Certain sermons, first preached, and after published at several times, by M. Thomas Gataker…Certaine sermons, first preached, and after published at severall times, by M. Thomas Gataker…

Of a note or two of contentment then a word or two, and so an end.

One sign of contentment then is, the use of lawful means only; When a man desireth not, nor endeavoureth to better his estate by indirect and unwarrantable courses: when a man dothⁿ not fret to see wicked men rise by bad means, nor is sorry that he may not do as they do: much less is moved to do wickedly, and to take such courses as he seeth wicked ones thrive withal, while himself and other godly, as himself seemeth to observe, either decay, or else stand at a stay.^o Abraham, when the King of Sodom offered him some part of his spoils, refused to take so much as a shoe-latchet of him, that the king of Sodom might not say that he had made Abraham rich; that men might not say, that Abraham had been made rich, not by Gods blessing, but by the Kings means; he might thank the King of Sodom for his wealth. So a godly man will not gain, nor desire to gain so much as a shoe-string or shoe-thread by profaning Gods Sabbaths with^p the Zidonian Merchants, by fraud of deceit, by oppression and extortion, by biting usury, the Devils brokery, or by any other unlawful and indirect course; that the devil may not say, that he hath made him rich; as he said sometime to our Saviour,^q All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. For^* it is of the devils gift, all that is gotten by such means, that is compassed by such courses: and he hath neither a contented mind, nor a religious heart, that will seek or take ought at the devils hand. As the^r Israelites therefore travelling through the wilderness towards the land of promise (which to have gone the next way, had not been a journey of many days, yet were they many years about) they were to go as God led them, as they saw the cloud go before them, and not to take that way that seemed best or most