Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the excellency ofcontentment,& the meaner to obtain it.453 feeke for this contentment, without which thelife of man is miferable, not in thefe outward things which afford itnot; but inwardly in our 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 one whereof we may haue in pofìë(lìon, and the other in hope ; without which all worldly things cannot fa- tisfie, with which though wee bee abandoned ofall earthly vanicies,wee may haue tranquillitie of 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¿eth of thisfpiritstall mater which he Jhallgiue him,/hall ne- tier demore athirfl , for itfhallbein him asawed ofwater,fprin- gin eiptoeuerlaflinglife. And he that /jeleeøeth in him, ontofIoh.7.3s,39. th4dite/1talifiov rioters of the water efuife. And if wee would knòwwhnc this well and riuer ofthe water of life is, which this, Roth and fantisfieth vs, the Apoftle telleth vs in the 'next words, that -itis the fpirit of God which he giueth to all that beleeue inChrift. So the Pfalmift pronounceth him bleffedwhom God chufeth, andcaufeth to come onto him; be- Pfa1.6f:4, caufe he Jhalldwell in his courts, and bee fatisfiedWith the plea - fures of his houfe, euen of his holy temple. -And the Apoille ma- keth this the end ofknowingtheloue ofChrili which paffeth all Ephef,3.t9, knowl edge, that öoemay be filledwith all the fulneffe of God. For ifonce we hauethe fpirit of God, a l.iuelyfaith,fincere loue, alí'ured hope, and the ref+ of his fanótifying gracesdwelling in vs, thenare we thereby perfuaded of the remilfron ofour Iinnes,our reconciliation with God, our adoption, whereby we become not onely fonnes,but alto heires ofall his promi- fes, then are wee allured of his fatherly prouidence hill gom,g.28. watching ouer vs, which turneth all things by the wife and mighty working thereofto our good, efpecially to the fur- thering of our eternal' faluation.And this makech vs to re- figne our (clues wholly ouer to bee gouerned by his will, as knowing tnuchbetterthen our felues vvhatis fit for vs ; and to bee not only contented, but alto to reioyce,not in the hate of profperity alone, but euen in our aflíióiion and tri- G g 3 bulation,