It is a point by all generally agreed upon, that aHappiness is the main end and aim of all mens Actions. And it is a Truth no less generally confessed and acknowledged, that bWithout Contentment ⟨image 3⟩of Mind there can be no true Happiness. It is cHappiness then that all men without exception desire, and Contentment that all consequently strive to attain. But here in the most fail, that they are mistaken in the means, that they take wrong courses for the compassing of this their end and aim & so vai•rely weary & tire out themselves in *seeking Happiness and Contentment there, where neither of them is to be had. To reform this error, the Spirit of God in the Word hath directed us the right way to either, to wit, dby conjunction with God, the author and fountain of all good, eby adhering unto him, in whom only the soul of man can find su•e & sound contentment. Now this is done fby loving him gby fearing him, hby trusting in him, iby obeying him▪ kby conformity unto him, or more briefly in a word, by lHoliness, by mGodliness: for these two are in substance one and the same. So that there is nno compassing of ⟨image 3⟩Contentment or Happiness without God, and there is no way unto God but by Godliness. For oGod alone being the chiefest good, and the chiefest good each ones utmost aim; our desires cannot be stayed till we come home unto him, beyond whom we can not possibly go. He being only pAll-sufficient; (and there can be no Contentment where any want is, nor freedom from want where Sufficiency is not;) we can have no true Contentment, till we have once gained Him; we can have no full Contentment, till we come wholly to enjoy Him, that he may be qall in all unto us. And this being rby Holiness, by Godliness only effected, it must needs follow, that the holier men are, the happier they are; and the more godly they are, the more true and sound Contentment they are sure of. sWe shall never be truly Happy, till we be sincerely Holy, nor fully Happy, till we be perfectly Holy. We shall never attain true Contentment till we be truly Religious, nor full Contentment till we be consummate in Godliness. The ⟨image 4⟩consideration whereof should incite all, that desire Happiness and Contentment, (and twho is he, be he never so brutish, that doth not?) to bend their main study and endeavour this way, for the compassing of this Grace and profiting in it;
It is a point by all generally agreed vpon, that aHappinesse is the maine end and aime of all mens Actions. And it is a Truth no lesse generally confessed and acknowledged, that bWithout Contentment ⟨image 3⟩of Minde there can be no true Happines. It is cHappines then that all men without exception desire, and Contentment that all consequently striue to attaine. But here in the most faile, that they are mistaken in the meanes, that they take wrong courses for the compassing of this their end and aime & so vai•rely weary & tire out themselues in *seeking Happines and Contentment there, where neither of them is to be had. To reforme this error, the Spirit of God in the Word hath directed vs the right way to either, to wit, dby conjunction with God, the author and fountaine of all good, eby adhering vnto him, in whō only the soule of man can find su•e & sound contentment. Now this is done fby louing him gby fearing him, hby trusting in him, iby obeying him▪ kby conformitie vnto him, or more breiefely in a word, by lHolines, by mGodlines: for these two are in substance one and the same. So that there is
- a[Greek or Hebrew] Aristot. ethic. Ni•••. l. 1. c. 2, 4, 7. [Greek or Hebrew] Stob. tom. 1. •. •. •. 3.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Aristot. ethic. Ni•••. l. 1. c. 2, 4, 7. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Stob. tom. 1. •. •. •. 3.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. Aristot. ethic. Ni•om. l. 1. c. 7. Non est b•at••, esse se qui non •••at. P. Sir. Si ••i sua non videntur ampli•••ma, miser est Epi•••. Miser est, qui se non beati••i••• i••ic••• Sen. ep. 10. Nemo foelix est, qui judicio suo miser est. Sa••. de prov. l. •.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Aristot. ethic. Ni•om. l. 1. c. 7. Non est b•at••, esse se qui non •••at. P. Syr. Si ••i sua non videntur ampli•••ma, miser est Epi•••. Miser est, qui se non beati••i••• i••ic Sen. ep. 10. Nemo foelix est, qui iudicio suo miser est. Sa. de prov. l. .
