Tbt J:.,vt Jtwd of 6hrijli11n Contentment. 1 83 the change of thy efbte would not be fo grievous. Thlt efery Chriflian fhou\d do : have I an E£late now ? I ibould prepare for poverty. Hlve I healtbnow? I ibould prepare for ficknefs. Have I liberty ? let me prepare my felf for imprifonment: What ~now I what God may call me to ? Have I comfort and peace now in my confcience? Doth God fhine upon tbee?Wflde I have this lee me prepare for God's withdrawing from me. Am I delivered from temptations 1 Let me prepare novv for the time of t~mptations; if thou wouldefi do [o, the change of thy condi-. tion wonld not le fo grievous to thee. _Mariners that are .in a calm will prepare for ftorm;, would they fay, if we never had calms ,· we would bear fiorms ? But nmv we have had calms fo ma11y years or weeks together, this is grievous : In thy calm thou art to prepare for fiorms, and the florm ~vould be le is ; thou (houl dell reafon quite contrary, and fay, Now I am in an aflhSted condition , Oh but bleffed be God, I uMs in a comfort.ab/e cotJdltion, and bleffed be God that he '?Vas aforehand with me in the ways· of his mercy, this one conllderation may help murmuring hearts. Doll thou murmur bec.tllfe once thou vvert better ? Know God was beforehand with thee in the ways of mercy , thou !houldell rather think thus, I have lived for thefemany years (forty yl!ars perhaps or more) in a comfor - table condition, I have lived in health, and peace, and plenty, what thou~h the remaining part of my time hath fome for row - and affi i&ion ? the Lord hath granted to me a comfortable Sun-thine all the day long till towards eTening, and whlt if at feven or eight a clock at night it begins ·to rain ? Let me dunk God I have had fv fair weather all day . You that are going a Voyage, if you have a comfortable wind, and v·ery fair fvr many moneths together , what if you have a little f!orm when you are withinfight of Land, will you murm~r and repine? Oh, No, but rather biers God thlt yoll h.we hao fllch cfco:.nfortable Voyu age fo long: Oh this conlideration ~voul d help us all -: If it >Vere fo tlllt now God lhould fay, Well, Y.ou ihall never fee comfortable day more for oatward thjngs in this world ; Oh then you have caufe to fall down a~ blefs God's Name that you have Md fo many comfort-able days : no·Nyou reafon guite contrary, whereas you ihould blefs God that you h1ve had fo much comfort,
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