salvation that we should not consider it in the fleeting vanity of time but in the blessed use and imployment of it 3 In this short and painfull time we may as well treasure in heaven as rich worldlings doe in earth onely if in this our day we can know the time of our visitation 4 Acknowledging this our time by thrifty husbanding it we may gaine a great estate in grace to be rich in knowledge in faith and in all good workes to which we are invited by the parable of the Talents Matth. 25. Trafficke till I come And what thinke we is the Masters absence for eating drinking gaming and breaking out into all manner of ryot and not rather for imployment and occupying with the Talent that a man being faithfull a small time in small things may be made ruler of much 5 In this our seed-time wee may gaine the assurance of a blessed harvest If we sowe to the Spirit wee shall reape of it eternall life And what if wee goe forth in teares and tempests yet must we not neglect to sowe the Husbandman will sowe in a storme or shower the sorrow shall passe as a storme but he shall bring his sheaves with joy 6 Wee may gaine a ready and comfortable account to which we know not how soone we shall be called and our chiefe use of the present time must be to doe it with joy The unjust steward was commended who knowing he was to be no longer steward thought it time to provide for himselfe while he might His wisedome was commended not his injustice CHAP. III. Shewing whence the skill comes to prize and improve time aright TO number our dayes may seeme easie and soone done yet is no such plaine point of knowledge but of singular skill which none but God can teach Moses himselfe a man of greatest reach and learned in all the learning of the Egyptians the man of God an holy man a friend of God can neither teach himselfe this skill nor any other of Gods people but goes to God to be taught who challengeth to be the God hearing prayer and in the want of Wisdome hath appointed his servants to come and aske it of him Iam. 1. 6. And if we consider we shall easily finde that nothing in the world can make men wise without the speciall teaching and grace of God Nature teacheth it not Never did naturall man attaine this skill to benefit himselfe by his owne or others frailty The voice of nature rather is Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die And that speech of David in temptation is the speech of nature In my prosperity I said I shall never be mooved though it see taller and stronger oakes shaken and overturned every day Or how comes it to passe that children seeing their Fathers mortality can yet live in their Fathers sinnes Who is it that hath not something to shew of his deceased Parents either lands or houses or jewels or garments or some other remembrance by which he might be put in minde of their and his mortality And yet how few make this use of it for reformation of their lives or bestirre themselves to lay hold on this point of wisdome for their spirituall advantage And all because as nature cannot reach it so they goe not to the Sanctuary of God where onely this skill is attained Neither doth the sence and experience of a mans owne or others mortality teach a man thus to number his dayes if the Lord instruct him not For in Moses time the plague had oft broken out against the people and licked them up by thousands and ten thousands yet could not all this get within their hearts unlesse the Lord pleased to carry it deeper then the sense and impression could For if the Word without the Spirit cannot prevaile nor open the eare much lesse can the Workes of God And all see that if the Ministery bee not a Ministery of the Spirit it is not saving but a dead letter As for experience that may teach the shortnesse and uncertainty of life and make a man say as David I am a stranger here as all my fathers were and every man seeth numbers of his neighbours friends kindred and acquaintance laid up daily in the house of death and this which runneth into their senses can draw out thus much that we shall all dye and death is most certaine But where is this skill of numbring urging men by burials and executions to reforme their own lives where is the living man that layeth this to heart that hence laboureth to make God his portion before himselfe have no more portion of all things done under the Sun or that stirreth up himself to remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth before his sun be darke and his pitcher be broken at the Well What is the reason but because Gods Grace and teaching goeth not with sense and experience he hath spoken to the eyes and eares but not to the heart and nothing that a man seeth or heareth or that is before him can make him wiser unlesse God nurture him and teach him to profite thereby All which must draw us before God daily with that petition of Moses in our mouthes Lord teach us so to number our dayes that wemay apply our hearts unto wisedome Psal. 90. 