are in great Want of Heavenly Knowledge; their Souls are empty of the Love of God and our Saviour; they do not live in the Exercise of Piety, and have little or no Hope in God: And then they will eafily want every Thing, yea, even those Things which they have; because all the World is not big enough to fill their Hearts, though it were all in their Arms.

7

IV. Need I tell you then, whither you are to go for Contentment? You fee the Place, and the Way you know: Yes, and you cannot but feel your Hearts moved to walk in it, it is fo pleasant. You must seek it in the Knowledge of Chrift, which is a Light that arises to us in Darknefs; making all the Spectres, Mormo's and terrible Bug-bears wherewith we affright our felves in the Night of Ignorance, to fly away. You muft feek it in Heavenly Love, which is a Fire to thaw our benummed and ftupified Souls, and to make those Hearts that are as cold as a Stone, and ready to die in us, to revive into a chearful Flame. You must feek it in Hope of Glory, in the Joys of the Holy Ghoft, in the Cup of Confolation that the Gospel reaches out to you; which is like to the richest Wines, refreshing our Spirits, and invigorating our Hearts, even when they are full of the Waters of Marah, or Bitterness, that are ready to overflow and drown them in Sorrow and Sadness. If you will feek it any where else, you must blame your felves that you have it not: But if you will feek it here, it will

never bear the Blame of not giving it to you in the largest Measure.

V. See here also the Greatness of the Sin of Difcontent. It is a Difparagement to the Gofpel; a foul Reproach either to the Knowledge of Chrift, or to our felves, that we have no more of that Knowledge. If we do well to be unquiet, then our Saviour hath very ill provided for us, after all his Love and Care that he hath taken about us. If we think we do ill, then our Sin is the greater, feeing we have a Remedy fo near at hand, and will not use it. But of this hereafter.

VI. Their Sin likewife, you fee, rather than their Mifery, is to be pitied, who will not be contented. For is not he a ridiculous Person that complains of Hunger, when he fits at a full Table, and will not put forth his Finger to touch a Bit? Or that fits by a River, and complains of Thirst, but does not vouchsafe to ftoop for a Drop of that Water which runs by his Side? And yet fuch is the Cafe of thofe, who are ever tormenting themselves in their own Thoughts, and fpend their Time in fruitlefs Complaints; and will not be at the Pains of a few Thoughts, to make ufe of thofe Comforts which offer themfelves fo plentifully to them, that they are fufficient for all the World. They are not fenfible of their real Wants, and yet all the while they are troubled about Things which they do but fancy that they want; they are

ftill repining, and bewailing their Condition, while they fhou'd be studying to amend what is amifs, to learn Patience, and to furnish themfelves with those Confolations which are proper to refresh them, and every where in the Gospel lie before them.

VII. What shall I fay more? You are fatisfied, I suppose, that he is a very bad Christian, and altogether unacquainted with the Gofpel, who is covetous, continually afpiring, murmuring at his own Condition, and envying that of others; whofe Thoughts for the World will not let him mind his Soul, and perform the Duty he owes to God; whofe Love to any thing here, of which he is defirous, will at any Time make him lay afide his Respect to Religion, or utterly unfit him for the Practice of it. And yet, alas! this is the Condition of moft Men, who are called by the Name of Chrift. They fay his Commands are impoffible: They flander the Justice of his Government; and had rather charge him with Want of Wisdom and Goodness, in bidding us do Things that cannot be done, than become wife and good themselves by fetting themselves seriously to do them. And all the Reafon is, because they have no Acquaintance with the Gospel. Their Hearts are fo engaged in other Projects, that they have no Leifure, or will be at no Pains, to understand and ponder it. If they wou'd, they should find their Minds fo full of Knowledge, and Love, and Hope, that they would be full of the Fruits of Righteousness alfo; and re

joice in being fo happy beyond their Expectations. A little would fuffice them of any thing; but only of thofe Joys, and of the good Hope which our Lord hath given us. They would be well pleafed with the Want of any thing, but only of God's good Spirit, which they wou'd pray for Day and Night.

VIII. Let me beseech you then, to forfake the foolish, and live; and walk in the Way of Understanding, as the Wife Man fpeaks, Prov. ix. 6. Deliver your felves prefently out of the Number of those Fools, who are always feeking for that which they can never find; and, which is a worse Folly, are always groping for that which is just at hand, and which every body fees but themselves. The Word is nigh, that which fpeaks Contentment is in their very Mouth; and yet they love to fill their Mouths with Gravel, and break their Teeth with Pebble-Stones when they have fweet and good Food which even falutes their Lips. The Fool which the Italians tell us of, Santiccio by Name, was not more grofs and fottish than most of us, who all the Summer long did nothing but take Frogs and flea them; and then carried their Skins to the Currier, fwearing the Roman Emperors never wore any thing fo fine, and that Sables were not to be compared to them. We peele Straws, we bufy our felves about frivolous Things, we pefter our Thoughts with a Number of idle Bufineffes, and spend the best of our Days in unprofitable Labours; when there is one eafy, fweet, and delight

delightful Employment to which we will not put our Hands, nor bend our Thoughts, which is to know and do the Will of God. Let me prevail with you to mend this Folly, and to apply your selves to this Heavenly Wisdom. Search and try, where can your Hearts find Contentment, but only here? Is not this the End, as I faid, for which you defire Riches, Honours, and all things elfe, that you may be quiet and well pleased? Do you defire Abundance merely for the Love of it felf? No Man is fo foolish. He hath some further End in all that he defigns, and defires, and doth. And is not this the Thing he aims at, that he may find Eafe and Satisfaction of Mind after all his Labours? Doth he not feek every thing with Hopes to find this in it? But how much better would it be to feek that Eafe and Satisfaction without these Things, if God deny them? To be able to live happily, and yet want them? This Contentment you cannot have in them; and yet it is poffible to have it otherways (and all the Happiness of the World to come alfo) either with them or without them, if we will but look after it. O get your Minds filled then, and fatisfied. This is all I beg of you: Let but your Hearts be filled; give them enough. But where is that Good which will fill them? It is not in Riches; Pleafures have it not; nor will Dignities and Honours prefer us to it. No, it lies in Divine Knowledge; in the Love of God and our Saviour; in the Joys and Comfort of the Holy Ghoft; in Meeknefs, Mercifulness, Peaceableness, Purity, Humility, and