their fplendid outside, but I will look more ftrictly into them, and find whether they are not uncertain, deceiving things; what ftability there is in them; what good they will do me after death; what quietnefs or tranquility of mind they will give me, or rather take from me; whether they have in themselves any real influence to make me better or wifer. 4. Upon thefe Confiderations, if I find, as find I fhall, that they have not that real worth in them that the vain World imagines, I will not fer my Heart upon them, nor lay any confidence upon them, nor lay out much of my love unto them, nor any great efteem for them. 5. I will fet my heart to a true and ferious confideration of thofe durable Riches, and Glory and Honour that our dear Lord hath provided for us in the life to come, and that Eternal weight of Glory will infinitely out weigh all the Wealth and Honour, and Glory that I do or can enjoy in this World. 6. And upon this confideration alfo I will rectifie my judgment concerning this World, and the greatest Glory of it, and thereby habituate my felf to a low esteem of the wealth I have, or can have, and fet up my hopes and treasure in more noble and durable Enjoyments. 7. I will confider I am but a Steward when all is done, and the greater my wealth or honour is, the greater my accompts muft be, and the more difficult to keep them fair. 8. That in as much as I am but a Steward, I will be very careful, that my management of my Truft may be fuch as will bear my Lords fcrutiny. I will not employ my Stock of wealth or honour to the dishonor of my Lord, in riot or excefs, in vanity or oppreffion; but will do as much good with it as I can, according to the truft committed to me, that I may give a just and fair and comfortable account of my Stewardship when my Lord and Mafter calls for it. 9. That in as much as thofe very externals are in themfelves bleffings if well employed, though not the bleffings of the greatelt magnitude; I will with all Humility and Thankfulness acknowledge the Divine Bounty to me, in trufting me with abundance, and will employ it to his Honour.

Seneca Thyeft. A&. 2.

Stet quicunque volet potens

Aula culmine lubrico:
Me dulcis faturet quies;
Obfcuro pofitus loco,
Leni perfruar otio;
Nullis nota Quiritibus
Atas per tacitum fluat.

Sic cumtranfierint mei
Nullo cum ftrepitu dies,
Plebeius moriar fenex,
Illi mors gravis incubat,
Qui notus nimis omnibus,
Ignotus moritur fibi.

Et him that will, afcend the tott'ring Seat
Of Courtly Grandeur, and become as great
As are his mounting Wishes; as for me,
Let fweet Repofe, and Reft my portion be;
Give me fome mean obfcure Recefs; a Sphere
Out of the Road of Bufinefs, or the fear
Of falling lower, where I fweetly may
My felf, and dear Retirement ftill enjoy:
Let not my Life, or Name, be known unto
The Grandees of the Times, toft to and fro
By Cenfures, or Applaufe; but let my Age
Slide gently by, not overthwart the Stage
Of Publick Action; unheard, unseen,
And unconcern'd, as if I ne'er had been.
And thus while I fhall pass my filent days
In fhady Privacy, free from the Noise
And buftles of the World, then shall I
A good old Innocent Plebeian die.
Death is a meer furprize, a very Snare,
To him that makes it his lifes greatest care
To be a publick Pageant, known to All,
But unacquainted with Himfelf doth fall.

F

of CONTENTATION, and the Motives to it, both Moral and Divine.

Phil. iv. 11. For 1 have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.

THe

Here are Three Excellent Virtues which especially refer to our condition in this life, and much conduce to pur Safe and Comfortable paffage through them.

1. Equality of Mind, or Equanimity.

2. Patience,

3. Contentedness.

1. Equality of Mind, ot Equanimity, is that Virtue which refers both to Profperity and Adverfity, whereby in all Conditions of that kind we carry an even and equal temper, neither over-much lifted upby Profperity, nor overmuch depreffed in Adverfity.

2. Patience properly refers to croffes, disappointment, afflictions, and adverfity, whereby we carry a quiet and fubmiffive mind, without murmuring, paffion, or difcompofure of fpirit, in all afflictions, whether fickness, loss of friends, poverty, reproach, difgrace, or the like.