12. CHAP. IIII. Corollaries out of things foregoing TIme being short and precious it were good to make account of it for which account must be made unto God and ever hold it in thy hand or let it goe for something better then it selfe as wise Chapmen part with their mony Or if thou hast lost any time redeeme it againe Eph. 5. 16. Recover it by a price as when we lose a thing of value we will give much to receive it againe Exchange those lusts by which thou hast lost thy time with better courses Christ mourned that Ierusalem had lost her day Luk. 19. 42. and how should we bewaile the losse of many dayes Be more carefull of time for the future and waste not prodigally so precious a commodity Consider and meditate First what reason to be niggardly of wealth and prodigall of time whereas all the wealth in the world cannot purchase one day to live longer Secondly why wilt thou not know the worth of time before the want of time as the most doe who let it run irrecoverably from between their fingers and never know what they lose till it be too late Thirdly why shouldest thou not spare before the bottome before the vessell be drawne out whereas thou canst as easily draw backe the sunne in his course as call backe an houre of time when it is past Fourthly were it not more wisedome to set an high price on time in earth then in hell Where as Bernard saith time were a good commodity and the trafficke of time most gainefull where for one
day a man would give ten thousand worlds if he had them Fifthly why do we complain of the shortnesse of our lives and not of the losse of time seeing there is none but hath more time then he useth well Sixtly why do we put any time into the account of our lives but that which we carefully passe and well spend seeing the heathen could say He was long he did not live long and one Barlaam being asked of Iosaphat how old he was answered Five and forty yeeres old to whom Iosaphat replyed thou seemest to be seventy true quoth he if you reckon ever since I was borne but I count not those which were spent in vanity If wee should thus reckon the lives of some old men we might esteeme men of seventy yeeres scarce ten dayes old Lastly consider how God in justice sometime cuts off those who make no reckoning nor set price on their time as they ought Iob 15. 32. the wicked shall die before he hath accomplished his dayes and his hand shall be cut off as the Uine in the bud that is young and tender All which together with the preciousnesse of time should make us carefull and to doe for time as we doe for things of price even beware of theeves who would steale it away as namely First worldly cares and covetousnesse whereby the minde is surcharged and sunke in the gulfe of earthlinesse and whereby men live as if time were made for nothing but the getting of wealth and laying up treasure in Chests and no time to lay up treasure in heaven as our Saviour commandeth Oh what a pilfering theefe is worldlinesse which engrosseth all the time The Oxen the Farme the Wife the like vanities take up the whole man while the supper of the great King is despised The thorny ground choakes all seed Secondly Pleasures and Pastimes which waste and drive away time even that precious time which can never be won againe A wofull thing that men should devise and doat on Pastimes seeing the Scripture speaks of no pastime but onely of passing our time in feare and onely time well past is good pastime A wofull thing that professed Christians should dare to spend halfe dayes whole daies many dayes together yea the dayes of Gods solemne worship in vain sports and pleasures which rob them of their heart wit time and grace that they can scarce willingly afford themselves an houre in a wèeke to do their soules good in A fearefull snare of Satan there is in it and a sorcery in gaining that holds a man a willing prisoner to his lusts so many houres together that he would thinke himselfe in wofull bondage to be held the hundreth part of the time in any good duty Thirdly Eating drinking and feasting This eates up much of our time and makes leane and starven soules For while men drinke in delights how is wisdome banished out of the soule how is the time insensibly stollen away besides that these cast a man into excessive sleeping by day as well as by night wherin he passeth his time as in a shadow of death These and many other pilferers of time must a good husband of time watch against as idlenesse roving thoughts bad companionship distractions and unprofitable employments alâ— which set themselves to steale away our time and hearts CHAP. V. Admonition to foure sorts of people THe doctrine of times usefulnesse and preciousnesse may in particular instances be specially applyed First unto youth Young men and maydens who thinke it a fine life to looke upon their rising sunne must