The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

1. Reason. Because God will humble his people, when he is in a way of salvation: when God intends the greatest good to his people, and to raise them the highest, he is very careful to ⟨p. 314⟩keep them very low; that hath always bin the manner of Gods administrations: You see the reason of the peoples having straights in the wilderness, it was from hence, in the 8. of Deuteronomy, there God gives the reason, in the second verse, Thou shalt remember all the way, which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to what end? why were they so long in the wilderness? it was (saith the text) to humble them; I brought thee into the wilderness, and it was to humble thee: Doth God (my brethren) bring us into straights, now in these times? Certainly he is in a way of salvation for England, he is in a way of salvation to do us good in the latter end, but yet he is bringing us into straights, Oh! we may thank the pride of our spirits, we have not been brought low enough to this very day: There hath been (indeed) some humiliation of some of the people of God, in fasting and praying, they have humbled their souls; but yet though there hath been humble expressions, yet not humble hearts; for after those times they have had (many of them) exceeding froward spirits, and that argues apparently, their hearts are not humbled and broken, when their spirits after days of humiliation, still should be froward and pettish as before: But especially for the generality of the Kingdom, how far are we from being an humbled people! we are not yet capable of what mercy God intendeth for us, in this regard, because we are not humbled; Oh the exceeding pettishness, envy, and pride (and worse a great deal) not only in many people of the Land, but even in those that are godly and gracious! how are the spirits of men, of one brother opposite to another! that because there is some difference in judgment in such and such a thing;

1. Reason. Because God will humble his people, when he is in a way of salvation: when God intends the greatest good to his people, and to raise them the highest, he is very careful to ⟨p. 314⟩keep them very low; that hath alwaies bin the manner of Gods administrations: You see the reason of the peoples having straights in the wilderness, it was from hence, in the 8. of Deuteronomie, there God gives the reason, in the second verse, Thou shalt remember all the way, which the Lord thy God led thee these fourty years in the wilderness, to what end? why were they so long in the wildernesse? it was (saith the text) to humble them; I brought thee into the wilderness, and it was to humble thee: Doth God (my brethren) bring us into straights, now in these times? Certainly he is in a way of salvation for England, he is in a way of salvation to do us good in the latter end, but yet he is bringing us into straights, Oh! we may thank the pride of our spirits, we have not been brought low enough to this very day: There hath been (indeed) some humiliation of some of the people of God, in fasting and praying, they have humbled their souls; but yet though there hath been humble expressions, yet not humble hearts; for after those times they have had (many of them) exceeding froward spirits, and that argues apparantly, their hearts are not humbled and broken, when their spirits after daies of humiliation, still should be froward and pettish as before: But especially for the generallity of the Kingdom, how far are we from being an humbled people! we are not yet capable of what mercy God intendeth for us, in this regard, because we are not humbled; Oh the exceding pettishness, envie, and pride (and worse a great deal) not only in many people of the Land, but even in those that are godly and gracious! how are the spirits of men, of one brother opposite to another! that because there is some difference in judgment in such and such a thing;