First, to inform us, what cause they have to be thankful unto God, be they rich or poor, whom he hath vouchsafed this grace unto, whomk he hath taught, in whatsoever estate they are, therewith to be content. For even the poorest man that liveth content with his present estate, is richer than the richest man in the world that hath not a contented mind: he is happier than Adam and Eve were sometime in Paradise, when they longed to eat of the fruit forbidden them:l he is a greater man than great Alexander himself, and in far better plight than he, even for the present. Form he, for want hereof, when he had won the whole world, yet as if he had been pinched and straitened for room, or penned up in a corner or in a prison, as if the whole world were not able to hold him, (whereasn he could not take up so much as ten foot of ground, aso his father Philip saw, when he fell in the wrestling place, and viewed the print and proportion of his body there in the dust)p he sate weeping and wailing, like a forlorn person, that he could not find out a new world to be winning. Whereas, by benefit hereof many a poor child of God, that hath not half that that he had, yea that hath not a patch of land in the world, but liveth from hand to mouth by his daily labour, yet passeth his time as merrily, (as that Cynic sometime told his host at Athens) as ifq every day were holy day, or a festival day with him: According to that also which Solomon saith, thatr A merry heart, or a contented mind, (for it is not spoken directly of a good conscience, as it is commonly taken; (though it be true also of that, and that be a mean to procure this;) as may appear both by the opposition of the other member, and by the sequel of the context) is a perpetual banquet, a continual feast. The poor man then hath as great cause to be thankful to God for his contentment of mind, as the rich man for his riches. Conceive it by this comparison. Suppose two men lie sick of the same disease, a burning fever, or some such like hot disease, as causeth drought and desireth drink, and call both instantly for cold water to quench their thirst with. The Physician coming to them, biddeth give the one that is more impatient, a good quantity of cold drink, and yet he crieth and calleth still for more.
First, to informe us, what cause they have to bee thankfull unto God, be they rich or poore, whom hee hath vouchsafed this grace unto, whomk hee hath taught, in whatsoever estate they are, therewith to be content. For even the poorest man that liveth content with his present estate, is richer than the richest man in the world that hath not a contented minde: hee is happier than Adam and Eve were sometime in Paradise, when they longed to eat of the fruit forbidden them:l he is a greater man than great Alexander himselfe, and in farre better plight than hee, even for the present. Form hee, for want hereof, when hee had won the whole world, yet as if hee had beene pinched and straitned for roome, or penned up in a corner or in a prison, as if the whole world were not able to hold him, (whereasn he could not take up so much as ten foot of ground, aso his father Philip saw, when he fell in the wrestling place, and viewed the print and proportion of his body there in the dust)p he sate weeping and wailing, like a forlorne person, that he could not finde out a new world to be winning. Whereas, by benefit hereof many a poore childe of God, that hath not halfe that that he had, yea that hath not a patch of land in the world, but liveth from hand to mouth by his daily labour, yet passeth his time as merrily, (as that Cynicke sometime told his hoast at Athens) as ifq every day were holy day, or a festivall day with him: According to that also which Salomon saith, thatr A merry heart, or a contented minde, (for it is not spoken directly of a good conscience, as it is commonly taken; (though it bee true also of that, and that be a meane to procure this;) as may appeare both by the opposition of the other member, and by the sequele of the context) is a perpetuall banquet, a continuall feast. The poore man then hath as great cause to bee thankfull to God for his contentment of minde, as the rich man for his riches. Conceive it by this comparison. Suppose two men lie sicke of the same disease, a burning fever, or some such like hot disease, as causeth drought and desireth drinke, and call both instantly for cold water to quench their thirst with. The Physitian comming to them, biddeth give the one that is more impatient, a good quantitie of cold drinke, and yet he crieth and calleth still for more.
- kPhilip. 3.11, 12.
- lSensit Alexander testa cum vidit in illa Magnum habitalorem, quanto foelicioris, qui Nil cuperet, quàm qui totum sibi posceret (possidet) orbem. Juven. sat. 14. Si cui sua non videntur amplissima, licet totius mundi dominus sit, miser est. Epicurus apud Sen. ep. 9.Sensit Alexander testa cum vidit in illa Magnum habitalorem, quanto foelicioris, qui Nil cuperet, quàm qui totum sibi posceret (possidet) orbem. Iuven. sat. 14. Si cui sua non videntur amplissima, licet totius mundi dominus sit, miser est. Epicurus apud Sen. ep. 9.
- mUnus Pelleo Juveni non sufficit orbis. Aestuat infoelix angusto limit mundi, Ut Gyari clausus scopulis, parvaque Scripho. Juven. sat. 10. Numquam parum est, quod satis est: numquam multum est, quod satis non est. •ost Darium & Indos pauper est Alexander Macedo quaerit quod suum faciat; maria ignota scrutatur, mundi claustra perrumpit. Quod naturae satis est, homini non est. Inventus est qui concupisceret aliquid post. omnia: detecto sine terrarum per suum rediturus orbem tristi, est. Sen. epist. 119 [Greek or Hebrew]. Arian. dissert. lib. 3. cap. 9.Vnus Pelleo Iuveni non sufficit orbis. Aestuat infoelix angusto limite mundi, Vt Gyari clausus scopulis, parvaque Scripho. Iuven. sat. 10. Numquam parum est, quod satis est: numquam multum est, quod satis non est. •ost Darium & Indos pauper est Alexander Macedo quaerit quod suum faciat; maria ignota scrutatur, mundi claustra perrumpit. Quod naturae satis est, homini non est. Inventus est qui concupisceret aliquid post. omnia: detecto sine terrarum per suum rediturus orbem tristi, est. Sen. epist. 119 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Arrian. dissert. lib. 3. cap. 9.
- nMors sola fatetur Quantulae sint hominum corpuscula, mortuus idem Sarcophago contentus erit. Juven. sat. 10.Mors sola fatetur Quantulae sint hominum corpuscula, mortuus idem Sarcophago contentus erit. Iuven. sat. 10.
- oIn palestra prolapsus, cum in pulvere corporis vestigium vidisset, Papae, inquit, ut minimam terrae partem natura sortiti, orbem appetimus universum? Erasm. apophth. l. 4
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