consider what price they set on their dayes Why doest thou that art young account thy life more precious then an old mans is it because thou art in thy strength and vigour which in him is past If these were the price the life of a brute beast should be more precious then of any man for the beast hath more sensible and violent pleasures then he and is lesse restrained in them But the price in truth stands in this that now thou hast good wit fresh senses and all the powers of nature quick to be the servants of grace and means to enrich thee in godlinesse wherein thou art before the aged if thou knowest thy season Now examine thy selfe Have I after Saint Iohns precept or doe I use 〈◊〉 â—â—rength to overcome the world aâ—â— mine owne lusts which fight against my soule Whether hath grace seasoned my young yeares that if I should be taken away young I should be fit for God Whether have I sowed to the flesh or to the spirit If to the flesh I must looke to reape destruction for as a man soweth so must he reape And why doth God continue my youth and give me all the powers and quicknesse of nature and strength and beauty What to fight for sinne was this the Covenant I entred into in Baptisme and when I have done will it be a good answer to say I did but as other youth did How stands the case with me doe not I see my mortality in many of mine owne degree young men and maides cut off in their vigour and beauty see I not youth to be as uncertaine as age yea the flower of youth to be but as the flower of the field How had the case stood with me if God had summoned me and cut me off when he cut off such and such of my yeares and acquaintance Oh therfore I will now remember my Creator in the dayes of my youth and grow to this point of wisedome while I have meanes to be the better for them Say not I am young and God lookes not for much at my hands for God accepts no mans person because old or young but according to the knowledge faith vertue subjection and grace he accepts both young and old which how little it is considered in our youth is too plain and wofull Secondly to those of more yeeres whom young ones looke on for examples as such as should be more expert in the word of life and should have more experience as they have had more warning then the other It behooves them to consider how they have prized and husbanded their time Let me aske an ancient man or woman Why hath God given thee more yeares then those that are younger is it not that thou shouldest exceed them as farre in piety and grace as thou doest in yeares and also in means and to be an ensample to them in making a good account of both Paul puts the Colossians in minde what they were in times past and Peter to bring the Iewes to shame for that they had formerly done tells them that it was sufficient they had spent the time past in the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse gluttony revellings and abominable idolatries So every man of yeares should recount his time past What have I lived thus long â—ainly sinfully and earthly Have I all
A TREATISE OF CONTENTMENT Leading a Christian with much patience through all afflicted Conditions By sundry Rules of heavenly wisedome Whereunto is annexed First a Treatise of the Improvement of Time Secondly The Holy Warre in a Visitation Sermon Greg. Moral. l. 5. Si mens forti intentione in Deum dirigiter quicquid in hac vitâ sibi amarum sit dulce aestimat omne quod affligit requiem putat By T. T. D. D. c. LONDON Printed by R. H. for Iohn Bartlet and are to be sold at the Signe of the Gilt Cup neere S. Austins Gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir FRANCIS DARCY Knight my much honoured friend All happinesse in Christ IESUS SIR not having of mine owne wherewith I might tell the world of your great and continuall favours unto me by such a pubâ—ke testimony I thought good to doe it by publishing this worke of another whose Person and Doctrine you well knew and respected Which I doe the more willingly because it is sutable to the Contentment here treated of I am well contented with that mediocrity of gifts and abilities which God hath bestowed on me I hold it better in this life to be faithfull in a little then ruler over much No doubt but some are Masters of great parts and estates and faithfull too rich in this world and rich in good workes too high in place and respect among men and high in the favour of God too But both such have their hazzards and temptations against which they need to be watchfull and the brother of low degree hath cause in God and his love to rejoyce and be contented And oh how happy were it with godly Christians if they had taken forth this lesson of Contentment How comfortlesse would their lives then be How blessedly free from those torturing passions of emulation envie murmuring impatience and the like wherewith the spirit is too often and too much disquieted Godlinesse