The Art of Divine Contentment

CHAP. VIII.

Use I.

Showing how a Christian may make his life comfortable.

Shewing how a Christian may make his life comfortable.

Use I. ¹IT shows us how a Christian may come to lead a comfortable life, even an heaven upon earth, be the times what they will; viz. by Christian contentment^*; the comfort of life doth not stand [Greek or Hebrew], in having much; its Christs maxim, Mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he doth possess^*; but it is in being contented^*. Is not the Bee as well contented with feeding on the dew, or ⟨p. 50⟩sucking from a flower, as the Ox that grazeth on the Mountains? Contentment lies within a man, in the heart: and the way to be comfortable, is not by having our barns filled, but our mind quiet. The contented man (saith Seneca) is the happy man; discontent is a fretting humour, which dries the brains, wastes the spirits, corrodes and eats out the comfort of life: Discontent makes a man that he doth not enjoy what he doth possess. A drop or two of vinegar will sour a whole glass of Wine. Let a man have the affluence and confluence of worldly comforts, a drop or two of discontent will embitter and poison all. Comfort depends upon Contentment; Jacob went halting when the sinew upon the hollow of his thigh shrank: so, when the sinew of Contentment begins to shrink, we go halting in our comforts. Contentation is as necessary to keep the life comfortable,