to a godly man to make vp his bulwarke of godly contentment Vnlesse it bee the consideration of his portion Which yet is not wanting vnto him because God hath in part already bestowed it on him And what is this portion Surely such as may well vphold and support his soule with godly contentment Hee is already possessed df some part of godlinesse it selfe which of it selfe is a goodly portion as beeing a rich treasure of all precious pearles of grace and goodnesse Yea Psal 119 57. Psal 16.5 6 Thou art my portion O Lord saith holy Dauid The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen vnto mee in pleasant places I haue a goodly heritage My flesh and my heart faileth Psal 73.26 but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer The Lord is my portion Lam. 3.24 saith the soule of mourneful Ieremie Ier. 10.16 51.19 in his dolefull lamentations The Lord of hostes is the portion of Iacob and Israel is the rodde of his inheritance If the Lord himselfe bee Aarons portion and his inheritance Num. 18.20 why should not Aaron content himselfe though hee haue no other inheritance among the people And if the Lord bee the portion of Iacob of Israel of euery godly man Gal. 6.16 who is of the Israel of God why should hee not rest well contented although hee want an inheritance in the things of this world Oh happy man that in that his want enioyeth more then the world can either performe or promise Vse The meditation of a godly mans portion The serious view of this goodly portion of a godly man may afford vnto him this holy meditation God himselfe is my portion if I bee godly and God al-sufficient in himselfe is al-sufficient vnto mee Psal 100.3 Hos 2.20 Ioh. 3.16 God gaue mee to my selfe God gaue himselfe to me God the Father gaue his Sonne to mee God the Sonne gaue himselfe to mee God the Holy ghost gaue his seale Ephes 1.11 to assure this gift vnto me and shall I not be content God the Father hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into my heart Gal. 4.6 to make mee call God my Father and Christ my Redeemer and shall I not bee content That which I was Quod homo est esse Christus voluit vt homo possit esse quod Christus est Cypr. de idol vanitate Christ would bee that I might bee that which Christ is The Sonne of God by grace as hee by nature and fellow-heire with him of all things in glory and shall I not bee content What shall I say more God the Sonne receiued all things from the Father for mee that in him and through him and with him I might receiue all things from the Father 1. Cor. 3.21.22 And why should I not content my selfe with him without whom all things are as nothing and with whom no-can bee in stead of all things Surely the man that is indeed godly is infinitly aboue all measure wealthy and therefore I will be content Tell mee now beloued in the Lord can that true godly soule shrink downe through discontentment that is so strongly propt with these so many pillars or can it euer languish and waxe faint while it doth seriously recount and call to minde Gods powerfull prouidence disposing all things for him Gods prudent loue intending all good vnto him Gods gracious promise assuring him of his loue and his plentifull portion as a pawne of Gods gracious promise While hee hath receiued godlinesse as a treasure of goodnesse and holinesse as a pledge of his happinesse and some measure of grace as a forerunner of vnmeasurable glory The raine of afflictions may fall indeed Mat. 7.25 floods of persecution may come the windes of temptations may blow and beate vpon the house of a godly mans contentment and shake and batter it but it shall not fall for it is builded on the foundations of God Euen vpon the rocke Christ Iesus and chiefe corner stone 1. Pet. 2.6 vers 5. vpon whom all godly men as liuing stones are built and whereupon also they build and found their impregnable fortresse of godly contentment On these grounds and foundations doth a godly man when hee is himselfe build a sanctuary to his soule of godly contentment wherein hee doth shelter and solace himselfe in all the changes of this present mortality in this manner The vse of the foure grounds of contentment If God in goodnesse giue aboundantly hee is ioyfull and receiues it thankefully if a competency hee is cheerefull and enioyes it comfortably if but a little he is quieted and accepts it willingly if not any thing at all yet hee is patient and waiteth hopefully For hee wisely considereth that God giues aboundantly that man might bee an instrument of Gods bounty God giues moderately that hee might not bee cumbred with superfluity God giues sparingly that hee might aske both these and better things more earnestlie Yea God somtimes with-holds these outward things and sendeth crosses in stead of them for tryall of some grace exercise of some vertue preuention of some daunger cure of some disease To weane him from the world to direct him toward heauen to draw him to himselfe or some way or other for Gods glory others example and his owne true good He knowes that Gods prouidence disposeth of all Gods loue to him is firme in all Rom. 8.23 Gods promise is passed