with Contentment is great gaine saith the Apostle as if the purchase were small where Contentment is wanting And indeed much of the benefit and advantage is taken away where this lesson of Contentation is not taken forth perfectly And how unbeseeming is it to an heire of the promises to be Malecontent for worldly wants or afflictions How thwarting to the wisedome of God as if he knew not best to make allowance to his children How terrible to lie disconsolate in death or any deadly trouble moaning as that great Emperour when he lay dying at Yorke In my life time I have been all things and now nothing doth me good I wâ—sh to your Worship all the comforts and mercies of God in Christ both in life and death and therunto at this time I commend to your reading this little Treatise of Contentment resting ever Your Worships much obliged W. JEMMAT A Table Alphabeticall of the chiefe things in this Booke A ADaâ—s sin had many sinnes in it pag 35 Afflictions foyled by Contentment 3. the necessity of them in three respects 6 disposed of God for time measure and end 4 Age the incommodities of it 114 priviledges of it 115 comforts of it 116 Aged people called on to prove time well 179 B Barrennesse to bee quietly endured how 105 Bernards discription of worldly pleasure 92 C Callings crosses in them to be borne contentedly how 77 Common-wealth evills in it how to be borne 24 Comparisons two fold use of them 192. Contempt of the world how to be born contentedly 52 Contentation the daughter of godlinesse Praef. meanes and motives to work it 131 power of godlines to breed it whence 139 Countrey and friends left comfort in it 62 D Death terrible 118 comforts in it 119 necessity of dying 121 utility 123 Death of friends comfort in it 73 Deformity of body to be borne quietly how 100 E Estates we live in yeelds discontents yet be comforted in them how 85 Examples of holy men perswading Contentment 136 Experience without grace availeth not 107 F Friends unkindnesse comfort in it 70 and in their death 73 G Glory obtained by afflictions how 14 Godlinesse what it doth to breed Contentment 145 Goods lost comfort in it 64 Graces bred beautified and exercised by afflictions 8 Grave terrible comfort in it 127 Great sins should not overtrouble the soule 38 H Happinesse of Saints raised by certaine staires 127 Heavenly happinesse attained in death 125 Honor from above how to be getten 98 Honor due to Ministers threefold 210 Honors of the world lost or not had comfort in it 94 I Iudgement at the last day not dreadfull to beleevers why 129 all imperfections and blemishes then done away 101 Iustification the ground of Contentment 143 L Liberty lost comfort in it 61 Life lost comfort in it 66 Lingring sicknesse how to be borne contentedly 111 why suffered by God 113 M Martyrs very forward to suffer 69 Ministers calling most crost comfort for them 83 they are Christs souldiers in two respects 197 their weapons 198 204 their enemies 199 cause of warre 200 Ministery no easie calling but dangerous 201 Misery all ended in death foure wayes 123 Molestation Satanicall how to be borne quietly 28 Multitude of sinnes should not too much trouble 32 Mystery in godlinesse and in Contentment 152 N Nature content with little Grace with lesse 136 Nature teacheth not the price of time 168 O Opportunities of good nine Instances 156 Orbity uncomfortable comforts in it 105 P Persecution to be endured contentedly how 57 Pleasures lost or lacking comfort therein 90 Poore men how profitable in their times 184 Preparation to death what and how 121 R Redeeming of time what 161 Relapses comfort in case of them 44 Repentance two effects of it furthered by afflictions 10 Rich men should be specially carefull of spending their time 182 S Scandals and Schismes foretold turned to good c. 18 Sicknes to be born coÌ„tentedly how 107 Sinnes merit afflictions and are purged by them 6 Sinnes multitude greatnesse relapse how answered 32 T Temporals mercifully withholden 137 Time to be wholly improoved for good 155. Motives 185 preciousnesse of time in six things 162. 165 skill to prize it comes of God 168 be sparing of time 7 Motives 172 Theeves that steale time away 174 V Vnion with Christ not dissolved in the grave 128 Unite forces against the common enemy 208 Uses of sicknesse sanctified six 108 W Warre of Christians especially of Ministers 193 Wealth lost or not had comfort in it 85 Works good mentioned to the Saints in the last judgement not bad 131 Worlds hatred contentment in it 47 Y. Yong people admonished to spend their time well 177 FINIS THE AVTHORS PREFACE AFter we have shewed the gaine of godlinesse out of 1 Tim. 6. 6. now we come to speake of the priviledge of it that it brings Contentment with it whereby the heart of a godly man is stayed and resteth in God well apaid with that estate and measure of goods which the Lord
