Oftheexcellencyofcontentment,& themeaner toobtain it.453 feeke for this contentment, without which thelifeof man is miferable, not in thefe outward things which afford itnot; but inwardly inour ovine minds, by purging and purifying them from worldly concupifcence, and by fixing our hearts and affeólions vpon Gods fpirituall graces and heauenly ioyes, the onewhereof we may haue in pofìë(lìon, and the other in hope ; withoutwhich all worldly things cannot fa- tisfie, with which though wee bee abandoned ofall earthly vanicies,weemay haue tranquillitieof mind, and true con- tentment.For fir& ifwe haue the fpirit ofGod, and his fan- dlifying graces dwelling in vs we (hall be filled and fati(fed: for as our Sauiour Chrif+himfelfe hath protnifed, whofoeuer /oh drinl¿ethofthisfpiritstall mater whichheJhallgiue him,/hall ne- tier demore athirfl,foritfhallbeinhimasawed ofwater,fprin- gin eiptoeuerlaflinglife. And he that /jeleeøeth in him, ontofIoh.7.3s,39. th4dite/1talifiov rioters ofthe water efuife. And ifwee would knòwwhnc this well and riuer ofthewater of life is, which this, Roth and fantisfiethvs, the Apoftle telleth vs in the 'next words, that -itis the fpirit ofGodwhich hegiuethto all that beleeue inChrift. Sothe Pfalmift pronounceth him bleffedwhom Godchufeth, andcaufeth to comeonto him; be- Pfa1.6f:4, caufe heJhalldwell in his courts, andbeefatisfiedWith the plea- fures ofhishoufe, euenofhis holy temple. -And the Apoille ma- keth this the end ofknowingtheloueofChrili which paffethall Ephef,3.t9, knowledge, thatöoemay be filledwithall the fulneffe of God. For ifoncewe hauethe fpirit of God, a l.iuelyfaith,fincere loue, alí'uredhope, and the ref+ofhis fanótifying gracesdwelling invs, thenare we therebyperfuadedof the remilfronofour Iinnes,ourreconciliation withGod, our adoption, whereby webecome notonely fonnes,butalto heires ofall his promi- fes, then are wee allured of his fatherly prouidence hill gom,g.28. watchingouer vs, which turneth all things by the wife and mightyworking thereofto our good, efpecially to the fur- theringofour eternal' faluation.And this makech vstore- figne our (clueswholly ouer to bee gouerned byhis will,as knowing tnuchbetterthen our felues vvhatis fitfor vs ; and tobee not only contented, but alto to reioyce,not in the hateofprofperity alone, but euen in our aflíióiion and tri- G g 3 bulation,
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