The fourth lesson that the soul is instructed in to come to this knowledge in the Art of Contentment, is this: The soul comes to understand, in what relation it stands in here to the world: by that I mean thus, God comes to instruct the soul effectually through Christ by his Spirit, upon what terms it lives here in the world, in what relation it is that it doth stand: as thus, While I live in the World my condition is to be but a pilgrim, a stranger, a traveller, & a soldier: Now the right understanding of this, and being taught this, not only by rote, that I can speak the words over, but when I come indeed to have my soul possest with the consideration of this Truth, That God hath set me in this world, not as in my home, but as a mere stranger and a pilgrim, that I am travelling here to another home, and that I am here a soldier in my warfare; it is a mighty help to Contentment in whatsoever befalls one: as now to instance in all these conditions, When a man is at home, if he hath not things according to his desire he will be finding fault, and is not contented; but if a man travels abroad, perhaps he meets not with conveniences as he desires, the servants in the house are not at his beck, or are not so ⟨p. 77⟩diligent as his own servants were, and his diet is not as at home, and his bed not as at home, yet this very thought may moderate a mans spirit, I am a Traveller, and I must not be finding fault, I am but in another mans house, and it were not manners for one to find fault when he is abroad in another bodies family, though things be not so as in my own family; If a man meets with ill weather he must be content; it is Travellers fare (we use to say) both fair weather and foul weather, this is the common Travellers fare, and we must be content with it; but if a man were at home and it should drop down in his house, he would account it an ill thing, an affliction to him, and he cannot bear it: but when he is travelling abroad, though he meet with rain and storms he is not so much troubled: When you are abroad at Sea, though you have not those many things that you have at home, you are not troubled at it, you are contented; Why? you are abroad at Sea, you are not troubled at storms that do arise, and though you have many things otherwise than you would have them at home, but still you are quieted with that, you are at Sea.
The fourth lesson that the soul is instructed in to come to this knowledge in the Art of Contentment, is this: The soul comes to understand, in what relation it stands in here to the world: by that I mean thus, God comes to instruct the soul effectually through Christ by his Spirit, upon what terms it lives here in the world, in what relation it is that it doth stand: as thus, While I live in the World my condition is to be but a pilgrime, a stranger, a traveller, & a souldier: Now the right understanding of this, and being taught this, not only by rote, that I can speak the words over, but when I come indeed to have my soul possest with the consideration of this Truth, That God hath set me in this world, not as in my home, but as a meer stranger and a pilgrime, that I am travelling here to another home, and that I am here a souldier in my warfare; it is a mighty help to Contentment in whatsoever befalls one: as now to instance in all these conditions, When a man is at home, if he hath not things according to his desire he will be finding fault, and is not contented; but if a mantravels abroad, perhaps he meets not with conveniencies as he desires, the servants in the house are not at his beck, or are not so ⟨p. 77⟩diligent as his own servants were, and his diet is not as at home, and his bed not as at home, yet this very thought may moderate a mans spirit, I am a Traveller, and I must not be finding fault, I am but in another mans house, and it were not manners for one to find fault when he is abroad in another bodies family, though things be not so as in my own family; If a man meets with ill weather he must be content; it is Travellers fare (we use to say) both fair weather and foul weather, this is the common Travellers fare, and we must be content with it; but if a man were at home and it should drop down in his house, he would account it an ill thing, an affliction to him, and he cannot bear it: but when he is travelling abroad, though he meet with rain and storms he is not so much troubled: When you are abroad at Sea, though you have not those many things that you have at home, you are not troubled at it, you are contented; Why? you are abroad at Sea, you are not troubled at storms that do arise, and though you have many things otherwise than you would have them at home, but still you are quieted with that, you are at Sea.