hath made his portion be it more or lesse A most rare vertue and full of sweetnesse when as the minde grounded upon Gods providence and promises reposeth it selfe in GOD and hath learned with Paul in every estate to be Content to want and abound to be full and hungry c. Phil. 4. 11 12. Doctr. True Contentation is the daughter of Godlinesse One ly delight in the Lord can give us our hearts desire Psal. 37. 4. He that drinks of this water shall thirst againe but he that drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst Iohn 4. 14. And blessed is he whom thou choosest and makest come unto thee he shall dwell and be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house Psal. 65. 4. Reason 1. Because true Con tentment is a fruit of Faith ari sing through perswasion of there mission of sinne and reconciliation with God together with as surance of our Adoption whereby wee become sons and are interes sed in the fatherly providence of God which will watch over our good and reserve for us such an estate as his wisedome and love shall see meet for us 2 It is the disease of corrupt hearts which all of us carry that they cannot but insatiably long and covet after worse things if they be not filled with the best even as a bad stomacke not filled with wholesome food will sucke in wâ—nd to torment it But if once God and his grace take up our hearts that by Faith and Hope we can satâ—ate our soules in his goodnesse wee shall no more want eaâ—thly vanities then wee can want a Candle when the Sun shâ—neth 3 No earthly thing can bring Content and therefore it must be the daughter of Godlinesse onely For earthly things be massâ—e and drossie whereas the minde is of a divine and spirituall nature Can earthly treasures fill the soule as they doe a Chest or can you fill a Chest with graces and vertues Can you fill the stomack with wisdome as with meat These be not capable one of another there is no proportion betweene them These earthly things are unnaturall nourishment for the soule of man and cannot satisfie the hunger of the minde So saith Solomon Eccles 5. 10. Hee that loveth money shall not be satisfied with it It is onely the bread of Life and Christs righteousnesse a spirituall nourishment that can replenish emptiesoules Nothing lesse then God can fill the heart being of a spirituall substance created to his Image and to be a Temple for his Spirit 4 It is proper to godlinesse if the estate be not fitted to the minde to fit the mind to his estate And this is partly by the Rules it affordeth for every afflicted condition partly by the power it hath to give the soule Contentment though other comforts faile those in the generall body of this Treatise this in the last Chapter Vse I. It followes hence that an ungodly man can have no content but is as the raging Sea casting out myre and dirt He may have riches but no rest He may fill his Chest but not his minde For it is not in those things to give peace nay as the curse attends him in other things so in this specially He eates but is not satisfied as the seven leane Kine ate the seven fatones but were never the fatter Vse 2. This teacheth us how a man may be rich without riches which is a riddle in Christianity namely when godlinesse and contentation meet together For 1 He is rich whom God accounteth rich and that is the godly man 2 Hee is rich who hath enough not who hath much For it is better to have enough then to have much and he hath enough whose estate agrees with his minde As he is poore not who hath little but who not being sufficed is ever craving more Ahab had a Kingdome yet was not content without poore Naboths Vineyard whereas Naboth had but a little yet was so content and rich as he wished not the Kings substance Of every poore godly man may be said as the Spirit speakes of the Church of Smyrna Revelat. 2. verse 9. I know thy poverty but thou art rich This it is which makes a man whole without health warme without cloathes and in cause of outward heavinesse to be glad Whereas without it men turne peace into trouble riches into poverty health into sicknesse No happinesse where contentment dwels not Experirience lets our eyes see many of them whom the world hath with her best meanes made as happy as it can yet pressed downe with the weight of their owne felicity thinking themselves unhappy sad and complaining and cannot tell of what It is nothing for Absalom to be the Kings sonne unlesse he may have the Crowne presently from his fathers head Cesar can abide no superiour nor Pompey an equall Vse 3. Labour for this fruit of godlinesse which is contentment The meanes and motives are in Chap. 20. Reade medi tate affect thine owne happinesse and what is delivered to thee in Rules expresse and bring forth in thy conversation A TREATISE OF CONTENTMENT 1 TIM. 6. 