Contentment is the Manna that is laid up in the Ark of a good conscience; Oh, take heed of indulging any sin. 'Tis as natural for guilt to breed disquiet, as for puttered matter to breed vermin. Sin lies as Jonah in the ship, it raiseth a tempest. If dust, or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a soreness in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that soreness: If sin be gotten into the conscience, which is as the eye of the soul, then grief and disquiet breeds there; but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomach, I may say of a good conscience: 1To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet; so to a ⟨p. 242⟩good conscience every bitter thing is sweet; it can pick contentment out of the Cross. Good conscience turns the waters of Marah into wine. Would you have a quiet heart, get a smiling conscience. I wonder not to hear Paul say, he was in every state content; When he could make that triumph, I have lived in all good conscience to this day*. When once a mans reckonings are clear, it must needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. Good conscience can suck contentment out of the bitterest drug; under slanders, This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience*: in case of imprisonment, Paul had his prison-songs, and could play the sweet lesson of contentment when his feet were in the stocks*; one calls it bonae conscientiae Paradisus, the Paradise of a good conscience; and if it be so, then in prison we may be in Paradise. When the times are troublesome, ⟨p. 243⟩good conscience makes a calm; If conscience he clear, what though the days be cloudy? Is it not a contentment to have a friend always by, to speak a good word for us? such a friend is conscience. Good conscience, as Davids Harp, drives away the evil spirit of discontent. When thoughts begin to arise, and the heart is disquieted; Conscience saith to a man as the King did to Nehemiah, Why is thy countenance sad*? So saith Conscience, hast not thou the seed of God in thee? art not thou an heir of the Promise? Hast not thou a treasure that thou canst never be plundered of? Why is thy countenance sad? Oh keep conscience clear, and you shall never want contentment. For a man to keep the pipes of his body, the veins and arteries free from colds and obstructions, is the best way to maintain health:
Contentment is the Manna that is laid up in the Arke of a good conscience; Oh, take heed of indulging any sin. 'Tis as naturall for guilt to breed disquiet, as for putred matter to breed vermine. Sinne lies as Ionah in the ship, it raiseth a tempest. If dust, or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a sorenesse in it; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that sorenesse: If sin be gotten into the conscience, which is as the eye of the soule, then grief and disquiet breeds there; but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomack, I may say of a good conscience: 1To the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet; so to a ⟨p. 242⟩good conscience every bitter thing is sweet; it can pick contentment out of the Crosse. Good conscience turnes the waters of Marah into wine. Would you have a quiet heart, get a smiling conscience. I wonder not to hear Paul say, he was in every state content; When hee could make that triumph, I have lived in all good conscience to this day*. When once a mans reckonings are clear, it must needs let in abundance of contentment into the heart. Good conscience can suck contentment out of the bitterest drugge; under slanders, This is our rejoycing, the testimony of our conscience*: in case of imprisonment, Paul had his prison-songs, and could play the sweet lesson of contentment when his feet were in the stocks*; one calls it bonae conscientiae Paradisus, the Paradise of a good conscience; and if it be so, then in prison wee may be in Paradise. When the times are troublesome, ⟨p. 243⟩good conscience makes a calme; If conscience he clear, what though the dayes be cloudy? Is it not a contentment to have a friend alwayes by, to speak a good word for us? such a friend is conscience. Good conscience, as Davids Harp, drives away the evil spirit of discontent. When thoughts begin to arise, and the heart is disquieted; Conscience saith to a man as the King did to Nehemlah, Why is thy countenance sad*? So saith Conscience, hast not thou the seed of God in thee? art not thou an heir of the Promise? Hast not thou a treasure that thou canst never be plundered of? Why is thy countenance sad? Oh keep conscience clear, and you shall never want contentment. For a man to keep the pipes of his body, the veines and arteries free from colds and obstructions, is the best way to maintaine health:
- 1Pro. 27. 7.
- *Act. 23. 1.
- *2 Cor. 1. 12.
- *Acts 16. 25. Augustive.
- *Neb. 2. 2.
