Jt4 7 he rare JrwelofChrijtian Contentment -... ginning of fa rr ows, and fore·tunner of thofe eternal fotrows r. tnt tb;: y are li ke to have hereafter in Hell ; fo every comfort thott haH, is a forerunner of chore eternal merci-es thou fhalt . ~H vc with God in Heaven ; not only the confolations of Gods Spirir as rhc fore · rur-mer of thore eternal comforts thou fhal t have in Heaven ; but ~vben thou fiheit at thy . Table, and re :-- joyceet with tb y Wife and childreo, and Friends, th0u m,aielt look upon every one of thofe but as a fore-runner ,yea, the very earnefl peny ofEternal life unto thee. Now then if thi s be fo,no ma rvel though~ Chriflian be contented ; ( rbis is a myfiery to the wicked: )I have what I hne out of the love ofgod· and I have it fanthfied to me by God;and I have it of free cofi from God by the pmchafe of the blood of Jefus Chri fl, and I have it as a fore-runner of thofe eternal mercjes that arc referved for me; and in this my foul rejoyces, There's afecret deiV of Gods goodnefs and bleffing _up,on him in his eflate , that others h~ve not: and by all thiS you may fee tbe meaning of that Scnpture,Prov. 16. 8. Betterintlittle withrightml[mfj than gre~t- revemus wirhout right. A.man that ha eh but a little, yet if he hath it with ri3hteoufnefs,it IS better dien a great deal wihout rjght; yea,better than the great revenues of the ~vie ked : fo y~u have it in another Scripture. Th~t'~ the next Particular Jn ·c hriftitm Contentvunt ; the MyA:ery 1s m this, That he lives upon the dew of Gods bleffing in all the good things that he doth enjoy, , . The Ninth thing wherein the Myfiery of Chri/ii4n Content - JiJtnt confifis,is this : Not onfy the good things th~tt~ he hath, he h~tth the dt1P Df Gods b!f/fing in thew, antl they are very fweet tQ him; b11t 11/1 the ~tjflitfiom, ~~~the . evils that do befall him, he &l.fnfee l~vt in them all; and can en;oy the [11eetne[s of love in his .qffiietlons,as well as in his mercies. Ye~, the truth is,The ·2ffiiaions of Gods Peopl~ come from the fameEternal love that Jefus ChiiA: did cGme from.And that fpeech of Hierom, He is ""happy man thllt is be~~ten when the ftr~~e is a ftro~e of love. All Gods (lrokes are llrokes of love and mercy, All Gods 'IPaies ~rt f1Jtr;, t~ndtrNth_to thD[e tlJ:tt fear h~m ~nd love him,P[a!. '3. ~.I o• .The waies of God,the wa1es of affhct1on,as well as the wa1es of •o~~!itYl~~~ mer~y a~~ ~~~~ !~ ~i!!}:gtace give~ aman an ~ye, ap1er:
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