having enough of onefelf; the which is not to be under- SERM. flood abfolutely, as if he took himself to be independent XXXVII. in nature, able to fubfift of himself, not wanting any fup- λ, TλNport or comfort without himself, (for this is the property ρωμένῳ τινι and privilege of the great El-Shaddai, who alone fubfifteth diyos de of himself, needing toward his being and felicity nothing. without himself; this is repugnant to the nature of man, Arr. iii. 24. who is a creature effentially dependent for his being and fubfiftence, indigent of many things for his fatisfaction and welfare,) but relatively confidering his present state, the circumstances wherein he was, and the capacities he had; which by God's difpofal and providence were fuch, that he could not want more than he had in his poffeffion or reach. He meant not to exclude God, and his providence; but rather supposed that as the ground and cause of his self-sufficiency; according as otherwhere he expreffeth it: Not as if we were fufficient of ourselves, but 2 Cor. iii. 5. our fufficiency is of God: nor did he intend to exclude the need of other creatures otherwife than as confidered without his poffeffion, or beyond his power; but he meaneth only, that he did not defire or lack more than what God had fupplied him with; had put into his hand, or had fet within his reach; that his will did fuit to his ftate, his defire did not exceed his power.

This is the meaning of the word, which the Apostle ufeth but for the more full and clear understanding the virtue itself, we shall first confider the object, about which it is converfant; then the feveral acts, which it requireth, or wherein the exercise thereof confifteth.

1. The object of contentedness is the present state of things, whatever it be, (whether profperous or adverse, of eminency or meanness, of abundance or scantness,) wherein by divine Providence we are fet: τὰ ἐν οἷς ἐσμὲν, the things in which we are ; that is, our prefent condition, with all its circumftances: fo it may be generally supposed, confidering that it is ordinary, and almost natural for men (who have not learned as St. Paul had done, or are not inftructed and exercised in the practice of this duty) to be diffatisfied, and difquieted in every state; to be always

SERM. in want of fomething; to find defects in every fortune; XXXVII. to fancy they may be in better case, and to defire it earneftly if we estimate things wifely, rich men are more liable to discontent than poor men. It is obfervable, that prosperity is a peevish thing, and men of highest fortune are apt most easily to resent the smallest things: a little neglect, a flight word, an unpleafing look doth affect them more than reproaches, blows, wrongs do those of a mean condition.

. Prosperity is a nice and fqueamish thing, and it is hard to find any thing able to please men of a full and profperous state, which being uncapable of bettering in substantial things, they can hardly find matter of folid delight. Whereas a poor estate is easily comforted by the acceffion of many things which it wanteth: a good meal, a small gift, a little gain, or good fuccefs of his labour doth greatly please a poor man with a very folid pleasure: but a rich man hath nothing to please him, but a new toy, a puff of applause, fuccefs at a horse-race, at bowls, at hunting; in some petty sport and paftime, which can yield but a very thin and tranfitory fatisfaction to any man not quite brutified and void of fenfe: whence contentedness hath place, and is needful in every condition, be it in appearance Job xx. 22. never so profperous, so plentiful, so pleasant. In the fulChryf. nefs of his fufficiency he shall be in ftraits. tom. vii. p. 68.

The formal object thereof may indeed feem to be a condition diftafteful to our fenfe, or cross to our fancy; an adverse or ftrait condition; a condition of poverty, of difgrace, of any great inconvenience or diftress incident to us in this world; but fince the most men are absolutely in fuch a condition, exposed to so many wants and troubles; fince many more are needy comparatively, wanting the conveniencies that others enjoy, and which themselves affect; fince there are few, who in right eftimation are not indigent and poor, that is, who do not d fire and fancy themselves to want many things which they have not, (for wealth confifteth not fo much in the poffeffion of goods, as in apprehenfion of freedom from want, and in fatisfaction of defires,) fince care, trouble, disappointment, fatiety,

and discontent following them, do not only haunt cottages, SERM. and stick to the lowest fort of people, but do even frequent XXXVII. palaces, and purfue men of highest rank; therefore any ftate may be the object of contentedness; and the duty is of a very general concernment; princes themselves need to learn it; the leffons teaching it, and the arguments perfuading it may as well fuit the rich and noble, as the poor and the peasant; fo our Apostle himself doth intimate in the words immediately following our text: 【Phil. iv. 12. know both how to be abafed, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am inftructed both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to fuffer need: he had the art not only to manage well both conditions, but to be fatisfied in either.

But seeing real adversity, poverty, and disgrace have naturally the strongest influence in disturbing and difordering "our minds; that contentedness is plainly moft needful in fuch cases, as the proper support, or medicine of our mind in them; that other ftates do need it only as they, by fancy or infirmity, do fymbolize or confpire with these; therefore unto perfons in these states we shall more explicitly apply our directions and perfuafions, as to the proper and primary fubjects of contentednefs; the which by analogy, or parity of reason, may be extended to all others, who, by imaginary wants and diftreffes, do create displeasure to themselves. So much for the object, or the fubject of the virtue.

