'1 he 'rtJre Jewel otchriftian Contentment 79 dition : he muH have his bed warm'd at home, but he mufi Iie abroad m the fields when he is a Soldier; and the very thought of this condition in·vv·hich he llands quiets ' him in all things, yea, and be goes rejoycing, to think, this :is but futabJe ro my conditio11 in which God ha rh pat me : fo it thou Id be with us in refpe&ofthis world. , Now, would it not be an unfeemly tbmg to fee aSoldier go whining up and down with the finger in the eye,and complaining,that he hath not hot meat every meal, and his bed watm'd as he had at home; Now Chrifiians they know that they ate in their warfare, they are here in this world fighting and com'>ating with the enemies of their fouls and ete·rnal condition, and they mull be wilJing to endure hardnefs here. The right underflanding of this, that God bath put them in~ fuch a condition, it i~ that that will content them, efpeciaity when they confider that they ate certain ofthe viCtory, and tbat ere long they lhall triu;npb witb J efus Chrill.; and then all their forrows lhall be done away ,and their tears wiped from their eys. A Soldie_! is cpntent to endure hardnefs, though he knows not that he fhaii have the victory? but a Chrifiian knows himfelf to be a Soldier, and knows that he lhall conquer and triumph with JeiilsChrifl to all eternity. And · that's the Fourth Lefi'on that Chrifi doth teach the foul when he brings it into his School, to learn the Art of Con$entmenr, he makes him unaerfiand ,. throughly the relation in which he bath placed him in; in thi~ -world. , The Fifth Lefi'on that Chrill teaches, it is this, He tuzchn us rPbtrein conjifh any good tbAt is to be e11joyed in .. ~tny creatur~ ;, the ,or/d. It's true, before it bath been taught that there is a vanity in the Creature ; that is, take the Creature confidered in its Celf, buc yet though there be a vanity in the Creature in 'it's fc:lf,in refpe& oHatisfying the foul fori£~ portion,yet there is fome goodnefs in the Creature ·; ·though there be a vanity there is fome clefirablenefs: Bur wherein doth thac confift ~ it co!lfi!ts not in the nature of the Creature it felf, for' that is ~othing but vanity; but it con6fts in the refereflce it bath to the firft being of all thing~. This is M:elfon that Chrifi teaches, if ~here be any good in an eltate, o( in any comforis in this world, it is not (o rrlucb that it pleaft:s my -fenfe, thlt it is futable ro . . my
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