The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Further, a gracious heart as he lives upon Gods dew in a little that he hath, so when that little that he hath shall be taken from him, what shall he do then? Then you will say, If a man have nothing, there can be nothing fetched out of nothing: But if the children of God have their little taken from them, they can make up all their wants in God himself: Such a man is a poor man, the plunderers came and took away all that he had, what shall he do then when all is gone? But when all is gone, there is an art and skill that godliness teaches to make up all those losses in God. Many men that have their houses burnt, go about gathering, and so get up by many hands a little; but a godly man knows whither to go to get up all, even in God ⟨p. 50⟩himself, so as he shall enjoy the quintessence of the same good and comfort as he had before, for a Godly man doth not live so much in himself as he lives in God. This is now a Mystery to a Carnal heart, I say a gracious man doth not live so much in himself as he doth in God, he lives in God continually; if there be any thing cut off from the stream he knows how to go to the fountain, & makes up all there; God is his all in all while he lives, I say tis God that is his all in all. Am not I to thee (saith Elkanah to Hannah) instead of ten Children? So saith God to a gracious heart, thou wantest this, thy estate is plundered: Why? Am not I to thee instead of ten houses, and ten shops, I am to thee instead of All, yet not only instead of All, but come to me, and thou shalt have all again in me: This indeed is an excellent Art, to be able to draw from God what it had before in the creature: Christian, how didst thou enjoy Comfort before? was the creature any other to thee but a Conduit, a pipe that did convey Gods goodness to thee? The pipe is cut off saith God, come to me the Fountain and drink immediately: though the beams be taken away, yet the Sun remains the same in the firmament as ever it was; What's that that satisfies God himself, but because he doth enjoy all fullness in himself, so he comes to have satisfaction in himself; now if thou enjoyest God to be thy portion, if thy soul can say with the Church in Lamentations, 3.24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, why shouldest thou not be satisfied and contented as God; God is contented, he is in eternal Contentment in himself;

Further, a gracious heart as he lives upon Gods dew in a little that he hath, so when that little that he hath shall be taken from him, what shall he do then? Then you will say, If a man have nothing, there can be nothing fetcht out of nothing: But if the children of God have their little taken from them, they can make up all their wants in God himself: Such a man is a poor man, the plunderers came and took away all that he had, what shall he do then when all is gone? But when all is gone, there is an art and skill that godlinesse teaches to make up all those losses in God. Many men that have their houses burnt, go about gathering, and so get up by many hands a little; but a godly man knows whither to go to get up all, even in God