Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

lob 131. 4s8 Of the excellency ofcontentment,& the means to amiss it. ly things beate the heart with comfort and coutentment,vn- leffe this fpiritual warmth be fir(i from the mind conueighed vnto them, and where this vitali heate is quite wanting, it is not the monarchie ofthe whole world that will reuiue it.Let vs not therefore fceke for contentment abroad, feeing we may hauc it fo neere home, not in earthly things, but in our owne hearts, feeing the whole world can neithergiue, nor yet take it from vs, which when we haue, miferie it Idle can- not make vs miferable : wemay haue (if we will) futficient in our owne (lore; and why then fhouid we depend vpon o- thers, and hue by borrowing,whereby we are brought into a wilfullferuitude ?ourownemay fuffice vs, if our mind fur. fice it (elfe : and we may abound in all plentie, if wee be not caufes ofour owne pouertie : for let vsbut inrich our minds with content,and we may well (corne the worlds riches;fee- ing the fmallefi pittance will be fufficient;and enough (as we fay) is as good as a feafi : we fee that found and healthie bo- dies, though they feed on the courfe(i fare,are flrong,fat and in good liking; whereas thofie that are difeafed, are leane and feeble, though they fit at full tables, and feed only vpon the daintie(l food : and therefore no man defireth fickneffe, that he may Rill feed on delicacies,but would rather content himfelfwith the limplcfi commons, fo he might haue health to beare hi m companie : fo when our minds are in health,ha- uing in them that vitali heat ofcomfort and content in God, we are fo firong and vigorous, that in the meanefl conditi- on we are replenifhed with ioy, and though men fhould take all we haue fromvs, yet whetherthey willor no, they mufi'leaue our chide treafure, content, behind them : but if we befckeofworldly concupifcence, nothing will either pleafe or cafe vs ; and all ourdelicates willbe but loathfome, ifthey be not ferued in with contestation. Satan could take away lobs goods but not his comfort, becaufe his content was not in his outward efiate,but in his heart,and hauing no commiflìon to ranfacke that, he could not ouercome him in the fpirituall fight, feeing though all his riches were gone, his heart fupplied wealth enough to maintaine the warre. And though hauing firipped him of all, he íhould haue had leaue