6. But godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that he hath CHAP. I. Of Afflictions in generall foyled by Contentment SIngular is the benefit of Contentment which goeth no where but it bestoweth a rich Reward on the Entertainer and maketh him a gainer in all Conditions even then when the world sets it selfe to make him and so cannot but account him a loser There is no vertue but it is as a bright Stone in a darke night set in the middest betweene two vices in extremity both to shew the cleerenesse and beauty of it selfe as also that it can never want encounter being so beset with contrariety and likewise to note the truth and soundnesse of it when as pure gold it passeth the fire not consumed but brighter So is it with this grace of God in speciall which is never without onsets and sharpe skirmishes by whole Bands and Armies of Discontentments from within and without but neverthelesse shining and beautifull yea so much the more glorious and precious as the battell is doubtfull and the victory carried with difficulty I have thought good therefore to set this secret and rare grace in a cleere light in the midst of her enemies which come about her like Bees or Hornets with poysoned stings You shall see it like a mighty Sampson slaying with a Iaw-bone a thousand Philistines You shall see her strength her skill her valour her value You shall see this vertue breaking strong cords as fire doth Flaxe You shall see thousands and ten thousands fall before it and on every hand in the foreward rereward wings and squadrons of the Army pitcht against it till the whole host be discomfited The generall of this Army is Afflictions in generall which godlinesse teacheth Contentment to foyle by these weapons 1 From the Authour No misery ariseth out of the dust saith
day when it shall appeare that I am a sonne of God A Pearl cast into dust or clay loseth not the vertue nor the shine but a day will finde it and see it in the due price of it So the godly now darkened in the dirt of calumnies at length shall be revealed and according to their worth respected In the meane time we must be content that our glory be hid even as our Lords was And indeed shame and infamy from evill men is no shame but a crowne Iob would carry the booke of libels upon his shoulders as an ornament c. 31. 36. 4 God hath a good hand in all this contempt powred on his servants For they suffer according to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 19. David thus comforted himselfe the Lord hath bid Shemei raile And the Lord seeth it good for his children that it should bee thus First to try their faith hope patience charity if they can blesse being cursed and do good for evill wholly abstaining from revenge Secondly to teach them not to seeke praise of men nor expect it but the true praise which is from God Thirdly to confirme them in the good way as by a sure marke wherein all the Saints have walked before them Prophets Apostles others who went through good report and bad report fame and infamy so there is assurance of a blessed end and issue Mat. 5. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 14. 5 Lastly if I looke at examples I have not only Christ himselfe who was railed on called a Samaritan one that had a Devill one that cast out Devils by Belzâ—bub the prince of Devils c. but his Apostles who were reviled as drunke or full of new wine and Paul by Festus that he was mad or beside himselfe and by Athenians that he was a bablâ—r And the Christians after theÌ„ in the Primitive Church were divellishly sâ—andred for killing their owne children for worshipping the head of an Asse for Incest and other wickednesses And therefore as the Apostle saith this is no new thing befalling me and if I be not slandered thus I must expect it and in time of peace prepare for it CHAP. X. Of persecution and Contentment therein THe persecutions of the world for Christs sake are a sore triall and have made many of Gods children at a stand and brought them into the degrees of discontent with their estate seeing the power and prosperity of wicked men But godlinesse reduceth the heart to contentment by sundry considerations 1 It looketh up to God and seeth his hand in them and that they come not by chance or meerely by Satans and the wickeds malice neither God being ignorant or carelesse of his Church but first by his will 1 Pet. 3. 17. it is better if it be the the will of God that ye suffer for well doing Secondly by his fore-knowledge who therefore hath foretold them and forewarned his children of them that they should before armed against them 1 Thess. 3. 