The rare Jewel of Chrijfian Contentment. 3.7 ·- of _my prefent contlition, and content my heart with this, and fay, well, though I am in a low condition, yet I am ferving the Counfels of God in that condition wherein I am; it is the Counfel of God that bath brought me into this condition taat I am in, and I defire to ferve the C ounfel of Goc:J. in tb at condition. There is a notable Scripture co·nc':eming D.-TJid.Tt is fa id of him, That he ferved his Generation,after David had ferved his Generation according to the Will of God, then he flepr. It is a Speech of PAul concerning him, in Ac.t. 13~ 36. So it is in your Books, .4ft er he bad ferved his Ge:::eratim according to tbt will of Ged : But now the word teat is Tranfiated ffi/l ,1t is the Cotm[el of God : and fo it may be tranfiated as well, That llrjter David in his Ge'!#fation h~d /erved God; Cot-mce!, then he fell afleep. We ordmanly take the words thus, thatDavid ferved.. /:, is Generation; that'1s, he did the work ofhis Generation,that is to ferve a mans Geoeration.B!.It it is more·plain,ifyou read it thus: After David in his Generatio'n had ferTed theConnfel of God>then David fell afieep.O that fuould be the ca-re ofa chri- £lian to ferve our Gods councel. What is the co uncel ofGod? · The condition that I am in God cloth put me · into it by his own councel, the Councel of his own Will; Now I mull ferve Gods Councel in my Generation, look what is the councei of God in :ny condition, I mnfllook to ferve that: and fo I lbal! have my heart quieted for the prefent, and fuall live and die peaceab!e,and comfortable, if I be careful to ferve Gods cou.nfel. A fi·xth thing in tl:teMyflery ofContentment is thii,A ,~raciou1 hum iJ contented by_the rm/ting ofhis ppjj and dtjire.rinto God; - wil and d~ fire.r, by tb1s- means he gets Contentment;and this is- · a Myflery to a carnal heart. It is nqt by having hii own de.6tes fatisfied as before,but by melting his vvill and defires into Gods , vvill. s~ that he comes to have( in one fenf~)~is defires fatiified . though he hath not the tbing that before he did dd1re, yet he comes to be fatisfied in this,becaufe he makes his 'Nilho be all , one with God1 s will. This is a little higher degree than fub·... mitting to the wit! of God. You all fay, yotdhould fubmit · to Gods will ; but a chriflian bath got ten beyo11d this ; . thac , is ; he can make Gods will and histo bathe fame : fo h is-faid. o£
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