The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

The true knowledge of God so directly tends to holiness, and that to contentation, that it ⟨p. 239⟩may be too evidently concluded, that a discontented person, hath little of the one or the other, not much knowledge, and less grace; he is so far from being like God, that in the Apostles language above we may say, he hath not seen him. Doth that person know God, or hath ever seen him, that falls not into the dust, admiring so glorious a Majesty? that subjects not himself to him, with Loyal affections, accounting it his only grand concernment to please, and serve him? But the discontented person takes upon him, as if he were God alone, and as if he expected every creature to do him homage, and thought the creation were made for the pleasure and service of none but him. Hath that person ever seen God, that acknowledges him not a sufficient portion? a full, all-comprehending good. Hath he seen him, that sees not reason to trust him; to commit all his concernments to him. Hath he seen him that loves him not, and delights not in his love? Hath he seen him that quits not all for him, and abandons not every private interest to espouse his; and how evidently do these things tend to quiet and compose the soul? Discontent proceeds from idolizing thoughts of our selves; 'tis rooted in self-conceit, in self-dependence, self-love, self-seeking, all which despicable Idols (or that one great Idol, Self, thus variously served, and Idolized) one sight of the Divine Glory would confound and bring to nothing. The sights of God melt the heart, break it under a sense of sin, and hence compose it to ⟨p. 204⟩a meek, peaceful humility; but the discontented spirit is an unbroken, proud, imperious spirit. The sights of God purify the soul, refine it from the dross of this vile world, make it daily aspire to a conformity unto the pure and Spiritual nature of God. But a discontented spirit, is a sensual, terrene spirit (for what, but such objects are the usual matter of most mens discontents?) taking sensuality in its just latitude, 'tis a low, Dunghill spirit; fit for nothing but to rake, and scrabble in the dirt.

The true knowledge of God so directly tends to holiness, and that to contentation, that it ⟨p. 239⟩may be too evidently concluded, that a discontented person, hath little of the one or the other, not much knowledge, and less grace; he is so far from being like God, that in the Apostles language above we may say, he hath not seen him. Doth that person know God, or hath ever seen him, that falls not into the dust, admiring so glorious a Majesty? that subjects not himself to him, with Loyal affections, accounting it his only grand concernment to please, and serve him? But the discontented person takes upon him, as if he were God alone, and as if he expected every creature to do him homage, and thought the creation were made for the pleasure and service of none but him. Hath that person ever seen God, that acknowledges him not a sufficient portion? a full, all-comprehending good. Hath he seen him, that sees not reason to trust him; to commit all his concernments to him. Hath he seen him that loves him not, and delights not in his love? Hath he seen him that quits not all for him, and abandons not every private interest to espouse his; and how evidently do these things tend to quiet and compose the soul? Discontent proceeds from idolizing thoughts of our selves; 'tis rooted in self-conceit, in self-dependence, self-love, self-seeking, all which despicable Idols (or that one great Idol, Self, thus variously served, and Idolized) one sight of the Divine Glory would confound and bring to nothing. The sights of God melt the heart, break it under a sense of sin, and hence compose it to