Sermons preached

2. More particularly, let us consider, 1. What is necessary to this Contentment. 2. What Effect it produces.

1. What is necessary to this Contentment.

(1.) Faith, or a sound belief of God's Being, and gracious Promises and Eternal Recompenses. That there is a God, that he hath a particular care of Humane Affairs, and that he will not leave his People to unsupportable Difficulties, but will guide them to Eternal Life. It is in vain to press People to contentedness till they be thus persuaded. For the first Truth that there is a God, He that cometh to God, must believe that God is. For the second Truth, that he hath a particular care of Humane Affairs, 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your Care upon the Lord, for he careth for you. The third Truth, that he will not leave his People to unsupportable Difficulties, Heb. 13. 5, 6. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness, and be content with such things as you have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what Man shall do unto me. For the fourth Truth, a Prospect of Eternal Life, Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock, for it is your Fathers good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Now if God be, and be thus engaged to his People, why should we be discontented if he take his own Methods to bring us to Everlasting Glory. We cannot suffer any thing that God is not aware of, every Dram of our Affliction is weighed out to us by that All-Wise All-Merciful Providence; and there is nothing which we suffer, that he knoweth not how to turn to our good, looking for nothing from us, but our Trust and Thankfulness.