The rA-re· Jtwt~of ;cbriftian Contentment. · I6S. The PLEAS of a difcontented Hearr. In the fir!t pl~e, S11ith ont th~tt is difcontented, ~it is mt · Ji[ctmtentrmnt, it iJ the fence of my cmditisn, 1 hope y~~ woN!l have''" fenfible of wy comliii on: perh~t)s when .God td~es lfWII.J a friend 1r feme othtr tgmfort s,they Are ilfordinately [crrowful, & ,_ringing their h~~tndl IJs if thiJ Titre PSndone, And let any ont but [pea~ to them, (fay they ) WoHld you mt have me {enfible of my ~tff!iairm? and thus mAnJ riOH/d hide their finful murmuring und:er Gods hflml with this prmme,th~tt it is bttt fenfib!enes of their .lljfl i £Hon. To that J anfwer,Fidl,Tbere is no fence of any affliction th~t will hinder the fence ofGods mercies, nay the more we are fenfible of our afflictions if it be in a gracious manr.er, the more fenfible we will be ofGods mercy; but thou art fo fen[lble of thy affliction, as it takes away the fence of all thy ~ercies, Ob th.is is finful difcontent, this is not to be fenfible of thy condition as God would have thee, but it is to be fenfibl~ in awicked way, you go beyond your bounds : By this tule you may come·· to knovv when your forrows and troubles for your afflletions goe beyond the bounds; we may be forrowfulwhen Gcd afflicts,., bu~ Oh ? that I might know when my forrow goes beyond the bounds of it; truly thou maiefi know it ay this, Doth the fence of thy affliction s take away the fence of thy mercies ; if it dotb then it goes beyond tbe bounds. Secondly, if it were but a bare rence of an affliction it would not hindet thee in the duties of thy condition, the rigAt fence of our afflictions vvill never hinder us in the--performance of the duties of our condition,but thou art fofenfible of thy afflietion as thou art made unfit for the performance of any dutie~ of the- , condition that God hath put thee in,fnrely its more than meer fence of thy affliction. Thirdly, If it were but meer fence of thy affliction, yet then thou couldefi in this thy condition blefs Go<rl for the mercies that others ha'fe, but thy difcententednefs ufually breeds envie at it ; when any one is difcontented with .tbejr condition, they have an envious fpirit at the -conditions of tbofe that are delivered from what atflictions they beate; certainly then it! t~uned_,
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