that all shall turne to his good and his present portion is not only good but a pawne of a greater If more were now behoouefull hee should not want it and seeing more is not giuen he feeles no want without it But finds a supply in his store-house of godlinesse which is euer attended of wel-pleasing Contentment What now is there in al the world that can threaten and cause discontentment vnto a godly man Surely many things threaten it 4. Causes of discontentment as namely these foure First conscience and remembrance of euill committed Secondly strength and violence of temptation enforced Thirdly sense or feare of euill suffered Fourthly want and defect of good desired And these indeed are of great force to worke or threaten discontentment For where guilt of sinne is not remooued where assaults and temptations are not repelled where the bitternesse of crosses is not sweetened and where desire of good is not competently supplied peace and contentment cannot lodge in the heart of any mortall man Here is a large field opened but I may not walke therein at length In one word therefore God be thanked These causes remoued 1. Christ hath suffered and the guilt of sinne is remoued 2. Christ hath conquered and temptation shall bee vanquished 3. The comforter is sent and crosses are sweetned 4. Heauen is prepared and all wants shall bee supplied vnto a godly man and therefore a godly man
of godlinesse Surely we can say no lesse of godlinesse but that it deserues the name and title of true gaine 2. Godlinesse is great gaine and how As godlinesse is true and as I might haue said Great gaine as it is in it selfe a diuine habite of grace in it selfe considered so is it great gaine indeede as it intiteleth and interesteth into further aduantage in that it hath the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4 8. Of life naturall and life spirituall 1. The spirituall returne of godlinesse The first and chiefest part and parcell of that rich returne which godlinesse by Gods promise is interessed in is that heauenly reuenue of rich holinesse and happinesse which belong to a life spirituall both this of grace and that other of glory And here wee must know that this promise is made and made good in Christ from whom as our Head wee deriue our Godlinesse and in whom we finde all our treasures of goodnesse Christ our treasury emptied as it were himselfe to replenish vs became poore to make vs rich Poore in outward estate to make vs rich in our inward condition poore in our nature that we might be rich in his grace poore temporally to make vs rich eternally In Christ we gaine sufficient treasures of righteousnesse to discharge our debt of disobedience 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Cor. 5.21 Hebr. 9.14 10.14 The al-sufficient sacrifice of his death to ransome vs from the death of sinne Esa 53.5 6. 1. Pet. 2.24 Col. 2 3. 2. Cor. 5.18 19. The treasures of wisdome and holinesse to remoue our folly and deformities Wee gaine reconciliation with God Eph. 3.12 Hebr. 10.20.22 in sted of emnity accesse to God in stead of alienation from God Rom. 5.1 Rom. 15.13 Peace of conscience in stead of terrors Ioy in the holy Ghost in sted of sorrow in our soule Rom. 14.17 1. Ioh. 1.4 comfortable hope in sted of dreadfull despaire In Christ wee gaine priuiledge of Son-ship and spirituall adoption Rom. 5.2 Ehpes 1.5 Apoc. 1.6 title to a crowne and fellowship in a Kingdome Blessed communion with God our Father 1. Ioh. 1.3 the sonne himselfe our redeemer and the holy spirit our blessed guide and strong supporter sweet comforter perfect sanctifier In Christ we gaine the prayers of the Saints yet liuing with vs the loue of the Saints glorified before vs Hebr. 1.14 the Ministery of Angels working for vs grace in earth and glory in heauen In Christ our gaine is such as that we shall haue all losses recompensed all wants supplied al curses remoued al crosses sanctified all graces increased all hopes confirmed all promises accomplished all blessednesse procured Satan conquered death destroyed Ose 13.14 1. Cor. 15.54.55 the graue sweetened corruption abolished sanctification perfected heauen opened for our happy entrance Lift vp your heads Oh yee heauenly gates Psal 24.7 and bee yee lifted vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may bring vs in Now when Heauen shall be our gaine what can be our losse Vnlesse we loose our teares wiped from our eyes Vnlesse wee loose our sorrowes expelled from our hearts Vnlesse we loose our daungers remoued from our persons Vnlesse we loose our infirmities our deformities our transitory estate our temporall condition which we account for precious to change them for permanent and eternall happinesse And what is or rather is not the gaine of godlinesse when it hath brought man to happinesse That indeed which no mortall eye hath euer seene Esa 64 4. 