SERM. whereof may not be answered with a competence; fo XXXVII. curiofity is an infinite and infatiable thing: He that loveth Prov. xxi. pleafure fhall be a poor man; he that loveth wine and oil Shall not be rich; that is, he which is curious and nice in

17.

his defires, will never have enough: the rule, which, according to St. Paul, fhould regulate our defires, is this; 1 Tim. vi. 8. Having food and raiment, let us with them be fatisfied: if this will fatisfy us, we may eafily obtain fatisfaction: a moderate industry, with God's bleffing, will procure fo much; God hath promised to bestow it; if this will not fuffice, there is no fure way of getting or keeping more: as God is nowife obliged to provide us fuperfluities, or concerned to relieve our extravagant longings; fo we may fear, that Providence will be ready to crofs us in our cares and endeavours tending to those purposes; so that we shall be disappointed in the procurement, or disturbed in the fruition of fuch needless things. However, he that is moft fcant in his defires, is likely to be most content in his mind: He, as Socrates faid, is nearest the gods (who need nothing) that needeth fewest things.

O axis δεόμενος, ἔγω 71502 θεῶν. Socr, in Xenoph. Apomn. iii.

In fine, contentedness doth import, that whatever our condition is, our minds and affections fhould be modelled and fquared juft according to it; fo that our inclinations be compliant, our defires be congruous thereto, so that eafily we can comport with the inconveniencies, can relish the comforts, can improve the advantages fticking thereto; otherwise, like an ill-made garment, it will fit unhandsome upon us, and be troublesome to us. It is not ufually our condition itself, but the unfuitablenefs thereof to our difpofition and defires, (which foureth all its sweets, and rendereth its advantages fruitless,) that createth difcontent; for, although it be very mean, others bear the fame cheerfully; many would be glad thereof: if therefore we will be content, we muft bend our inclinations, and adapt our defires to a correspondence with our state.

Αἱ κατὰ φύσιν ὀρέξεις αὐταρκείᾳ περιορίζεται. Cl. Alex. Pad. ii. 1.

k Si ad naturam vives nunquam eris pauper; fi ad opinionem, nunquam dives. Epie. Sen. Ep. 16.

If we are rich, we should get a large and bountiful SERM. heart, otherwise our wealth will hang loofe about us; the XXXVII. care and trouble in keeping it, the fufpicion and fear of lofing it, the defire of amplifying it, the unwillingness to fpend or use it, will bereave us of all true fatisfaction therein, and render it no lefs unfavoury to us, than unprofitable to others.

If we are poor, we should have a frugal, provident, induftrious mind, fparing in defires, free from curiofity, willing to take pains, able to digeft hardships; otherwife the ftraitnefs of our condition will pinch and gall us.

Are we high in dignity or reputation? we then need a mind well ballafted with fober thoughts, otherwise the wind of vanity will drive us into abfurd behaviours, thence will dafh us upon disappointments, and confequently will plunge us into vexation and difcontent.

Are we mean and low? we need a meek and lowly, a calm and steady spirit; not affecting little respects, or resenting the want of them; apt to pafs over or to bear quietly petty affronts and neglects; not apt to be moved by words fignifying contempt or difdain; else (being fretted with fuch things, which in this ill-natured and hard-hearted world we may be fure often to meet with) we shall be uneafy in our minds, and impatiently wish a change of our state.

Thefe and the like difpofitions and affections of foul this duty containeth, or requireth: from hence fhould arife a correfpondent external demeanour, and fuch actions. as these which follow:

1. We fhould reftrain our tongues from all unfeemly and unfavoury expreffions, implying diffatisfaction in God's proceedings, or displeasure at his providence; arguing defperation or diftruft in God; fuch as were thofe of the discontented and impatient Ifraelites; They, faith the Pfal.lxxviii. Pfalmift, Spake against God; they faid, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness ? Behold, he jmote the rock, that the s. waters gushed out, and the ftreams overflowed; can he give bread alfo, can he provide flesh for his people? Such as they used, of whom the Prophet faith, When they shall Isa. iii, 21.

19.

Num. xxi.

SERM. be hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse their King XXXVII. and their God; as thofe in the Apocalypfe, who, being Rev. xvi. 9, afflicted with deferved judgments, did blafpheme the name

11, 21.

of God, which had power over thofe plagues-blafphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their fores. Into fuch profane enormities of language is discontent apt to break forth, questioning the power of God, or his willingness to fuccour us; venting wrath and displeasure toward him; charging him foolishly with injustice, or with unkindness, or with negligence, or with impotency; the abstaining from which behaviour, under the sense of his bitter calamities, is a great commendation of Job; In all this, it is faid, Job finned not, neither charged God foolishly.

