True contentment in the gain of godliness, with its self-sufficiency A meditation on 1.…True contentment in the gaine of godlines, with its self-sufficiencie A meditation on 1.…

Of a Note or two of Contentment then a word or two, and so an end.

One sign of Contentment then is, the use of lawful means only; When a man desireth not, nor endeavoureth to better his estate by indirect and unwarrantable courses: when a man doth ⁿnot fret to see wicked men rise by bad means, nor is sorry that he may not do as they do: much less is moved to do wickedly, and to take such courses as he seeth wicked ones thrive withal, while himself and other godly, as himself seemeth to observe, either decay, or else stand at a stay.

One signe of Contentment then is, the vse of lawfull meanes onely; When a man desireth not, nor endeuoureth to better his estate by indirect and vnwarrantable courses: when a man doth ⁿnot fret to see wicked men rise by bad meanes, nor is sorry that he may not do as they do: much lesse is moued to do wickedly, and to take such courses as he seeth wicked ones thriue withall, while himself and other godly, as himselfe seemeth to obserue, either decay, or else stand at a stay.

1. nPsal. 37. 1, 8. & 73. 12, 13.

^oAbraham, when the King of Sodom offered him some part of his spoils, refused to take so much as a shoe-latchet of him, that the King of Sodom might not say that he had made Abraham rich; that men might not say, that Abraham had bin made rich, not by Gods blessing, but by the Kings means; he might thank the King of Sodom for his wealth. So a Godly man will not gain, nor desire to gain so much as a shoe-string or shoe-thread by profaning Gods Sabbaths with