1. Cor. 2.9 no eare heard no tongue vttered no heart conceiued What hand can measure the boundes of infinitie What minde can number the yeeres of eternitie What hand what minde can measure can number the vnmeasurable measure and innumerable number of the wealth and treasures of piety and godlinesse Oh that I had the tongues of the glorious Angels in some sort for your sakes to vtter Oh rather that you had the hearts of the glorified Saints in some little small measure to conceiue of some part and parcell of this spirituall gaine of godlinesse But this glorious Sunne doth so dazle my weake eyes this bottomlesse depth doth so ouerwhelme my shallow heart and the surpassing greatnesse of these rich treasures doth so euery way ouercharge mee that I must needes stand silent amazed and astonished at the serious consideration of the exceeding aboundant excellencie of these reuenues of godlinesse 2. The temporall returne of godlinesse As those who finde their tender eye-sight dazeled by gazing directly vpon the body of the Sunne doe learne to behold it in some oblique reflexion as we obserue the ecclipse in a basen of water euen so let vs perceiuing the eye of our mind now dimmed and dazeled with the exceeding brightnesse of the gaine of godlinesse in the chiefest glory therof looke vpon it more indirectly in the secondary reflexions of earthly blessings which as you may remember were entayled on godlinesse by the gracious promise of God 1. Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is Whatsoeuer true gaine can bee found in this life it is annexed to godlinesse as an auctarie or appendant and is as an ouerplus or ouer-measure cast vnto him Mat. 6.33 who shall first haue sought the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Hebr. 1.2 conueighed by Christ the heire of all vnto him that is truly godly or truly beleuing A godly man hath two treasuries without him of gainefull reuenues Heauen aboue a replenished treasurie of blessings spirituall Mat. 19.21 and Earth below a wel-furnished store-house of benefits temporall As those aboue are bestowed onely vpon a godly man so these below are by most iust title to descend to him who is fellow heire with Christ Rom. 8.17 the heire of al things Strangers may haue some portion of them but the right of inheritance belongs to the sons of God Riches and honour delights and pleasures life and length of daies Prou 3.16.17 8.18 Deut. 28. Ps 1 12.2.3 seed and posteritie are entailed to such as are truly beleeuing and feare the Lord. And howsoeuer the vngodly man may lay some claime vnto them and that by some kinde of right from God as a preseruer of nature How a godles man may lay claime to temporall blessings a sustainer of his creature a maintainer of callings a rewarder of industry as a god of mercy alluring by benefits and a god of iustice to make men refusing his mercy excuselesse And howsoeuer no man can despoil him of them without great sinne yet can he not enioy them with any great comfort as wanting the best title through the want of Christ Now then if any man bee possessed with an ouerweening conceit of the exceeding woorth of worldly gaine be it knowen vnto him that whatsoeuer it is rightly to waigh it and properly to speake of it it
thou O man of God O godly man haue thou nothing to doe with that vnrighteous Mammon But partake with other godly in the happy interest of these substantiall and eternall treasures And what if the godlesse man goe away with the gaine of the world Looke not thou on his wealth with an enuious eye nor on his prosperity with an vnquiet spirit It is weakenesse of spirit to bee disquieted with variety of desire after the worlds gaine for thy selfe or to enuy at the fruition thereof in others Thou art a Christian indeed a greater gainer then the world can make thee and a surer keeper then that the world can hurt thee As for him he is miserable to be pittied not happy to be enuied thou art happy to bee enuied and withall so happy as not to bee hurt by enuy Let not the conceit of his prosperity molest thee but the assurance of thine owne felicity content thee As thou shouldest not reioyce at his soules losse so shouldst thou not be grieued at his worlds gaine He is a broken-stated bankrupt that takes vp for day and receiues a penny to returne a pound thou art a rich heir who liuest on thy small pension the time of thy minority thine inheritance is reserued for thee entire till thou come to age And what if for this spirituall gaine thou bee faine to sit downe with some temporall losse better it is to begge thy bread then to loose thy faith Better to cast ouer-boord some parcell of thy goods then to make ship-wracke of thy good conscience Neither shall this proue any losse at all but an happy exchange for thy better aduantage of wealth of delights and honour on earth for riches and pleasures and glory in heauen And thus did those godly ones of old solace themselues in their light losses with hopeful expectation of greater gaine Sic magnis sunt lucris leuta dâ—mâ—a solati Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 1. c. 10. a better and more enduring substance They esteemed with Moses the rebukes of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt Hebr 10.34 Hebr. â—1 26 and could not be with-drawen Nulâ—o praemio huius mundi ab aeternae illiuâ— patriae societatâ— seducti Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 