Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

Of the excellency of contentment,& the means to obtain it. 463 Finally, if we would haue fiiffii. iencieofpleafure, it is not 4.Sec.7. to be found in outward things, which only tatiate and neuer That content - fatisfie, but in the inward contentation ofthe mind, which nnntinptea- we may p tuafily attaine vnto,ifwe change ourcarnal! delights reto ) i a'er r had,nnt into I irill ycin g in God, in the fruition ofhis f tu- iri by nut iptying than, hat by e - . all graces, and in our aflitrance of his heauenly boyes; for this fltarvrng our will make our hearts Co inwardly cheerefull, that we fhallappebtes. take pleafure in all outward things, not onely fuchas the world delighteth in, but alo in thofe which are tedious and troublef me voto them : for this inwardpleafure will turne our labours into recreations, and our forrowes into ioy,ina- king vs to bemetric and reinyce, not onely in worldly pro- fperitie,bur alto in tribulatiô,as the Apofile teachethvs,both by his a doálrine and b example: and this is that ioy, which''Rom.ç. ;; asourSauiourChrifl faith, is c full, and therefore fatisfieth b Ad.16.2.ç.. vs,and permanent,and therefore can neuer be taken from vs. Z.0 or.7.4. But tfbetides this fpirituall ioy, we would be fatisfied with c toh.t 5.1. worldly pleafures, we mull not looke for this fuficiencie in out .i things,but in ourminds,not by multiplying our de. lights,butby refraining our appetites: for otherwife well may we be glutted, but neuer contented with worldly plea- fures, like the arch- epicurehimtelfe ,whoconfetfed that loa Epicurus apud thing coflly delicates,he contented himfelfe to feed onbread Stobçum.lib.t. and water, not becaufe he waswearie of his dainty cates, fo erm.t7. much as ofthe difcommodities which he felt whe he had fur- Stobæu taco m tad ,lib.to . fetted on them:and thus the diuine Heathen bridled his vo- term.t7. luptuous concupifcence, by acculloming it to want that which it moll defied, when as being athiril,he.would often draw water out of his well, and powre it out againe without drinking, vntill he had fo mattered himfelfe, that hee could quench histhirli with a moderate and well-ruled appetite: and if we would thus limit our delires, and curbe in our vn- fatiable voluptuoufhes,ifwe wouldliue to nature,and not to lufi, and be ruled by reafon, and not opinion, theta would a few pleafures fatisfie vs, and being fatisficd we íhould want nothing. And thus haue I (hewed that theonly mcanes ofattaining g,Seci,$: . veto fufficiencie 'of outward things, is by inward content- The Pt meat. .