4. For verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulations even as it came to passe and yee know it Thirdly by his determining them to the very subject person as v. 3. for we were appointed ther eunto Fourthly by his wise and loving providence both in respect of his children whom by this meanes he keepeth out and helpeth out of many sinnes as also of his owne truth which must by this meanes against all mans reason be preserved through constant and couragious maintenance of it unto the death Thus his glory shineth through the worlds darkenesse Fiftly by his moderating and ending them for â—e suffereth them not to be perpetuall as the Devill and wicked men would but lest his children should faint â—ee putteth a good end unto them for the rod of the wicked shall not alway lye on the lot of the righteous lest they put forth their hand to iniquity Psal. 125. 3. Sixtly by his upholding to the blessed fruit and issue promised Matth. 5. 10. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven For the sufferings of this life are not like the glory that shall be revealed the suffering indeed is great but the glory farre greater and if it be long yet is it not eternall as the glory is Therefore be content as the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 8. 17 18. 2 Godlinesse looketh up to Christ and seeth him a companion in suffering an example of suffering and now being departed the world hath left his Church the heire of his crosse but with this comfort that as he went from the crosse to his Crowne so if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him ibid. 3 If it looke at men without it selfe it wanteth not comfort At friends so persecuted they the Prophets Matt. 5. 12. so the Apostles 1 Thess. 2. 14 15. so the Saints beleeving in their word Hebr. 10. 32 33. Yea and all that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution If it look at enemies it seeth them weake and impotent they are able perhaps to kill the body but cannot hurt the soule Mat. 10. 28. They may kill them but not conquer and overcome them If it looke within it selfe First it seeth a good cause to suffer for it suffers for the Kingdome of God and is glad to bee counted worthy to suffer for it 2 Thess. 1. 5. Secondly it seeth the note of a true Christian which is the Crosse of Christ beares his markes and so is content Thirdly it seeth in these sufferings a certaine testimony of Gods just and righteous judgement wherein all their wrongs shall be righted and the persecutors revenged 2 Thess. 1. 5 6. It is just with God and a token of his righteous judgement and Luk. 11. 50. There is a time when all the righteous blood shed from Abel to Zacharie shall bee required 4 If it lookes to the losses it suffereth though of the dearest things it can be content being assured of abundant recompence The losses are great as of Liberty Country friends Goods Life Yet in all is a godly heart contented thus In the losse of liberty First Hee that is prisoner for God is the Lords freeman and they cannot loâ—ke out the Spirit nor binde him Paul and Silas can sing Psalmes to God in prison If the Sonne have set them free they are free indeed Ioh. 8. 36. Secondly it maketh restraint and imprisonment a meane to preserve that liberty in which Christ hath set them free by repentance daily breaking off the bolts and bands of sinne and native corruption and getting out of the deeds of the flesh and bondage of sinne which is the greatest captivity of all 3 It seeth Gods deare children in the like condition Ioseph was cast into a deepe dungeon where he saw neither Sunne Moone nor Starre Gen. 41. 42 Ieremy cast into a pit where he stucke fast in
upon us because wee esteeme no more of inward graces and spirituall blessings which are promised no farther then men seeke Gods Kingdome and righteousnesse And whereas in innocency Gods blessings were united since the fall they be so divided as seldome doe spirituall and worldly things goe together Iust also because God seeth wee would abuse them and would preferre them before spirituall things the better things are often brought into better request by want of the worse 3 Such is the ripenesse of our sinnes that it is Gods mercy wee are not consumed His singular patience it is to continue us in any being whom hee might long since have cut off 4 If we remember how little nature is contented with and yet grace is contented with much lesse because it perswades That the Lord is a free-giver and may doe with his owne as he will That for preserving humane society it is fit some bee rich some poore some weake and some strong and thou hast deserved no better That the world was made for the triall proofe and affliction of Gods children their heaven and home and joy unmixt with sorrow reserved till hereafter and if God cast thee down to raise and exalt thee hee dealeth no otherwise then with his deare Sonne who by the Crosse must goe to the Crowne That if he have need but of little it is folly to heap up more as a man in a journey if one pot of water will serve him it were madnesse to load himselfe with a barrell if two hundred will serve him it were folly to load himselfe with a thousand Lastly if we looke at the Saints we have a cloud of examples Iacob when he went from his fathers house vowed that if the Lord would give him but food and raiment to returne back in safety the Lord should bee his God Gen. 28. 