Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

460 Of the excellency of contentment,& the measra to ebtam it. for they being endleffe, there would be no end ofafpiring ; but outdelres to our eflate, being content with that degree ofhonour which God by lawfull meanes doth call vs vnto ; counting it our chiefe honour to contemne thofe honours, which on ill and unlawfull conditions are offered vnto vs; and that wee are then truely great, when as wee can defpife wicked.greatneffe. For feeing the excellencie both ofho- nours them felues, and of their degree and quantity, confi- Beth chiefly inmens minds and opinions, and not in any ab- folute goodneflè that is in themfelues ; therefore hee bath e- nough ofthem indeed, who hath enough in his owne opini- on; and though he be but meanely aduanced, yet ifhis eflate giue contentment to his mind, or rather his mind to it, hee flandeth not in need of more preferments, becaufe hee bath as much as he defireth. Whereas if the concupifcence be not ouerruled with reafon and religion, the more honours wee haue, the more ambition allo; and confequently the leffe content. For feeing all defiring and afpiring commeth from opinion of want, and hee that euer wanteth can neuer bee fatiffied; therefore it mattereth not how great our prefer- ments are in themfelues, if we thinke them little vnto vs, fee- ing hee who thinketh hee bath too little, Hill affedieth more, and can neuer be content till his ovine heart telleth him,that he bath enough. Iftherefore we would haue contentment in honours, we mua not labour to attaine vnto it by multiply.. ing ofpreferments, but by moderating our ambition, letting before vs the example of the prophet Dauid, who being by God himfelfe annointed king, did not ambitioufly afpire to take poffeffton of the royall throne, by cutting off Saul, though he were reieöled by God, but waited till the Lord himfelfe did make him a way, by giuing vnto him lawfull meanes : and when bee was highefl in his eflate bee was not haughty in his heart, but was as humble as a wained child, when he welded the fcepter,and held in his hand foueraigne power, wherebyhauing his mind farre under his condition, though through his fottnes ambition hee loll his kingdome, yet not his content,but was willing to accept of any eftate which the Lord would afligne vino him.Heream I(fatth,he) let