The Defects in

this alone which relieves them. our Nature are to be look'd after and amended, rather than thofe in our outward Eftate. Cure the former, and the latter will not fo much moleft us. But if thofe remain, we shall still, whatsoever we enjoy, be in Trouble and Restlefsness of Mind.

For we are exactly like to thofe Men that go to Sea, as St. Bafil * hath fingularly well expreffed it, who not being used to it, and utterly unacquainted with the rolling and unsteady Motion of the Ship, are heart-fick, and vomit up every thing that they take. Juft fo do we feel our felves ill at Ease, difgufted at innumerable Things, and ever finding fault with our Condition, as they that are unexperienc'd do with the Ship. And as they imagine by fhifting Places, and going into the Boat, that they fhall be better; fo it is with us: We feek for a Change, and hope to be well, if we had but this or that, which we fancy better than that which we have. But alas! faith he, as they, poor Men, are fick ftill, and naufeate all things, because up TY AUTOis ʼn dundia, the Heaviness and the Choler ftill accompanies them, whitherfoever they go: Even fo we, Targ men oureπεριφέροντες, carrying about with us always our inbred Paffions and domeftick Affections, are every where toffed by them, and live in the like Tumult; finding no Quiet nor Rest to our felves, till thefe be caft out and difcharged. To

Epift. 1. ad Gregor."

συ

this we must apply our Care; and when we have once purged our felves of them, let the Affairs of the World be never fo tempeftuous, and work like the Sea in a great Storm; we fhall not be fo fick and ill at Eafe, as we used to be even in a more calm and peaceable Condition. We shall better bear great Croffes, than we were wont to do little: Nay, be more contented in a mean Estate, than we ever found our felves before in a plentiful Fortune.

O

PRAYER III.

God, thou knoweft the Needs of all thy Creatures; and art both able and ready to Supply them, as I have found by abundant Experience, ever fince I came into Being. As thou haft given me Soundness of all my Senfes, and the free Ufe of all the Powers of Soul and Body, Thanks be to thy Almighty Goodness; fo thou hast never Suffered me to want my daily Bread, nor denied me a warm and quiet Habitation, nor expofed me to Nakedness, and fuch like Miferies. Tea, thou haft bestowed upon me many Bleffings, I acknow ledge, which many others want, who yet are thankful to thee, and praife thy Goodness."

There is great Reafon that I should trust in thee "for ever,, who haft taken care of me, when I cou'd take no care at all of my felf. Thou haft given

me

me a Body and Life without my asking; and thou provideft Food for the Birds of the Air, and the Beasts of the Earth, who take no Thought for it. Oftrengthen my Faith and Confidence in thy tender Mercy, that thou wilt ftill provide for me alfo, who humbly implore the Continuance of thy Favours to me. O that Thoughtfulness for the future, may never take away the Relish of my preSent Enjoyments. Make me more thankful for what I have, than defirous of what I want. Moderate my Defires, and give me the Wisdom and Grace, not to extend them beyond neceffary Things; but having Food and Raiment, therewith to be content. I am exceedingly indebted to thy Bounty, which hath not hitherto confined me to fo frait a Condition; but out of thy Fulness granted me a more liberal Portion. O God, preServe my Soul from being tainted with inordinate Affection to thefe perishing Things. Raife my Spirit above them, whilst I enjoy them: And make me feel my felf able to live contentedly with lefs, whilft I am blessed with Plenty and Abundance of them.

And if thou art pleafed to bring me to a meaner Estate, affift me with thy Grace, that I may never repine at thy Providence, nor difruft thy Care, nor torment my felf with perpetual Defires of a Change; but reft in thy Fatherly Love, which hath provided for me hitherto beyond my Neceffities. Make me always more careful and follicitous how to grow better my felf, than how to better my outward Eftate. Turn my Thoughts the right way; and poffefs me with true Apprebenfions

G 4

benfions of Things; that studying to live by fober Reafon, and not by Imagination; to fatisfy Nature, and not the Greediness of Defire; to purge my felf from all undue Affections, and purely to comply with thy wife and good Providence, I may live a comfortable and happy Life amidst all the Confufions and Troubles of this World; and may feel it the Beginning of Eternal Reft and Peace with my Bleffed Saviour in the Life to come.

Enlarge my Defires more and more after that · Bleffedness; and enlarge my Capacity for it, by the Increase of all Divine Virtues. "Make me fo boly, fo humble, So thankful, fo charitable, fo compaffionate, fo difpofed to do good to others, and fo pleafed in their Profperity and Happiness, that I may the lefs doubt of thy enlarged Goodnefs to me here, and have an affured Hope of good Things, when I depart from hence, beyond all my Thoughts and Defires, through thy great Mercies in Chrift Fefus. Amen.

SER

And having Food and Raiment, let us be therewith content.

I

statatat F you believe what was faid in the foregoing Difcourfe, I may fairly proceed (without any Preface) to fhow you, that

VII. The more any Man wants, the more he is taught Contentedness. Should a Man fall into fuch a low Condition, that he lives wholly upon the Charity of others, there is great Reafon he should be fatisfied; because he learns how well a Man may live upon nothing: I mean, how poffible it is for a Man that hath nothing of his own, to have notwithstanding all things needful. Sickness, and fuch like Diftreffes, into which we are sometimes reduced, do fhow most effectually, how little will really serve the Turn; and how fmall Care is due to the Things of this World,