20. The Prophet Ieremy chap. 45. 4. rebuked Baruch Doest thou seek great things for thy selfe seeke them not And Paul adviseth If we have food and raiment let us be therewith content And himselfe had learned to want and abound and in all things to be content Our Lord also teacheth us to pray but for daily bread And if thou judgest aright thou shalt see no lesse favour of God in withholding these things from thee then in bestowing them Thou thinkest to rise in the world were a fine thing but it is not thy lot because he seeth it might be thy fall in grace Thou thinkest thou couldest use honours well but he seeth it might make thee more proud and insolent Thou thinkest thou couldest enjoy and tumble safely in carnall delights but hee seeth this might make thee come short of the joyes of heaven Oh but werst thou rich in goods thou couldest doe much good but he knowes this might make thee poore in goodnesse Thou knowest not thine owne heart were it proved with such things Give him leave to carve for thee what he knoweth to be most safe and wholsome Object If I thought God loved or respected mee I could be the better content Answer If thou beest a godly man whom he can behold in Christs righteousnesse be thy estate what it will God must love his image on thee If thou be the Lords gold hee may try thee but the Goldsmith loves his gold as well in the Furnace as in the treasury It is for men to respect fine clothes and gay rings as the Apostle Iames saith and by them to set men higher or lower but God highly esteemes of all who are rich in faith and heires of grace let this be thy care and all is well CHAP. XXI Of the power of godlinesse to breed contentment whence it is VVHereas in the former discourse we have referred the whole strength and benefit of Contentment unto godlinesse it will be good in the close of this Treatise to enquire wherein the great power of this Sampson lyeth and whence it is that godlinesse draweth so great vertue to give the Contentment above specified First without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh c. 1 Tim. 3. 16. And this is the foundation of al Contentment even God incarnate God with us God in our nature Iehovah our righteousnesse our Peace-maker our Advocate and Mediatour our King Priest Prophet our portion and great reward wholly ours what ever he is or hath or can doe or hath done or suffered to make us happy as namely redemption recōciliation justification adoption all his benefits These are complete every way adequate to the nature need and desire of man Mans soule being a divine particle is infinite in desires and cannot be satisfied but with an infinite good This good is not to be found in any creature nor in all the creatures put together which are all finite changeable and if God pleased reducible to their first nothing Onely the glorious and infinite God can give satisfiction to the soule and make it rest in his love as a contentfull and sufficient Object of delight After the resurrection and in his heavenly kingdome there is an absolute fulnesse to the creature in the fruition of the Creator as Psal. 17. 15. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Here in this life the onely Contentment is by faith which layeth hold on the promises and on Christ by whom God is certainely and comfortably made ours that though there was a great breach made by mans sinne God estranged and provoked infinitely the creatures yeelding vexation of spirit the best not able to helpe nor man to helpe himselfe yet now upon atonement made the Lord wholly returnes to man with all the good he hath and is able to doe for him Genesis 17. 1. When Abram was ninety yeeres old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou upright and I will make my Covenant betweene me and thee and I will multiply thee exceedingly Afterward as this Covenant is more firmely beleeved and application of the promises more stedfastly made and assurance of Gods love more comfortably gathered the beleeving soule growes to bee more quiet and filled with joy unspeakeable and full of glory and seeing God hath dealt so graciously with it in the maine therefore whatsoever shall bee his portion of temporall or spirituall gifts it will be well contented and rest satisfied Not an attribute of God but yeelds abundant matter of sweet repose in the bosome of our heavenly Father infinite mercy infinite power infinite holinesse infinite wisedome infinite truth every excellency infinite and incomprehensible must needs ravish and swallow up the soule with infinite admiration and contentation The Greeke word here used to signifie Contentment implies a selfe-sufficiency and that is a great matter to be affirmed of a creature especially now after sin admitted and the wofull desolations and confusions which sinne hath brought God alone is