36 The rare Jewel ofChriftian Contentment. fince in a profperous condirion,but God bath changed my condiuon: the Lord bath calied me no more Naomi,but Marah: Now what am I to do? what can I think now? Are thofe duties that God 1equires of me in the condition that he bath now put me into ? and lee me put forrh my £hength in the performance of the ~uties of my pre!enr condition~ Ocbers they fpend their thoughts in thofe things that iliall di!turb and dJfquiet them • and fo they grmv mere -arid more difcontented ; yea, but !et m~ fpeRd my thoughts in ·thinkitig V\' hat my duty is, wbat Is the dury of my prefent cor1dition w hi<:h I :1m in : Oh ! faith a man whofe condttion is changed, and he hath loft his eftare, ·Had I but my e(hte that I had h~retofore, how would I ufe it tOG:)dS Gtory ! But God hatb made me to fee that I did not honour him with my ~Hate as. I ought to have done,_Oh 1 had I it·again; I would do better then ever I did, but this may be but a temptation, therefore you tboLJld rather think, What doth God require of me in the condition I am now brought into? And thoa thouldefl: labour to bring thy heart to quiet and contentment, by fetting the foul on work about the duties of thy prefent condition; and the truth is, I knovv nothing more available for the quietting of aChriftian 1oul :md3etting Contentment than this, The fetting thy heart on work about the duties ofthy 'Very prefent condition that now thou ~rt in, and take heed of thy thougqts about other conditions as ameer Temptation. I cannot compare the folly of men and nromen that think to get Contentment with their mu!ing aboat other conditions, better U1an to the way of children ; perhaps they are gotten upon ah Hill, and they look a good way off and fee anothl!r Hill, and they think if they were on the top of that, then they were able to touch the clouds with their Figgers; but when they are on the top of that hill, Alas, then they are as far from the clouds, ,as they were before. So iris with many that think, H rbey were in fuch a condition then they iliould have Contentment • and perhaps they get into that condition, and then, theyare'as far fr'om Contentment as befo_re:But then they think if they were in another condition, they would be contented, and then when they have got into.that condition, they are Hill as far from Contentment as before. No, no, let me c~nfider what is the duty ' cf
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