folly in your Children, yet you deal thu-s YJJth God ; God' gives y<>u many mercies, but you fee others have more mercies than you and therefore you cry for more; .I but God gives you· not what you woui~ · have, a~d upon that you ~br~JY away what you hne, 1s not th1s folly m yout beam; It 1s uathankful-· Dtff~. _ ~0> thercs a:gteat deal offollyin djfc<mtentmenr, for by all JOfif•
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