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.
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
; 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:
So, to keep conscience clear, and to preserve it from the obstructions ⟨p. 244⟩of guilt, is the best way to maintain contentment. First conscience is pure, and then peaceable.
So, to keep conscience clear, and to preserve it from the obobstructions ⟨p. 244⟩of guilt, is the best way to maintaine contentment. First conscience is pure, and then peaceable.
1. Mortify your desires; We must not be of the Dragons temper, who (they say) is so thirsty, that no water will quench his thirst; Mortify therefore your inordinate affection*; in the Greek it is [Greek or Hebrew], your evil affection; to show that our desires when they are inordinate, are evil. Crucify your desires, ⟨p. 245⟩[Greek or Hebrew], be as dead men; a dead man hath no appetite.
1. Mortifie your desires; Wee must not be of the Dragons temper, who (they say) is so thirsty, that no water will quench his thirst; Mortifie therefore your inordinate affection*; in the Greek it is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, your evill affection; to shew that our desires when they are inordinate, are evill. Crucifie your desires, ⟨p. 245⟩〈non-Latin alphabet〉, be as dead men; a dead man hath no appetite.
Quest. 1. Get a right judgment of the things here below:1 They are mean beggarly things; Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not*? The appetite must be guided by reason; the affections are the feet of the soul, therefore they must follow the judgement, not lead it.
Quest. 1. Get a right judgment of the things here below:1 They are mean beggarly things; Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not*? The appetite must be guided by reason; the affections are the feet of the soule, therefore they must follow the judgement, not lead it.
2. Often seriously meditate of mortality; Death will soon crop those flowers which we delight in, and pull down the fabric of those bodies which we so garnish and beautify. Think when you are locking up your money in your chest, who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin?
2. Often seriously meditate of mortality; Death will soon crop those flowers which wee delight in, and pull down the fabrick of those bodies which we so garnish and beautifie. Think when you are locking up your money in your chest, who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin?
2. Moderate your delights. Set not your hearts too much upon any creature*. What we over-love, we shall over-grieve. Rachel ⟨p. 246⟩set her heart too much upon her children, and when she had lost them, she lost her self too; such a vein of grief was opened as could not be stanched, she refused to be comforted. Here was discontent. When we let any creature lie too near our heart, when God pulls away that comfort, a piece of our heart is rent away with it. Too much fondness ends in frowardness. Those that would be content in the want of mercy, must be moderate in the enjoyment. Jonathan dipped the rod in honey, he did not thrush it in. Let us take heed of engulfing our selves in pleasure; better have a spare diet, then by having too much to surfeit.
2. Moderate your delights. Set not your hearts too much upon any creature*. What we over-love, we shall over-grieve. Rachel ⟨p. 246⟩set her heart too much upon her children, and when she had lost them, she lost her self too; such a veine of grief was opened as could not be stenched, she refused to be comforted. Here was discontent. When we let any creature lie too near our heart, when God pulls away that comfort, a piece of our heart is rent away with it. Too much fondnesse ends in frowardnesse. Those that would be content in the want of mercy, must be moderate in the enjoyment. Ionathan dipt the rod in honey, he did not thrush it in. Let us take heed of ingulphing our selves in pleasure; better have a spare diet, then by having too much to surfeit.