2. The acts, wherein the practice thereof confifteth, (which are neceffary ingredients, or conftant symptoms of it,) belong either to the mind and understanding, or to the will and appetite, or to external demeanour and practice; being, 1. right opinions and judgments of mind; 2. fit difpofitions and affections of heart; 3. outward good actions and behaviours, in regard to our condition and the events befalling us; the former being as the root and stock, the latter as the fruits and the flowers of the duty: unto which may be reduced the correfpondent negations, or absence of bad judgments, affections, and deportments in respect to the fame objects.

SERM. (1.) As to our opinions and judgments of things, conXXXVII. tentedness requireth, that,

Lor.

Lam.iii. 38.

1. We should believe our condition, whatever it be, to be determined by God; and that all events befalling us do proceed from him; at least that he permitteth and orderSoph. Aj. eth them, according to his judgment and pleasure: Eùv t❤ θεῷ πᾶς καὶ γελᾷ κ' ωδύρεται, all, as the Prophet fingeth, both Amos iii. 6. good and evil, proceedeth out of the mouth of the Moft High; 1 Kings xii. that affliction, as Job faid, cometh not forth of the duft, neither doth trouble fpring out of the ground; as a thing arifing spontaneously, or fowed by the hand of fome creaIfa. xlv. 7. ture, but rather descendeth from him, who faith, I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; 1 the Lord do all thefe things.

15, 24.

Deos, atque

crudelia

mater.

We are apt, when any thing falleth out unpleasant to Atque us, to exclaim against fortune, and to accuse our stars; or aftra vocat to inveigh against the fecond caufes which immediately offend us, afcribing all to their influence; which proceeding doth argue in us a heathenifh ignorance and infidelity, or at least much inconfiderateness, and impotency of mind; that our judgment is blinded and clouded, or perverted and feduced by ill paffions; for that in truth there is not in the world any occurrence merely fortuitous, or fatal, (all being guided and wielded by the powerful hand of the all-wife and almighty God,) there is no creature which in its agency doth not depend upon God, as the inftrument of his will, or fubordinate thereto; wherefore upon every event we should, raifing our minds above all other causes, difcern and acknowledge God's hand; as 2 Sam. xvi. David did, when Shimei curfed him; Let him, faid the good King, curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him, Curfe David; as Job did, when he was rifled of his goods, Job i. 21. The Lord, faid he, gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as our Saviour did, when, in regard to the fore hardships John xviii. he was defigned to undergo, he said, The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink?

10.

11.

2. Hence we should always judge every thing which happeneth to be throughly good and fit, worthy (all things confidered) to be appointed, or permitted by that

XXXVII.

Governor of things; not entertaining any harsh thoughts SERM. of God, as if he were not enough wife, juft, or benign in ordering us to be afflicted or croffed; but taking all occurrences to be well confiftent with all God's holy perfections and attributes a.

We are apt to conceit, that the world is ill ordered, when we do not thrive and profper therein; that every thing is irregular, which squareth not to the models of our fancy; that things had gone much better, if our defigns had found fuccefs: but thefe are vain and perverfe con-. ceits; for that certainly is moft good, which feemeth. good to God; his will is a perfect standard of right and convenience, his eye never aimeth wrong, his hand never faileth to hit the mark of what is beft; All his paths are Pfa.xxv.10. mercy, and truth; he is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works; fo did king Hezekiah rightly judge, when, upon denunciation of a fad doom to his country and posterity, he replied to the Prophet; Good is the word of the 2 Kings xx. Lord, which thou haft spoken; fo even the Pagan fage difcerned, when he thus rebuked a malecontent; You Лlave, do you forfooth defire any thing, but what is beft? and is not that only beft, which feemeth beft to God?

3. We fhould even be fatisfied in our mind, that, according to God's purpose, all events do tend and conduce to our particular welfare; being not only good to us as members of the world, and in order to more general ends, but ferving towards our private benefit and advantage. We may be ready perhaps to confefs, that whatever happeneth may be indeed juft and fit in fome diftant and occult respects; but hardly can we be induced to allow, that what we feel offenfive to our fenfe and fancy is

Παραχωρήσωμεν τοίνυν παρακαλῳ τῷ σοφῷ τοῦ παντὸς κυβερνήτῃ, καὶ σέρξωμεν τὰ οἰκονομέμενα, ὁποῖα ποτ' ἂν ᾖ κἂν θυμέρη, καν λυπηρὰ, &c. Theod. Ep. 136. Placeat homini quicquid Deo placuit. Sen. Ep. 75.

Στέργειν γὰρ χρὴ τὰ παρὰ τῆς ἀῤῥήτε σοφίας πρυτανευόμενα, κ ταῦτα πάντως νομίζειν συμφέροντα. Theod. Εp. 15.

Οἶδε γὰρ ὡς σοφὸς τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ ὡς ἀγαθὸς τοῦτο ἡμῖν πραγματεύεται. Id. Ep. 18.

̓Ανδράποδον, ἄλλο γὰρ θέλεις, ἢ τὸ ἄμεινον ; ἄλλο οὖν τι ἄμεινον, ἢ τὸ θεῷ δύο Xour; Arr. xi. 7.

cxlv. 17.

19.