2. We should indeed forbear any the leaft complaint, or murmuring, in regard to the difpenfations of Providence; or upon diffatisfaction in the ftate allotted us: Jude 15,16. St. Jude faith, that God in the last day will come, to execute judgment, and to convince men of all their hard Speeches, which ungodly finners have spoken against him: thefe, fubjoineth he, are yoyyusal μeμvíμoipos, murmurers, that complain of their lot; which fignifieth the heinoufLam.iii.39.ness and extreme dangerousness of this practice. Wherefore doth the living man complain? is the Prophet's queftion, implying it to be an unreasonable and blamable. practice. Wherefore the advice of David is good; to fupprefs all complaint, to be still and filent in fuch cases: Pfal. xlvi. Be ftill, faith he, and know that I am God; and, Be filent to the Lord; the which precepts his practice may seem Pf. xxxix. well to interpret and back; I was, faith he, dumb; I opened not my mouth, because it was thy doingm; and acJob xl. 4. cordingly Job, Behold, (faid he, after having confidered all the reafons he could imagine of God's proceedings,) I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand

10. iv. 4.

xxxvii. 7.

9.

upon my mouth. And thus our Saviour, when he was op- SERM. preffed and afflicted, opened not his mouth.

XXXVII.

3. Yea it is our duty, in thefe cafes, to spend our Ifa. liii. 7. breath in declaring our fatisfaction in God's dealing with us; acknowledging his wifdom, juftice, and goodness therein; bleffing and praifing him for all that hath befallen us; each of us confeffing after David, I know, OPfal. cxix. Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness haft afflicted me; imitating Job, who, upon the lofs

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of all his goods, did fay no more than this; The Lord Job i. 21. gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

4. We should abstain from all irregular, unlawful, and unworthy courses toward the removal or remedy of our needs, or croffes, choofing rather to abide quietly under their preffure, than by any unwarrantable means to relieve or relax ourselves; rather bearing patiently than violently, like those in the Prophet, breaking our yoke, Jer. v. 5. and bursting our bands. Take heed, regard not iniquity; Job xxxvi. for this haft thou chofen rather than affliction. We fhould 21. rather continue poor, than by cozenage or rapine endeavour to raise our fortune; we should rather lie under difgrace and contempt, than by finful or fordid compliances strive to acquire the refpect and favour of men; we should rather willingly reft in the loweft condition, than do as thofe, who, by disturbing the world, by fomenting diforders and factions, by supplanting their neighbour's welfare, by venting flanders and detractions, do labour to amplify their eftate: we fhould rather endure any inconvenience or distress, than have recourse to ways of evading them difallowed by God; doing as the Jews did, who in their straits, against the declared pleasure of God, fet Jer. xlii. 15. their faces toward Egypt, frengthened themselves in the Strength of Pharaoh, trufted in the staff of that broken reed. xxxvi. 6. In neglect or diffidence toward God, to embrace fuch Ezek. xvii. aids, is, as God in the Prophet declareth, a very blam- 15.

Η Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν. Οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι τῦτο ἐπιλέγων ἀεὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι μας Tas avußaívovai, Chryf. ad Olymp. Ep. 11.

ii. 18, 13. Ifa. xxx. 2,

xxxi. 1.

SERM. able and mifchievous folly: Ephraim, faith he, is like a XXXVII. filly dove without heart; they call to Egypt, they go to Hof. vii. 11, Affyria—Woe unto them, for they have fled from me;

13.

deftruction unto them, because they have tranfgreffed against me. We may confider how St. Paul reproveth the Corinthians for seeking a redress of wrong, scandalous and 1 Cor. vi. 7. dishonourable to the Church: Now, therefore, it is utterly a fault among you, that ye go to law one with another; Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather Suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Even to right ourselves in a way whereby any dishonour may come to God, or damage to his Church, is not to be approved; and better it is, in the Apoftle's judgment, to bear any injury or 1 Pet. iii.17. damage ourfelves: Better it is, faith St. Peter, if the will of God be fo, that we fuffer for well-doing, than to do ill. And, Let them, who fuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator, is another wholesome advice of that great Apostle.

iv. 19.

5. We fhould, notwithstanding any adverfity, proceed in our affairs (fuch as God requireth, or reafon putteth us upon) with alacrity, courage, and industry; performing however, fo far as our circumftances do permit, what is good and fit for us: no disappointment or crofs, no straits or grievances of condition should render us listless, or lazy, but rather it should quicken and inflame our activity; this being a good way to divert us from the sense of our miffortunes, and to comfort us under their preffure; as also the readiest way to remove or to abate them, rò apòv EÚ Jéodas, to order the prefent well, whatever it be°; to make the best of a bad matter, to march forward whither reafon calls, how difficultly foever, or flowly it be, in a rough or dirty way; not to yield to difficulties, but resolutely to encounter them, to ftruggle luftily with them, to endeavour with all our might to furmount them P; are acts worthy of a manly reafon and courage: to direct ill ac

• Κερδαντίον τὸ παρὸν σὺν εὐλογισίᾳ. Ant. iv. 26. vi. 2.

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