The Art of Divine Contentment

IN the next place I come to lay down some necessary Cautions;¹ though I say a man should be contented in every estate, yet there are three estates in which he must not be contented.

1. 1Caution 1.

1. He must not be contented in a natural estate; here he must learn not to be content. A sinner in his pure naturals in under the wrath of God^*, and shall he be content when that dreadful Vial is going to be poured out? is it nothing to be under the scorchings of divine fury? Who can dwell with everlasting burnings? A sinner as a sinner is under the power of Satan^*, and shall he in this estate be contented? who would be contented ⟨p. 207⟩to stay in the enemies quarters? while we sleep in the lap of sin, the Devil doth to us as the Philistines did to Samson, cut the lock of our strength, and put out our eyes^*; be not content, O sinner, in this estate. For a man to be in debt body and soul, in fear every hour to be arrested and carried prisoner to hell, shall he now be content? here I preach against contentation, Oh get out of this condition, I would hasten you out of it, as the Angel hastened Lot out of Sodom^*; there is the smell of the fire and brimstone upon you. The longer a man stays in his sin, the more sin doth strengthen^*; 'tis hard to get out of sin when the heart as a garrison is victualled and fortified.