A65276:254
The Art of Divine Contentment
Autarkeia, or, The art of divine contentment by Thomas Watson.
London: printed by T.M. for Ralph Smith, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Rest is there. O what a Sabbath is kept in a contented heart!1 What an Heaven! A contented Christian is like Noah in the Ark; ⟨p. 121⟩though the Ark were tossed with waves, Noah could sit and sing in the Ark. The soul that is gotten into the Ark of Contentment, sits quiet, and sails above all the waves of trouble; he can sing in this spiritual Ark. The wheels of the Chariot move, but the axle-tree stirs not; the circumference of the Heavens is carried about the Earth, but the Earth moves not out of its centre. When we meet with motion and change in the creatures round about us, a contented spirit is not stirred or moved out of its centre. The sails of a mill move with the wind, but the mill it self stands still; An emblem of Contentment: When our outward estate moves with the wind of providence, yet the heart is settled through holy Contentment; and when others are like quick-silver shaking and trembling through disquiet, the contented spirit can say as David, O God, my heart is fixed, ⟨p. 122⟩my heart is fixed*; what is this but a piece of heaven?
2. Rest is there. O what a Sabbath is kept in a contented heart!1 What an Heaven! A contented Christian is like Noah in the Arke; ⟨p. 121⟩though the Arke were tossed with waves, Noah could sit and sing in the Arke. The soule that is gotten into the Arke of Contentment, sits quiet, and sailes above all the waves of trouble; he can sing in this spiritual Arke. The wheeles of the Chariot move, but the axle-tree stirs not; the circumference of the Heavens is carried about the Earth, but the Earth moves not out of its centre. When we meete with motion and change in the creatures round about us, a contented spirit is not stirred or moved out of its centre. The sailes of a mill move with the winde, but the mill it self stands still; An embleme of Contentment: When our outward estate moves with the wind of providence, yet the heart is setled through holy Contentment; and when others are like quick-silver shaking and trembling through disquiet, the contented spirit can say as David, O God, my heart is fixed,