. 1 88 . 7 he rare Jewd of}Chrifli4n .Con_teotmenr. fings in -~arthly places as feme others hav~, but if the L.ord.hath bldfed thee in Heavenly plac.es,that fuould coAtent thee· there's bl~ffings i~ Heaven, ~nd he hach fet the~ here for the 'prefent as 1t were mHeaven m a Heavenly place r The .conftderation ~ of the ,greatneffe of tbe mercies that we ba-ve;and the.little,neffe of the ~hings th~t G.od.hath denied us, i-s a ver·y.po'NerfuL ·confideration to wotk tfiis Grace of Contentment. . · The Second C 0 N S I D E R AT I 0 N. . The Conilderation. Tht:t God is beforeh~tnd with tJs with his mercies, Jhould content us (I fpake to this as an aggravation of our difcontent, but novv I ilia! I ufe it as a confideration to help us to Contentment) Thou wantefl. many comforts no1v, but ha·rh not God been before-hanri with thee heretofore?- Oh, thou halt ,had mercy enough already to make thee fpend ~u the llrength .thou hall, flnd .ti:me thou !halt live, to blefs GOd for ~vhat thou ha.A had already. I remember I have read of a good man that ha-d liv'd to li!ty years of age, and enjoyl!d his health for eight and· forty years exceeding well, a r~ d ltv'd in profperity, and the two lafl years his body was . exceedingly difeafed; he had the . ~rrangurx, and-w_as_in gr.eat. pain J but he re~foned . the cafe t\'.ith ..bimfdf thus;. Oh L.o.rd, thott mightefl ha11e made a !I my life to h.we been a llfe of torment and pain, bu-r thou hall let me have eight and forty years in health: I will praife Jby mercies fu[ . what I have had, and ~vill - praife tby Jr;ltice for what now I feel. Oh, it's a good conftd~rat}on for us to think, ~hat-God is'before• hand with us ip the vv~y of mercy-: Suppofe God Jhould noW' ' ; take away your eflates from-_fome of you that have lived ~om- . for.tably agreat while, you vvlll fay, That aggravates our mtfery that we hav.e had ellates- Lbut it is through thy unthankfulneffe that it cloth fo ; ~ye lhquld blefs God for vvhat we have had , :~nd not think that w:e are worfe becaufc: we have had thus -and th,qs; we !Jlight ha_ve been a!waie~ miferable , and· certainly, thKmans condition is n()t very m1ferable that bath· no other or eat-er aooravation of his mirery ,but becaure once hewas happy. ' ·If there b~ nothi·ng,elfe to.make you miferable, that is no fuch ~ggravation~'u~ that thouJnayeft. bear.i t,. for t.he~e is mu~b mer- :c_ C'f:
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