12 7 be rare Jewel of Chriftian Contentment d-otn it ; as thus.lw-ould open my felf, one that,is di!guieted fuppofe a childe, or man,or woman, if you come and brmg t!J6~ ffome great matter to plea1"e them,that perhaps will quiet them, and they will be conteoted; it is the thing you bring them' that quiets them, but it is not the difpolition of their own fpirits ,. nor f.rom any go0d temper that there is in their o1vn hearts:but from fome external thing that is brought them : but when a ChriH:ian 'is contented in a right way,the quiet cloth come more from·the inward temper and difpofition of their own hearts than from any external arguments, or poffdlion of any thing in the world. I would yet open this further to you in this Similitude• . The being_ content upon fome external thing, it is likeche w11rming:of a mans cl oaths by the fire; but being content by the inward dif~ofition of the foul, it is like the warmth that a mans cl oaths bath from the natural heat of his body: A mao thatisofahealthfulbody, he puts on his cloaths, and perhaps when he puts them on at the firft in a cold morning he feels his cloaths-cold,.but after he·bath them on a l1ttle while they are ~arm- ~ vvhy how co;ne they warm; they come not nigh the fire : No, but it came from the natural heat of his body. Now aJickly man that bath his natural heat decayed, if he put on his doaths cold, they will not be h0t in a long time, but he muLl: have them ,warmed by the .fire, and--then they vvi!I quickly be cold, again; So this vvill difference the Contenti~ents of men. , There are fome men now that are very gractous, and when an affii&ion comes upon them, indeed at f.irfl: it feems to be a little cold, but after it hath be eo on a vvhile,the very tern· per of their hearts being gracious, it ma-kes their affl16tions eafie and makes them quiet under it, and not to complain .of any Difcontentment. But now you fhall have others-that have an affiiccion upon them; that have not this good temper in their beam, their affl i'6tions are very cold upon them, and grievous; and it may be if you bring them fame external arguments,fomewhat from without, as the fire that warms the cloat~J, }!lerhaps tney vviU be quiet for a while: but alas, want,ing a gracion·s difpofttion vvithin, in their own hearts, that warmth will not , hold .long• . The warmth-of the. fire that is, a Contentment ~tha!: 'o~es .. ~e~ily , !~~m ~x!er~a! argu~eQtS' will not 1 hold .ong,
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