IT is a point by all generally agreed upon, thata Happiness is the main end and aim of all mens Actions. And it is a Truth no less generally confessed and acknowledged, thatb Without Contentment of Mind there can be no true Happiness. It isc Happiness then that all men without exception desire, and Contentment that all consequently strive to attain. But herein the most fail, that they are mistaken in the means, that they take wrong courses for the compassing of this their end and aim, and so vainly weary and tire out themselves in* seeking Happiness and Contentment there, where neither of them is to be had. To reform this error, the Spirit of God in the Word hath directed us the right way to either; to wit,d by conjunction with God, the author & fountain of all good,e by adhering unto him, in whom only the soul of man can find sure and sound contentment. Now this is donef by loving him,g by fearing him,h by trusting in him,i by obeying him,k by conformity unto him; or more briefly in a word, byl holiness, bym godliness: for these two are in substance one and the same. ⟨p. 126⟩So that there isn no compassing of Contentment or Happiness without God, and there is no way unto God but by Godliness. Foro God alone being the chiefest good, and the chiefest good each ones utmost aim; our desires cannot be stayed till we come home unto him, beyond whom we cannot possibly go. He being onlyp All-sufficient; (and there can be no Contentment where any want is, nor freedom from want where Sufficiency is not;) we can have no true Contentment, till we have once gained Him; we can have no full Contentment, till we come wholly to enjoy Him, that he may beq all in all unto us. And this beingr by Holiness, by Godliness only effected, it must needs follow, that the holier men are, the happier they are; and the more Godly they are, the more true and sound Contentment they are sure of.s We shall never be truly Happy, till we be sincerely Holy, nor fully Happy, till we be perfectly Holy. We shall never attain true Contentment till we be truly Religious, nor full Contentment till we be consummate in Godliness. The consideration whereof should incite all, that desire Happiness and Contentment, (andt who is he, be he never so brutish, that doth not?) to bend their main study and endeavour this way, for the compassing of this Grace and profiting in it;
IT is a point by all generally agreed upon, thata Happinesse is the maine end and aime of all mens Actions. And it is a Truth no lesse generally confessed and acknowledged, thatb Without Contentment of Minde there can be no true Happines. It isc Happines then that all men without exception desire, and Contentment that all consequently strive to attaine. But herein the most faile, that they are mistaken in the meanes, that they take wrong courses for the compassing of this their end and aime, and so vainly weary and tire out themselves in* seeking Happines and Contentment there, where neither of them is to be had. To reforme this error, the Spirit of God in the Word hath directed us the right way to either; to wit,d by conjunction with God, the author & fountaine of all good,e by adhering unto him, in whom only the soule of man can find sure and sound contentment. Now this is donef by loving him,g by fearing him,h by trusting in him,i by obeying him,k by conformitie unto him; or more briefly in a word, byl holinesse, bym godlinesse: for these two are in substance one and the same. ⟨p. 126⟩So that there isn no compassing of Contentment or Happinesse without God, and there is no way unto God but by Godlinesse. For
- a[Greek or Hebrew]. Aristot. ethic. Nicom. l. 1. c. 2, 4, 7. [Greek or Hebrew]. Stob. tom. 1. l. 2. c. 3.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Aristot. ethic. Nicom. l. 1. c. 2, 4, 7. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Stob. tom. 1. l. 2. c. 3.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. Arist. ethic. Nicom. l. 1. c. 7. Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat. P. Sir. Si cui sua non videntur amplissima, miser est. Epicur. Miser est, qui se non beatissimum judicat. Sen. ep. 10. Nemo foelix est, qui judicio suo miser est. Salv. de prov. l. 1.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Arist. ethic. Nicom. l. 1. c. 7. Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat. P. Syr. Si cui sua non videntur amplissima, miser est. Epicur. Miser est, qui se non beatissimum judicat. Sen. ep. 10. Nemo foelix est, qui judicio suo miser est. Salv. de prov. l. 1.
- cOmnium certa sententia est, beatos esse omnes homines velle. Aug. de civ. Dei l. 10 c. 1. & Epist. 21. & 121. Miserè vivere nemo vult. Idem de lib. arb. l. 1. c. 14.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Arian. dissert. l. 2. c. 16.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Arrian. dissert. l. 2. c. 16.
- dPsal. 86.11. & 144.14.
- eDeut. 30.20. Psal. 73.26, 28. Bonum nostrum nullum est aliud q••m Deo adhaerere, cujus unius anima intellectualis incorporeo amplexu impletur. Aug. de civ•t. Dei l. 10. c. 4.
- fDeut. 30.20. Adeum dilectione tendimus, ut perveniendo quiescamus, ideò beati, quia illo fine persecti. Aug. ibid.