3. Contentation; which differs from Equality of mind, because that refpects as well profperity as adverfity, this only adverfity; and in fome refpects differs alfo from Patience (though this always accompanies it.) 1. In the extent of the object, for Patience refpects all kinds of affliation; Contendednefs, in propriety of fpeech, refpects principally the affliction of want or poverty. 2. In the act it felf, for Patience, in propriety of fpeech, implies only a quiet composed toleration of the evilness of adverfity, but Contendednefs imports fomewhat more, namely, not only a quietnefs of mind, but a kind of chearful free fubmiffion to our prefent condition of adverfity, a ready compliance with the Divine Providence, and, in effect, a choice of that ftate wherein the Divine Difpenfation placeth us, as well as in bearing it.

Thes

Thefe, though they may in ftrictnefs give a diftinction between Patience and Contentation, yet we must observe that Contentation is never without Patience, though it be fomething more: and that in the common acceptation and latitude of the word, Contentation doth not only extend to the condition or affliction of poverty, but even to all other outward afflictions reached to us by the inflicting or permitting hand of Divine Providence: and in this large acceptation I fhall here apply and use it.

Content therefore in its large acceptation, is not only a quiet and patient, but alfo a free and cheerful clofing with that estate and condition of life, which the Divine Difpenfation fhall allot unto us, whether mean, or poor, or laborious and painful, or obfcure, or neceffitous, or fickly, or unhealthy, or without friends, or with lofs or abfence of friends, or any other ftate that feems ungrateful to our natures or difpofition. For we need not apply this Virtue to a state of high profperity in all things, wherein, (though Men are not ordinarily contented) yet they have but small temptations to discontent from the state it self wherein they are fo.

This leffon of Contentation was learnt by this Apostle, which imports these things: 1. That it is a leffon that is poffible to be learned, for the Apoftle had learned it. 2. That it is a leffon that requires fomething of industry and pains to acquire it, for he learned it before he attained it. 3. That it is a leffon that deferves the learning, for he speaks of it as of a thing of moment and great ufe, well worth the pains he took to attain it. And the truth is, it is of fo great importance to be learned, that without it we want the comfort of our lives, and with it all conditions of life are not only tolerable, but comfortable. And hence it is, that this excellent Apoftle doth very often inculcate and prefs and commend this leffon in many of his Epiftles. 1 Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Heb. 13.5. Let your converfation be without covetousness, and be content with fuch things as ye have; for he bath faid, I will not leave thee nor forfake thee. Again, 1 Tim. 6. 8. And having food and

raiment let us be therewith content.

I fhal!

I fhall therefore fet down these Reasons, that may Perfwade and encourage us to contentation with our condition, and likewise to patience under it; for patience and contentation cannot be well fevered. And the Reafons are of two forts; 1. Moral, 2. Divine and Evangelical. Neither fhall I decline the ufe of Moral Reasons, confidering how far by the help of thefe, many Heathens (that had not the true knowledge of God revealed in his word and Son) advanced in the practise of these virtues. The Moral Reasons therefore are these.

1. Very many of the external evils we fuffer are of our own choice and procurement, the fruits of our own follies and inadvertence and averfenefs to good counfel: And why fhould we be discontented, or impatient under those evils which we our felves have chofen, or repine because these trees bear their natural fruit?

2. The greatest part of evils we fuffer are of that nature and kind, that are not in our power either to prevent or help: Some come from the very condition of our nature, as fickness, death of friends; and of abfolute neceffity, the more Relations any Man hath, the more evils of this kind he may fuffer: And can we reasonably expect that the very natures of things fhould be changed to please our humours? Again fome come from the hands of Men, that it may be are more powerful, more fubtil and malicious: Why fhould we discontent our felves, or be impatient,because others are too ftrong for us? Others again come by occurrences natural (tho' difpofed by the hand of the Divine Providence as loffes by ftorms and tempefts, by unfeafonable weather, by intemperateness of the Air or Meteors : Can we reasonably expect that the great God of Heaven and Earth fhould alter his fetled Laws of Nature for the convenience of every fuch little Worm as you or I am? It may be that storm or intemperate season, that may do you or me fome prejudice, may do others as many and as good or it may be more and better a benefit; that Wind that ftrikes my Ship against the Rock, may fetch off two or more from the Sands. Let us be content therefore to fuffer Almighty God to govern the World according to