tite to good things, he grows weak, and a thousand to one if all his religion doth not die ; but bring a Christian from the south to the north, — from a rich flourisliing e- state into a jejune low condition, — let him come into a more cold and hungry air, — • and then his stomach mends, he hath a bet- ter ajipetite after heavenly things, he hun- gers more after Christ, he thirsts more for grace, he eats more at one meal of the bread of life, than at six before ; this man is now like to live and hold out in his religion. Be content then with a modicum ; if you have but enough to pay for your passage to heaven, it sufficeth.
2. A prosperous condition is dangerous in regard of others. A great estate, for the most part, draws envy to it. Gen. xxvi. 12, 13, 14., whereas in little there is quiet. David a shepherd was quiet, but David a a courtier was pursued by his enemies ; en- vy cannot endure a superior ; an envious man knows not how to Wve but upon the ruins of his neighbours ; he raiseth himself higher by bringing others lower. Pros- perity is an eye-sore to many. Such sheep as have most wool are soonest fleeced. The barren tree gi'ows peaceably ; no man med- dles with the ash or willow, but the apple- tree and the damasin shall have many rude suitors. O then be contented to carry a lesser sail ! He that hath less revenues hath less envy ; such as bear the fairest frontispiece, and make the greatest shew in the world, are the white for envy and ma- lice to shoot at.
3. A prosperous condition hath in it a greater reckoning ; every man must be re- sponsible for his talents. Thou that hast great possessions in the world, dost thou trade thy estate for God's glory? Art thou rich in good works ? Grace makes a pri- vate person a common good. Dost thou disburse thy money for public uses ? It is lawful, in this sense, to put out our money to use. O let us all remember an estate is a depositum, — we are but stewards ; and our Lord and Master Avill ere long say, " give an account of your stewardsjiip ;" the greater our estate, the greater our charge, tlie more our revenues, the more our reck- onings. You that have a lesser mill going in the world, be content : God will expect
ART OF DIVINE CONTENTMENT.
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less from you, where he hath sowed more Bparingly.
Sect. 11. The eleventh argumait to con- tffitation.
Tlie eleventh argument is the example of those who have been eminent for con ten ta- tion. Examples are usually more forcible than precepts. Abraham being called out to hot service, and such as was against flesh and blood, was content. God bid him offer up his son Isaac, Gen. xxii. 2. This was great work : Isa<ic was /i/ius seiiectufis, the son of his old age ; Jilius cle/ectioriis, the son of his love ; Jiliifs promisi, the son of the promise; Christ the Messiah was to come of his line, " In Isaac shall thy seed be called ;" so that to offer up Isaac seemed not only to oppose Abraham's reason, but his faith too ; for, if Isaac die, the world — for oujiht he knew — must be without a Me- diator. Besides, if Isaac be sacrificed, was there no other hand to do it but Abraham's ? Must the father needs be the executioner ? I^Iust he that was the instrument of gi^^ng Isaac his being, be the instrument of taking it away ? Yet Abraham doth not dispute or hesitate, but believes ' against hope,' and is content with God's prescription : so, when God called him to leave his country, Ileb. xi. 8., he was content. Some would have argued thus: "What! Leave my friends, my native soil, my brave situation, and go turn pilgrim ?" Abraham is content. Be- sides Abraham went blindfolds, " he knew not whither he went." God held him in suspense ; he must go wander he knows not where ; and when he doth come to the place God hath laid out for him, he knows not what oppositions he shall meet with there. The world doth seldom cast a favourable aspect upon strangers, Gen. xxxi. 15. Yet he is content, and obeys, " he sojourned in the land of promise," Ileb. xi. 9. Behold a little his pilgrimage. First, he goes to Charran, a city in Mesopotamia. AVhon he had sojourned there awhile, his fatlier dies. Then he removed to Sichem, then to Beth- lehem in Canaan ; there a famine ariseth ; then he went down to Egypt ; after that he returns into Canaan. When he comes there, it is true he had a promise, but he found nothing to answer expectation ; he had not there one foot of land, but was an exile.