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

As it was with Rachel, she must have children or else she died, well saith God, seeing you must, you shall have them, but though she had a child she died according to what she said, Give me children or else I die. So in regard of any other outward comforts, people may have the thing, but often-times they have it so as it proves the heaviest cross to them that ever they had in all their lives, such a child as you were discontent for the ⟨p. 141⟩want of it, it may be it was sick, and your hearts were out of temper for fear that you should lose it, and God restores it, but he restores it so as he makes it a cross to your hearts all the days of your lives. One observes concerning Manna, when the people were contented with their allowance that God allowed them, then it was very good, but when they would not be content with Gods allowance, but would gather more then God would have them; then (saith the text) there was worms in it: So when we are content with our conditions, and that which God disposes of us to be in, there's a blessing in it, then its sweet to us, but if we must needs have more, and keep it longer than God would have us to have it, then there will be worms in it, and no good at all. 5, There's a great deal of folly in discontentedness, for it makes our affliction a great deal worse than otherwise it would be; it no way removes our affliction, nay, while they do continue they are a great deal the worse and heavier, for a discontented heart is a proud heart, and a proud heart will not pull down his sails when there comes a tempest and storm: If a Martinet when a tempest and storm comes should be froward and would not pull down his sails, but is discontented with the storm, Is his condition the better because he is discontented and will not pull down his sails? Will this help him? Just so it is for all the world with a discontented heart, a discontented heart is a proud heart, and he out of his pride is troubled with his affliction, and is not contented with Gods dispose, and so he will not pull down his spirit at all, and make it bow to God in this condition in which God hath brought him; now is his condition the better because he will not pull down his spirit? No certainly abundantly worse, a thousand to one but the tempest and storm overwhelms his soul. And thus you see what a great deal of folly there is in the sin of discontentment.

As it was with Rachel, she must have children or else she died, well saith God, seeing you must, you shall have them, but though she had a childe she died according to what she said, Give me children or else I die. So in regard of any other outward comforts, people may have the thing, but often-times they have it so as it proves the heaviest cross to them that ever they had in all their lives, such a childe as you were discontent for the