away with it. Too much fondness ends in frowardness. Those that would be content

in the want of mercy, must be moderate in the enjoyment. Jonathan dipped the rod in honey, he did not trust in it. Let us take heed of engulphing ourselves in pleasure: better have a spare diet, than, by having too much and be surfeited.

SECT. VI.

RULE 6.

Pray for a Foretaste of Heaven in your Heart.

SPIRITUAL things satisfy the more of heaven is in us, the less earth will content. He that hath once tasted the love of God, his thirst is much quenched towards sublunary things,* the joys of God's Spirit are heart

*All who possess the grace of God in their hearts, and are blessed with the comforts of the Holy Spirit and the joys of God's salvation, do really experience a foretaste of heaven begun below. We should therefore be very solicitious in our addresses at a throne of grace, that the Lord may increase our desires after those pleasures that are above at his right hand, and let that soul-cheering promise ever stimulate us to diligence and zeal in the discharge of the important duties of religion. "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up as the eagle, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isa. xl. 31.

filling and heart-cheering joys: he that hath these, hath heaven begun in him, (Rom. xiv. 17.) and shall we not be content to be in heaven?-Seek the things that are above; (Col. iii. 1.) fly aloft in your affections, thirst after the graces and comforts of the Spirit. The eagle, that flies above in the air, fears not the stinging of the serpent; the serpent creeps on his belly, and stings only such creatures as go upon the earth.

Discontent is a serpent that stings only an earthly heart. An heavenly soul, that with the eagle flies aloft, finds abundantly enough in God to give contentment, and is not stung with the cares and disquiets of the world.

SECT. VII.

RULE 7.

Look not so much on the dark side of your Condition, as on the light.

GOD doth chequer his providences, white and black, as the pillar of cloud had its light side and dark. Look on the light side of thy estate who looks on the back side of a landscape? Suppose thou art cast in a law-suit, there is the dark side; yet thou hast some land left, there is the light side. Thou hast sickness in thy body, there is the dark side ;

but

grace in thy soul, there is the light side. Thou hast a child taken away, there is the dark side; thy husband lives, there is the light side. God's providences in this life are various, represented by those speckled horses among the myrtle-trees, which were the red and white, Zach. i. 8. Mercies and afflictions are interwoven: God doth speckle his work. "Oh !" saith one, "I want such a comfort;" but weigh all thy mercies in the balance, and that will make thee content. If a man did want a finger, would he be so discontented for the loss of that, as not to be thankful for all the other parts and joints of the body? Look on the light side of your condition, and then all your discontents will easily disband: do not pore upon your losses, but ponder upon your mercies. What! wouldst thou have no cross at all? Why should one man think to have all good things, when himself is good but in part? Canst thou expect to have no evil about thee while thou hast so much evil in thee? If thou art not fully sanctified in this life; thou wilt not be fully satisfied? Never look for perfection of contentment till there be perfection of

grace.

SECT. VIII.

RULE 8.

Consider in what a posture we stand here in the World.

1. WE are in a military condition, we are soldiers;* (2 Tim. ii. 3.) now a soldier endures hardships. What, though he hath not his stately house, his rich furniture, his soft bed, his full table, yet he must not complain; he can lie on straw as well as on down; he minds not his lodging: but his thoughts run upon dividing the spoil, and the garland of honour that shall be set upon his head; and, for the hope of this, is content to run any hazard, endure any hardship. Were it not absurd to hear him complain that he wants such provision, and is fain to lie out in the fields?

*The Christian's life has ever been a state of warfare, and we cannot be good soldiers of Jesus Christ unless we take up our cross daily and follow him, not forgetting that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to pull down the strong holds of sin, and the apostle earnestly exhorts us to take the sword of the spirit, the breast plate of righteousness, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation; that we may be able to combat with all the powers of darkness and patiently wait till we are made more than conquerors through him that hath loved and washed us from our sins in his own blood. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, amen. Rev, i. 5, 6.

A Christian is a military person; he fights the Lord's battles, he is Christ's ensign-bearer. Now, what though he endures hard fare, and the bullets fly about? He fights for an incorruptable crown, and therefore should be con

tent.

2. We are pilgrims and travellers. A man that is in a strange country is contented with any diet or usage; he is glad of any thing: though he hath not that respect or attendance as he looks for at home, nor is capable of the privileges and immunities of that place, he is content; he knows, when he comes into his own country, he hath lands to inherit, and there he shall have honour and respect. So it is with a child of God; he is in a pilgrim condition-I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were, Psal. xxxix. 12. Therefore, let a Christian be content: he is in the world, but not of the world; he is born of God, and is a citizen of the new Jerusalem; (Heb. xii. 10.) therefore, though he hunger and thirst, and have no certain dwelling-place, (1 Cor. iv. 11.) yet he must be content; it will be better when he comes into his own country.

3. We are beggars; we beg at heaven's gate-Give us this day our daily bread. We live upon God's alms; therefore must be content with any thing. A beggar must not pick and choose, he is contented with the refuse. Oh! why dost thou murmur that art a beggar, and art fed out of the alms-basket of God's providence?