Thirdly, That the best and the surest way to have any outward Mercy, is to be content to want it. When mens desires are over-eager after the World, they must have thus much a Year, and a House well Furnished, and Wife, and Children, thus and thus qualified, or else they will not be content; God doth usually, if not constantly, break their wills by denying them, as one would cross a froward. Child of his stubborn humour: or else puts a sting into them, that a man had been as good he had been without them, as a man would give a thing to a froppish Child, but it may be with a knock on his Fingers, and a frown to boot. The best way to get Riches, is out of doubt to set them lowest in ones desires. Solomon found it so: Alas, he did not ask riches, but wisdom and ability, to discharge his great Trust; but God was so pleased with his Prayer, that he threw in them into the Bargain. If we seek the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness in the first place, and leave other things to him, God will not stand with us for these outwards, though we never ask them we shall have them as over measure; God will throw them in as the Vantage. And to this suits the experience of our dear Honorathius: and indeed (saith he, speaking of God) Honorathius finds that his only hiding place and refuge, and a place of succour, from the storms that fall upon him, and hath had such helps at dead lift there, that he is engaged for ever to trust the•e. For when he hath been lowest, and in the greatest straights, he hath gone and made his moan Heaven-ward, with free submission to the rightful disposer of all things, and he hath been so liberally supplied, as makes him very confident the best way to obtain any Mercy, or supply, is to be content to be without it: And he is persuaded nothing set Gods Mercies farther off, than want of free submission to want them. Certainly, God will never be behind hand with us. Let our care be to build his House, and let him alone to build ours.
Thirdly, That the best and the surest way to have any outward Mercy, is to be content to want it. When mens desires are over-eager after the World, they must have thus much a Year, and a House well Furnished, and Wife, and Children, thus and thus qualified, or else they will not be content; God doth usually, if not constantly, break their wills by denying them, as one would cross a froward. Child of his stubborn humour: or else puts a sting into them, that a man had been as good he had been without them, as a man would give a thing to a froppish Child, but it may be with a knock on his Fingers, and a frown to boot. The best way to get Riches, is out of doubt to set them lowest in ones desires. Solomon found it so: Alas, he did not ask riches, but wisdom and ability, to discharge his great Trust; but God was so pleased with his Prayer, that he threw in them into the Bargain. If we seek the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness in the first place, and leave other things to him, God will not stand with us for these outwards, though we never ask them we shall have them as over measure; God will throw them in as the Vantage. And to this suits the experience of our dear Honorathius: and indeed (saith he, speaking of God) Honorathius finds that his only hiding place and refuge, and a place of succour, from the storms that fall upon him, and hath had such helps at dead lift there, that he is engaged for ever to trust the•e. For when he hath been lowest, and in the greatest straights, he hath gone and made his moan Heaven-ward, with free submission to the rightful disposer of all things, and he hath been so liberally supplied, as makes him very confident the best way to obtain any Mercy, or supply, is to be content to be without it: And he is perswaded nothing set Gods Mercies farther off, than want of free suhmission to want them. Certainly, God will never be behind hand with us. Let our care be to build his House, and let him alone to build ours.
