The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

In the First place, By Contentment we come to give God that worship that is due to him: It is a special part of Divine worship that we owe to God, if we be content in a Christian way, according as hath been opened to you; I say it is a special part of the Divine worship that the creature owes to the infinite Creator, in that I do tender that respect that is due from me to the Creator. The word that the Greeks have that signifies to worship, it is as much as to come and crouch before another, as a dog should come crouching unto you, and be willing to lie down at your feet; so the creature in the apprehension of its own baseness, and the infinite Excellency that there is in God above it; when it comes to worship God, it comes and crouches to this God, and it lies down at the feet of God, then doth the creature worship God. When you see a dog come crouching to you, and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet; then consider, thus should you do before the Lord, you should come crouching to him, and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies, to lie down in the dust before him, so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will; as sometimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand, and there he lies before you, according to your showing him with your hand: So when the creature shall come and lie down thus before ⟨p. 102⟩the Lord, then a Creature worships God, doth tender you that worship that is due to God. Now in what disposition of heart do we thus •ouch to God more, than when we have this Contentation in all conditions that God disposed us unto? This is a crouching unto Gods dispose, to be like the poor woman of Canaan, when Christ said, it is not fit to give Children's meat to dogs, but (saith she) the dogs have crumbs. I am a dog I confess, I but let me have but a crumb. And so when the soul shall be in such a disposition as to lie down and say, Lord I am but as a dog, yet let me have a crumb, then doth it highly honour God. It may be some of you have not your table spread as others have, but God gives you crumbs; now saith the poor woman, dogs have crumbs, and when you can find your hearts thus subjecting unto God, to be but as a dog, and can be Contented and bless God for any crumb:

In the First place, By Contentment we come to give God that worship that is due to him: It is a special part of Divine worship that we owe to God, if we be content in a Christian way, according as hath been opened to you; I say it is a special part of the Divine worship that the creature owes to the infinit Creator, in that I do tender that respect that is due from me to the Creator. The word that the Greeks have that signifies to worship, it is as much as to come and crouch before another, as a dog should come crouching unto you, and be willing to lie down at your feet; so the creature in the apprehension of its owne basenesse, and the infinit Excellency that there is in God above it; when it comes to worship God, it comes and crouches to this God, and it lies down at the feet of God, then doth the creature worship God. When you see a dog come crouching to you, and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet; then consider, thus should you do before the Lord, you should come crouching to him, and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies, to lie down in the dust before him, so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will; as somtimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand, and there he lies before you, according to your shewing him with your hand: So when the creature shall come and lie down thus before