Ofthe excellencyofcontentment,& themeans to obtain it.459 leaueto haue brought him out to execution, yet his chiefe comfortercontent, would haue accompaniedhimeuenvnto death, feeing it was grounded upon his affianceand hope in Tob x3.r 5. God,whichdeath it (elfcouldnot rake from him. So though the Amalekits did fpoile Dauidatonce both ofhiswiues and =.Sam.3o.6. wealth,yet his contentment was not taken from him whets alloutward things failed,becaufe it was not placed in them but in his heart,and in his God; and therefore when for leffe loifes his company were fo imaged through impatiency,that theywere ready to (lone him, I Ike fooles and madmen (hi- king thole who are next voto them, yet afielionbeing ing added to afiE} ion,it is faid that Dauid comforted.him felfe in the LordhisGod. But çontrariwifewee fee Ahab fo weakened with his dui-cafe of couetoufneffe, that fee fur£et- tech with thevery fight ofNaboths vineyard; and wanting inward content, a whole kingdome could not fatisfie him, norraileoreale his deie&ed mind, which but an opinion ofwanthadouerthrowne. Would wee therefore haue fuch contentment as isvnap- 4,Seê7.54 . proachable in the affault ofanyn;ifery, andas it were out ofThatwe mull the gun(hot of any danger?let vs feate it chiefly inheauenfeekecontent-- vnder theprote&ion ofGods prouidence, and fomuch ofit mër,nor by mat- as remaineth with vs,let vs place it in the caille ofour harts, váiriés, burdb which as long as life lafleth. none canfurprife and fpoyle; moderating our andnot inoutward things which eafily are flollen away-and defires andof- it with them. For example, wouldwee haue fu(ficiencieoffailms, honours and worldly glory? why then muff weenot with that great enemieoftheRomanemonarchic, thinkeofcon- queringonenation after another, that fo fatisfyingour am- bition, we may in the endfind reft,and fpend the remainder ofourdaies inpleaftreand delights : forhonours are vain, anddoenot fatisfie,and the mind is large, andnaturally vn-- fatiabie; and thereforehere canbe no fulneffe and content, for fooner may therewant kingdomes toouercome, then a heart tocouet them, aswee fee in the example ofthe Greci-- an monarch. But this fufficiencie mull bee looked for in the mind and heart, not by fatisfying,but bymoderating and overruling them,andnot byfitting oureflate toour defires; for
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