The rare Jewel of Chri ftian Contentment. I 5 will not be troubled : but though you have a fiurdy refoiution that you wil~not be tro~bled,is th~r~ a confcio~ab~en~fs in_you to fan6tifie tJods name m your affhCbon, and ~oth 1t come trom thence ? That is the mam thing that brings the quiet of heart, and helps againfi difcontentednefs in a gracious heart, I fay the defire and ,.. ~re that thy foul bath to San6bfie Gods Name in an affiitl:ion, .it is ibat that quiets the foul, which doth not in the other. Neither when it is meedy from reafon : ~s Socr~t'es it is faid of him (though he were but an Heathen) tha.t whatever befel him he would not fo much as change hi~ countenanc.e,and he got this power over his fpirit meerly by (lrength of reafon and morality : but now this gracioas Contentment come~ from principals beyond the firength of reafon. I cannot open that (from whence it comes) till ~ve come to open th_eMyllerieofSpiritual Contentment. Jr- will only give you this one note ofdifference b.etweenc a man and a woman th1t is contented in a natural way' and another that is conten~ed in a fpiritualway. Thofe that ~fe content~~ ~n a natural way th~y overcome themfel ves when outward affircbons do befaU them, they are conteP;ted, yea and they are contented as well when they commit fin againll God, either when tbey have outward croffes or when God is dilhonored ~ 1dfJ~ all one, either when themfelves are crofl or when God is croll ; but novv a gracious hearc that is contented with its owne affiietion, yet mightily rifes when God is difhonored. The Fifth is[ Freely ]ft1Jbmitting to, and tak}ng complacency in Gods difpofe, it is a free work of the· fpirit: now there are four things to be opened in this freedom of fpirit. Firfi, That the heart is readily brought over, that which one cloth freely there is no great fiir to bring them to it ; there are many men and women when their affliCtions are grievous upon them, with much a do they are brought to be contented, a great deal of flir there is to quiet their hearts when they 1are under affl etion, yet at tall perhaps they ue brought to it, I but novv this cloth not come off freely : ifl defire a thiGg of another al'ld I get it perhaps with much ado, and a great deal of flir thete is,but here's no freedome of fpirit ; but when a man is free in a thing,do but mention it and he prefently comes off to I it
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