The rare jeTrd Of Cbrif!ian Contemmenr. 7 3 ~·--------------~--------------------- thelrif.elves, they can walk at breadth and never jufHe one with . another fe as the other do. The Leffon of felf-denyal is the firl-t Leion that Jefus ChriH cloth learn men in the feeking of Cont.entment. The fecond Leffon is, The v<*nity ofthe Crutt:~re: That is, the fecond Leffon in Chrifts School tbat he teaches thofe that he. would make Scholars in this Art: The vanity of the Creature, That whatfoevcr there is in the Creature bath an emptinefs in it, V ~tnity of VanitieJ all iJ vanity ; that is the letfon that the Wife man learned, that the creature m its felf can do us neither good nor hurt, but it i:a all but as a wind, there is nothing in the creature that is futable to a gracious heart to feed upon for the good and bappinefs of it: My Brethren, the reaf:1n 1vhy you have not Contentment in the things of the world, it is not becaufe yon have not enough ofthem, this is not rh ! reafon, but the reafon is, becaufe they are not things proportionable to that immortal foul of yonrs that are captble of God himfelf; many men think when they are troubled and have not Conreormeor, that it is becaufe they have but a little in the worl-d, and if they had more, then they (bould be content .: Thac were jull thus, Suppofe aman is an hungry, and to fat isfie his eraving Homach he (bould gape and holdoper. his mouth, to take in the wmd, and then lhould think the reafon why he is not fatis:H.:d, is, becaufe he hath not enough of the winp;no, the reafon is, becaufe the thing is not flltable to a craving Hom.tch; Truly there-is the fame madn~fs in the world ; the wind that aman takes in by ga,ping; will affoo1 fatisfie a craving flomach which is ready to fami(b, as al the comforts io tbe world can fatisfie a· fou1 that knows what true happine[s means. You would be h1ppy, and you feek after fuch and fucb comforts in the creature; vvell,have you got them? do you find your neart fatisfied as :having that happinefs that is futable to you? No, no, it is cot here, but you think it is, becaufe you want fucb and fuch things: Oh poor de- - Iuded man-? It is not oecaufe you have not enough of it, but be:. caufe it is not the thing that is proportionable to that immortal foul that God hath given you~ why do you lay out yom· mtm~y forth~~t which is not bread ( Efa. 55· 2.) and your iaborfor that »hichfatiJfietb rm f you are mad people, you feek to fatisfie M yolll'
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