so a carnal man he hath but little Contentment in his own spirit, it's Austins similitude (saith he) an ill conscience is like a scolding wife, a man (saith he) that hath an ill conscience he cares not to look into his own soul, but loves to be abroad, and look into other things, but never looks to himself, but one that hath a good conscience he delights in looking into his own heart, he hath a good conscience within him, and so a carnal heart, because there's nothing but filthiness, a filthy stink in himself, nothing but vileness and baseness within him; upon this it is that he seeks his Contentment else where: And as it is with a vessel that's full of liquor, if you strike upon it it will make no great noise, but if it be empty then it makes a great noise; so it is with the heart, a heart that is full of grace and goodness within, such a one will bear a great many strokes, and never make any noise, but an empty heart if that be struck that will make a noise, those men and women that are so much complaining, and always whining, it is a sign that there's an emptiness in their hearts, but if their hearts were filled with grace they would not make such an noise as now they do. As a man that hath his bones filled with marrow, and veins filled with good blood, he complains not of cold as others do; so a gracious heart having the spirit of God within him, and his heart filled with Grace, he hath that ⟨p. 61⟩within him that makes him find Contentment. It is a speech of Seneca, Indeed those things that I suffer will be incredibly heavy when I cannot bear my self; but now if I be no burden to my self, if I have all quiet within in mine own heart, then I can bear any thing, many men through their wickedness they have burdens without, but the greatest burden is the wickedness of their own hearts, they are not burdened with their sins in a godly way, that would ease their burden, but they have still their wickedness in the power of it, and so they are burdens to themselves. The distempers of mens hearts are mighty burdens to them, many times a godly man hath enough within to Content him; Virtue it is Content with its self, for to live well; (It's a speech of Cicero, and it's in one of his Paradoxes) it finds enough within its own sphere for the living happily, but how few are acquainted with this Mystery?
so a carnall man he hath but little Contentment in his own spirit, it's Austins similitude (saith he) an ill conscience is like a scoulding wife, a man (saith he) that hath an ill conscience he cares not to look into his own soul, but loves to be abroad, and look into other things, but never looks to himselfe, but one that hath a good conscience he delights in looking into his own heart, he hath a good conscience within him, and so a carnall heart, because there's nothing but filthinesse, a filthy stinke in himselfe, nothing but vildnesse and basenesse within him; upon this it is that he seeks his Contentment else where: And as it is with a vessel that's full of liquor, if you strike upon it it will make no great noyse, but if it be empty then it makes a great noise; so it is with the heart, a heart that is full of grace and goodnesse within, such a one will bear a great many strokes, and never make any noise, but an empty heart if that be struck that will make a noise, those men and women that are so much complayning, and always whyning, it is a sign that there's an emptinesse in their hearts, but if their hearts were filled with grace they would not make such an noise as now they do. As a man that hath his bones fill'd with marrow, and veins fill'd with good blood, he complains not of cold as others do; so a gracious heart having the spirit of God within him, and his heart fill'd with Grace, he hath that ⟨p. 61⟩within him that makes him find Contentment. It is a speech of Seneca, Indeed those things that I suffer will be incredibly heavy when I cannot bear my selfe; but now if I be no burden to my selfe, if I have all quiet within in mine own heart, then I can bear any thing, many men through their wickednesse they have burdens without, but the greatest burden is the wickednesse of their own hearts, they are not burdened with their sins in a godly way, that would ease their burden, but they have still their wickednesse in the power of it, and so they are burdens to themselves. The distempers of mens hearts are mighty burdens to them, many times a godly man hath enough within to Content him; Vertue it is Content with its selfe, for to live well; (It's a speech of Cicero, and it's in one of his Paradoxes) it finds enough within its own sphere for the living happily, but how few are acquainted with this Mysterie?
