Ofthe excellency ofcontentment,e5- themeans toobtain it. 457 though it haue (lore ofwater in it, is fubie& to drying vp whereas the contentedmans eflate, though neuer lo fmall,is exempted from .that feare; feeing it i3 as a lining fpring, iffit- ing out fromGod the fountains of all goodneflè, which though it be little inquantitie, yet can neuer be quite drie, becaufe it hath a continuallfitpply whereby it is fcd.Nomar- nel therefore ifhe who isricher}, is Ail! turmoyled with car- kinncare, feeing relling vpon his owne prouiGon hehath goodcaufe to fearc,lefl byCome great drought ofafliólion, he may haue his owne ponds of' prouiGon dried vp. Now what doth he but continually want, who is in continual) feare ofwandng ? Inaword, this inward contentment ma- keth vs richwithout riches, whole without health, warme without clothes, and metric in our greateft caufes ofhea- uineflè. On the other Ade, thoughwe fhould haue allthings, and 4.SceL4. want thiscontentment, it were as good as nothing, tieingThat content- this contrariwife turneth peace into trouble, riches into po- ment is tobe uertie, libertie into feruitude,health intoGckneffe yea were ors wrdthings. fufficienttomakeahell ofheauen,ifit were admitted into it, bit inthebeart there being nohappines where it inhabiteth, no want ofany andmind. miferie to thofe that haue it. For he is vnhappie, who doth not thinkehimfelfe happie;he is not rich,whothinketh him- felfe poore, and therefore defireth more, although hepof- feffeabundance, becaufe his vnfatiable mind fwalloweth vp his wealth; he isnot honorable,though hewere Monarchof thewhole world, who thinking himfelfe bale andcontemp- tible,is difeontented inhis greatefl aduancement.And they- fore feeing this contentation isfuchapretiousiewell, that withit no eflate, without it all eflates are miferable : let vs labour to attaine vnto it, and notfeekecontentment inout- ward things, but in our owne minds, for all the world and worldly things cannot bring it toour hearts, vnleffe we firft bring contentment vnto them : for as our cloathes cannot giue warmth to our bodies, vnleffe our bodies fill giueit vnto them whereofit is that adead carcafewhich bath loft it naturali heate, cannot haue it reflored, though all the clothes in the worldwere laid vpon it:foneither canworld- ly
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