5 cap. 11. by any wordly reward from the society of that heauenly country They had respect to the recompense of reward which was the rich returne of this gaine of godlinesse Heb. 11.26 a sure increase of a ful hundreth-fold Mat 19.29 with a promised inheritance of euerlasting life Come therefore now whosoeuer thou art that bearest the name and shew of a Christian dote no longer vpon these worldly vanities Rest not bewitched with the pleasing shew or smell or sound of worldly gaine And if thou hast heretofore either immoderately desired or vnlawfully obtained that copper-mettall guilt ouer to beguile thee leaue off betimes that hurtfull trade Turne thy selfe forth-with vnto a better course Take heed and beware in the name of God of godlesse couetousnesse of wicked worldlinesse of gracelesse voluptuousnesse and profane lewdnesse with all those open practises of cruelty and iniustice and secret mysteries of so many iniquities Those sworne enemies of religion those cut-throates of goodnesse those deuilish hauock-makers of the gaine of godlinesse and desperate ouer-turners of thy eternall good estate Desire new profits seeke for better gaines First seeke the Kingdome of God Mat. 6.33 and his righteousnesse First in time before all first in degree aboue all other gaine Yea first and last and without interruption euen in the middest of thy earthly imployments And giue all diligence hereunto For howsoeuer the world flowes in on many of it owne accord yet this gaine comes not in without good indeauour God indeed is free and ready to giue it but none that are carelesse are fit to receiue it Prou. 2.4 but must digge and delue and blow and sweate if they will enrich themselues with these hidden treasures Mat. 13.44 Well then doest thou from thy very heart desire thine owne true weale and wel-fare which if thou doe not oh foolish man thou and most miserable but doest thou indeed from thy soule desire it then vse I beseech thee all thy will and skill all thy industrie and circumspection in timely prosecution of such holy endeauours as God himselfe hath made the happy meanes of this most blessed gaine Be instant in reading hearing meditating and conferring of the holy Word of God be frequent in earnest inuocation of the holy name of God Exercise thy selfe incessantly in the duties of repentance and new obedience Labour for faith for hope for loue and feare of God and all other sanctifying and sauing graces as for life it selfe euen the life of thy soule Let slippe no time no occasion no helpes of daily increase growth in this heauenly wealth let the word of God dwell in thee richly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.16 through sacred and sauing knowledge Let those blessed rich graces of Gods sanctifying spirit bee treasured vp aboundantly in the store-house of thy soule Replenish both heart and minde memorie and conscience euery roome and corner of thy soule And when thou hast gotten aboundantly keepe it safely that so thou mayest both liue and die rich wealthy Prou. 4.23 in this gaine of godlinesse and being rich in grace mayest bee rich in glory And if thou shalt in this holy maner demeane thy selfe and through faithfull employment of thy spirituall talents shalt giue account to thy Lord of a good increase Then shalt thou hear with thy eare to the ioy of thy heart Mat. 25.21.23 Well done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things I will make thee ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord Thou hast beene faithfull as a seruant I will make thee a Ruler Thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things I will make thee ruler ouer many things Thou hast beene faithfull in the imployment of thy masters talents enter now into the ioy of thy Lord. And what is this ioy surely the blessed fruition of thy Lord and Sauiour in communion and fellowship of thy Father and Holy spirit Where thou shalt enioy euen ioy without sorrow welth without waÌ„t honour without disgrace pleasure without paine peace without disquietnesse light without darknesse health without sickenes life with out death This wel-contenting gaine of pietie and godlinesse that eternall fruition of felicity and blessednesse Now blessed Lord God thou God of all grace rich in grace in mercy and bounty to all that feare and call vpon thee Vouchsafe we most humbly beseech thee to make all grace to abound vnto vs all that wee alwayes hauing al-sufficiency in all good things may abound to euery good worke Enrich our hearts with the treasures of godlinesse settle our affections with godly contentment and grant vnto vs a dayly increase in this truest and richest gaine that we may comfortably enioy all needefull blessings in this life and full fruition of glory and felicity in the life to come And that through the al-sufficient merits of thine onely Sonne and our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with thee O father and thy blessed spirit one only wise and al-sufficient God bee ascribed of vs of thy whole Church all honour glory praise power dominion and thanksgiuing from this time forth for euermore Amen All glorie be to God