The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Secondly, There is this Mystery in Christian Contentation. A Christian comes to Contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of Subtraction, that is his way of Contentment, and that is a way that the world hath no skill in. I open it thus, Not so much by the adding to what he would have, or to what he hath, not by adding more to his condition, but rather by subtracting of his desires, and so to make his desires and condition to be even and equal. A carnal heart knows no way to be Contented but this, I have such and such an estate, and if I had this added to it, and the other comfort added that now I have not, then I should be Contented; it may be I have lost my estate, if I could have but that given to me so as to make up my loss, then I should be a contented man: But now Contentment doth not come in that way, it comes not in I say by the adding to what thou wantest, but by the subtracting of thy desires; it is all one to a Christian, either that I may get up unto what I ⟨p. 30⟩would have, or get my desires down to what I have; either that I may attain to what I do desire, or bring down my desires to what I have already attained; my estate is the same, for it is as suitable to me to bring my desire down to my condition, as it is to raise up my condition to my desire. Now I say a heart that hath no grace, and is not instructed in this Mystery of Contentment, knows no way to get Contentment, but to have his estate raised up to his desires; but the other hath another way to Contentment, that is, He can bring his desires down to his estate, and so he doth attain to his Contentment. So the Lord fashions the hearts of the Children of men: Now if the heart of a man be fashioned to his condition, he may have as much contentment as if his condition be fashioned to his heart; some men have a mighty large heart, but they have a straight condition, and they can never have Contentment when their hearts are big and their condition is little; but now though a man cannot bring his condition to be as big as his heart, yet if he can bring his heart to be as little as his condition, to bring them even, from thence is Contentment. The world is infinitely deceived in this, To think that Contentment lies in having more than they have; here lies the bottom and root of all Contentment, when there is an evenness and proportion between our hearts and our conditions;

Secondly, There is this Mystery in Christian Contentation. A Christian comes to Contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of Substraction, that is his way of Contentment, and that is a way that the world hath no skill in. I open it thus, Not so much by the adding to what he would have, or to what he hath, not by adding more to his condition, but rather by substracting of his desires, and so to make his desires and conditon to be even and equal. A carnal heart knows no way to be Contented but this, I have such and such an estate, and if I had this added to it, and the other comfort added that now I have not, then I should be Contented; it may be I have lost my estate, if I could have but that given to me so as to make up my losse, then I should be a contented man: But now Contentmet doth not come in that way, it comes not in I say by the adding to what thou wantest, but by the substracting of thy desires; it is all one to a Christian, either that I may get up unto what I