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

The sixth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For those men and women to be discontent and murmur that God hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions: This is a very great aggravation if thou be discontent now: There was a time when thou wert low enough; and perhaps when thou wert so low then thou didst say, O if God would deliver me from such an affliction, or give me but a little more in my estate, I should think my self in a good condition: but if God by his providence doth raise thee, thou art as greedy of more still as thou wert before, and as much discontented as thou wert before: this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding, and poor beginning for them to be so nice, and dainty that nothing can please them, whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough; But it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty, and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding. Its too much for a child to be discontented in his fathers house, but if a man hath taken a poor beggar boy, if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door, and set him at your own table, ⟨p. 160⟩could you bear that such a one should complain that such a thing is not well dressed, or the like; you could not bear it if your children should do it, but you could bear it a great deal better with them than to hear such a one do it: but thou art a poor beggar, and God hath (as it were) taken thee into his great Family, and if the Lord hath been pleased to raise thee higher, that now thou hast a competency, that thou mayest live as a man, to be of use and service in the place where God hath set thee, now wilt thou be discontent because thou hast not every thing that thou desirest? we know the Prodigal, when he came to himself, Oh! saith he, In my fathers house is bread enough, He did not say there's good cheer enough, and a great deal of dainties; no, he thought of nothing but bread, there's bread enough; So its ordinary for men and women when they are in a low condition, they think that if they may have bread, any competency, they will be contented and bless God, but when they have their bread and things convenient, they must have more or else they are not contented;

The sixth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this, For those men and women to be discontent and murmur that God hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions: This is a very great aggravation if thou be discontent now: There was a time when thou wert low enough; and perhaps when thou wert so low then thou did'st say, O if God would deliver me from such an affliction, or give me but a little more in my estate, I should think my self in a good condition: but if God by his providence doth raise thee, thou art as greedy of more still as thou wert before, and as much discontented as thou wert before: this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding, and poor beginning for them to be so nice, and dainty that nothing can please them, whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough; But it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty, and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding. Its too much for a childe to be discontented in his fathers house, but if a man hath taken a poor begger boy, if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door, and set him at your own table,