I 9 6 The Rare Jerpel of Chr.iftian Contentmenr. man lhould complain that he is prick'd with them • thou goell among Thorn.s~ is it thy way ? Mu a .Y.ou o£ ~eceffi~Y. go among them? Theh Jt s anotier matter ,but 1t thou vv1lt elechvely chure that way when thou mayetl go another, then thou .hafr no caufe to complain; fo for men and women that .will put. themfelve$ upon thing~ of the \Vorld that · they need not, then ro- mervail though t~ey be prick'd, and meet with tha,t that cloth difquiet them; For fuch is the Nature of all things here in the World, that every thing bath fome prick or otber in it, we are like to meet wilh dirappointments and difcontentments in every thing we meddle with,_.:md therefore thofe that have Ieall: to do in the world, (that is except God call them to it, we mull: put in that) they are like to m~et with many things that will difcontenttbem. The. Third D 1RE C T l 0 N. Thirdly, Be fure of thy call to every bu!inefs thou goefl a• bout, though it be in the leafi bufinefs, be fure of thy call to it; tbeA whatever thou meetelt withal, thou mayefl quiet tby h.:art with this, I know I am where God would have me; there 's nothing in the world vvifl quiet the heart fo much as this; when ·I meet with any croffes, I know I am where God 1Vould have me in my place and c ;~ lling, I am about the work that God hatb fet me; Ob, this will quiet and content thee when thon meetetl wirh trouble : tha t that God calls a man to, with that He may have comfort whatever befalls him, God is to look to thee, and to fee t.!:lee blefi,if thou bee!l in the work God calls tbee to. The Fourth D I R E C T I 0 N. And efpecia lly ifi add a Fourth Rule, and that is, Th~tt I wa/~ by rult in that 1J9r~ I Am c.11Ued to. I am called to fuch a bu finefs, but ~ nmlt m .w~ge-rhis work that I am called to by Rule, I mnll: walk by the word, order my felf in this bufinefs according ro Godsmind fo far as I am able, . then add this to the other, and then the quiet and the p~ace of that foul may be made even perfeCt in a kind, when I know it is not the work I put my (elf upon,. b~t Go~ hath called me to it, and ·! waJk, hby · t c·
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