promise is the flower out of which faith distils the spirits and quintessence of divine contentment. In a word, faith carries up the soul, and makes it aspire after more generous and noble delights than the earth affords, and to live in the world above the world. Would ye live contented lives ? Live up to the height of your faith. Rule 2. Labour for assurance. O let us get the interest cleared between God and our souls ! Interest is a word much in use, — a pleasing word, — interest in great friends, — interest-money. O, if if there be an interest worth looking after, it is an interest between God and the soul ! Labour to say, " my God." To be with- out money, and without friends, and without God too, Eph. ii. 12., is sad; but he whose faith doth flourish into assurance, that can say, " I know whom I have believed," as St. Paul, 2 Tim. i. 12., that man hath e- nough to give his heart contentment. When a man's debts are paid, and he can go a- broad without fear of arresting, what con- tentment is this ! O, let your title be clear- ed ! If God be ours, whatever we want in the creature, is infinitely made up in him. Do I want bread ? I have Christ the bread of life. Am I under defilement? His blood is like the trees of the sanctuary ; not only for meat, but medicine, Ezek. xlvii. 12. If any thing in the world be worth laboui- ing for, it is to get sound evidences that God is ours. If this be once cleared, what can come amiss ? No matter what storms I meet with, so that I know where to put in for harbour. He that hath God to be his God, is so well contented with his con- dition, that he doth not much cai-e whether he hath any thing else. To rest in a con- dition where a Christian cannot say God is his God, is matter of fear ; and if he can say so truly, and yet is not contented, it is matter of shame. " David encouraged him- self in the Lord his God," 1 Sam. xxx. 6. It was sad with him, Ziklag burnt, his wives taken captive, his all lost, and like to have lost his soldiers' hearts too, (for they spake of stoning him,) yet he had the ground of contentment within him, viz. An interest in God, and this was a pillar of suppoitment to his spirit. He thaf knows God is his, and all that is in God is
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for his good, if this doth not satisfy, I know nothing that will.
Rule 3. Get an humble spirit.
The humble man is the contented man ; if his estate be low, his heart is lower than his estate, therefore be content. If his e- steem in the world be low, he that is little in his own eyes will not be much troubled to be little in the eyes of others. He hath a meaner opinion of himself, than others can have of him. The humble man studies his own unworthiness : he looks upon him- self as " less than the least of God's mer- cies," Gen. xxxii. 10. And then a little will content him : he cries out with Paul, that he is the chief of sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15. Therefore doth not murmur, but ad- mire. He doth not say his comforts are small, but his sins are great. He thinks it a mercy he is out of hell, therefore he is contented. He doth not go to carve out a more happy condition to himself; he knows the worst piece God cuts him is better than he deserves. A proud man is never con- tented ; he is one that hath an high opinion of himself; therefore under small blessings is disdainful, under small crosses impatient. The humble spirit is the contented spirit; if his cross be light, he reckons it the in- ventory of his mercies ; if it be heavy, yet he takes it upon his knees, knowing that when his estate is worse, it is to make him the better. Where you lay humility for the foundation, contentment will be the su- perstructure.
Rule 4. Keep a clear conscience.
Contentment is the manna that is laid up in the ark of a good conscience : O take heed of indulging any sin ! 'Tis as natural for guilt to breed disquiet, as for putrid matter to breed vermin. Sin lies as Jonah in the ship, it raiseth a tempest. If dust or motes be gotten into the eye, they make the eye water, and cause a soreness in it ; if the eye be clear, then it is free from that soreness ; if sin be gotten into the con- science, which is as the eve of the soul, then grief and disquiet breed there ; but keep the eye of conscience clear, and all is well. What Solomon saith of a good stomach, I may say of a good conscience, Prov. xxvii. 7., " To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet :" so to a good con-