The rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is showedThe rare jewel of Christian contentment Wherein is shewed

Eighthly, There is a further thing in self-denial which brings contentment. Because thereby the soul comes to rejoice and take sat is faction in all Gods ways (I beseech you observe this) If a man be selfish and have self-love prevail in his heart, those things that suits with his own ends he will be glad of them; but a godly man that hath denied himself he will suit with, and be glad of all things that shall suit with Gods ends: Saith a Gracious heart, Gods ends are my ends; and I have denied mine own ends, and so he comes to find contentment in all Gods ends and ways, and his comforts are multiplied, whereas the comforts of other men are single, it is but very rare that Gods ways shall suit with a mans particular ends, but always Gods ways suit with his own ends; now if you will only have contentment when Gods ways suit with his own ends, you can have it but now and then, but a self-denying man denies his own ends and only looks at the ends of God, and therein is contented: When a man is selfish he cannot but have a great deal of trouble and vexation, for if I regard my self, my ends are so narrow that I shall have a hundred things will come and jostle me, and I cannot have room in those narrow ends of mine own; as you know in the City what a deal of stir there is in the narrow streets, as Thames street being so narrow they jostle and wrangle and fight one with another, because the place is so narrow, but now in the broad streets there they can go quietly; so men that are selfish, they meet and so jostle one with another, one man is for self in one thing, and another man is for self in another thing, and so they make a great deal of stir; but those whose hearts are enlarged and make public things their ends, and can deny ⟨p. 73⟩themselves, they can walk at breadth and never jostle one with another so as the other do. The lesson of self-denial is the first Lesson that Jesus Christ doth learn men in the seeking of Contentment.

Eightly, There is a further thing in self-denial which brings contentment. Because thereby the soul comes to rejoyce and take sat is faction in all Gods ways (I beseech you observe this) If a man be selfish and have self-love prevail in his heart, those things that suits with his own ends he will be glad of them; but a godly man that hath denied himself he will suit with, and be glad of all things that shall suit with Gods ends: Saith a Gracious heart, Gods ends are my ends; and I have denyed mine own ends, and so he comes to find contentment in all Gods ends and ways, and his comforts are multiplied, whereas the comforts of other men are single, it is but very rare that Gods ways shall suit with a mans particular ends, but always Gods ways suit with his own ends; now if you will only have contentment when Gods ways suit with his own ends, you can have it but now and then, but a self-denying man denies his own ends and only looks at the ends of God, and therein is contented: When a man is selfish he cannot but have a great deal of trouble and vexation, for if I regard my self, my ends are so narrow that I shall have a hundred things will come and justle me, and I cannot have room in those narrow ends of mine own; as you know in the City what a deal of stir there is in the narrow streets, as Thames street being so narrow they justle and wrangle and fight one with another, because the place is so narrow, but now in the broad streets there they can go quietly; so men that are selfish, they meet and so justle one with another, one man is for self in one thing, and another man is for self in another thing, and so they make a great deal of stir; but those whose hearts are inlarged and make publike things their ends, and can deny