The Art of Divine Contentment

1. God hath taken away your Estate, ¹but not your Portion. This is a sacred Paradox. Honour and Estate are no part of a Christians Jointure, they are rather accessories then essentials, and are extrinsical ⟨p. 67⟩and foreign, therefore the loss of these cannot denominate a man miserable, still the portion remains, The Lord is my portion saith my soul^*. Suppose one were worth a million of money; and he should chance to lose a pin off his sleeve, this is no part of his estate, nor can we say he is undone: the loss of sublunary comforts is not so much to a Christians portion, as the loss of a pin is to a million. These things shall be added to you^*; Adj•cientur, they shall be cast in as overplus: when a man buys a piece of cloth, he hath an inch or two given in to the measure; now, though he lose his inch of cloth, yet he is not undone, for still the whole piece remains: our outward estate is not so much in regard of the portion, as an inch of cloth is to the whole piece; why then should a Christian be discontented when the title to his spiritual treasure remains? a thief may take away all my money ⟨p. 68⟩that I have about me, but not my land; still a Christian hath a title to the land of promise. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her.

1. God hath taken away your Estate, ¹but not your Portion. This is a sacred Paradox. Honour and Estate are no part of a Christians Joynture, they are rather ac•essaries then essentialls, and are extrinsecall ⟨p. 67⟩and forreigne, therefore the losse of these cannot denominate a man miserable, still the portion remains, The Lord is my portion saith my soul